Adoption Process
To help match you with your perfect cat and to ensure that PAWS cats find "forever homes," we have an application process for all adoptions. Please allow several days for our Adoption Counselors to process your application.
1. Submit Your Application
Start by completing our online application for adoption. Applications can be submitted for a specific cat or kitten(s) or made "non-specific" for a cat or kitten(s). You may indicate interest in a specific cat, but we will not reserve a specific cat for you until you have met the cat.
Below are our current requirements for potential adopters
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Able to show valid government-issued photo identification
- Willing to provide an indoor-only home
- Willing to make a lifelong commitment to their adopted pet
- Will refrain from declawing their adopted cat
PAWS fully supports Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) efforts for feral cats. If you are interested in an outdoor (barn) cat, please contact us to check on currently available cats and check in with our friends at The Hundred Cat Foundation to ask about their Barn Home Program.
PAWS cats and kittens are not eligible to be declawed. There are many adoptable cats who are already declawed available through PAWS and other local animal rescue groups. If you are seeking an already declawed cat, we are happy to help you find one!
2. Application Review
Your Adoption Counselor will talk with you about your residence, other people living in the household, lifestyle, and other pets you may own to ensure the best match is made for everyone. Your Adoption Counselor will also follow up with your veterinarian if you have current or recent pets, you landlord if you rent, and personal references as needed. Please allow several days for our Adoption Counselor to complete that process.
3. Adoption
When the application review is complete, your Adoption Counselor will contact you.
If you have already gotten to know the cat or kitten(s) you've applied for and they are still available, your Adoption Counselor will schedule your adoption.
If you have not yet met the cat or kitten(s) you're interested in, we ask you to visit during open hours to meet them. If you hit it off, we will do your adoption. If it's not quite the right match, we'll keep working on finding the right one.
If the cat you applied for is no longer available at the time your application is approved or if you applied for a non-specific cat or kitten(s), your application will remain approved and held for 90 days.
If you are not approved for adoption, a reason will be provided. Our Adoption Counselors carefully consider each application with the intent of making appropriate matches for our cats and for our applicants.
Adoption Fees
| Age of Cat | Adoption Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult Cats - 1 year of age and older | $5 |
| Kittens - Up to 1 year of age | $90 |
Centre County PAWS provides valuable care and treatment for cats and dogs in need. In 2022, we found homes for over 900 animals. Some of those animals were in need of an extraordinary amount of medical intervention. Our veterinary community works tirelessly with PAWS to provide a high quality of life for the cats and dogs in our care. Therefore, our adoption fees cover only a portion of what it costs us to care for the cats during their stay with us. Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and support from our community, we find homes for hundreds of animals each year. No animal has a time limit - adoptable animals stay with PAWS until they find new homes.
What PAWS Provides Before Adoption
- Spay/neuter of the cat/kitten (info about pediatric spay/neuter - all PAWS cats will be spayed/neutered prior to adoption)
- Distemper vaccination
- Rabies vaccination (for appropriate aged cats)
- Initial Deworming
- FIV & FeLV testing
- A free first vet visit in Centre County
- HomeAgain Microchip Implant
- Includes 24/7 Emergency Medical Hotline Care, Found Pet Travel Assistance, and Lost Pet Posters