Cat Welfare Association

If I ever want another kitty this is where I will go! I go in every now and then to donate necessities and to play with the cats. They all need love! Everyone that works here is really friendly and nice, all volunteers. Which is awesome!
Love this place!

There was a friendly cat in our neighborhood my family always fed. I visited with this cat every time I was home for over a decade. I had tried to bring her in on multiple occasions but neither my family’s cats, nor her, would have it. She was happy and healthy outside, she actually outlived two of our family’s indoor only cats. She was the exception to all of my beliefs about not letting cats outdoors.
Now between Thanksgiving and Christmas visits she had lost some weight, had a cold and was scratched up. My first plan was to get her into a vet for a check, some lysine, fluids and have my family keep an eye on her. Unfortunately, with Christmas on a Thursday all the local vets recommended to me were called were closed Friday and Saturday.
Up against an impending multi-​city flight and with nowhere to place her, I called cat welfare. I was told as long as she didn’t have FIV or FeLV she would not be euthanized. I called later that day to inquire about donations as I was so upset at leaving an animal at a shelter that I bolted in tears as soon as they took her. I was told she tested negative. The thought that she would live out what was left of her life in warmth with other kitties made me feel less guilty about leaving her in a place away from everything she ever knew.
Once I was back in my home I was looking at their donations page and called to see if I could sponsor her directly to offset her vet costs. I was told she had been euthanized. I worked at capital area one summer as a kid and learned never to take any animal, especially a sick or elderly one, to shelter. But I believed the hype and allowed myself to be misled. I should have changed my flights and brought her home with me to live and die in peace. I went against my instincts, she died alone with strangers as a result and I will always, always regret it.

Went here on Sunday after seeing an adorable cat online that we just had to meet (that is such a trend in my life — can someone please ban me from looking at PetFinder? I just want to rescue all of the cats in the world!) The cat we were interested in was in a foster home, but our visit was well-​worth our time.
We find the place and walk in a couple of hours before closing. We’re greeted by lots of kitties, though I’m sure not as many as normal, because they were all really excited about being fed wet food.
A volunteer greets and welcomes us and then gives us a tour of the facility, which was nice. Most of the adoptable animals are roaming around the facility, and it’s almost comical, because they are EVERYWHERE! On the laundry machine, by the towels, in a (clean) trash can, everywhere. The cats have clearly made themselves at home here, which is great.
It’s clear throughout the facility that these animals are really loved and cared for. The animals with the red collars are ones who have permanent homes in the facility, which is so sweet.
We were able to interact with some of the sweetest cats ever. If you go there, please visit Bridget and Betty Jo — both of them were so beautiful and sweet! They are so affectionate and purred up a storm; it was hard to walk away from them!
At one point, we wanted to take a kitty out to hold her, and we were told not to when we asked because they were closing in a couple of hours and you shouldn’t put a new cat on the floor so close to closing. I think there was a bit of confusion, because then I saw someone else take her out of the cage and hold her, so maybe we just asked the wrong way; we just wanted to visit with her, not let her run free throughout the facility. We later spoke with the same volunteer, and she was very helpful, so I really do think it was a misunderstanding.
If I were in the market for another cat (which I really should not be, but let’s be real, it’ll probably happen) I would have no qualms with coming back to this establishment. They are doing important work!

This is one damn fine organization folks.
Whether you are looking for a new forever friend or have one that you are trying to find a home for. These wonderful people can help.
CWA will take in cats and kittens, if there is room. I’ve taken several cats there and frankly it’s not easy to get them in. I have been turned away on most occasions. I’ve also managed to get a few in when they have the room. If you are looking to take a cat in, remember a few things: persistence, patience, timing and a nice donation are everything.
Donations are welcome. Cash, checks, old newspapers, paper bags, cleaning products, canned cat food are all needed to keep them going. So you know, they will ask you for a donation if they agree to take one in. Don’t think anything of this. They have very large, ongoing bills to pay and they need funds to feed and house everyone.
If you have room and you want to take in some cats on a temporary basis, they also have a foster care program. It’s great to help socialize the little ones for adoption later.
If you are in the area, feel free to stop in and visit the residents. Everyone is welcome. You will have several dozen instant friends who would be happy to let you hold and cuddle them for as long as you want. Everyone there are cat lovers so you’ll be in good company. Stop in and make some new friends. It won’t cost you anything.

I love this place! I am a crazy cat lady. or animal lady, whatever. Perhaps I should not admit that?! Anyways, I was looking for a cat and I’ve heard great things about Cat Welfare. When you walk in, there are dozens of cats everywhere, as they can roam freely, for the most part. Some cats are in cages, typically if they follow a special diet, are very young, or sick/​recovering. I wanted a cat and visited the shelter 3 times before I left with 2 cats for $ 80, including vaccinations and microchips. What I loved most about Cat Welfare was that the people working there/​volunteer really knew about the cats, regarding their temperaments and general disposition. This is awesome because they can help you find what kind of cat you want, from a lap cat, a cat good with kids, to a playful cat. I think this is best for both parties, as it prevents cats from being «returned» and stressed out all over again. I am very impressed and support Cat Welfare!

