I have a long waffly introduction so you might like to skip it and if so, you can click on the following link: Go straight to Persian cat rescue list! ✔️??. This page was first written about 15 years ago but has been refreshed 26 Sept 2022 as it had to be as rescue organisations shut. In fact, I have amended this page on more than one occasion already! As this page has been amended so much it is a bit messy, I am afraid, but I like to keep old stuff in case they come back to life ?. And it does show how things change.
A lot of Persian cat lovers are looking to find a Persian cat companion through a rescue center, which is great of course. The intention is for this page to be as comprehensive as I can make it on this important subject. You might have thought it was easy to search for Persian cat rescue centers on the Internet. It isn’t that easy, really. A search can bring up “fragmented” (unclear) results. I hope that this page simplifies things a little.
When you go to a cat breeder of purebred Persian cats you expect the best of course in terms of pedigree, appearance and most importantly temperament and health. All these elements should be available to a high level. Cat breeders should or perhaps sometimes will include within the service the facility to return your cat if things go wrong, but this is clearly a last resort and if things do go wrong, we need to look at ourselves first and ask if there is anything we can do to resolve the matter. Of course, it may go wrong because of circumstances beyond the control of the person(s) concerned.
A new cat’s behavior will be the potentially troublesome area. Obviously, any health issues should be referred to the cat breeder if they relate to her breeding. Behavioral problems are more likely, in my opinion, to associated with the re-homing process. Persian cat rescue centers are hardly any different to Persian cat breeders on the matter of finding the right person to keep the cats that are in their charge. The same standards apply. Both breeders and re-homers are equally eager to ensure that the adoption process works out for the lifetime of the cat. People approaching rescue centers should ask similar questions to those asked of themselves before having a child. After all there is little difference.
If an adopter’s lifsetyle is unsettled this probably makes them unsuitable. This is more frequently encountered in young people who have not yet settled down and who have been unable to buy a home. Cats need space, routine and peace in my experience. A predictable lifestyle is reassuring to us all including cats and Persian cats are quite sensitive cats so it is particularly important.
Smokers and long and frequent travellers need not apply as it goes against the concept of stability and routine. Cats get used to the company of their human companions so they should be around as much as possible. Obviously, some cats are more flexible and accepting than others to unsettling circumstances, but the basic principle will always apply. Cigarette smoking (and the smoking of other substances) is bad for partners, so it is bad for a cat. I think the appropriate word is “commitment” to keeping a cat. This requires the right mind set and an adjustment for some people. The eutopian state of affairs would be no Persian cat rescue taking place and no returns to cat breeders. A well-known UK Persian rescue center (and now taking other purebred cats) has a stringent selection procedure. They find that the most suitable candidates come from people who are generally older (say over 45+). These people have more money, could be retired so have more time, the children have left the home so there is less hassle, they often have knowledge of cats generally and ideally Persian cats in particular and they often like to stay at home (and so avoiding the holiday problems). Keeping a cat requires sacrifice but the reward is of of greater value.
Persian cat rescue groups nearly always need more funding and volunteers. These days they use foster homes to house cats prior to re-homing and in some cases, people wishing to give up a cat can call the center and make arrangements for their cat to be rehomed through the rescue center without the cat needing to be fostered in the meantime. In this instance the rescue center acts solely as an agency bringing the “seller” and “buyer” together. This seems a particularly good set up provided people know about it and are proactive enough.
There are three kinds of Persian cat rescue organization. The open access shelters such as the RSPCA in the UK or a public body. All types of animals are taken in. There are the private rescue centers. These have their own rules and are run in a variety of ways. There is also the networked foster groups that do not have a central premises. It seems that there are also private rescue organizations with a premises that employ foster people (a hybrid state).
As far as I am aware most Persian cat rescue groups do not “ship” to use an inappropriate term. So, you’ll need to know where the center is and be near enough to get there and back without pushing your luck. That said some adopters drive for around 20 hours there and back. That shows commitment but think of the cat too; most cats don’t like traveling in cars and cages etc. I am surprised to see that some US rescue organizations don’t state their address more clearly on their websites. This may be for security reasons. In the UK there is a greater openness it seems.
The Persian cat rescue centers are nearly always run by volunteers. They often take in abandoned, lonely rejected and badly cared for cats and make them whole and healthy again. I applaud them for their great work. They have given back and made the world a better place.
I think you’ll find all the above topics discussed by a breeder and rescue group plus the matter of a fee which seems to be around $100 or about £60 or so but the center will accept more.
