Top 20 Cat Shelters In The US

If you are a supporter of the #AdoptDontShop cause, then you’ve landed in the right place.

According to the ASPCA, nearly 3.4 million felines end up in animal shelters each year. The most common reason is cat allergies.

Both young and adult kitties of all breeds and ages end up homeless, and their only hope is that one day somebody will adopt them and show them some unconditional love and affection.

Countless abused, sick, or simply neglected felines are suffering from their previous owners’ abuse and they are just looking for somebody like you, who is willing to provide shelter, love, and proper care for them.

Fortunately for these furballs, there are many associations and animal shelters out there working to provide a safe environment for homeless kittens who are awaiting their new owners. Here’s our list of the top 20 cat shelters in the US.

Animal Welfare League

Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Animal Welfare League is among the best cat shelters out there. It saves the lives of countless cats, dogs, horses, and birds annually.

Their motto is “Recovery is the answer, not euthanasia” for all pets that have been neglected, sick, or injured.

They also have their very own vet clinic for shots, spaying, neutering, surgeries, and other types of medical treatment, which is always open to the public.

The Animal Welfare League also offers micro-chipping and hosts various seasonal events to raise awareness of the problem of homeless animals and to promote the shelter.

Phone: 708.636.8586

E-mail: via contact form

Address: 10305 SOUTHWEST HIGHWAY, CHICAGO RIDGE, IL 60415

Lakeland Animal Shelter

Operating in Delavan and Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the Lakeland Animal Shelter provides shelter for nearly 400 cats at the moment.

The organization was founded back in the distant 1968 and ever since then they have been taking care of 2,500 abandoned animals each year.

They offer care for cats and other animals, educational services, rescue assistance, and also investigative services on animal neglect and abuse.

Apart from caring for cats and dogs, they also offer adoption services for other types of pets, such as rabbits, birds, and barnyard animals.

Phone: (262) 723-1000

E-mail: adopt@lakelandanimalshelter.org

Address: P.O. Box 1000 Elkhorn, WI 53121 and 3551 State Road 67 Delavan, WI 53115

Feline Rescue Inc.

The Feline Rescue Inc. is an animal shelter focusing on cats only.

It was established in 1997 and operates in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Feline Rescue and their cat shelter offer relief, housing, socialization, and vet care for feline creatures of all breeds and ages.

The organization is a no-kill animal shelter chain in the US and they also offer temporary foster home services.

All of Feline Rescue’s cats are medically treated, vaccinated, examined, and micro-chipped before they are put up for adoption.

Phone: 651-642-5900

E-mail: dana.andresen@felinerescue.org

Address: 593 Fairview Avenue North St. Paul, MN 55104

Animal Ark

The Animal Ark is the largest no-kill animal shelter in Minnesota. They have programs for cats, dogs, and young kittens.

Founded in 1977, this organization is a firm believer that each pet can be saved and that each animal deserves a second chance.

They have offices in Saint Paul and Hastings and their motto is “Rescue, Rehabilitate, Rehome.”

One of the main advantages of this shelter is that they also provide training services for the sheltered animals.

Phone: (651) 772-8983

E-mail: shelter@animalarkMN.org

Address: 2600 Industrial Court Hastings, MN 55033

Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue

The Elizabeth Lake Animal Rescue (ELAR) focuses solely on felines.

This Michigan-based organization has a no-kill policy and they provide care for cats and kitties of all breeds and ages, including youngsters and senior cats.

ELAR has been serving the community for over 30 years and they also take in stray and sick cats in need of special medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Their offices are located in the Waterford/ Union Lake area.

Phone: 248-682-9649

E-mail: elarmom1@aol.com

Address: PO Box 126 Union Lake, MI 48387

Touched By An Animal

The Touched By An Animal association and their Cats-Are-Purrsons-Too shelter was founded in 1989 in Chicago, Illinois.

They focus solely on felines and apart from their shelter, care, and rehoming services they also offer care for elderly or disabled pet owners who need assistance in taking care of their pets.

They currently host a large variety of felines of all breeds, ages, and colors.

Phone: 773.728.6336

E-mail: TBA@touchedbyananimal.org

Address: P.O. Box 59067 Chicago, IL 60659

Second Chance

The feline-oriented Second Chance organization operates in Elk Grove, Illinois.

