Other places that help...

We are a small group and can't help everyone.

If you're outside our service area or have a large number of feral cats that exceed our resources, please refer to the shelters listed here for further assistance. These shelters are provided as a resource for locating and placing lost pets. Please note that the practices of these shelters do not reflect those of Feral Feline Project. Some shelters may euthanize or may not accept feral cats. This list includes both no-kill and kill shelters.

other groups

We are a small group and can't help everyone.

Aurora

City of Aurora Animal Care & Control — (630) 897-5695

Barrington

Aid to Animals of Northern IL — (847) 458-6325

Barrington Hills

Fur Keeps Animal Rescue — (847) 381-8458

Bloomingdale

Pet Rescue — (630) 893-0030

Bolingbrook

Humane Haven Animal Shelter — (630) 378-4208

Chicago

Animal Adoption Associates — (773) 615-9864
Animal Welfare League — (773) 667-0088
Anti-Cruelty Society (Open Access Shelter) — (312) 644-8338
ARFhouse — (773) 305-1960
Harmony House for Cats — (773) 463-6667
Lake Shore Animal Rescue — (312) 409-1162
PAWS Chicago — (773) 244-7853
Puppy Love-Love Cats — (312) 636-1200
Precious Pets Almost Home — (312) 409-2516
Red Door Animal Shelter — (773) 764-2242
Tree House Animal Foundation — (773) 784-5488
Touched by an Animal — (773) 728-6336
Virtually Home Adoptions — (773) 203-0215
Windy City Animal Foundation — (773) 991-1837

Chicago Heights

South Suburban Humane Society — (708) 755-7387

Chicago Ridge

Animal Welfare League — (708) 636-8586

Crystal Lake

Assisi Animal Foundation — (815) 455-9411

Deerfield

Orphans of the Storm — (847) 945-0235

DeKalb

TAILS Humane Society — (815) 758-2457

Downers Grove

Pact Humane Society — (630) 375-7017
West Suburban Humane Society — (630) 960-9600

Elk Grove Village

Almost Home Foundation — (630) 582-3738
Second Chance Pet Adoptions — (630) 415-2978
St. Francis Pet Foundation — (630) 766-3646

Grayslake

Save-a-Pet — (847) 740-7788

Hinsdale

Hinsdale Humane Society — (630) 323-5630

Hoffman Estates

Reach out for Animals — (847) 830-4576

Homer Glen

T.L.C. Animal Shelter — (708) 301-1594

LaGrange Park

Cat Nap from the Heart — (708) 352-3914

Libertyville

Animal Education and Rescue — (847) 816-0831

Mt. Prospect

Adopt a Pet — (847) 870-8999

Other Groups

We are a small group and can't help everyone.

Other Groups

Naperville

Animal Heartline Humane Association — (630) 341-3411
Naperville Humane Society — (630) 420-8989

Oak Lawn

Reach Out Rescue NFP — (708) 243-8304

Oak Park

Animal Care League of Oak Park — (708) 848-8155
Oak Park Animal Control — (708) 358-5679

Palatine

Petable Adoptions — (847) 951-4635
Tenderpaws Adoptions — (847) 867-9266

Palos Park

Animals for Awareness — (708) 361-9330

Plainfield

Humane Society of Plainfield — (815) 436-2700

Round Lake

Petropolis Adoptions — (847) 201-6536

Rockford

Winnebago Animal Services — (815) 319-4100

Schaumburg

Strays Halfway House — (630) 351-3150

South Elgin

Anderson Animal Shelter — (847) 697-2880

Tinley Park

People’s Animal Welfare Society — (815) 464-7298

Woodstock

Helping Paws Animal Shelter — (815) 338-4400

Others

Alley Cat Allies — Website
Petfinder — (630) 293-8772
Buddy Foundation, The — (847) 813-7206
CatGuardians — (630) 543-3395
Cat Nap from the Heart — (708) 352-3914
Chicago Animal Care and Control — (312) 747-1406
Comm. Animal Rescue Effort (CARE) — (847) 705-2653
Du Page County Animal Control — (630) 407-2800
Felines Inc. Adoption and Shelter — (773) 465-4132
Heartland Animal Shelter — (847) 296-6400
Home for Endangered and Lost Pets — (877) 364-2286
Humane Society for Central Illinois — (309)-451-1000
Kankakee County Humane Society — (815) 933-5999
Kay’s Animal Shelter — (847) 259-2907
Kindness, Inc — (847) 888-2750
Lake Shore Animal Rescue — (312) 409-1162
Paw, Inc — (847) 432-4799
Pets in Need Midwest — (815) 728-1462
Puppy Love-Love Cats — (312) 636-1200
Precious Pets Almost Home — (312) 409-2516
Red Door Animal Shelter — (773) 764-2242
Save-a-Pet — (847) 740-7788
Specialty Purebred Cat Rescue — (262) 654-0764
Tails of Hope — (847) 549-1711
Tenderpaws Adoptions — (847) 867-9266
T.L.C. Animal Shelter — (708) 301-1594
Touched by an Animal — (773) 728-6336
Underdog Rescue, Inc — (847) 529-5959

Feral Cat Myths

"I think feral cats should be trapped and removed."

Trapping and removing cats from an area causes the "vacuum effect." As cats are removed, more cats move in for the food and shelter and quickly breed to repopulate the area.

"I think feral cats are diseased and live short, miserable lives. Euthanizing (killing) is the only way to ease their suffering."

This is UNTRUE! Feral cats do very well in a managed, spay and neutered colony.

"Don't feral cats carry rabies?"

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health there have been no positive cases of rabies in cats since 1996. In 1996, one case was reported. The Rabies vaccination is included in the TNR package.

"I will take the feral cats to a local animal shelter or to a no-kill animal shelter to be adopted."

Feral cats are unsocialized, wild and cannot be adopted out as someone's pet. If taken to a shelter, even a no-kill shelter, these cats may be killed because they are un-adoptable.

"I will call animal control or the local police department to have them trapped and removed."

Animal Control may kill the cats or take to them to a shelter where they may be killed. Unfortunately, domesticated cats can be mistaken for feral cats and may be euthanized. There is a very small window with kittens where they can be socialized and adoptable. If kittens are past this window (over 8 weeks) and appear feral, they may be killed.

"I will trap them and drop them off at a farm."

Trapping cats and dumping them on someone else's private property is unacceptable. Cats are very territorial and have close knit ties to their other colony cats. They don't do well if removed from their outdoor home (area). Additionally, when cats are removed from one area, other cats move in for the food and shelter. They breed prolifically to fill the void and will begin to repopulate the area.

"Feral cats are eating the birds and other wildlife."

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the greatest threat to birds is the depletion of their habitat due to human development. Cats are predatory animals and help keep the the mouse and rat population down! Keeping TNR'd feral cats on a good feeding schedule will reduce this urge to kill birds.