Frequently Asked Questions

Kittens (under 1 year of age) are $125 each and $100 for the second.
Cats (over 1 year of age) are $100 each and $75 for the second.
Senior Cats (over 7 years) are $75 each and $50 for the second.

Our adoption fee includes:

• Spaying/neutering
• Vaccinations (FVRCP)
• Leukemia (FeLV) testing
• De-fleaing
• De-Worming

Our cats stay with their foster homes until they are adopted. We do not euthanize cats for lack of space and no adoptable animal is ever given a time limit.

CC4C does not operate a spay/neuter clinic. We work with local veterinarians and clinics to spay/neuter the homeless or abandoned cats that we rescue. Depending on available grant funding, CC4C may be able to assist with spay/neuter support. However, our priority is to help homeless and abandoned cats. See our Spay/Neuter Assistance page for more information.

No, CC4C can not vaccinate cats that are not in our foster system. CC4C provides the first set of FVRCP vaccinations for adoptable cats and kittens in our system; and does not vaccinate cats once they are current on these shots and have been adopted by you.

See our Spay/Neuter Assistance or Medical Financial Assitance pages.

No, CC4C does not currently have funding to help low-income households with medical assistance. There are some resources to organizations offering funding or financing for sick or injured animals. An application form must be submitted and, if approved, it can cover all or part of the cost of the vet care. For more information see our Spay/Neuter Assistance and Medical Financial Assistance pages.

Care Credit: http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance: http://fveap.org/

UAN Lifeline Grant Program: http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28

Humane Society of the U.S. List of Helping Organizations: (See California) http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html

Financial Assistance for Emergencies List: http://dogtales.wordpress.com/funds-for-pet-emergencies/

Contra Costa Humane Society List: http://www.cchumane.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34%3Acontra-costa-county-veterinary-resources&catid=8%3Avets-groups-and-shelters&Itemid=16

Some CC4C members are willing to loan equipment that they are not currently using. Please e-mail us and state what equipment you would like to borrow, for how long, and where you are located. You may be required to put a deposit down on the equipment and sign an agreement form that includes your contact information.

Please also see our Trapping Tips for other helpful information.

Feral cats:
CC4C has limited foster space and because feral cats are extremely difficult, often impossible to tame, most fosters cannot take feral cats.  CC4C may be able to help with the TNR (trap, neuter, return, and return) of the cat. Please e-mail or call our hotline and state what assistance you need and how you can help.  Feral cats are part of the community, and it is expected that you will continue to care for the cat by providing water and feeding the cat to keep it is as an “outdoor” cat.

If cat is tame (or young kittens):
CC4C is limited on foster space and we fill up quickly due to high demand each kitten season. We can help more cats if you are able to foster the cat/kittens yourself at your home with CC4C support. We cannot provide food and litter but we do provide medical support that includes defleaing, deworming, vaccinations, leukemia testing, spay or neuter, and veterinarian visits, arranged by your CC4C sponsor, if necessary. Please e-mail or call our hotline and state your location, number of cat/kittens, approximate ages, and if you are able to foster or not.  If you would like to keep the cat/kittens but need help to catch or trap them, please e-mail or call our hotline with that information.

If the kittens are very young (bottle-babies) and there is no mama-cat:
CC4C is very limited on fosters that are able to bottle-feed kittens. If you would like to commit to bottle-feeding, we can support you with that very rewarding experience. See our information on Bottle Babies. Please e-mail or call our hotline and state your location, number of kittens, approximate ages, and if you are able to foster or not. If bottle babies are taken to the shelter, they are likely to be euthanized because they are not weaned and cannot eat on their own.

No, CC4C does not have a shelter and cannot accept surrendered cats that have been pets. CC4C’s mission is to help homeless and abandoned cats, which are fostered in our homes, and space is always limited. CC4C strongly recommends that you do everything possible to keep your cat, e.g., work through behavior problems, take the cat for a physical checkup, find an apartment that does take pets, find a boarding kennel that accepts pets, etc., because re-homing is challenging and may not provide a better or safer home than your cat already has with you.

