Sherwood Shelter Hours
Tues-Fri 12 - 7 pm
Sat-Sun 12 - 6 pm
Closed Monday
Directions »
Can no longer keep your cat? Perhaps medical bills are overwhelming, you are moving, or you don’t understand your cat’s behavior. Please take some time to look through our advice to help you do what is best for your cat.
Solving behavior issues »
Resources and websites with answers that can help »
Advertise for a new home »
Advice on re-homing your pet »
Rescue groups »
CAT intake process » (taking names for a waiting list for adult cat intake)
Intake form/appointment »
Found a feral cat »
Solving Behavior Issues:
Sometimes, a behavior issue will raise thoughts of getting rid of a family pet. The first step should be to solve this issue and keep your pet with the family he/she loves.
Please visit CAT’s cat care section for information on common feline behavior issues.
Seek advice from your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions that may be the cause of undesirable behavior in your cat. For information on finding a veterinarian, contact the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association.
Advertise for a New Home:
Since most cat owners obtain their family feline from sources outside a shelter, chances are good that you can find a new home for your cat through various forms of advertisement.
Advice on re-homing your cat:
Rescue Groups and Animal Shelters:
Rescue groups generally keep animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. In some cases, rescues work only with animal shelters and might not accept pets directly from owners.
Be sure to find out as much as you can about the rescue group, and always carefully screen an organization before relinquishing your pet. You should make sure the current animal residents appear well cared for, that the group screens potential adopters, and that the group offers post-adoption support services. Do not be afraid to ask questions.
Animal shelters may be able to take your cat more quickly. Many shelters work with other organizations, like CAT, to provide the best options to find your cat a new home. However, most county shelters have limited space. Please discuss their holding period before you relinquish your cat to the shelter.
Please check this list for shelters or rescue groups in your area and review their websites for information on relinquishing a pet.
Please do not abandon your cat at any shelter or veterinary clinic. Animal abandonment is a misdemeanor offense in Oregon. Shelters can find and prosecute those who dump animals at their doorstep.
NOTE: Many shelters and groups, like CAT, receive animals by appointment only and do not take walk-in relinquishments. This is to better help the animals by not overloading the shelter and to provide pet owners with all the information necessary to make the best decision on re-homing your cat.
CAT’s Intake Process:
Right now, we have a waiting list for adult cats. There is no waiting list for mother/lactating cats with kittens.
We accept cats from the public on a limited basis. As cats are adopted, space is then available to bring in new cats to find homes.
If you have a stray cat and live in Yamhill or Clackamas County, CAT may be able to help you (see below). If you are in Washington, Multnomah, Marion, or Clark Counties, please contact your local animal control agency. Please try to find the cat’s owners by using tips found on our lost/found web page or find a new home for the cat using the tips below.
CAT may be able to help you with your own pet cat if you live in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, or Yamhill Counties. Outside that area, please check with other humane societies and shelters.
The majority of the cats in our shelter come from other shelters and veterinary clinics in the Portland metro area, where we help take in stray, sick, and injured cats and kittens who might otherwise be euthanized due to space constraints or medical needs. Because the high number of public intake requests regarding cats in need—averaging 125 to 200 a week—exceeds available space at the shelter, we must often encourage everyone to explore other options (set forth above) or continue to provide for the cat until we can make room in our adoption center.
Intake Form and Making an Appointment
NOTE: CAT is not scheduling new intake appointments for adult cats. Adult cats will be placed on a waiting list.
For pet cat owners unable to find a home for their cat (and live in the required counties listed above) or for Good Samaritans helping a stray (and live in the required counties above), please complete the CAT Intake Consultation Form and submit it online. Completing this form does not guarantee CAT can take in your cat; it does notify our intake counselors to call you, however.
Cats must be tested for FIV and FeLV prior to being accepted into our adoption program (we offer to perform these tests by appointment at CAT’s on-site veterinary hospital for a $40 fee, but we do not require that cats be tested at CAT, as long as they are tested; once cats are tested, they do need to be kept indoors to prevent future exposure to these diseases, as otherwise the cats would need to be re-tested before being admitted to our shelter).
We’d also like to know why you are giving up your cat, and whether he or 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.
To help cover medical costs and general costs of caring for the cat while in our shelter, we do ask for a $35+ donation when you relinquish a cat to our shelter in addition to the $40 intake fee.
