City Critters is a New York State charitable organization licensed to operate in the City of New York for the rescue and placement of stray and abandoned animals.
City Critters is a member of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.
Donations made to City Critters, or paid on our behalf, are tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; financial statements and current IRS Determination Letter are available for review upon request.
Support our rescue work with a donation:
Make a donation using a credit card through Network for Good:
Mail contributions to:
- City Critters Inc.
- P.O. Box 1345
- Canal Street Station
- New York NY 10013
2007 Maddie's Fund® Animal Statistics
CCI Newsletters
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CCI's Adoption Process
Adopters sometimes say jokingly that in New York City it's harder to adopt a cat than a child.
We try to satisfy the needs of people who want to adopt cats. But because our first responsibility is always to the animals in our care, there is an application and interview process. Our goal is a provide our rescued animals with lifelong (perhaps 20 years) loving, stable, indoor homes. Our adoption process is similar to that of other animal rescue/adoption groups.
Like Bide-A-Wee, CACC, the ASPCA and The Humane Society, we ask for references and identification and ask adopters to sign an adoption agreement. We deliver the animals to their new homes at a time of mutual convenience. Because we deliver the animal to your home, we prefer to adopt to homes within our immediate area.
If there is already an animal in the home, we will help with the introduction process. We usually contact adopters a few days later to see how everything is going, and are available at any time to discuss your questions and any adjustment problems the cat may have. We ask that you give the cat a reasonable time to settle in, but if the adoption doesn't work out, we will take the animal back and continue to work to place it in an excellent home. Our cats are kept for as long as it takes to place them.
Like many animal adoption and rescue organizations, we usually try to place kittens, young cats and older cats who enjoy cat company in pairs or in situations where there is already another cat. We always have a number of adult cats who can or must be adopted singly.
Fostering Cats or Kittens
We always need foster homes for cats and kittens (and sometimes dogs) who are awaiting adoption. Fostering means that you care for a animal in your home while we actively search for a permanent adoptive home for the fostered pet. We provide any veterinary care the animal might need. You pay for supplies such as pet food and litter. You should be within reasonable distance of our Adoption Center in the Kips Bay PetCo (2nd Ave. and 31st St.) so that your fostered animal can be shown for adoption on weekends (when appropriate).
Requirements for fostering
You fill out the same application that you would to adopt. You should be a responsible, caring person, and knowledgeable about animals. Other requirements include a safe environment and the consent and support of any other household members.
Long term fosters are for those animals who are not immediately adoptable. A mother cat with a newborn litter of kittens, for example, usually requires at least three months in foster care. Kittens who are too young for adoption, or shy cats and kittens who need to be socialized usually require a month or more in foster care before they can be placed. An animal with a temporary medical condition (such as an upper respiratory infection, recovery from surgery, or poor condition due to past neglect) requires fostering until it recovers.
Short term fosters involve animals who are immediately adoptable, who often need less than a month of foster care.
You usually have first option to adopt your fostered animal. We reserve the right to approve the adoption of the fostered pet and to follow the normal adoption procedure.
Most of our animals are listed online. Please use the links below to search our online listings:
Would you like to be a City Critters volunteer? Please e-mail us!
CCI Adoption Locations:
- Kips Bay Petco
- 560 Second Avenue (at 31st St.)
- 212-779-4550
- Adoptions: at all times
- Dr. Patrick Cotter
- 310 East 65th St.
- (between 1st & 2nd Avenues)
- 212-396-3020
- Adoptions: call first
- Gramercy Park Animal Hospital
- 37 East 19th Street
- (between Park Ave. & Broadway)
- 212-477-4080
- Adoptions: call first
- West Chelsea Veterinary Hospital
- 203 Tenth Avenue
- (corner of 22nd St.)
- 212-645-2767
- Adoptions: call first
- Downtown Veterinary Clinic
- 148 Ninth Avenue
- (corner of 19th St.)
- 212-463-8705
- Adoptions: call first
Some of our cats and kittens can be seen in our adoption area in the Kips Bay PetCo, 31st St. and 2nd Ave. Older kittens and cats remain there in residence until they find foster or permanent homes. They can be visited anytime during store hours. Younger kittens are only shown on weekends.