Please understand that we receive multiple requests for assistance a day and can help only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of cats in need in our area. Being a small organization, we have limitations on the kind of assistance we can offer. Please read this page thoroughly before filling out our intake form linked at the bottom of this page. If your request falls outside of what we can provide, please see our list of alternative resources.
As our core value we assist with rescue in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck only.
Types of Intake in Order of Priority
1. Kittens outside
Young orphaned kittens between 3-7 weeks of age are our priority as they are most vulnerable to the elements. Kittens are safe to separate from the mother after 3 weeks. At this time cannot take orphaned kittens younger than 3 weeks that need to be bottle fed.
2. Pregnant and nursing families outside
Cats that are visibly round are most likely in the late stages of their pregnancy with the kittens due any day. If the mom is nursing kittens, the kittens cannot be placed without the mom until they are 3-4 weeks old.
Unfortunately if the mother cat is not friendly and is not allowed to be picked up we cannot assist until the kittens are at least 4 weeks of age. We will also need to make arrangements with you to spay the mom, which is partially covered by our rescue and negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
If the mom is friendly, we will place the entire family with the next available foster and put her up for adoption.
3. Cats in construction sites or unsafe environments
This is also a case-by-case basis, as cats instinctively avoid danger and if they make any location a home, there is always a reason why they are there. If your neighbors are threatening to harm the cats, it is your prerogative to call the police, as harming animals is a crime and we cannot get involved in neighbor and landlord/tenant disputes.
4. Surrendering a pet cat
If there is a reason that you or someone you know cannot keep a cat such as bereavement, housing restrictions, disability or income change.
5. Friendly cats outside
A friendly cat outside could be someone’s lost cat, or a friendly community cat. Although keeping cats indoors is a requirement of adopting a cat from our program, we cannot police what anyone does with their pets.
Please post to your network and on the NextDoor app for your neighborhood about a friendly outdoor cat to see if they might belong to someone prior to contacting us.
To prioritize your request, we may ask you to:
Foster the cat:
Short term until we can find a long term foster or long term until we place them in a forever home. Please see our fostering policy.
Transport the cat:
- To the vet to receive any required tests and vaccines prior to placement with the confirmed foster
- To the foster that we have confirmed
*If you do not own a carrier, you may borrow one from our Detroit location and schedule the pickup and dropoff with us.
If you cannot foster or transport the cat, we would need you to have it contained when we arrive to pick up the cat.
We cannot assist with searching for roaming cats, nor can we collect cats from a private property without permission from the owner/tenant.
What we do for the cat
If you are unable to foster the cat, we will place you on a waiting list to place the cat with our next available fosters.
Medical care:
Cats receive essential veterinary care paid for by our rescue which includes:
- Spay/neuter
- Rabies and distemper vaccine
- FIV/FeLV test
- Microchip
As well as any additional treatment they require while they are in our care. Depending on the case and our current resources, taking the cat may be contingent on you covering any veterinary care in addition to what’s covered above.
Placement:
we advertise the cat across our social media channels to find foster placement and/or a forever home.
Fees
At this time, we do not charge a fee for our rescue assistance, UNLESS the cat is sick and/or injured. Please see restrictions below.
Restrictions
Medical:
During peak season times, for us to place a sick or injured cat may be contingent on your assistance with the veterinary care of the ailment. Your contribution amount is negotiable.
This includes:
- Eye/nose discharge
- Sneezing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Wounds
- Lethargy
Not socialized
Shy and skittish cats, cats that do not allow humans to pick them up, are not safe to place with fosters at the risk of getting bitten, scratched, or the cats running away. The cap for accepting kittens that do not allow themselves to be pet or picked up is 6 weeks old.
Roaming cats
The cats would need to be already trapped and contained by you prior to us taking them. This is also a case-by-case basis assistance. A trap can be rented at the All About Animals Clinic in Warren. Please contact them for renting a trap, as we do not offer trap rentals at this time.
Honesty and consideration
Withholding information about the cats health and sociability jeopardizes the care that we can provide to all the cats already in our program.
Policy violation
Within 24 hours of us receiving the cat:
If the cat is skittish and unfriendly when picked up, is aggressive or hissing in the carrier and does not accept being picked up, we will not accept the cat.
If the cat exhibits behavior and/or medical symptoms not disclosed in your intake form request, we may contact you to take the cat back and to seek an alternative resource.
Providing fraudulent information about the cats behavior, health state, and location in order to gain access to our resources can result in legal action by Detroit Alley Cats.