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Can't Keep A Cat?

If you can no longer keep your cat, you have a few options. Whenever possible, we encourage starting with direct rehoming—through your network or reputable rehoming platforms—before contacting rescues or shelters. Direct rehoming often leads to better outcomes for cats and helps preserve limited rescue and shelter resources for the most urgent cases.

If direct rehoming is not successful, rescue intake or shelter surrender may be appropriate next steps.

Please note:

  • If your cat was adopted from another rescue, please check your adoption agreement. Most rescues, including TCAR, require that any cat adopted from them be returned to the rescue in the event the adopter can no longer keep or no longer wants the cat.

  • If financial hardship is driving your need to rehome, you may be eligible for support through pet pantries, low-cost veterinary services, or financial assistance for vet bills. Please visit our Get Help page or email us if you need assistance locating these services.

Reaching out to people you already know is often the simplest and most effective way to find a safe home for your cat. Ask trusted friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers if they may be able to provide a permanent or temporary home. Even a short-term placement can give you time to explore longer-term rehoming options.

Why start here?

  • Least stressful for the cat

  • Highest likelihood of a successful placement

  • Keeps the transfer of ownership transparent and controlled

  • Helps preserve rescue and shelter capacity for cats with no other options

If your personal network is not able to help, reputable rehoming platforms can connect you directly with potential adopters while your cat remains in your care.

These tools allow you to create a detailed listing, communicate directly with interested adopters, and manage the rehoming process responsibly.

Courtesy list your pet with TCAR using our referral link for Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet: https://rehome.adoptapet.com/r/247968

  • Rehome is a direct-to-adopter tool for pet guardians looking to rehome their animals.

  • Interested adopters contact you directly.

  • Rehome will provide you with everything you need to protect the transfer of your pet ownership. 

  • Your pet will show up on our Adopt page if you list them by following our referral link: https://rehome.adoptapet.com/r/247968

    • To list multiple pets, revisit the link each time you create a listing.

  • There is a small listing fee (between $5 and $50 based on the type and age of pet), but you can use our referral coupon code to take 90% off the listing fee: TCAR247968

  • For more details on how Rehome works, you can read our info sheet, or visit Rehome's How It Works page and Pet Owner FAQ. 

Post your pet on Home To Home.

  • Home To Home is a direct-to-adopter tool for pet guardians looking to rehome or find a temporary foster for your pet. 

  • Interested adopters and available fosters contact you directly.

  • Home To Home will provide you with everything you need to protect the transfer of your pet ownership or place your pet in temporary foster care. 

  • Home To Home enlists animal shelters around the country to help rehome pets, and when you sign up, you can select a participating organization near you to take advantage of their support and resources.

  • For more details on how Home To Home works, you can visit Home To Home's How It Works and FAQ pages. 

Fill out a short survey to post an animal in minutes on Rescue Me.

  • Within 2 hours, Rescue Me will send information about your animal to hundreds of adopters in your area interested in your breed.

Surrender Your Pet to A Rescue

If you are no longer able to continue rehoming efforts and surrendering your cat becomes necessary, you may first consider reaching out to a foster-based rescue (including us!). Some rescues are able to accept cats directly into foster care and handle placement and adoption, depending on available space and resources. Others may not be able to take custody but can still offer guidance or help identify safe alternatives.

As a small, volunteer-run rescue with limited capacity, TCAR is not always able to take in new cats immediately. Even when intake is not possible, we will do our best to offer guidance or help identify safe alternatives. We prioritize helping when other options have been exhausted, and we encourage you to contact us as a last resort if you can’t find another safe placement for your pet.

Surrender Your Pet to A Shelter

If surrender to a rescue is not possible, you can contact local municipal shelters, humane societies, and shelter-based rescues. Before surrendering, we strongly recommend confirming in advance the shelter's intake policies and verifying that the shelter is a no-kill facility. Calling multiple shelters can help you understand capacity and identify an option you feel comfortable with, as policies and outcomes vary widely.