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Thinking about Surrendering your Cat?

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Are you looking to rehome your Cat?

We understand that circumstances change, and sometimes you may find yourself needing to rehome your beloved cat. At The Cat Protection Society, we’re here to support you through this challenging time.

As a non-profit animal welfare organisation, we’re dedicated to finding loving homes for cats and kittens in need.

Before considering surrendering your cat, have you explored all possible options?

01

Rehoming with Family or Friends: Rehoming your cat with someone you know can provide comfort for both you and your pet. You’ll have peace of mind knowing where your cat will be living, and you can assist in the settling-in process. Remember to transfer the microchip to the new owner if you choose this option.

02

Contacting the Organization Where You Adopted: If you adopted your cat, reaching out to the organization may be helpful. They might be able to assist in taking the cat back and finding it a new home.

03

Discussing Veterinary Bills: If veterinary bills are becoming overwhelming, speak with your regular vet about payment plan options. They may also recommend clinics that help.

04

Navigating Rental Concerns: If renting with pets is a concern, familiarize yourself with the relevant laws and speak to your landlord about your situation. In many cases, landlords cannot unreasonably refuse consent for pets. You may like to visit: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/repairs-alterations-safety-and-pets/pets for further information.

05

Considering International Travel: If you’re moving overseas or going on an extended holiday, research the requirements for traveling with pets. There are pet-friendly accommodations and travel options available.

06

Addressing Behavioural Issues: If your cat is experiencing behavioural problems, reach out to our shelter or vet team for assistance. We can help identify issues and provide resources for positive reinforcement.

07

Seeking Short-Term Assistance: If your situation is temporary, consider whether a family member or friend can help temporarily house your cat. Local councils may also have emergency boarding options.

Our Surrender Process

If you've explored all avenues and still need to rehome your cat, please fill out our detailed surrender application form. Providing as much information as possible will help us find a suitable new family or owner for your cat.

Once we receive your application, a member of our team will review it and contact you to schedule a surrender appointment. Please allow approximately 30 minutes for this appointment, as we want to ensure a smooth transition for you, your cat, and our team.

Please note that we never euthanize a cat capable of being rehomed. However, in severe cases of injury, illness, or unmanageable behaviour, humane euthanasia may be considered to prevent suffering.

Our surrender requirements ensure the welfare of all animals in our care. Please review them carefully before proceeding with surrendering your cat. Thank you for considering The Cat Protection Society as a resource during this time of transition.

The Cat Protection Society Surrender Requirements

  1. Surrender application form completed.
  2. Surrender appointment booked in (we don’t accept walk-in surrenders)
  3. Where possible, please ensure your cat is up to date with their vaccinations (this will assist in moving your cat through the process faster)
  4. Ensure the cats microchip is registered in your name.
  5. Have all of your cat’s medical / veterinary records available.
  6. Senior cats aged 10years and older will require a Vet Consult with our Vet team prior to the surrender taking place.
  7. Ensure you can bring your cat to CPSV in a suitable carrier.
  8. Bring along anything that will help your cat settle in when they arrive at CPSV (bed, toys and food etc)

Surrender Guidelines

  • We are unable to accept walk-ins. Surrenders are by appointment only and will be made by our Adoptions Team when we receive a completed Surrender Application Form.
  • We can only accept surrendered cats from people aged 18years or older.
  • We currently accept surrendered cats from Banyule and Nillumbik Council. We may be able to accept surrenders from other councils if we have available space.
  • Surrendered cats need to be up to date with their vaccinations and where required, our Cat Protection Society Vet Clinic can assist with this. This ensures that your cat can be rehomed after 48 hours (this increases to 8 days if your cat is not vaccinated)

Surrender Application Form

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Has your Cat had an unplanned litter of Kittens?

As part of our “Last Litter” initiative, if your cat does have an unplanned litter of kittens, we may be able to assist by offering a discount or desexing procedure for your cat and when the kittens are old enough to leave their mother and subsequently assist in rehoming the kittens via our Adoption Shelter. All kittens surrendered to us will be desexed, microchipped and vaccinated before being available for adoption. To learn more click here <link to Community Desexing Page> 

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