Rescue a Cat
Cat Rescue Organizations in New Hampshire and surrounding areas
When should I call a Cat Rescue rather than a typical animal shelter?
How likely is it that a cat brought to a typical shelter will be put to sleep?
Cat Rescue Organizations
The agencies listed below are "No Kill", meaning that they do not euthanize healthy animals due to lack of space or funds. Please consider calling one of these agencies rather than bringing a feral or otherwise "unadoptable" cat to an animal shelter.
Cats 1st Newfields, NH
Cats 1st helps people who find stray and feral cats by providing trapping services, as well as neutering and medical help. They will also help you trap your own lost or hiding cat, or any cat you have noticed who seems lost or in need of kind assistance. Cats 1st has a small, private shelter where the cats live until a permanent home can be found. The staff checks Cat Finders' website frequently, trying to match lost and found cats!
(603) 760-PURR (603-760-7877)
Feline Friends Salem, NH
Feline Friends is a cat rescue organization that helps trap stray and feral cats, and provides foster homes for them until they are adopted.
(603) 893-2483
Kitty Angels is located in Tyngsboro MA, and also services nearby Southern NH. They have already caught one missing cat in Nashua, who had been avoiding traps for months. They can help you trap a stray or feral cat, or even your missing one.
(978) 649-4681
SAFER Seacoast Area Feline Education and Rescue Hampton, NH
has a TNR program (Trap/Neuter/Return) in the Hampton area. They have cats for adoption in foster homes. Sometimes can help with trapping.
(603) 929-4975
WAG We Are Animal Guardians Weare, NH
WAG is a volunteer animal rescue that places strays with foster families, awaiting adoption. You can see the cats awaiting adoption on their website.
(603) 539-5443
For other agencies, see Feline Friends' List of No-Kill animal shelters
If you own, or know of a Cat Rescue Agency or No Kill shelter that should be listed here, please contact Cat Finders at cat.finders@comcast.net and we will be happy to add your link to this site.
While typical animal shelters provide wonderful services to their communities, including education, prevention of animal cruelty, and finding new homes for surrendered or abandoned cats, most are not well equipped to deal with any animals whom they feel will not make good pets. Often these unadoptable pets are put to sleep, even if they are perfectly healthy. Any animals with behavior issues, particularly aggression, or fear of people, are at higher risk of being put to sleep than friendly, well-behaved pets. See
Cat Rescues, on the other hand, usually will not put a cat to sleep unless the cat is ill, suffering, and can't be helped. Additionally, they can help you trap a stray or feral cat, and provide Trap/Neuter/Release services.
Cat Rescue or Typical Shelter? How to Decide:
Did you know that you can adopt wonderful cats from either type of organization?
Call a typical shelter:
if you have a healthy pet cat or kitten that you are unable to keep any longer
if the cat's person is deceased or has been moved to a permanent facility with a no-cat rule and you cannot find another home for the cat
if you become aware of any animal cruelty or hoarding situation
Call a Cat Rescue:
if you have seen a stray cat who needs help, either due to the cold, illness, hunger, or injury
if you have seen a stray cat with kittens, living outdoors. especially in the winter
if you wish to find a home for a feral cat
if feral cats are causing a problem in your community
if you need help to trap your own cat who is lost or hiding outdoors (especially indoor-only cats)
Cat Protection Legislation/Activism
Alley Cat Allies advocates against killing stray or feral cats. Also provides great information about helping the feral cats in your back yard.
Note: the two cats pictured above were once strays, and then were adopted from a typical shelter in NH. They are now employed by Cat Finders as models, and also do a great job of sitting on the computer keyboard & mousepad whenever possible.
Cat Finders www.catfinders.org cat.finders@comcast.net