This rescue organization focuses on giving stray, abandoned, and homeless kitties a second chance by providing shelter and foster home services. Founded back in 1994, Second Chance has been providing safety, love, and treatment for all cats ever since.

These guys are among the several cat-only shelters which offer socialization, medical treatment, and foster care for unfortunate kitties which are looking for a second chance with a loving new owner.

Phone: (847) 670-4714

E-mail: info@secondchancepetadoption.org

Address: P.O. Box 91916 Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

Michigan Animal Adoption Network

The Michigan Animal Adoption Network operates in the Detroit area and helps dogs and cats by rescuing, caring, and providing shelter for them.

They also offer educational services for current pet owners, and they provide care for both indoor and outdoor animals.

Their Street Team of volunteers aims at locating and helping homeless felines and canines of all ages.

Phone: 248-545-5055

E-mail: miaan@att.net

Address: P.O. Box 566 Troy, MI 48099

P.A.A.W.S.

Proving Animals Are Worth Saving, also known as P.A.A.W.S., is a cat- and dog-focused rescue organization with a no-kill policy.

Working under the motto “Matching People And Homeless Pets,” the P.A.A.W.S. organization offers adoption, fostering, and medical care treatments each day for animals in the Newburgh area of Indiana, US.

Instead of operating within a designated shelter, this organization is working with a vast network of foster homes spread throughout Indiana.

Phone: 812.490.1039

E-mail: paaws@paaws.org

Address: PO BOX 115, Newburgh, IN 47629 (only a mailing address)

Last Hope, Inc.

Founded in 1985, Last Hope, Inc. has been saving abused, abandoned or homeless cats and dogs in need of shelter, love, and medical care.

They operate in Farmington, Minnesota and the surrounding areas. This organization offers weekly adoption events and their animals come in all breeds and ages.

They take in sick and injured canines and felines, and their policy states that no cat or dog will be placed for permanent adoption until full recovery is made.

Phone: 651-463-8747

E-mail: webmaster@last-hope.org

Address: 431 3RD Street, Unit 3 Farmington, MN 55024

NKLA

NKLA, or No-Kill Los Angeles, is among the largest organizations with a no-kill animal policy. They helped neuter and spray 14,700 cats and dogs in 2015 alone.

he NKLA adoption center is located in Los Angeles, California, and it currently hosts kittens, puppies, adult cats, and dogs, all of which are medically treated, vaccinated, and micro-chipped.

Their volunteer program also offers temporary foster care, interactive events, and kitten nursery programs.

Phone: (424) 208-8840

E-mail: info@nkla.org

Address: 1845 Pontius Avenue Los Angeles, California 90025

Austin Pets Alive

Austin Pets Alive is a relatively new pet rescue organization. It was founded back in 2008 and ever since then the association has helped over 25,000 cats and dogs.

APA offers training tips, medical care, and microchips, and they have a no-kill policy. They are in Austin, Texas, and hold frequent campaign events.

Their innovative teen foster program helps youngsters learn how to be responsible and how to help animals during foster care before the animals get a permanent home.

Phone: 512-961-6519

E-mail: adopt@austinpetsalive.org

Address: 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703

Multnomah County Animal Services

The animal shelter of the Multnomah County Animal Services organization serves cats and dogs in the Portland, Gresham, Maywood Park, Wood Village, Troutdale, and Fairview area of Oregon, US.

They take care of lost, stay, homeless, injured, neglected, or sick cats and dogs alike.

Apart from providing shelter and adoption services, these guys also offer 24-hour response to animal emergencies and investigate animal abuse.

They work under the motto “Protecting Pets And People” and they also work with lost-and-found cases.

Phone: (503) 988-7387

E-mail: via contact form

Address: 1700 W Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060

San Jose’s Animal Care & Services

Located in San Jose, California, Animal Care & Services offers a large variety of adoption, treatment, and foster care services. They also offer help with training, pet licensing, and lost-and-found cases.

Instead of taking care of cats or dogs alone, this association also deals with rabbits and birds. Their adoptee programs feature spray/ neutering, vaccinations, microchips, and pet licensing.

Phone: (408) 794-PAWS

E-mail: customerservice@sanjoseca.gov

Address: 2750 Monterey Road San Jose, CA 95111

MDAWA

The MDAWA, or Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance, is a chain of a total of 25 animal shelters which was founded in 2000.