Because of the high number of intake requests, we are scheduling limited appointments. After you complete the CAT Intake Consultation Form (only one cat per form) and speak with an intake counselor, you may be given the next available appointment or spot on the waiting list. You will be told your waiting list number. As space opens up and your number draws near, we will then contact you to schedule an appointment to bring your cat to our shelter. If you are able to re-home your cat on your own or decide you wish to keep your cat, please let us know so we can take you off our list.
Found a Feral Cat
Is that cat or kitten a stray or feral cat?
When you come across outdoor kittens, you may feel the need to immediately pick them up and bring them home with you, but that might not be the best thing for the kittens—or for you. Here are some guidelines on how to decide if kittens in a colony should be removed and socialized for adoption, and how to care for them should you choose to remove them and raise or socialize them yourself.
Please read and consider this information from Alley Cat Allies: click here.
Cost should not deter you from getting your cat spayed/neutered. There are many resources to help reduce the cost of doing the right thing.
$10 Spay/Neuter at CAT »
Discounted Spay/Neuter Pricing »
Resources »
You may qualify to have your cat spayed or neutered for just $10.
For cat-owners on public assistance, click here for more information about Spay & Save services. Take advantage of this Portland Metro area-wide initiative that will save you money and save thousands of cats by preventing overpopulation!
Call CAT today to see if you qualify to have your cat fixed for just $10: (503) 925-8903
Spay & Save is a project of the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP), of which CAT is a founding member.
Print and share the Spay & Save flyer.
Support CAT’s low-cost spay/neuter efforts with your donation. Help us continue to provide this valuable program.
Discounted Spay/Neuter via Oregon Spay/Neuter Fund Coupon
To help eliminate further pet overpopulation and animal suffering the Oregon Spay/Neuter Fund offers discounted neuters for $33 (male cat) and spays for $49 (female cat). To have your cat or kitten spayed or neutered at Cat Adoption Team, print an Oregon Spay/Neuter Fund coupon directly from OSNF and then call (503) 925-8903 to schedule your appointment. There are a limited number of appointments available during the week, so we appreciate your flexibility.
Call the Cat Adoption Team (503-925-8903) to discuss other low-cost and subsidized spay/neuter options if you are in need of financial assistance.
Other resources include:
These resources are to assist pet owners and animal caregivers. The contents of external websites are beyond CAT’s control. CAT accepts listings to these web pages complementary to its mission statement and reserves the right to refuse or remove any listings that are not in line with CAT’s mission.
Online Resources to Help you Find Your Cat or Locate the Owner of a Lost Cat:
These resources are to assist pet owners and animal caregivers. The contents of external websites are beyond CAT’s control. CAT accepts listings to these web pages complementary to its mission statement and reserves the right to refuse or remove any listings that are not in line with CAT’s mission.
If you find a cat / kitten, there are several things you can do to help find the cat’s owner or provide the cat with the opportunity for a new home.
Is that cat or kitten a stray or feral cat?
We all see free roaming cats around the neighborhood. Is that cat owned or a stray? The only way to know for sure is to walk around your neighborhood and talk to your neighbors.
When you come across outdoor kittens, you may feel the need to immediately pick them up and bring them home with you, but that might not be the best thing for the kittens–or for you. Here are some guidelines on how to decide if kittens in a colony should be removed and socialized for adoption, and how to care for them should you choose to remove them and raise or socialize them yourself. Please read and consider this information from Alley Cat Allies.
If you choose to “foster” until an owner is found:
If you cannot keep the cat/kitten until an owner is found:
If you’ve found a pregnant female cat, a momma cat with small kittens, or orphaned kittens:
These online resources are to assist pet owners and animal caregivers. The contents of external websites are beyond CAT’s control. CAT accepts listings to these web pages complementary to its mission statement and reserves the right to refuse or remove any listings that are not in line with CAT’s mission.
Don’t panic. There are steps you can take right away to find your missing cat. Start right now and we’ll help you as much as we possibly can.
Take Action to Find Your Cat
Check out these online resources for more information.
These resources are to assist pet owners and animal caregivers. The contents of external websites are beyond CAT’s control. CAT accepts listings to these web pages complementary to its mission statement and reserves the right to refuse or remove any listings that are not in line with CAT’s mission.
