The Cat Adoption Team currently averages 125-200 calls a week from people who want to bring cats to our facility. The majority of our intake (70% or over 2,000 cats) comes from other shelters and veterinary clinics that tranfer cats and kittens to us that would otherwise be running out of options due to space or medical constraints. We work with the community on an individual basis and often encourage callers to explore other options or continue to provide for the cat until we can make room in our adoption center.

If you must find a new home for your own cat or kitten, please review the following information and tips. If you have explored these and other options, call us at 503-925-8903 and leave a message in voicemailbox 8. We will return your call as soon as possible.

Due to the large number of homeless cats and kittens, and the process we have in place - we DO NOT accept walk-ins to our shelter. We only take in cats as a walk-in if it is a medical emergency for a stray cat, and we have veterinary staff on-site. Otherwise, a member of our intake team will work with you to schedule an appointment for bringing in the cat.

Finding a new home for your cat or kitten

If you are trying to find a new home for a cat or kitten you currently own, please consider the following options before contacting our shelter.

Seek advice from your veterinarian: CAT often receives calls from people wanting to turn in cats because they are urinating outside the litter box. If this is the case with your cat, please seek advice from your veterinarian before you consider bringing the cat to our shelter. Improper urination is often the result of a bladder or urinary tract infection, or other physical ailments. Cats will also refuse to use the litter box if you have changed to a brand of litter they don’t like, if you have moved the box to a new location or if you have introduced a cover for the box. If you think it is a behavior problem brought on by stress, anger or territorial disputes with other cats in the household, you might consider contacting a veterinarian who uses homeopathic remedies or an animal behaviorist to help you resolve the problem.

Ask everyone you know - friend, relatives, co-workers: Because coming to a shelter can be a stressful experience for a cat, you should make every attempt to find a new home for your cat before you bring it to our facility. Ask everyone you know-friends, relatives, co-workers-if they know of anyone who might want to adopt your cat.

Create a colorful flyer with your cat’s picture and ask permission to post it at local veterinarian clinics, pet stores, grocery stores, community service centers, local churches and on your office bulletin board. If someone offers to adopt your cat, always make a personal visit to the prospective new home before giving your pet away to make sure it is going to a home where it will be safe, loved and well cared for. Consider charging the new owner a small adoption fee. Individuals that sell animals for medical research often seek out cats and kittens that are advertised for free. Please take all precautions to ensure that this does not happen to your cat or kittens.

Send an email with a picture of your cat and a blurb about its personality. Emails can travel the world and this is one of the most successful ways to get cats adopted. People connect with stories and pictures. Send an email to anyone you know and ask them to pass it along.

Place an ad in the local paper or online. Never advertise the cat for free as some people make take it and sell it for research. Post the kitty for a small fee and then use your judgment. We encourage you to get as much information as possible from the potential adopters. Some online resources: Craig’s List and Petfinder.com.

If the above ideas are not feasible or have not worked for you, contact our rescue line at 503-925-8803 voicemailbox 8. Provide us with a brief description of your pet including age, breed and sex, whether it has been spayed or neutered, tested for FIV (kitty AIDS) and Felv (Feline Leukemia) or declawed, and whether its vaccinations are up to date.

We’d also like to know why you are giving up your cat, and whether he/she will do well in a household with other cats, dogs or children. Please keep in mind that we adopt to indoor-only homes; therefore, the cat needs to be a good fit for this environment. If, at the time, we are unable to take in your cat, we will keep your information on hand. We do not have a waiting list, as it is too difficult to maintain considering the amount of calls we receive. However, if we find someone who may be interested in adopting your cat, we will pass along your name and phone number so they can make direct contact with you.

Below is a great website that may be able to help you with your situtation:

Can We Help You Keep Your Pet? Read about some alternatives to giving up your pet.

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