The Cat Connection is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit no-kill organization.
Our mission is to find a safe and loving home for every cat.
Our Three-Pronged Approach:
The Cat Connection is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit no-kill organization whose primary mission is to rescue abandoned, abused, unwanted, stray, neglected, and injured cats, and to facilitate their adoption into responsible permanent homes. This includes special needs cats and kittens with conditions that will require a specialized approach to adoption.
We also support our cat community by providing much-needed veterinary and behavior consulting services to caring cat owners who cannot afford to provide basic veterinary care to their beloved pets, including spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchipping.
The third aspect of our mission is to help control the feral cat population through our Trap Neuter-Return-Maintain (TNRM) program and through the trapping and socialization of feral kittens.
Our Trap, Neuter, Return, Maintain Program
Feral cats are the offspring of stray or abandoned household pets. Raised without human contact, they quickly revert to a wild nature and form colonies where food and shelter are available. TNRM, or Trap-Neuter-Return-Maintain, is a plan in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their familiar habitat – a “colony” – under the lifelong care of volunteer “caretakers”. Feral cat colonies can be found behind shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, rural areas… just about anywhere.
The Cat Connection works to end the growth of the feral population through TNRM programs in many local communities including Waltham, Newton, Brighton, Allston and Watertown. We maintain many colonies in these areas, as well as several “unofficial” colonies where volunteers feed one or two ferals in their back yards every day.
TNRM begins and ends with volunteer caretakers, the dedicated individuals who take the first action to help hungry cats living outdoors. Caretakers:
- Organize and fulfill daily feeding schedules in all seasons and all weather.
- Monitor the health of the colony, trapping and obtaining veterinary care (paid for by The Cat Connection) for any ill or injured cats.
- Convince resistant neighbors that TNRM is in their best interest.
- Remember that this is a long-term commitment that must be met every day.
Foster Care and Adoption Programs
In our adoption program we work to locate new homes for stray and abandoned cats and kittens. We provide food, medical attention, and – when space allows – temporary shelter in one of our foster homes, while we work to find permanent placement with responsible, loving families.
Our foster parents provide a safe and loving environment for these homeless animals. And because our cats are fostered in private homes we can offer insight into their personalities – whether they will be good with children, dogs, other cats, etc.
Apply to Adopt
All prospective adopters are carefully screened to ensure that they are ready to take on the responsibilities inherent in caring for a cat. We ask for an adoption fee for each cat adopted. This adoption fee, which is used to feed and care for other cats in our system, allows us to provide a vet exam, sterilization, and initial vaccinations to the adopted cat.
Apply to Foster
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please start by completing the foster application. Once we receive your application, our foster coordinator will be in touch with you. We will set up an introduction appointment at your home. At that time, all of your questions can be discussed and evaluate what type of cat(s) would do well in your home.
