Cat Care Society has been improving the quality of life for homeless, abused, and injured cats for over 40 years. Join us in our mission to continue enriching the lives of people and cats in Jefferson County and beyond. Consider adopting a cat into your family, volunteering, or making a donation today.
About Us
Cat Care Society (CCS) was founded in 1981 by Linda East, DVM and Lynn Rowe. We are a nonprofit organization that was established in order to improve the quality of life for homeless, injured, and abused cats in the Denver metropolitan area. The Society’s goals are:
- To sponsor educational programs that promote responsible pet ownership, humane treatment of all animals, and the elimination of pet overpopulation
- To shelter cats in a healthy, cage free environment and to find compatible and responsible families for every cat
- To provide community outreach programs that improve the quality of life for cats and people
- To be a friend to all cats
The shelter provides a temporary refuge for more than 75 cats until an appropriate and permanent home can be found for each. Veterinary care, premium diet, and human interaction are lovingly provided by dedicated staff and volunteers.
Cat Care Society is a limited admission shelter. Meaning, we can only accept new cats as quickly as our current cats find their forever homes.
We are nondiscriminatory in the cats that we accept and provide care for. We are proud to serve as a safe haven for cats that many shelters are either unwilling or incapable of accepting. This includes cats that have tested positive for FIV or FeLV, or have been diagnosed with chronic health conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease. We also pride ourselves in finding these cats loving forever homes, and educating cat owners on the relatively simple care requirements for cats with special needs.
In 2019 we found homes for 545 cats and kittens, nearly 20% of which were senior cats or had special needs, see our complete annual statistics here. Because we cannot accept every cat who needs our help we encourage you to visit the  resources page of our website before deciding to re-home your cat. Here you will find links for behavioral help, low cost veterinary clinics, pet friendly housing, pet food banks, and grants for emergency veterinary care .
Cat Care Society is supported by a number of loyal members and contributors, without whom we could not operate. We receive no government funding. You can view our complete financials here. We are governed by a board of directors and junior board of directors who volunteer their time to guide the organization.
 Our Adoption Process
meet the cats
You can learn a lot from our website, but there’s nothing quite like visiting the shelter and meeting the cats for yourself. After all, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Since we’re a free roaming shelter, you will find cats everywhere you go. Cats are also sorted into rooms based on nutritional needs, medical concerns, and personality. Our population changes frequently, so check back often if you don’t find the perfect cat for you right away.
Apply to Adopt
Once you have found a cat you are interested in you will fill out our adoption application, which is a brief one-page document that will go over your basic information. You can get a head start by completing your adoption application online before heading to the shelter.
BECOME APPROVED AND MEET WITH A COUNSELOR
One of our professional adoption counselors will chat with you to make sure that the cat you’ve chosen will be a perfect fit for your lifestyle. If you rent, we’ll need to contact your landlord to make sure you’re allowed to have a cat. If you own your house, we will verify that the property is in your name. We may also ask questions about your household and previous pets. Please make sure to bring a photo ID with your current address, and if you rent, it can be helpful to bring a copy of your lease with a pet addendum to expedite the process.
Take home your new best friend
The entire adoption process usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour. Once you’ve been approved, you can head home with your new cat. All cats adopted from Cat Care Society are spayed/neutered, microchipped, current on vaccines, and will come with a collar, cardboard carrier, and a few toys to get you and your new family member bonding and playing right away.
$20 Saves a Life
As a small non profit organization, we rely solely on generous donations to help us in our mission to help the cats that need it most. Your donation makes an impact in your community. With as little as $20, we can perform a spay or neuter surgery to help prevent pet overpopulation, provide a cat with a nutritious diet for 2 months, or buy 150 pounds of cat litter.
Adopt or Foster
On any given day, you can find between 50-100 cats of every age, size, and color looking for a new home at Cat Care Society. Not sure you’re ready to commit to adoption? We’re always looking for both short term and long term foster parents for young kittens, cats with special needs, and our long-term residents who would benefit from a break from shelter life.
Sponsor Our Cats
Cat Care Society is nondiscriminatory in our love for cats. Many of the cats that come into our care have serious medical conditions and chronic ailments. These cats take much more time and resources to find suitable adoptive homes for, and some will end up calling Cat Care Society their final home. But you don’t have to adopt a cat with special needs to make a life saving impact.
