Surrendering your cat or kitten

In an ideal world, our lives would go to plan and no-one and no animal would ever struggle. However, especially now, we all know that things can change for the worst. We understand that there can be many reasons why owner may have to surrender a pet and we are here to help.

We at Atlantis Cat Rescue are committed to try to keep cats with their loving families wherever possible. So, before surrendering your cat to Atlantis Cat Rescue, we recommend you consider the following options, which could help you keep your furry friend close:

• Problems covering the cost of veterinary care? Consider speaking to your vet. about a payment plan, or contacting a non-profit/low-cost veterinary clinic (such as those run in conjunction with an animal shelter). We can help you locate your nearest non-profit/low-cost veterinary clinic;, simply contact us through our general enquires email.
• Worried about renting with pets? New laws on pets and renting came into effect on 2 March 2020. Tenants must now request their landlord’s consent to bring a new pet into the property. Landlords must not unreasonably refuse, and must take their case to VCAT if they want to refuse. It does not matter when your lease started.
• Experiencing behavioural problems with you cat? We may be able to help. Please contact our team to discuss you pet's problems with our behavioural management team to identify possible solutions.
• Are you in crisis and need help with some short-term emergency boarding for your pet while you sort out your situation? Try speaking to family and friends to see if they could help look after your pet temporarily. You can also contact your local council about local emergency pet-boarding options, or contact us through our general enquires email to discuss availability of temporary care with us.
• If your cat still needs permanent rehoming, consider asking friends or family if they would be interest in taking ownership of the cat, as this may provide you with the opportunity to still visit them and keep them in your life in some small way.

If you have exhausted your options and still need to surrender you cat or kitten to Atlantis Cat Rescue, then please complete the Surrender Contact Request form attached below. A member of our Adoptions Team will contact you as soon as able to discuss your cat, and will provide you with a Surrender Assessment Form to complete. 

Please note: in some cases, severe behavioural issues can make it very difficult for us to take in relinquished pets, as Atlantis Cat Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation that relies on the generosity of our donor and, despite common misconceptions, adoption fees don't cover costs associated with ongoing care and veterinary assessments. As such, we will ask for a surrender fee to cover some of these costs if a placement can be found for your cat or kitten. However, surrender placement may be limited and therefore may not available at all time. But we will seek to help to find you a suitable solution to rehoming your pet.