If you love cats and are a “people person”, you’ll want to volunteer at a place where you will be rewarded with purrs. Become a volunteer at CAT.
“Volunteering at CAT is my way of helping everyone have an opportunity to experience the joys of a happy, healthy pet companion.” Tia K., Volunteer
Adoption Counselor »
Caregiver »
Photography/writing »
Playhouse Assistant »
Vet Assistant »
Event Ambassador »
Foster Care »
Cat Food Bank »
Group volunteering »
Matchmaker (Adoption Counselor): Perfect for the volunteer who likes working with both people and cats. Matchmakers help adopters find a cat who is a good fit for them. (Also available at offsite locations.)
Caregiver: Get fuzzy! Work directly with cats at the shelter, in the Hospital, or at an offsite location, by providing clean cages, food, water, love, and attention.
“After a morning of cleaning when the cats are curled up, happy and content, and fed, I know what I’ve contributed is worthwhile.” Bruce M., Volunteer
Digital Photography and Writing: Help promote adoptable cats and kittens online with photos and cat biographies. (Uploading done from home.)
Playhouse (Kitten) Assistant: Provide customer service to potential kitten adopters by answering basic questions about the adoption process and the kittens they are meeting. Help potential adopters meet the kittens in the main floor Playhouse cat room. There will also be light caregiving duties and evening feeding.
Veterinary Assistant: Help provide preventive care to cats at CAT’s onsite veterinary Hospital.
“I do it [volunteer] for the kittens!” Rich C., Volunteer
Cat Adoption Event Ambassador: Promote CAT and responsible cat ownership at public outreach events such as community fairs, adoption events, open houses, etc.
Foster care: Provide a temporary home for a cat and/or kittens. Click here for more details about this opportunity.
Cat Food Bank: Help organize donated food and distributed to struggling cat owners on the second Sunday of the month; organize/coordinate food drives.
Group Volunteering: CAT welcomes group volunteers, typically for one-time projects such as weeding, painting, cleaning, and event support. The minimum age requirement for group volunteers is 16 years old. Groups of volunteers between 12 and 16 are encouraged to help CAT by hosting a food or supply drive, a fundraising event, or distributing CAT information.
Please note that available openings for each position vary. Training is provided. Other volunteer opportunities include data entry, fundraising, and special projects. Experienced volunteers also often assume leadership roles. Volunteer positions are at the Sherwood shelter unless otherwise noted.
“My heart is big enough to love them all.” Dixie C., Volunteer
Apply to be a CAT Volunteer today. Please note that CAT staff will get back to you as soon as possible, but this may take as long as a week. Applicants whose interests and schedule match current openings are invited to attend a Volunteer Orientation, typically held on three weekend days per month (occasionally weekday evening orientations are offered).
For information about group volunteering, or for other questions about volunteering, please contact the Volunteer Services Manager at (503) 925-8903, ext 226.
Cat Adoption Team volunteers don’t just love cats, they put their love of cats into action.
Over 450 volunteers belong to a CAT community that works every day to help homeless cats and kittens and end needless feline euthanasia.
CAT volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and contribute their time, skills, and talents in areas as varied as socializing cats one-on-one to raising awareness at outreach events. They are adolescents, senior citizens, and all ages in between. They make new friends, learn new skills, and are an essential component to CAT’s ability to save lives.
“Nothing makes me happier than giving a cat a chance, and meeting other cat lovers with the same goal.” Tanya S., Volunteer
Volunteer Requirements
“Volunteering for CAT is the most rewarding experience I’ve had. I always leave the shelter after volunteering with a huge smile on my face. I highly recommend volunteering to anyone!” Lynn H., Volunteer
Apply to be a CAT Volunteer today. Please note that CAT staff will get back to you as soon as possible, but this may take as long as a week. Applicants whose interests and schedule match current openings are invited to attend a Volunteer Orientation, typically held on three weekend days per month (occasionally weekday evening orientations are offered).
CAT’s volunteer program does not accept court-ordered community service; however, there are some opportunities to fulfill court-ordered community service at the shelter; please call the shelter at (503) 925-8903 for more information.
Check out all the ways you can volunteer to help save lives at CAT.
VIC Log On for current CAT volunteers.
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