Financially sponsoring the cats in our care allows us to provide comfortable housing, top notch medical care, and nutritious food for cats no matter their age, medical condition, or personality. Simply click on the “Sponsor” button and once redirected enter which type of cats you would like to sponsor in the special instructions field. Recurring monthly donations of any amount will receive a personalized thank you from some of the cats you’ve helped . This is also the perfect gift for the cat lover in your life who just doesn’t have room for one more.Â
Sponsor our cats with physical disabilites
 Each year Cat Care Society provides care for cats with physical disabilities that resulted from traumatic injuries or birth defects. This can mean blindness, missing or deformed limbs, and in one case, partial paralysis requiring a custom designed wheel chair. Cat Care Society is excited to implement cutting edge technology and treatments for these cats with laser therapy, advanced surgeries, and even acupuncture for comfort.Â
Sponsor our Hospice cats
Sometimes cats come to Cat Care Society that aren’t well suited for adoption. This can be because of many reasons. Some cats join CCS in their 20’s after the death of an owner, others may have multiple chronic conditions, non treatable cancers, or behavioral issues that require extreme patience and understanding. We don’t write these cats off simply because they aren’t highly adoptable, rather we give them a well deserved retirement. Cats are regularly monitored by our medical team and treated for any pain or discomfort, then they either take up residence in our adminstrative offices or one of our loving foster homes.Â
Sponsor our Cats with Chronic conditions
Very few animal shelters can manage cats with chronic health conditions. Sadly, many are labeled unadoptable due to health reasons and euthanized. Cat Care Society knows that cats with diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroid, food allergies, and a myriad of other treatable, chronic conditions can go on to live long and very happy lives. Not only do we provide care for these cats while they are at our shelter, we successfully find them loving homes on a regular basis.Â
Sponsor our Shy and Sassy cats
Sometimes they came to us from outside with little prior human contact, and sometimes they just don’t like the hustle and bustle of the shelter. Cat Care Society has rooms specifically designated for cats that prefer the quiet life, or fewer feline companions, furnished with lots of enclosed beds to help the residents feel more secure. Some of these cats may shy away from too much attention, or may give you a little swat if you approach too close to their personal space. Many of our “sassy” cats simply don’t like being around so many other cats and show a whole new personality once they get some one-on-one time with their favorite person. These cats often just need plenty of time and space, something that many shelters are unfortunately unable to provide. At Cat Care Society we successfully find loving homes for scaredy cats and grumpy cats alike, even if it does take a little extra time.Â
Sponsor our Immunocompromised cats
 Cat Care Society provides care for cats with both feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Our understanding of FIV has increased greatly over the years, and more cats with this virus are getting adopted than ever before. Unlike FeLV, FIV can only be spread in situations such as cat fights, where blood is transferred through deep puncture wounds. Although cats with FIV suffer from a compromised immune system, they often go on to live long, healthy lives. Cat Care Society’s oldest FIV+ cat turns 20 years old in 2020. Even more recently Cat Care Society has started giving cats with FeLV a second chance at a happy life. What started out as two trapped cats testing positive for FeLV quickly turned to Cat Care Society becoming a go-to haven for cats afflicted with feline leukemia virus. Cats with FeLV are immunocompromised, and the virus spreads easily through saliva and other body fluids. Although cats with FeLV can go on to live a happy and fairly normal life, they often face challenges getting adopted because they cannot live with FeLV negative cats.Â
Sponsor our Temporary Care Cats
 Life rarely goes as planned, and sometimes even the most responsible pet owner hits a bump in the road that causes them to be unable to keep their pet. Extended recovery after surgery, hospitalization, temporary homelessness, domestic violence, and incarceration all contribute to the 20,000 cats that enter Denver area shelters each year. Many of these owners are devastated to lose their closest friends during their time of need, but have little to no choice. That’s why Cat Care Society created our Temporary Care Program. We provide housing, food, and medical care for cats for up to 30 days so their families can get back on their feet. This program helps keep cats off the street, out of shelters, and with the families that love them most.Â
Get In Touch
Phone & Email
(303) 239-9680
info@catcaresociety.org
Shelter Hours
Mon: Noon – 5:00pm
Tues: Closed
Wed: Closed
Thurs: Noon – 5:00pm
Fri: Noon – 5:00pm
Sat: Noon – 5:00pm
Sun: Noon – 5:00pm
Address
5787 W. 6th Ave.
Lakewood, CO 80214
The Cat Care Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization per IRS Code 432.56.215-B. Our tax identification number is 84-0869447
