Surrendering A Cat
If you need to surrender your cat, please follow the updated steps below. While we strive to assist all cats, we give priority to those adopted through Town Cats of Morgan Hill. Please note that due to space limitations, we may need time to coordinate intake:
- Complete the Surrender Application: Please fill out the surrender form to start the process. This step is required before we can discuss your situation further. Keep in mind that completing the form does not guarantee immediate intake, as we have limited space and a waitlist.
- Surrender Fee: A surrender fee is required to help cover the ongoing care of your cat. For cats that are not spayed/neutered or vaccinated, a higher surrender fee will apply to cover the additional medical costs.
- Behavioral Assessment: All cats must pass a behavioral assessment to ensure they are healthy, friendly, and adoptable before we can accept them.
- Town Cats Return Policy: If your cat was originally adopted from Town Cats of Morgan Hill, we will always take them back. However, due to space or logistical constraints, we may need time to arrange this. Please contact us as early as possible to coordinate.
- Resource Check: Before finalizing any surrender, we will work with you to explore possible resources that may help you keep your cat. We want to ensure that surrendering is the best option after all alternatives have been considered.
- Emergency Situations: If this is an emergency, please email us at surrender@towncats.org, and we will do our best to accommodate you, depending on our capacity.
- Important Legal Information: Under California law (CA Penal Code Section 597s), abandoning or illegally dumping an animal is a punishable offense. If you leave your cat with us without proper authorization or payment of the surrender fee, it is considered illegal abandonment.
Please note:
- Acceptance is based on space availability in the shelter or foster homes.
- Once your appointment is confirmed, please arrive on time or notify us if you’ll be late. The surrender process typically takes about 30 minutes.
We understand that surrendering a pet is a difficult decision, and we are here to help support you and your cat during this process. Thank you for working with us to ensure the best outcome for the animals in our care.