Ok, I'm going to start out by saying I'm not a cat lover, I like them when they are not killing all the birds and lizards in my yard and crapping all over the place. I do like them when they have a proper home and people who care about them. I went here with a friend of mine who lost his cat and wants to get another one. I was not expecting such a beautiful clean space with wonderful people taking care of these cats. It is so clean and the cats are so well cared for. The volunteers were amazing and it was a wonderful experience. My friend is hopefully going to volunteer here. read more

See all

We were greeted at the door, given some instructions as to where the different kinds of cats were (older, kittens, etc) and then looked around on our own. When we had questions on a certain cat, we asked a nice volunteer who gave us all the info on that cat. They were very good to walk around looking for people to help. I had been pre-approved on-line, so the check out was easy and fast. They even gave me a really nice carrier to take my new kitty home in. I am "now" a very happy cat owner "again" after being cat-less for 2 1/2 year. Thank you Hermitage for being so good to make sure the kitty and their person were going to be a good match........ read more

I've adopted four cats from the Hermitage and have been volunteering there for 6 years. Because I volunteer there I know how well the cats are treated (loved and cared for). The Adoption Coordinator and Medical Staff are top rate- very interested in finding the cats the perfect home and making sure it's a good match (humans/cats). If I decide to adopt again - the Hermitage is the best choice! read more

Clean Lots of healthy cats sitting around and above waiting for homes. No cages that I saw. Place looks very well run. Dropped off some cat beds that my little prince won't use. They were grateful and polite. read more

Leaving a review of my experience based on the low ratings. If you know you are a responsible pet owner and will will provide a loving, safe forever home for a kitten/cat then definitely don't read the negative reviews. I looked online prior to coming in. It is recommended that you fill out an adoption application prior to coming in so you'll be pre-approved which makes getting the cat of your choice more likely. It isn't required though, you can pop in anytime they are open to see and meet the cats available for adoption. I'm glad Holly has pissed some people off! When I was there there were a couple of groups of people that came in with kids/teens who didn't respect the cat's boundaries. I saw a boy trying to play with a cat by batting at it when the cat had already popped him and it's ears were lying flat back on it's head. There was zero awareness from the boy (mid teens) that this cat did not want to play with him, he was just terrorizing it. The cats roam freely through the facility, some like attention others want you to leave them the fuck alone. Take a hint when it's given and you'll be fine. From my experience and based on the questionnaire for adoption Hermitage is just trying to get these cats into reliable, loving, stable homes. When I dropped in yesterday I had no expectations that I'd actually be able to bring a kitty home. Whatever hoops they require a person to jump though is in the best interest of the kitties. You are not entitled to whatever cat you want whenever you want it just because it's in a shelter! I am so grateful Holly let me adopt my sweet boy yesterday but I would've completely understood if I had to wait and potentially miss out on getting him. I showed up at 4 pm just planning to look but prepared in case I found "the one". When I knew I found the one I went back out to the lobby and filled out the adoption application on my phone. Once submitted I asked how long the approval process takes. Holly said it varies and recent background checks through my employment might have sped that up. I asked if I'd be able to take him home that day or would it be Tuesday when they reopen, if approved. Holly told me it depended on whether the people there before me were adopting and how many. This was because the cats have to get a checkup before leaving and there's paperwork to be filled out. The shelter closes at 5 pm on Saturdays. Completely reasonable!! So I just hung out and played with cats until I knew for sure. Luckily there was only one adoption in front of me so Holly had time to work me in. This place is wonderful and I am so so glad I wasn't dissuaded by the mediocre yelp score. There are some very petty people and they really mess up the reliability of yelp. This is definitely a place worth supporting!! Kitten tax: see pic read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Sweet boy zonked out after his stressful first night in his new forever home. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

THIS is heaven. You can't tell me otherwise I'm hardheaded and won't listen. I love seeing all the fluffy baby kittiessssss