We always recommend that you surrender your pet to a shelter ONLY as your last option. And under no conditions abandon your cat by leaving it outside, thinking it will survive on its own. Abandoned cats typically do not survive outside, and die of starvation, disease, dehydration, accidents, being attacked by a wild animal, suffer injuries, and are helpless.

If you are considering surrender due to behavioral problem, please visit our Behavior Modification page.

Notify friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers that you need to re-home your cat. This type of networking can have a positive result. If you choose to advertise on Craigslist, be careful of giving your cat away for free. Always charge at least a $50 adoption fee. Unfortunately, there are people that comb the “free” cat/dog ads for selling them to laboratories for testing purposes where the cat/dog incurs great suffering; cats used as “bait” for dog fighting and training; and used for snake food.

See above post on surrendering a cat. Additionally: Reach out and network with your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or other community members to search for a new home. Post flyers in the community organizations you frequent—if allowed such as your church, community center, pet store, veterinarian, etc. Post on Craigslist (see above warning!) or other Internet website. Provide a picture, request a re-homing fee, name, age, breed, color, describe any special needs, and a good description of their personality to create interest in your cat.

If you have a purebred or breed-specific cat, you may wish to locate a rescue group that serves that breed (such as Pacific Siamese Rescue or Main Coon Adoptions). Be prepared to continue housing and providing for your cat until a new home can be found.

The East Bay SPCA has an owner-surrender program. For more information, please g oto www.eastbayspca.org.

No, CC4C does not have a shelter and cannot temporarily house your pet for you. Contact your family and friends to see if they can house your pet until your situation changes and you are able to take your pet back. Call veterinarian offices and compare prices. Some may offer a savings for a lengthier stay. Your veterinarian may have a list of qualified pet sitters and/or kennels who might assist you.

CC4C operates within Contra Costa County. If you are not located within Contra Costa County, you may locate a list of local rescue groups through PetFinder.com, PetHarbor.com, or by contacting your local County’s Animal Shelter.

No, CC4C can not take a cat that may be owned; it is best if you house the cat yourself and attempt to locate its owner. If you are unable to locate the owner (see list below), CC4C may be able to help you find a home for the cat if you can continue to foster it.

1. Check the cat for a microchip through your local vet, or the shelter clinic. If unsure, CC4C can help scan the cat for a microchip. If the cat is chipped, its owner can be easily found.
2. Try to contact the owner by putting a break-away collar on the cat and wrapping a note around the collar with your name and phone number. Add “Please call me.” If the cat appears healthy and well-fed, it may have a home in your neighborhood and be an outside cat or roaming. If the cat is owned, you will likely get a call within a day or two when they notice a strange collar on their cat.
3. Notify the County Animal Shelter (Martinez volunteer line 925-335-8330). Specify the gender, color, breed, approximate age, location with cross street, and a contact number. If possible, take a picture and leave a flyer with the Animal Shelter staff. But beware, the shelter may request that you bring the cat into the shelter.
4. Post the cat as “found” on Craigslist, Nextdoor.com, or other similar neighborhood websites. Be sure to leave out some detail about the cat, such as some specific description. It’s also helpful to check on the person contacting you by requiring some proof of ownership such as pictures, vet records, details about the cat’s physical appearance, and even call the vet clinic in advance of any meeting to confirm ownership.
5. Post “Found Pet” on PetHarbor – You can register pets as “lost” or “found” on PetHarbor.com.
6. Post flyers in the neighborhood where the cat was found. However, when people call to inquire, be sure to try a “trick” question so that people who call don’t just get to come and take him away.
7. Contact the Contra Costa Times to run a “found pet” ad for free. Call (925) 933-2020.
8. Call local pet stores or vets to see if anyone has reported a lost cat to them. Some pet stores (like Pet Food Express) or vets (like Four Corners Animal Hospital and Montecito Animal Clinic in Pacheco) have bulletin boards where people can post lost/found flyers.

See our Lost/Missing Cat page.

See our Volunteer page.

Children over the age of 13 may also volunteer at our thrift store, Rescued Treasures, with a parent present. Please contact the manager at 925- 682-3201.

See our Volunteer page for more information.