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| Read about and see the best photographs of Persians generally (with links), a white Traditional Persian, a ginger Traditional Persian, the transformation of the Persian cat, the history, Ultra Persian cats and Persian cat care by clicking on the links. ***All the links open in new windows, please note*** | |
| Location – USA | Organization type and Comments |
| 1-800-Save-A-Pet | This website is a database of rescue centers in the US for cats and dogs with a search facility to find a center near you. |
| Pets 911 | It is the mission of this web-based organization to pull together the various strands of the rescue scene to facilitate learning about the process of pet abandonment and rehoming and thereby reduce the problem. This then is a resource |
| Persian and Himalayan Cat Rescue of Northern California. The website still works Sept 26, 2022. | ***Popular Persian cat rescue. They do not ship cats!! – They accept donations through Paypal. They adopt over 250 cats yearly, I believe. They are located in north California and San Francisco Bay Area. This is a more precise location: 305 Ross Drive, Mill Valley. When someone wants to adopt, this center makes a telephone interview, and they will check your written application form and check your references. It’s similar to applying for a job and that is the way it should be. Cats in rescue centers have already had one shortened relationship. Obviously, this center do their best to avoid another. They are looking for volunteers to foster cats until homes are found (at May 2008). They say that at any one time there are 800-1000 Persian and Himalayan (a pointed Persian) cats waiting to be rehomed in the USA. There is therefore every likelihood that there is a Persian cat living not too far from a potential adopter. I hope that this list helps you find that Persian cat Rescue center. |
| Petfinder.com | This is a very highly visited, site operating nationwide. You can search by area. They deal with all breeds of cat. They are big so your chances of success are reasonable. Petfinder are a high visibility portal/window/web-presence where rescue groups can list their animals that require rehoming. A large number are affiliated to this business and advertise their cats on the Petfinder website and not on their own website. |
| AJ’s Best Friend Rescue | This is affiliated to Petfinder.com. They are located in East Valley suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. Their website works very closely with Petfinder.com. They primarily rehome purebred cats and dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. The cats and dogs are fostered in 7 homes. |
| Purebred Plus Cat Rescue (no link on 19th June 2010 as it is broken) | Located northeast San Francisco. They rehome a number of different cat breeds. All their cats are indoor cats. In the UK this would seem strange. Sometimes they have cats that are used to indoor/outdoor living. But they insist on the adopters living in a quiet area far from road traffic (how about an enclosure?). They argue for an indoor life. I am one of those that think it unnatural but understand the problems. That is why where there is enough space and funding an enclose would dramatically enhance a cat’s life while keeping him/her safe. If you believe in an exclusively indoor life for a cat you must agree that we have created a world unfit for cats. This rescue center makes an interesting point about the holiday season when guests come and go from the house, which means indoor cats can escape through open doors etc. Yes, they do want to get out. Evidence really as to how unnatural a indoor cat’s life is. |
| Central California Purebred Rescue | No website so no link and I have no idea if this organization is still functioning. Email: tb*********@ao*.com |
| Persian Cat Rescue of Northern California | This Persian cat rescue operation seems to be located in Castro Valley CA 94552. UPDATE: PLEASE SEE ABOVE FOR THE LINK TO THIS ORGANISATION. |
This is defunked. The site is down and I presume the organisation is shut. Wrong? Please tell me. | Postal address is Marysville, Ohio. I don’t know how active this group are. Only one Persian listed as being for adoption and they give a postal address, but this might not be the actual address. Most of this Persian cat rescue center’s cats come from what they call “kill shelters”. Shelters that kill don’t seem like shelters to me. They say that many of the cats they rescue are older cats that were handed to shelters by people who no longer wanted the responsibilty of keeping a cat. This seems extraordinary as a proper bond cannot have been formed between cat and human if they can so casually discard their cat. Other reasons are the classic reasons of “inappropriate elimination”, a technical way of saying not going to the toilet in the cat litter, too much work, having a new baby etc. Some of these people shouldn’t have started keeping a cat in the first place, obviously. This is one of the big problems with keeping cats. There are too many people who keep cats who shouldn’t. The decision to keep a cat should be taken more seriously. That would reduce the number of Persian cat rescue organizations. |
| Flat Faced Friends | Located in Fort Collins, Colorado. They focus on Persians and Himalayans so this is a specialist Persian cat rescue. They have never received a Persian or Himmie of under 10 months of age indicating that the reason for abandoning cats is due to all the wrong reasons. Sweet kittens are kept and old cats dumped – is that it? The adoption fee is less expensive than some at $50 for cats and $60 for mixed breed kittens. They may be affiliated to Petfinder so you may find them on the Petfinder website but this is not clear from their site. |
| Atlanta Persian and Siamese Rescue | Located in Hiram, Atlanta |
| Specialty Purebred Cat Rescue | This is a well-established rescue group operating through foster homes and making arrangements via a network of volunteers. Located in the Midwest. The foster homes are located in northern Illinois, Kenosha, Racine, Burlington, Milwaukee, Madison and Oshkosh. Of course, they rehome all purebred cats not just Persians. |
| Angel Cat Haven This rescue does not rescue Persians as far as I can see at 2022. | This rescue group of volunteers do not specialize in purebred cats, but I did see two gorgeous Ultra Persians advertised for adoption so that probably just about qualifies them for this page. They are in Plainville and surrounds. |
| Location – World | |
There is a Facebook Persian cat network that is alive and well in 2022. | They say on Facebook: “Welcome to The Persian Rescue Network, Inc. a 501c3 charity devoted to helping Persian cats. If you are new to this group, PLEASE READ THE PINNED POST! Our mission is to help rescue and rehome Persians, Himalayans and Exotic Shorthair cats across the United States (and Canada). Please treat everyone you meet here with courtesy and respect, and let’s work together to help the cats!” |
This is down and out. | |
| You might like to visit a page on this site dedicated to purebred cat rescue. | |
| Location – UK | |
| New Page – click here | I have a page dedicated to UK Persian cat rescue. |
© Michael at Pictures-of-Cats.org
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