Good luck getting ahold of this business. I was in the market to provide a forever home to two cats in need, however after spending a week leaving voicemails I opted to adopt the two most wonderful cats from the Humane Society who take providing a new home for their cats seriously. I'm not saying don't go here, because I wouldn't want any cats to miss out on a chance at a forever home. I sincerely hope you have an easier adoption process than I did. read more

We adopted our calico kitten, Cleo, from Hermitage. The shelter has a lovely selection of cats and they are not in cages, but roaming freely inside and on a sunny outdoor patio. The adoption coordinator, Holly, is lovely, will answer all your questions and clearly loves cats! We even recommended Hermitage to our next-door neighbors who recently adopted a cute tabby boy from there! Highly recommend. read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

I adopted my Tinkerbell from the Hermitage in December of 2018 when she was 14. She had been unfortunate to have lost her two previous owners to untimely deaths. She was extremely devoted to me and followed me wherever I went, was my perpetual lap cat, and followed me to bed at night, sleeping on my stomach all night long. After three years with me, she succumbed to a tumor and I had her put down on March 18, 2021 when the vet said it was best. I really miss her. She was a perfect cat. The Hermitage is a wonderful place, almost idyllic for cats, with everything cats need except their own "hooman." The volunteers and people who work there really love cats and are quite knowledgeable and helpful. read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Tinkerbell - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Love this place! Absolutely love that the cats aren't stuck in tiny cages. The staff is always friendly and willing to answer questions. This is the way all cat shelters should be. read more

Cats are loved in this shelter, and therefore more than adoptable, they are desirable. The staff is as friendly with cats as they are with visitors. If you want to adopt, you will find well taken care of cats. Good luck with choosing! read more

Zero stars. I thought long and hard about taking responsibility of a cat for months. My husband & I visited the shelter & shared our situation to be vulnerable and upfront about my husband possibly showing allergies to cats. We stayed there for HOURS and once we told Holly S. we fell in love with a kitty, she had already pre-decided BEFORE that my husband and I could not adopt because of his allergies. She let us walk around for HOURSSS and fall in love with a kitty and then after the fact she ended up telling us "no". She ended up making me CRY at the shelter infront of her!!!! Because I was so shook she didn't have the decency of mentioning this to us BEFORE falling in love with a kitty and she showed NO remorse!!!! NOT TO MENTION- Holly initially voiced she is also allergic to cats and takes multiple medications herself for it!! But yet she decided for US we couldn't house a cat but she can!!!! HYPOCRITE AND HEARTLESS!!! We ended up going to the Humane Society and adopting there. And..... my husband has showed zero signs of allergies to our kitty WITHOUT MEDICATION. If you want to adopt GO TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY! Heritage is heartless. read more

Let me list the reasons why I gave this place 1-star. ( I would have given it no stars, if possible.) Inaccurate advertising . Their website has MANY photos and descriptions of cats. The website states that most of these cats are available for adoption; but when I went to visit this "shelter", I was told that the cats that I enquired about were not available for adoption. The woman in charge refused to allow me to adopt. She gave various reasons ;but mainly she seemed to NOT want me to go in, find a nice cat, and adopt the same day. In fact she told me: You can't just come here and see a cat that you like and adopt it. It doesn't work like that. So then the question becomes: exactly which of the 200 cats at the Hermitage are ACTUALLY available for adoption? The unadoptable cats were mixed in with the (supposedly) adoptable ones. How am I supposed to tell who' who?? I asked the lady in charge, and she apparently had no way of knowing due to the sheer number of cats there. She had to scan the microchip in each cat to see what the cat's adoption status was. This whole situation was chaotic. Well, I filled out the online questionnaire several days before coming to the shelter. I even made an appointment with her to get a tour of the shelter and visit the cats. The lady even checked out my background as to my address and to see who owned my home. ( I have owned the same home for many years). I fulfilled all requirements for a potential adoptive cat/kitten parent! Even so, I have never seen an animal shelter so UNWILLING to allow it's cats to be adopted!! They advertise and say most of the cats are available for adoption. But you get there and are told you can't. Also, the Hermitage website indicated that they had kittens available. They had maybe 6. One wasn't adoptable because of still recovering from spaying. One had a horribly deformed rear leg. ( very sad, poor baby. ) One had something wrong with it because all it did was growl. Only two of the kittens seemed healthy, normal and like they were ready for a permanent home. Also, the same UN-adoptable cat's photos and descriptions shown on the Hermitage website are exactly the same ones listed on the Tucson Petfinder website!! Talk about inaccurate advertising!! Why put up photos and descriptions of UNadoptable cats (on 2 different websites) and then SAY that they ARE adoptable? read more

