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:

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Mail contributions to:

  • City Critters Inc.
  • P.O. Box 1345
  • Canal Street Station
  • New York NY 10013

Would you like to be a City Critters volunteer?

Please e-mail us.

CCI Newsletters

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Musical Benefit for City Critters
Please join City Critters on Friday, April 11, 2008 for an evening of good food and wine, great company, and a magical revival of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man… (read more)
Spay/Neuter Project NYC
New York City residents who have a valid Medicaid card can have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered for a special low price… (read more)
Highrise Syndrome
Windows without screens pose a real danger to small pets, particularly cats… (read more)
Managing Feral Cat Colonies
Wherever there are people and food sources, there are feral cats… (read more)
Older News
50 cats abandoned in Chelsea apartment
The Corona collector
Faye Beckerman
Bonnie Fitzsimmons

Musical Benefit for City Critters

  • Friday, April 11, 2008
  • 5:30–7:30 PM
  • Buffet dinner and drinks
  • Mustang Harry’s
  • 352 Seventh Avenue (between 29th and 30th)
  • 8:00 PM curtain
  • FIT Haft Auditorium
  • 237 W. 27th St.

Please join us for a fabulous evening of good food and wine, great company, and a magical revival of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, performed by the Village Light Opera Group.

Cost: $100 per person

Performance will benefit City Critters. Please RSVP with payment by April 4, 2008. (You will need Adobe Reader to view and print the RSVP form.)

Inquiries: 212-592-9123

Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project NYC Goes Live!

Spaying or neutering makes good sense for animals as well as for their owners and guardians. By spaying or neutering your pet, you can:

  • eliminate the chance of unwanted pregnancies
  • help reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs
  • help avoid some serious health problems (and their associated costs) later in your cat's or dog's life.
  • help eliminate some problem behaviors.

Now New York City residents who have a valid Medicaid card can have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered for a special low price: $10 for cats and $20 for dogs.

The Mayor's Alliance and the Veterinary Medical Association of NYC this month launched Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project NYC. The project, made possible by a generous grant from Maddie's Fund, will help to reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs in NYC by decreasing the number of unwanted canine and feline pregnancies.

Anyone who lives within the five boroughs of New York City and has a valid Medicaid card can have up to a total of six cats or dogs (or a combination of cats/dogs totaling no more than six) spayed or neutered each year for a special low price at participating veterinarians.

If you are qualified to take advantage of this low-cost offer, all you need to do is:

  • locate a participating veterinarian from the list provided on the Mayor's Alliance web site.
  • call the veterinarian and make an appointment for the surgery
  • bring your valid Medicaid card and photo ID to the appointment (the veterinarian will photocopy the card).
  • pay the veterinarian for the surgery: $10 for each cat, $20 for each dog, up to a total of six animals within a 12-month period.

These special low fees apply only to spay or neuter surgeries. If a pet requires additional care, such as pre-surgery testing of an older pet or other procedures, those costs will be in addition to the spay/neuter fees. The veterinarian will inform the owner/guardian prior to the surgery if additional costs will be incurred.

The Mayor's Alliance is managing the administration of the Maddie's® Spay/Neuter Project NYC, and will be getting the word out to as many qualified New Yorkers as possible through the media and NYC's social services networks. If you qualify or if someone you know qualifies for this important life-saving program, act now to take advantage of this opportunity.

If you have questions, e-mail The Mayor's Alliance.

Keep your city kitty safe from High Rise Syndrome

Many people mistakenly believe that "cats are too smart to fall". But windows without screens pose a real danger to small pets, particularly cats. Unfortunately, this type of accident can be fatal, and has become so prevalent in cities that it's been given the name of "high-rise syndrome".

"During the summer months, we see approximately 3–5 cases a week at our animal hospital in New York City," says ASPCA president and CEO, Dr. Larry Hawk. Urban pet owners are advised to install screens on all windows to keep animal companions safe.

An insect or a bird or other animal viewed from an open window can be distracting enough to cause cats to lose their balance or to leap in pursuit. Cats can easily slip through childproof window guards, so screens are a necessity.

It's a misconception that cats won't be injured if they fall from a one- or two-story building. Cats may actually be at greater risk than when falling from higher altitudes, as the shorter distance will not give a cat enough time to adjust her body to fall correctly.

For more information on high-rise syndrome and other issues affecting animals in New York City, please visit ASPCA online.

Trap-Neuter-Return: Managing Feral Cat Colonies

  • Feral cats, the wild descendants of domestic house cats, now number in the tens of millions in the United States and can be found in every possible setting — urban, rural and suburban. They live in parks, backyards, alleyways, warehouses, jails, parking lots, train stations — wherever there are people and a food source, there are also feral cats. Their numbers have grown so large and they reproduce so quickly, that in community after community, the cats’ overpopulation has become a pressing issue. Many of us want to help the cats, or learn how to control the problem in a humane way, but don't know what to do.

To learn how to safely foster a recovering feral cat in your home, e-mail Neighborhood Cats or call 212-662-5761.

  • Neighborhood Cats
  • 2565 Broadway, #555
  • New York, NY 10025

Winter Shelters for Feral Cats

Cats in managed feral colonies (or strays you care for in your own backyard) need warm shelters in winter to keep them healthy and dry. Urban Cat League provides a guide to shelters that you can purchase or build yourself. You'll find shelter info and ideas as well as other winter-caretaking tips.