Surrender Your Pet

From your cat’s point of view, when you surrender him/her, you are separating them from home and family....very often the only home and family they have ever known. While we understand that there are a limited number of reasons that make surrender an absolute necessity, many owners are looking to surrender their cats for reasons of convenience. Owners should understand that the effect on the surrendered cat is often profound, ranging from simple sadness and withdrawal to depression that can, in fact, cause death when the cat refuses to eat. If the issues causing surrender to be considered are behavioral, we have tips and strategies to help. Call us for help before you take the drastic step of surrendering the cat. If you must pursue surrender, ALL surrender arrangements must be approved and coordinated by an authorized CJ Paws Board Member. Please note that we are a nonprofit organization that receives no public taxpayer funding, so all of our expenses are covered by donations. For that reason, we require a donation at the time of surrender. The coordinating Board Member will discuss the size of the donation based on the circumstances of the surrender. Bear in mind that the surrender fee only covers about a year of care, and it often takes a surrendered cat AT LEAST 6 months to finish grieving the loss of his/her family and become adoptable. It is always more difficult to find loving homes for adult cats, so we must have donations to support the costs associated with your cat while she awaits adoption. And, remember, when you surrender your cat, you will sign away all rights to the cat.

Steps for Surrendering Your Cat

  • The cat MUST be up to date on all vaccinations (Rabies, FVRCP) and have a current FeLV/FIV test prior to entering the rescue. For senior cats (age 7 and above), we may require bloodwork done within the past 6 months so that we are able to assess the cat’s health and care requirements.
  • Complete below Surrender Application (one application per household; do not submit a separate application for each cat)
  • An authorized CJ Paws Board Member will review your application and reach out to you regarding it’s status.
  • Email ALL vet records to [email protected]
  • Schedule an appointment with your surrender coordinator to deliver the cat to the rescue.
  • Make donation at https://www.cjpaws.org/donate/donation/
  • Deliver cat.