The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter is one of the best shelters in the country. Both of my cats are Hermitage alumni. They take such good care of the cats there. read more

i had never been to the Hermitage cat shelter before, but so happy that i chose them to donate a huge box of cat litter to. i took a tour and saw how much all these felines are taken cared of and given lots of love as well. it's hard to walk out of there without adopting one or more but i have 3 furry kids already (rescued). i recommend this place, whole heartily, if you are looking to rescue a furry kid for yourself. you'll be so glad you did. :) read more

I started the rehoming process through Hermitage in 2019. I ended up placing my cat (who had been terrorizing one of my others for a long time) in a friend's home, where she is now a very happy only kitty. I just wanted to offer a great review to balance out some of these negative ones, which frankly made my head spin. The people I spoke with at this rescue are highly experienced with and knowledgeable about cats, and did everything right. To the one-star reviewers: -A random person should *not* be able to just walk into a rescue and grab a cat and leave in a couple of minutes. The adoption process does not exist for the person's convenience, but for the cat's safety and well-being. So it has to be thorough, and can take some time to complete. -People who have never owned cats, or even pets, before deserve tougher scrutiny than people who have been successful cat/pet owners in the past. Because again, it's all about the cat's well-being. If you actually feel disrespected because Hermitage is careful about choosing the people they place their cats with, you might have issues - ones that should perhaps preclude you from owning pets in the first place. -Re: health issues. These cats were rescued from all kinds of tough situations. They are bound to have/have had some problems due to previous neglect. Also, as with people, health issues are not always evident during an exam. They can also develop in the time since adoption. Cats are living beings, not cars that you can run a diagnostic check on or buy the CarFax for before you drive them off the lot. -If you see a kitten or cat as something you "buy" and not a new friend that you "adopt," that's a huge red flag in my opinion. Tucson is pretty lucky to have this kind of facility. No-kill shelters are not easy to come by, sadly, because too many people can't be bothered to spay or neuter their pets. PS: If I ever feel like leaving a one-star review, I talk to the vendor/organization/person first to see if the problem can be resolved. Especially in the case of a charitable organization, it's the decent thing to do and falls in the "adulting" category. This is not Amazon. Nitpicky and ragey reviews are uncool and uncalled for here. read more

This place is AMAZING. I came here on a friend's recommendation, because I was looking to adopt a kitten into my family. This shelter is a no kill (we LOVE this), so due to this, there's a large population of cats with them needing care... and they absolutely provide that care. These cats are so very loved, and you can tell as soon as you walk in. You can also tell that everybody who works here and supports the experience loves cats too, so they're in the very best of hands. Thank you so much to Holly, who not only helped us process and finalize the paperwork, but also provided us with extra resources for our new kitten, like food and toys! read more

Beware of negative reviews, this is a beautiful facility that loves their animals. You need to see it for yourself and not trust the negative people. They love their cats and take very good care of them, they are not in cages and have very cool spaces to roam (including "catios " (patios)). Lovely people own this place and they nurse sick cats back to health and they simply love what they do and they love the cats. read more

Beautifully run place and the cats are well cared for. They all look beautifully happy they're able to go in and out as they please. I'm very happy with leaving my cats there. read more

While they have their hearts into it, I am not overly impressed with this shelter. I have worked for cat rescues in other places and this place is very unorganized. Several months ago my sister applied to be a volunteer and was invited to an orientation.Said they stood around in the middle of the hallway- no seats, no introductions, nothing. When the session finished- were all told that cleaning is mandatory for 2 sessions and several hours before you can do anything else. She explained to the director giving the orientation that she had allergies with cleaning products and the director offered no alternative. Anyway, all I can say is they lost a very good potential volunteer all because of her health condition which she was totally upfront about. I was also there at the end to pick her up and heard the entire conversation. It was not very kind. It would be nice if you offered potential volunteers several ways to orient to the shelter and not just swabbing floors for those of us with legitimate allergies. read more

Very helpful staff, great large clean facility. My Roomate and I found our amazing cat here. read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I would give these guys a million stars if I could, but that wouldn't even begin to express how easy and exciting they made adopting my second fur baby! The cats here are happy and healthy, socialized, and have so many different areas to hang out! I was on the look for a second cat with the Feline Leukemia virus, to match my first at home, and they had two spacious areas with grown & young cats with FeLV! It is amazing to find a place that gives so much love to cats with this condition. My new sweet boy Gomez chose me from the moment I walked in, and he's made himself at home with us in Las Vegas! read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

I was interested in adopting a companion kitty for my new home so I visited and despite waiting much longer than I should, I stayed and finally spoke with Holly. Several days after filling out their lengthy application just to see their pets in need of adoption, I never heard back. I called back myself and left a voicemail.. even since then, no response.. very unwelcoming experience. read more

The Hermitage Cat Shelter is amazing! a wonderful safe, clean, cage free cat shelter for homeless cats. Cats are separated by needs such as allergies, medical needs, seniors, kittens and general needs. Every group has a catio and it is so clean! I just went there and adopted a cat. I did not see one litterbox that had anything in it and I visited each room and was there for at least 3 hours. The staff is amazing and dedicated. It's truly the best scenario for a cat waiting for a home. read more

Volunteers beware! On my first day they don't give you any direction, you are thrown out into a room full of 100+ cats and no one helps you one bit! No one cares. You could be a cat abuser for all they care. No one watches what you are doing on your first day and no one gives you any guidance whatsoever! The orientation Sasha gave me did little to help. I wasn't the only person lost in a sea of cats. A nice woman came in to adopt a cat and literally NO ONE helped her! I tried to help her and asked the 2 women up front (Sasha & Holly) and they acted like I was "bothering" them when I asked about a few different cats this nice lady wanted to adopt. They started giving me sour looks when I was desperately trying to help this adopter who was wondering why no one there was helping her. The poor woman had no help and was very frustrated and confused. They just let people roam around unsupervised and with no help with adopting cats! What the heck?! Then I was leaving my shift, Sasha barely acknowledged that I was there and NO thank you to her volunteers! I saw a handful of volunteers leave with no thank you at all. I've volunteered at many shelters and animal rescues and have never seen a place that completely takes for granted their volunteers. Several days later I phoned a volunteer mentor to ask for clarity and guidance because I was so confused. She was a bit shocked at the situation and said she'd tell Sasha (the volunteer coordinator). I was told Sasha was going to call me back but 5 days later, NO she did not. Sasha told the other volunteer she tried to call me but NO she did not. My cell phone did not show a call from her! I'll volunteer some place that appreciates volunteers and knows that without them they'd be struggling. NOT Hermitage! read more

The shelter is spacious and maximized for cat comfort! I've rented studios in the past that would have been downgrades by comparison. Staff is friendly, but more importantly care deeply about animals and this became increasingly apparent after the application was approved. My handsome adoptee curiously greets new people and on his first night with full access to the house, he was sleeping next to me when I woke up. My new boy is getting along with and holds his own with my large adult male, so he clearly picked up a thing or two socializing with all the other awesome cats at Hermitage. Adopting enriches your life and lets them take in another fortunate feline. It's truly a special place. If you love cats, even if you aren't in the market for one right now, you owe it to yourself to swing by and see what they're about. read more

Hermitage Cat Shelter - Heart of a Lion - Animal Shelters Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place is incredible and I personally thank everyone who has made it possible. Those cats are so well taken care of and loved. I stopped by to check it out and was not disappointed. It really makes your heart full to be able to give pets and do some sweet talking. read more

