What's new?

For regular updates about our rescue work, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

City Critters is a member of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.

Volunteer!

If you are interested in becoming a City Critters volunteer, please e-mail us.

Our Adoption Process

Adopters sometimes say jokingly that in New York City it's harder to adopt a cat than a child.

Because our first responsibility is to the animals in our care, there is an application and interview process. Our goal is a provide our rescued animals with lifelong (perhaps 20 years) loving, stable, indoor homes. Our adoption process is similar to that of other animal rescue/adoption groups.

Like Bide-A-Wee, CACC, the ASPCA and The Humane Society, we ask for references and identification and ask adopters to sign an adoption agreement. We deliver the animals to their new homes at a time of mutual convenience. Because we deliver the animal to your home, we prefer to adopt to homes within our immediate area.

If there is already a pet in the home, we will help with the introduction. We are available at any time to discuss your questions and any adjustment problems the cat may have. We ask that you give the cat a reasonable time to settle in, but if the adoption doesn't work out, we will take the animal back and continue to work to place it in an excellent home.

Like many animal adoption and rescue organizations, we usually try to place kittens, young cats and older cats who enjoy cat company in pairs or in situations where there is already another cat. We always have a number of adult cats who can or must be adopted singly.

Fostering a pet

We always need foster homes for cats, kittens, and sometimes dogs who are awaiting adoption. Fostering means that you care for a animal in your home while we actively search for a permanent home for the fostered pet. We provide any veterinary care the animal might need. You pay for supplies such as pet food and litter. You should be within reasonable distance of our Adoption Center in the Turtle Bay PetCo (991 2nd Ave, between 52nd and 53rd.) or our PetSmart adoption location at 1107 Broadway (between 24th and 25th), so that your fostered animal can be shown for adoption on weekends (when appropriate).

Requirements for fostering

You fill out the same application that you would to adopt. You should be a responsible, caring person, and knowledgeable about animals. Other requirements include a safe environment and the consent and support of any other household members.

Long term fosters are for those animals who are not immediately adoptable: a mother cat with a newborn litter of kittens, kittens who are too young for adoption, shy cats and kittens who need to be socialized, animals with a temporary medical condition (such as an upper respiratory infection, recovery from surgery, or poor condition due to past neglect).

Short term fosters involve animals who are immediately adoptable, who often need less than a month of foster care.

You usually have first option to adopt your fostered animal. We reserve the right to approve the adoption of the fostered pet and to follow the normal adoption procedure.

Application to Adopt/Foster (PDF)

Please support our rescue work with a donation!

Credit card donations may be made through Network for Good:

You may also donate through PayPal: