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Alexandria Animals - Animal Welfare League of Alexandria | AWLA

cat adoption arlington va

Cat Adoption / November 1, 2022

The animals we serve depend on your generosity and support. We rely on private contributions to continue our rescue efforts. Each and every person who makes a donation makes a difference in saving lives. We are committed to providing the very best to those who are in our care. We have a strict no-kill policy (unless recommended by a veterinarian) and all of our cats receive required veterinary care regardless of cost. Recently we have had several MAJOR medical emergencies which have drained our Emergency Medical Fund. In addition, demand for our services have increased during the recession due to the number of pets being given up by their owners who have lost the ability to pay for their care. Please consider making a special donation or sponsoring one of our adoptable cats which will allow us to continue to help the many others in need.
You can also support our rescue by shopping your favorite online stores through AdoptAShelter.com. It's FREE and easy to use. Simply click on the link below which will connect you directly to our shelter's shopping page. Then shop like you always do at your favorite stores, including Amazon, Ebay, Petsmart & Home Depot. Whatever you buy, a portion of EVERY purchase will come to us in a cash donation.

Our Featured Pet

KITTENS! We have a variety of colors, ages and "purr-sonalities". Click on "Our Adoptable Pet List" to see photos/bios. We strongly believe that kittens need the companionship of another kitten or young cat. in order to grow into well adjusted adults. Please consider the many benefits of adopting a pair!. We're happy to help you find the perfect match!

News

FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED! If you live in the Washington, DC metro area and have some extra room and a lot of love to share, you can make the difference in a cat or kitten's life. We provide starter supplies, pay all medical expenses and pre-approve adopters before they come to visit your foster kitty. If you already have a pet(s) in the house, a separate room is required in order to acclimate the foster kitty. A minimum commitment of several months is required to allow enough time for a forever home to be found. Please contact us to learn more about becoming a foster home and to receive an application.

When people say, "I couldn't foster because it would be too hard to give a cat up." We say, 'How can it be harder than knowing a cat died because no foster home stepped up?' and that's why we do it time and time again!

Who We Are

We are a small, private feline-only rescue group dedicated to the rescue, care and placement of homeless cats and kittens. The majority of our cats & kittens come from high kill shelters. Through our application and interview process, we strive to make the "purr-fect" match to insure a loving lifelong home for those in our care.

In February 2005, we received "honorable mention" in the Adoption Team Category for the first annual Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Animal Services Award.

We do NOT receive funding from any national organization, federal or state governments. Therefore, we rely on private contributions from generous and caring individuals to enable us to continue saving lives. For a small donation, you can sponsor a cat or kitten of your choice. Your name will be listed on the cat's page until he or she is adopted! Please contact us for more details.

Adopting a friend

We do not have a central shelter. All of our cats and kittens are cared for in cage-free volunteer foster homes so we know exactly what their personalities are like and can help you select an active kitten or a calm lap cat! Kittens are available for adoption in pairs or to a home that already has a kitten/young cat in residence. Sorry, but we do not adopt young kittens to families with children under 6 yrs old due to safety concerns for both child and kitten. Our adoption process starts with an application which we are happy to e-mail, fax or mail. Once approved, applicants are welcome to meet our adoptables in their foster homes on an appointment basis. Pre-adoption home visits are the final step in our adoption process. While we do consider out-of-area applications (limited to 60 minute drive-time), adopters must be willing to personally meet with us and visit with the feline(s) of interest. Our ability to finalize an adoption is also dependent on our being able to enlist the help of a rescue partner for the required homevisit. We do not ship or otherwise transport our cats.

We participate in a public adoption event on most weekends . Only a few of our cats attend this event each week so please contact us in advance for it's location (varies) and if you want to meet a specific cat. We will make every effort to ensure he/she is there!

Adoption fees, which range from $115-$145, include testing for feline leukemia/aids, age appropriate vaccinations, deworming, flea/earmite treatment and spay/neuter surgery. (special consideration for those who adopt pairs). For kittens who are too young to be altered prior to placement, the fee is reduced, but we require a spay/neuter deposit which is refunded once the surgery takes place. We are happy to provide adopters with information about low cost options for this important procedure .

Adopters also receive a certificate for a free wellness exam at any Caring Hands Animal Hospital.

Diet Matters!

Proper nutrition is essential to your cat's health. Feeding your cat a high-quality diet, which includes at least 50% canned food (cats are descended from desert creatures and their bodies are made to get most of their daily moisture requirements from their diet), is one of the best things you can do for him. After all, with the exception of an occasional snack or treat, it is really all your companion will eat every day, year after year, throughout his life. Therefore, the choice of food has a significant impact on your cat's health and well-being.

Cats are carnivores and need meat protein as the base of their diet. It's important to check the first few ingredients of the pet food to determine the source of protein. If the first ingredient is corn, wheat or soybean, the food is mostly grain-based and not what Mother Nature intended for our carnivore friends! Also, avoid any foods that contain by-products or chemical preservatives, such as Ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT which are known cancer causing agents.