See all

This place is horrible!!! They call themselves a shelter but when I called to get re-homing information for a friend's cat they told me to fill out their online form and wait! WAIT!! YES THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID! Then went on to say that they would "review the application" and "if approved" they would get back to my friend for an "appointment to evaluate the cat" WHAT!!! APPOINTMENT, WAIT, EVALUATE!!! THIS WAS NOT A CAR THIS WAS A LIVING THING THAT WAS IN NEED OF AN IMMEDIATE HOME!!! and yes, believe it the hits kept coming....after evaluation they would "make a decision" on whether the cat was "adoptable"!!!!! Terrible Terrible, Terrible, AND SHAME TO "CALL" THEMSELVES A "CARING" SHELTER. Hope my friend found a "good home" for the catPeople don't waste your time with this place!!!They are obviously NOT in business to "HELP" ANIMALS!! read more

I am writing this comment not to impugn this fine organization or impede its purposes, but because I think the public should know that when I faced an emergency involving my cat, they turned a blind eye and a cold heart to helping me. Recently I had a serious incident involving my eye while I was in Denver, on my way back to Arizona with my cat. In order to meet my ophthalmologist in Tucson early on Wednesday morning, I drove 900 miles but was unable to get home to Nogales to drop off my cat before getting to the doctor. I searched frantically for a place to leave my cat while seeking treatment at the doctor's office Then I remembered reading about the Hermitage located three minutes from my doctor's office and I felt sure they would help me out. But they didn't. The folks at the desk were not rude but were unmoved by my predicament. They first claimed they had no space to place a cat carrier for a few hours. They brought the executive director over, also very polite, but similarly obstinate, claiming it was a "liability issue." I pointed out that holding my cat for a few hours was not going to tax the resources of the facility and I offered to waive liability of any kind, which in any event is so remote as to border on the trivial. And, I offered to make a donation. I find it very disheartening that an organization like this, that professes to advance humane treatment of animals, and places articles in the media touting its mission, somehow lost their focus in a web of legalisms and flimsy excuses. Fortunately, explaining the situation to the ophthalmologist, I was allowed to bring my cat in. Upon examination, I was diagnosed with a retinal tear that required immediate surgery. So, dealing with the anxiety of my condition, at least I did not have to worry about my cat consigned to a hot car in the Tucson sun during surgery. If an ophthalmologist's office could find a way to secure a cat for a few hours in an emergency, how is it that an animal shelter could not? I'm writing this, not to undermine the critical and valuable service that Hermitage renders--my cat is a rescue cat too--or to demean the motives that led Hermitage to send us away, but only to argue that in this case, they lost sight of their mission, placed emphasis on the wrong factors, and betrayed their mission In our crazy world there are those who are adept at applying rules to protect themselves and in the process inflict harsh results, and there are others who have the wisdom to see the important values obscured by rules, then find ways to avoid the hardships of applying them rigidly. In this case, the folks at Hermitage demonstrated the limitations of the first category, but mercifully, the people at my opthamologist's office, showed the resourcefulness of the second. Sincerely, Stuart H Brody read more

My wife, son, and I saw this beautiful cat at PetsMart near El Con Mall. I started the adoption process by filling out a 4 page application. The PetsMart employee told me the cat was provided and cared for by Hermitage Cat Shelter, and that the shelter would be calling my references to determine if my application was approved. I called on Tuesday, was told by a very rude woman that someone would call me back. No call back. I called on Wednesday, was told someone would call me back. No call back. I called on Thursday, was told someone would call me back. No call back. Thursday afternoon, same thing, and no call back. I went to their shelter on Friday to ask what can I do to help give this cat a home? Twenty five minutes of having to deal with a very rude woman at the front desk, Emma, and I was finally leaving with the cat. For a business that tries to find homes for cats, they don't seem to want to try too hard to actually let people adopt them. I know that my family will be going to Pima Animal Control for our next pet. The people there are a pleasure to work with and really have a passion for the cause. read more

