Adopt-a-Cat month is coming up in June, so if you’re thinking about adopting a feline friend now is a great time to start doing some research. When choosing a new cat to add to your household, a rescue cat or shelter cat is hands-down the way to go. When you adopt a rescue cat, you get not only a fun, furry companion, but also the satisfaction of knowing that you have saved your pet’s life and helped to reduce the number of unwanted pets in our community. If you’re looking to adopt a cat in the Colorado Springs, CO area, here are some resources and organizations you should check out.
9 Lives Rescue, Inc.
9 Lives Rescue, Inc. is a non-profit, no-kill pet rescue organization in Colorado Springs, CO that is operated entirely by volunteers. Rather than placing pets in a shelter facility, 9 Lives houses their rescued pets in volunteer foster homes until they are ready to be adopted. Prior to adoption, the cats have spent the majority of their time in an attentive and caring home and only a short period in a cage at the adoption location. This means that they are more likely to be healthy and social than cats who are caged for a prolonged period of time. It also means that 9 Lives often knows quite a bit about each cat’s personality, and can help you find a good match for your household. All of the cats that 9 Lives adopts out are spayed or neutered and up to date on their vaccinations. 9 Lives does not adopt out cats that are declawed and does not advocate declawing of cats.
Adoption Fee
9 Lives requires a donation of $125 for most cats. This covers the cost of your cat’s spaying/neutering and vaccinations and also contributes to maintaining 9 Lives’ fostering program (food, kitty litter, veterinary care, etc.).
How to Adopt
9 Lives Rescue uses an adoption location at the PetSmart on N. Powers Blvd. in Colorado Springs. The address is:
2965 New Center Point
Colorado Springs, CO 80922
9 Lives volunteers are at the location on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM for adoptions. You can go in during this time to view the pets and fill out an application for adoption. You can also view their available pets online and contact 9 Lives by phone or e-mail if you find one you are interested in.
Contact Information
Phone: 719-591-4640
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.colorado9lives.com
Dreampower Animal Rescue
Dreampower Animal Rescue is another non-profit, no-kill rescue program in Colorado Springs. They operate through foster homes rather than through a shelter location. Dreampower makes a long-term commitment to their rescued pets; they have staff available for post-adoption support such as assistance with behavioral questions or training your new pet. They also strive to give each pet as many chances as needed to find a forever home. If an adoption does not work out for some reason, they will take the pet back and re-adopt it. In addition to its rescue/adoption program, Dreampower also has community programs such as the Humane Education program, which visits schools to teach children about animal safety and responsible pet ownership, and STOP, a spay/neuter program for low-income pet owners. These and other programs help to reduce unwanted animal populations and encourage humane treatment of pets.
Adoption fee
Dreampower requires a tax-deductible donation of $120 for adult cats and $145 for kittens (6 months or younger. The adoption fee includes spaying/neutering, vaccination, kitten deworming, a free veterinary exam, and an ID tag and collar. It also helps to support Dreampower’s rescue animals and other programs.
How to Adopt
Dreampower conducts their adoptions primarily from the Citadel Crossing PetSmart. The address is:
571 N Academy
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Dreampower volunteers conduct adoptions at this location on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM and on Sundays from noon to 3:30 PM. Prior to visiting the adoption location, it is recommended that you either fill out and submit an adoption application online, or print it and fill it out to bring with you to the adoption center. You can view available pets online here, as well.
Contact Information
Phone: 719-390-7838
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dreampower.org
Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region
The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) is a non-profit organization that serves the Colorado Springs community by rescuing pets and offering pet adoptions, assisting pet owners to re-locate lost pets, advocating for animal welfare, and providing pet care education programs. HSPPR provides a safe place for former pet-owners to surrender their pets if necessary. The organization accepts all pets in need of help and identifies itself as a “no-suffering” rather than a “no-kill” facility. They also help to enforce animal ordinances and investigates animal cruelty and neglect cases in the community.
HSPPR is the type of animal shelter that we typically think of, with rescued pets housed in cages in the shelter facility. However, compared to many shelters HSPPR is fairly nice. Some particularly needy pets (such as underage kittens) are placed in foster homes. The cages in the facility are cleaned regularly, and noise-reducing glass separates the cage areas so that the pets are less frightened. They also have several rooms available for becoming acquainted with a prospective feline companion. All of HSPPR’s adoptable cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed if applicable.
Adoption fee
The HSPPR requires an adoption fee that varies between $34-$195 for cats, depending on the breed and how much care the cat has received. Most adult cats are $68, and most kittens are $78. Cats which have been fostered due to needing extra care will be $10 more. The cost of adoption includes spaying/neutering, vaccinations, deworming, and a free veterinary visit.
How to Adopt
The HSPPR conducts adoptions at its own facility. The address is:
610 Abbott Lane
Colorado Springs, CO 80905.
The HSPPR’s adoption hours are Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM (showings end at 5:15 PM), and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM (showings end at 3:15). You can view pets available for adoption online or in the shelter. When you find a pet you are interested in, take its ID number to the Host in the lobby to sign up for a visit. You will be asked to fill out an adoption application and meet with an Adoption Counselor. Expect the adoption process to take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Contact Information
Phone: 719- 473-1741
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.hsppr.org
Your Local Craigslist
Finally, your local Craigslist listings can be a great resource for adopting a cat into your home. Craigslist is much like the classified section of a newspaper, but it is online. Many people who can no longer keep their cat would rather re-home it directly to another family rather than sending it to a shelter, so they often put a re-homing listing on Craigslist. Especially in the Colorado Springs area, there are many people seeking to re-home their cats due to military or job relocation, so there are listings every day. Most Craigslist cats still qualify as rescue cats, because many of them will end up in a shelter if the owners cannot re-home it themselves (however, please do not “buy” kittens from people who have them because they failed to get their cat spayed). Adopting a cat directly from another family can be a great option, because it saves the cat the trauma of going to a shelter and gives you the opportunity to find out about the cat’s personality first-hand from its previous owners. Some cats listed on Craigslist have already been spayed/neutered and vaccinated, but some have not. It is your responsibility to find out and to have the cat spayed or neutered and vaccinated if it has not been already.
Adoption Fee
Many people who list their cat on Craigslist will ask for a small re-homing fee to make sure that the cat goes to a good home, but many cats are also listed for free.
How to Adopt
Visit the Pets section of your local Craigslist. Search through the listings, and if you find a cat you are interested in contact the owner through the information they provide in the advertisement. You will probably need to visit the current owner’s home to meet and pick up your new pet.
While these are four of the major resources for adopting a rescue cat in Colorado Springs, there are several others as well. The best way to find information about other cat rescue organizations in the area, as well as to view a listing of adoptable cats, is to visit www.petfinder.com and do a search for your local area. Best of luck in finding your new feline companion!
Reference:
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/37889/june_is_adopt_a_shelter_cat_month.html?cat=53
- www.petfinder.com/
- www.associatedcontent.com/article/1621228/why_you_should_adopt_your_next_pet.html?cat
