Adopt

Adoptions

What better way to help a homeless animal than to find a forever home for it! Our cats are placed into the lifelong care of responsible adopters after an application and screening process.

We hope the information provided here gives you an understanding of AWLMC and helps you make an informed decision on adopting.

Are You Ready To Adopt?

Bringing a cat into your family is a lifelong commitment, so give it serious thought. The life expectancy of a kitten can be 20 years or more. Consider your lifestyle carefully and determine whether a younger or older cat would be a better match for you. Think about who would care for your pet if you are unavailable for a short period of time or if you become entirely unable to care for them.

Make sure everyone in the household is prepared to have a cat. Visiting the AWLMC should be a family affair. When adopting a new cat with existing pets at home, discuss with the volunteers how to make a proper introduction.

Cats require exercise, mental stimulation, and social interaction. Consider adopting a pair. Two cats can provide attention for each other while you are away from home during the day. AWLMC kittens are adopted in pairs or into a home with another young and playful cat.

Budget for the short and long-term costs of a cat. Adopting a pet is a long-term financial commitment. Be prepared for costs associated with supplies and regular veterinary checkups in addition to potential emergencies. Costs for a pet cat average around $1000 annually.

Why Should You Adopt From AWLMC?

At AWLMC we work hard to ensure our cats are well-socialized. Whether we get them as strays or from guardians who can no longer care for them, the cats spend at least 2 weeks or as long as they need, in a foster home getting individual attention and care.

We ensure any animal adopted from AWLMC is spayed or neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccinations.

Visiting an animal shelter can be stressful for cats and humans, but at AWLMC we’ve created a comfortable environment that looks more like your living room than a typical shelter. This helps our volunteers get to know the cats and improves our ability to match adopters to cats. When you visit our home, you can be at ease playing and visiting cats rather than looking at them in cages.

We have updated COVID-19 safety measures at the shelter which you’re encouraged to review prior to making a visitation appointment.

Our Process

We have cats of various ages, looks, and personalities. Some of our cats play with and do well living with other pets while others prefer to be the only cat in the home. Some of our cats need an adults-only quiet home, while others will thrive in a busy active household. We talk with you and take all of this into consideration when helping you find the perfect companion.

Most of our adult cats live at our shelter in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. Some adult cats live in foster homes and come to the shelter just for adoption appointments.  All of our kittens are in foster homes and come to the shelter only for adoption appointments.

Kittens do best with a playmate so our kittens are generally adopted in pairs. However, each adoption is different and you can speak with a counselor about what works best in your case.

Once you and your family determine which cat(s) you are interested in adopting please email us at adopt@awlmc.org.

A counselor will reach out to provide you with our adoption application which you can fill out online and return via email. It is our policy that we meet all individuals, adults and children, living in the household. Due to COVID-19, we are conducting these meetings via FaceTime or Zoom. This will give us the opportunity to learn a little more about you and it will give you the opportunity to ask questions about our cats and process.

To complete an adoption from AWLMC, we need to see a driver’s license.  If you rent, we need to speak to your landlord/property manager to confirm you can have pets. You will need to provide the name and contact information for your veterinarian’s office and the name and contact information for one personal reference.  If you do not currently have a veterinarian then you will need to provide the name and contact information for two personal references.

A counselor will call your landlord/property manager, if applicable, your veterinarian’s office and/or your references.  Once the calls have been made the adoption counselor will follow-up with you via email or phone to confirm your application has been approved.  The counselor will then schedule an appointment with you at our shelter to meet the cat, where the adoption will be finalized. At that appointment, you will sign a contract, pay the adoption fee(s), and take your new furbaby home!

We have updated COVID-19 safety measures at the shelter which you’re encouraged to review prior to making a visitation appointment.

The adoption fees are payable by cash or check. The adoption fee helps defray a small part of the cost of housing and veterinary services for a cat while in our care.

One Adult: $100

Bonded Adult Pair: $150

Single Kitten: $125

Two Kittens: $200

What Happens After You Adopt?

Go slowly when introducing your new cat to friends and family. It can take several weeks for a cat to settle into a new environment. You are welcome to reach out to the adoption counselor you worked with for any advice or with questions. We’re here even after you’re home to make sure the adoption is successful.

Be sure to include your new pet in your family’s emergency plan. Part of being a responsible pet owner is to be prepared for possible emergency situations affecting you and your pets.

You’ll receive a follow-up call or email from your adoption counselor to ensure things are going well and get an update on how your new cat is settling in.

We encourage you to add your pet to our social media family by tagging AWLMC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

Update us with pictures/news any time, we love to see how the cats we come to love while in our care are doing now that they’re in your home.