Awesome people & wonderful care for their cats. I highly recommend adopters try this place first. Love my baby and would definitely adopt from here again read more

Bought a kitten in September 2019, Was told animal was healthy. At no time was I told animal could be a carrier of disease and spread to other animals. Brought the cat home and within several days my 13 pound male cat started acting sick little did I know that he had contracted the calici virus from the kitten. He was so sick not only did we have to give him several different medication's but for two weeks had to give him fluid with a needle every day because he was so dehydrated cost was $500. A couple weeks after that he got an infection in his nail from the virus at this point I'm over $1000 for medical treatment. Two weeks after that I notice he's having trouble eating. Again I take him to the vet another $400 and I'm told he has an infection in his mouth due to exposure to the virus. Only thing to do was have all his bottom teeth removed to eliminate the infection the two weeks leading up to the surgery he could only eat if he was on painkillers otherwise he slept all day The surgery was $1400. The day of the surgery finally came and I was excited that he would finally be feeling better at this point he only weighed 6 pounds. The day the surgery occurred a couple hours later I got a call from the vet that my cat had died under anesthesia. This cat was one of my best friends I had him for 12 years. I learned that this disease is easily spread from secretions from infected animals. Imagine how many affected areas are at that shelter, it is HIGHLY contagious! You should buy a kitten from a location that is isolated and limited to kittens that are not surrounded by dozens of potentially infectious animals! It's an absolute breeding ground for disease! The hate and animosity I have for the hermitage cat shelter knows no bounds. My children are devastated and now resent the cat that we bought from the shelter who is the sweetest thing ever and of course isn't to blame. Maybe they should have someone come to my house and explain that to my children. If you decide to buy a kitten buy one out of a box on your own, all the fancy procedures and nonsense they tell you there about buying a healthy kitten is just a scam. There's nothing medically sound about the animals they are selling you! We miss our friend! RIP Oliver read more

love them. they do their best for strays and kittens. their prices are high for a reason, they truly care about all of their kitties. read more

See all

In order for me to turn a darling cat over for adoption, I was told it would cost me $300.00 for 6 months!!! With all the donations +. I explained that I'm low income, just shy of 70 years old and that this 8 yr old cat isn't mine, but the owner was now in assist. living. I can't have another cat where I live. Well they dropped the price down to $150.00. This place doesn't care about the animal. They just want $$$$! read more

This place opened up very recently in the Speedway/Swan shopping center next to Sprouts. There is a "Chances Chic Boutique" inside with greeting cards and jewelry and cat-dog related items (as this is for Hermitage). There's some books and clothes. It's new, so there isn't a great quantity of things, but as this shopping center is walking distance to me, I'll be going back a lot on the hunt for things and giving away some of my own stuff to them, so I'll keep reviewing it as I go. I understand their hours are as following as of February, 2014: Regular store hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. read more

One of my favorite places in Tucson. I used to volunteer here and adopted one of the shy cats several years ago. They are constantly updating the facilities to make it a wonderful home for all the animals. I can't speak more highly of them. I love the work that they do for the community. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I went here in hopes to become cat parents. We are now cat parents to two wonderful cats but we didn't adopt from here. We are young adults and felt that the moment we walked in the door and saw how young we are they just didn't want to listen to us and became very rude. An older couple walked in shortly after us and they had different attitudes towards them immediately. I understand the shelter is no kill but everyone should be treated with respect. read more

Not the best animal shelter. The first thing you'll notice is the smell of litter and waste. Unfortunately, the staff (Holly) didn't seem too concerned. It was very disappointing.. the animals here need better care. read more

I have adopted 3 cats here. A brother and sister about 7 yrs ago and a new baby about 6 mos ago. I love this place! A great place to go to just hang out with the cats and kittens. read more

Hermitage completely renovated their building in fall of 2017 and it's fabulous! They do require a rather hefty intake fee for adult cats - but when you consider that they keep the cats for life - if not adopted - then it's understandable. They also accept FIV cats - but almost always have a wait list for them. read more