OWNER SURRENDER PROGRAM

Toronto Cat Rescue receives many calls daily from owners asking us to take in their family pets, which for various reasons they no longer are able to keep.  Our solution is the Owner Surrender Program.  If your cat is healthy, social and adoptable, we can provide assistance in finding homes for these loved pets and friendly strays through our website. Scroll further down the page for more information about responsible pet ownership.

The Toronto Cat Rescue Owner Surrender Program will allow you the use of our volunteers and our website to assist you in your efforts to find your cat a new home. Your cat will remain with you in your home and be posted on the Available Cats section of our website. Toronto Cat Rescue adoption coordinators will recommend your cat to suitable potential adopters.  For detailed information and to apply for this program please call the number below. Thank you for taking the time to find your cat a new, safe, forever home. We will do all that we can to assist you.

For more information call the TCR Hotline 416-538-8592 (press #3) or email tcr.surrender@gmail.com.  You will be referred to our Owner Surrender Coordinator. 

You will be asked to complete the Owner Surrender Application form and email it to TCR.

STRAY RESCUE PROGRAM

Toronto Cat Rescue receives many calls each week from caring individuals who are hoping to help the stray cats or kittens in their neighbourhood.  We have created the Stray Rescue Program to help find homes for healthy, social, adoptable stray cats and kittens.

The Toronto Cat Rescue Stray Rescue Program will allow you the use of our volunteers and our website to assist you in your efforts to find the cats you are caring for a new home. It is preferable that the cats or kittens stay with you in your home and be posted on our website. Toronto Cat Rescue adoption coordinators will recommend your cat(s) to suitable potential adopters. For more information or to apply for this program please call the number below. Thank you for taking the time to find these cats a new, safe, forever home. We will do all that we can to assist you.

For more information call the TCR Hotline 416-538-8592 (press #3) or email tcr.surrender@gmail.com.  You will be referred to our Foster Home Coordinator for Stray/Feral Cats.

You will be asked to complete the Stray Rescue Application form and email it to TCR. 

TRAP - NEUTER/SPAY - RELEASE: THE FERAL CAT SITUATION

All cat lovers have seen this: the dirty and unapproachable cat prowling in your garbage, the scrawny female cat who continues to have litters of kittens in your shed, but will not let you get anywhere near her.

These are usually feral cats; cats that may have once been domestic, and turned wild to survive, or cats who were actually born wild. They are definitely not your typical friendly kitty cat! They do, however, multiply at an alarming rate, and lead miserable lives which end with slow starvation, sickness, or freezing to death. Some communities find them a problem, and want to be rid of them, and other people show their concern by feeding them. It is not enough to just feed them; these cats must be spayed and neutered so that they no longer reproduce more sick and hungry kittens. Toronto Cat Rescue can help you help these cats. Our Stray/Feral Program provides you with information and knowledge on how to work with feral cats. 

For more information call the TCR Hotline 416-538-8592 (press #3).  We may be able to provide assistance and/or advice to help you to help the feral kitties in your neighbourhood.

“Can You Find A Home For Our Cat?”

It would be wonderful if we could help every cat that we are asked to take into our program. However, our foster home capacity is reached or exceeded most of the time. Please try to understand that sometimes we have to prioritize and make difficult decisions. If you have considered all options and it is still necessary to give up your family pet, please see above for how to apply to our owner surrender program.

As an alternative to giving up your pet, check out WonderPuppy.net for suggestions on what you can to if your pet is displaying any of the more common behavioral issues.

Toronto Cat Rescue promotes responsible pet ownership. We believe that pets are permanent members of the family. It is shocking to see so many thrown away. People can always find a reason to justify their decision to leave their poor cat with an uncertain future. Please, do not adopt a pet unless you are certain they will remain with you for the duration of their life and that you will be able to look after their needs. If you aren’t reasonably sure of making a permanent commitment, consider being a foster parent (see our volunteer page to learn how). You can make a huge contribution and enjoy the company of cats at the same time.

Cats and the (not so) Great Outdoors

We urge people to keep their cats indoors. The hazards of outdoor life are many and increase all the time. Our roads are busier than ever with vehicle traffic; more and more of our neighbours use pesticides on their lawns; predators such as coyotes are becoming more common in urban areas; and the list goes on. None of these hazards are within an individual cat owner’s control and you may not even be aware of them. To let your cat outdoors because “we’ve always had outdoor cats” is an old way of thinking. Everything changes, and the old way of thinking about whether pets should be outdoors needs to change too.

Toronto Cat Rescue makes every effort to educate the public about sterilizing their cats – indoor and outdoor. In addition, we encourage people, to get the stray cats in their neighbourhood sterilized. Each stray kitty who is sterilized not only prevents the continued explosion of litters of kittens, it also provides a much better life for the adult cat: freedom from ear mites and fleas, a reduced tendency to fight, and no weakening of the females from having endless litters.

Unfortunately, Toronto Cat Rescue can NOT help with trapping stray cats and/or provide foster homes for stray cats, we just don't have enough foster homes.

You can help by trapping the cats yourself. Contact information is available above for someone who can guide you in how to trap and sterilize stray cats in your neighbourhood. Another way you can help is by building a shelter for the strays in your area. This will provide them with a better life while they live out their days. For help on how to build a shelter follow the links below.

Are you wondering what to do if you find kittens you think might be wild/feral?

Your first step could be as simple as calling shelters/rescue organizations. These groups will be able to provide you with helpful information, and if they have space, may take in the kittens.

Here are some basic tips if you are caring for a wild kitten:

If you rescue orphaned kittens, make sure that you consult with a veterinarian as soon as possible.

DO NOT give kittens cow's milk; sugared water is better. You can also feed kittens formula.

PLEASE DO NOT take little kittens from Mom! Her care (and milk) is important, especially when kittens are very young.

Here are some more resources:
The Animal Rescue - Feral FAQ
Sue Freeman's Guide to Rescue Cats
Raising orphan kittens
Taming orphan kittens
Caring for Newborns/Orphans

If you're interested in receiving more information about helping rescued kittens (and moms!) by fostering, please call (416) 538-8592, and leave a message at the tone or fill out the application under FOSTERING in the Volunteer section at the top of this page.