They have helped nearly 32,000 animals, including cats, dogs, and small pets like birds and rabbits. They are based in Denver, Colorado, but their partners cover a vast area of many other locations.

Phone: list of phones for the chain of shelters

E-mail: MDAWAlliance@gmail.com.

Address: list of addresses for the chain of shelters

Richmond SPCA

Richmond SPCA is a nonprofit organization with a no-kill policy which was founded in 1891, but it has been acting as an actual shelter ever since 2002. They have saved nearly 35,000 animals.

The organization helps around 3,600 homeless pets annually and apart from working with a shelter and a foster program, they also offer training courses and have a full-time vet hospital operating in Richmond, Virginia.

Phone:  804-521-1300

E-mail: adoption1@richmondspca.org

Address: 2519 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA 23220

SPCA Tompkins

The SPCA Tompkins organization started back in 1902 as an organization fighting to end individual cases of animal cruelty. Nowadays they have their shelter facility and serve the community of Tompkins County, New York, as an adoption center for animals.

It’s known as the very first Green shelter in the US. They currently have several cats and dogs up for adoption.

Phone: (607) 257-1822

E-mail: adoptions@spcaonline.com

Address: 1640 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850

NHS

The Nevada Humane Society, also known as NHS, is a no-kill animal shelter that houses cats and dogs alike. It was founded in 1932 and currently operates in Reno and Carson City, Nevada.

Apart from young and adult cats and dogs, they also offer adoption services for other small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, rats, hamsters, and so on.

Phone: (775) 856-2000

E-mail: via contact form

Address: 2825 Longley Lane, Suite B, Reno, NV 89502-5942

Dane County Humane Society

Operating in Dane County, Wisconsin, the Dane County Humane Society is part of the Dane County Friends of Ferals (FOF) association, which is focused solely on felines.

They offer adoption services for both indoor and outdoor cats and they also have a foster program for cats that need temporary foster care. The FOF was founded in 2001 and cares for the cats of Dane County with a no-kill policy.

Phone: via contact form only

E-mail: info@daneferals.org

Address: 627 Post Road, Madison, WI 53713

AAWL

The AAWL, or the Arizona Animal Welfare League, was founded in 1971 and it currently operates throughout the State of Arizona.

This is the oldest and one of the largest animal shelters in the state and it saves, cures, rehabilitates, and rehomes cats and dogs of all breeds and ages.

This organization also offers training courses in behaviorism and animal welfare, as well as inexpensive vet care.

Phone: 602-273-6852

E-mail: via contact form

Address: 25 N 40th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034

Best Friends Animal Society

And finally, the Best Friends Animal Society in Utah may not be among the top 20 cat shelters in the US, but it deserves to be mentioned.

It is striving to achieve a no-kill, no-homeless goal by helping out neglected, homeless, sick, and abused cats and dogs alike.

Ever since the 1990s, they have been partnering up with various organizations to hold various campaign events and to join forces with other shelters all over Utah.

Their current main goal is to make the State of Utah a no-kill state by 2020.

Phone: 801-574-2454

E-mail: utahpets@bestfriends.org

Address: 2005 South 1100 East Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Adopting an animal instead of shopping for one is the right choice.

Cats are quirky and low-maintenance creatures (unless you’re looking for a Maine Coon that sheds tons of cat hair), but all they want is for somebody to show them some affection and kindness.

If you’re looking for an adoption service and you haven’t taken care of a feline pet before, there are some things which you should consider.

• Are you or any of the people residing in your household allergic to cats?
• Do you have young kids in your family?
• Have you created a list of essentials, including litter, high-quality cat food, various scratching posts, and so on?

Cats are capricious, but contrary to popular belief, they can be great companions for young children as they will teach them the importance of responsibility and kindness, and some cats are also suitable for people with allergies.

Adopting a young kitten is preferable to an adult cat as kittens are easier to train and they’ll get used to their new surroundings easier than an adult cat would.

That said, older kitties often languish in shelters, overlooked by potential pet parents who don’t realize that adult and elder cats can also make wonderful pets.

Regardless of your choice of breed and age, you should always keep in mind that each cat is unique just like we, humans, are.

As long as you treat your feline furball with respect, affection, and care, your pet will reward you for every single effort you’ve made and will cherish you for the rest of its life.