I’m one of those people who generally avoids pet shelters because I usually find them depressing and sad, which means I come home with pets that I feel sorry for. Cat Welfare was anything but that: it was clean, cheerful, the cats seemed genuinely happy, and the staff was very friendly. They’ve created an atmosphere where you can really get to know the cats and see their real personalities, and the volunteers seemed to know the cats really well too. This is a really special place, and although my husband and I decided not to get a companion cat for our current cat, we were really impresssed with our visit to Cat Welfare.

Lulz. Cat Welfare.
Sorry, but the name always makes me laugh.
I remember the first time my mother mentioned «Cat Welfare» to me… I imagined cats waiting in line outside a building to get their free powdered milk and government cheese, or picking up their checks on the first of the month. lulz.
Apparently this is a place where they foster stray cats, fix ‘em up if need be, and try to find good homes for them. That’s a noble thing in my book; my mother’s as well.
In addition, they have a thrift store attached that is open on Saturdays. They take donations (my mom takes things there often) and they sell them to make money to help run the place. Pretty cool idea, no? I went one Saturday when I was in town visiting, and I have to say, they had some decent stuff there, at flea market prices. I actually bought a cool painting in a really nice, heavy, hand carved frame with glass for like $ 17. Like most flea market/​thrift stores, you just never know what you’ll find, and the women that work there are as nice as can be.
So yeah, I will always poke fun at «Cat Welfare,» but they get the props for what they do and how they do it.

This is a FANTASTIC no-​kill, cat shelter. I adopted 2 kittens about 2 months ago from here, and they are as healthy as can be. Every person I’ve talked to who works or volunteers there are extremely nice and helpful. The cat rooms are very clean, and the animals all seem very happy. A lot of the cats are allowed to roam free, and there are tons of toys and napping nooks around to make them comfortable. It’s very clear that the people here care very much about the animals.
I only paid $ 80 for both kittens, and this included all vaccines, and two microchips. After taking both kittens to the vet for their rabies shot (they were too young when I adopted them to have gotten it before), the vet noticed that one of the microchips did not scan. I called CWA and told them the situation, and they promptly let me come in and re-​microchipped the cat free of charge.
If you’re thinking of adopting a cat or kitten, this is the first place I would recommend!

People who adore cats are special. People who own cats are angels. People who save the lives of hundreds of cats do the work of God himself.
I came to CWA not to adopt a cat, but to talk with the program manager about a marketing partnership and learned that this no-​kill shelter houses hundreds of cats at a time in a series of rooms and turns no kitty away.
When I first walked in, I was amazed by actually how many cats were roaming around the facility — and even more taken back by how well all of the cats got along! There were a dozen-​or-​so people just hanging out in the main lobby keeping the cats company and giving them affection. Apparently, if you want to just come chill and offer up your love, you’re more than welcome!
A unique offering of the shelter is the thrift store (The Catique) in the back! You can donate your items to be resold at the store, and when the store is open for business (Saturday from 9am-​3pm) you can rest well knowing your purchase helped save a furry little life.
I could feel the love in that place.

Cat welfare is a no kill shelter that takes in cats, fixes them up, and helps them to be adopted. One of my absolute favorite things about them is the fact that they have a list of the resident cats who have been there for a particularly long time, or those who have disabilities, so that people who want to support a cat (like a deaf cat, or a one eyed cat, or a cat with a scrunchy ear or a very old cat) that few people want. The cats there are extremely well taken care of, particularly in comparison to many of the other shelters that i’ve seen.
One of the nicest things about cat welfare is that they fully support you coming in and just playing with the cats, whether you have intention to adopt one or not. Its an excellent thing to do when feeling down. Going and playing with all these affectionate creatures will brighten any spirit.
They also have a few permanent residents that they don’t have up for adoption. These cats are ones who have problems that will likely keep them from ever being adopted. Cat welfare promises that these kitties will always have a home there, which is particularly commendable because they would normally be put to sleep. They have programs they offer to let people support these fairly non-​adoptable cats. (Look up their Guardian Angel Program). The problems these cats have are anything from chronic spraying to being extremely shy. Many of the troublemakers are really quite affectionate and are so much fun to come in and play with.
They’re always in need of short term foster care– wink wink, nudge nudge –for kittens (bottle feeding and such) and cats healing from surgery. Its actually a really fun program to get involved in. I, sadly, have had to back away from it due to one of my felines getting crankier towards ‘outsiders’ in her old age.
They have fundraising jewelry sales and garage sales once a week, and a Pet Loss Support Group twice a month.
I’m totally serious about just dropping by to play with the cats. They love when you do that.