Need help with your cat or a cat you have found?
Do you need help?
Intake
Surrendering a Cat
If you need to find a new home for your cat, please note that The Cat House, like most no-kill shelters and rescues, is generally full, with a waiting list several weeks to several months long. We also only accept requests for surrendering cats within a 50 mile radius of our shelter. We may make exceptions for other rescues/shelters outside of this area. A list of other area shelters and rescues that may be able to help you sooner is here: Southeast Nebraska Shelters and Rescues. If you adopted your cat from The Cat House and are no longer able to care for it, we will take the cat in at your convenience; contact us to discuss arrangements.
If you’re planning to move to a new apartment or rental house, be sure to find one that will allow you to keep your feline family member. Check out links on this page to locate some options: pet-friendly rental properties.
If you have found a stray cat, first contact Animal Control (402-441-7900) and Capital Humane Society (402-441-4488) to see if anyone has reported it lost. Add the cat to their found pet lists. Also report the cat on Nextdoor.com for your neighborhood, and “lost pets” Facebook groups, like LINCOLN NEBRASKA AND SURROUNDING AREAS LOST AND FOUND PETS and LINCOLN NEBRASKA LOST DOGS AND CATS.
In addition to being subject to a waiting list, surrenders are by appointment only. Other than cats previously adopted from our organization, cats brought to The Cat House without an appointment for surrender may be transferred to Capital Humane Society.
Getting Help with your cat
Health or Behavior Issues
Being staffed by volunteers, we have limited time available to advise cat owners about behavioral issues. We are not veterinarians and cannot dispense medical advice. Before contacting The Cat House to discuss cat issues, please talk to your veterinarian – many problems that seem like behavior issues are actually a sign of a medical issue that needs veterinary attention. If no physical issue is found, much good advice is available online, particularly at the Little Big Cat site – much of the content is written by Jackson Galaxy – and Pam Johnson-Bennet’s Cat Behavior Associates site.
Unfortunately, The Cat House does not have funds available to assist with veterinary expenses or pet food. Many veterinarians accept Care Credit, a credit program that can be used for human and animal medical expenses. Some veterinarians may be willing to set up payment plans. The Coalition for Pet Protection and Cause for Paws sometimes have funds available to help with veterinary expenses. The Coalition for Pet Protection and Lincoln Animal Ambassadors have temporary pet food banks.
Financial Assistance
Spay/Neuter Assistance
Spaying or neutering your cat is the key to humanely reducing the cat overpopulation problem. If you need assistance getting your cat altered, contact these groups for assistance:
Programs
Trap-Neuter-Return
The Cat House has a trap-neuter-return program to humanely control the population of feral and stray cats in Lincoln and the immediately surrounding areas.