Cat Angels Pet Adoptions — Local services in Cary

This place was great to work with. Cat Angels has been the best adoption group I have worked with going through the process to adopt a pet. Kimberly and the crew are easy to communicate with and a pleasure to deal with. We were caught in a spot where we needed to adopt a second cat. We had 2 and our 14yr old required us to make a hard decision. This left our 1.5 yr old cat alone. She started showing evidence of stress without her older buddy around. We did our research and started a dialogue with Cat Angels. We arrived at the site and while it was 45 min to closing for them they took use through every room to meet every cat they had. Even though they were gearing up for feeding time they gave us attention and did not rush us through. We filled out all our paperwork and submitted it. Sure, we had to provide Vet records and fill out adoption application papers but that was not a hassle at all. Everything was handled in the best possible way while keeping the animals welfare as the focus of the process. That was very key to us. We were making a 10+ years commitment to caring for and being the guardian of the adopted cat. We know they called around to check and verify us since we got the feedback from our contacts. I appreciate the thoroughness now. It took us 3 or 4 trips back meeting the cats and whittling our list down smaller and smaller. I very much felt that the team wanted us to match up to a cat that took to us and much as we took to the cat. They even arranged to have a volunteer meet us during non-scheduled hours to help accommodate our schedule. In hind sight, we really appreciated that they slowed down the process. We ended up with a great match due to this process. Our resident cat appreciated the effort, too. Since we were slowed down and had to think and observe and compare we picked out a great match. Now, our cats are great together and have really grown into best buddies.

All through the transition process at our home Kimberly and the team were responsive to our emails and questions. I believe they really want every adoption to have an awesome ending. Even now, almost a year out, if I wrote them an email or dropped in they would have thoughtful advice and comments for any questions I may have.

We are at max cat capacity right now but when we are in need to adopt another cat we will not hesitate to return...

I went to Cat Angels to adopt a couple of kittens as companions for my partner, my cat and myself, and I could tell they take excellent care of their cats. They keep about 8 to 12 cats in each of about 5 rooms, with thought given to sociability with other cats, bonded pairs, dietary or other needs. All the cats were quite relaxed. Before you went in to a room you had to step in a shallow pan of disinfectant, and rub your hands with some kind of disinfectant as well. The several staff folks either knew a given cat's personality and friends, or drew in another staff member who did. They were all clearly cat people, some (most?) of whom were working for free, but all of whom were clearly competent and engaged. As far as I could tell they also have a vet come over to check things out once a week. Which is all to say, the cats appear to be well taken care of emotionally and physically.

Their approach to the adoption process is well thought out as well. Their principal objectives here are to create a great match between people and cats, and also to protect the cats for the rest of their lives against some of the stuff that can happen to adopted kitties. So they check with your prior vets to make sure your animals get good care. They also have you sign an agreement that you won't declaw your cat, you'll take it to the vet, and that it will be an indoor-only cat.

If you violate these terms, they can take the cat back. I Don't Feel They Are Being Capricious. (I would have all capped that, but I hate shouting). Declawing a cat is a TERRIBLE thing to do. The indoor vs indoor-outdoor issue, some might disagree on, and Cat Angels instead of arguing with you is genuinely happy to help you find other shelters (they have a map).

Not in the agreement, but worthy of note, they have told us that if things just don't work out, they will always accept the cat back.

TL;DR These folks are all about making sure the people-cat fit is high quality...

Rehoming a pet is already stressful, and unfortunately, my experience here made it even worse. I left a short voicemail explaining my need to rehome my kitten, expecting to provide more details when someone called back. Instead, I received a call within minutes and was immediately met with hostility and accusations.

The woman I spoke with claimed I was “threatening” her and future rescuers simply because I mentioned that I didn’t want to take my kitten to a shelter. That was the only reason nothing else I said warranted such a reaction. Instead of listening or clarifying, she chose to be aggressive, misinterpret my words, and escalate the situation.

I understand that rescuer fatigue is real, and burnout in animal rescue work can make people defensive or emotionally reactive. However, if someone is so overwhelmed that they lash out at people seeking help, they should take a step back and seek support. Compassion is essential in this field, and if a simple inquiry triggers this kind of response, it may be time for some self-reflection or therapy.

This could have been a teachable moment, an opportunity for her to offer guidance or resources. Instead, she chose hostility.

I’ll acknowledge that I became frustrated and used harsh words myself, only after asking for her to not talk to me that way and that I didn’t like her tone,. Nothing I said is, an excuse for the unprofessional and accusatory way I was treated. If you need real help and guidance, I do not recommend reaching out to this organization. There are far better rescues that actually support both the animals and the people trying to do the...