Bad experience with a volunteer, contradicting the adoptable status of a specific cat, sermonizing how fast ALL cats need to go out the door, but firmly insisting ... TO ME ... I RECONNECT down the road later due to her misunderstanding my wording? Misunderstanding my emails, albeit I was very articulate in explaining my over 30 years of experience in owning cats throughout my life time. **I WANTED A SPECIFIC CAT **NOW** AND I WANTED TO ***PAY FOR IT NOW*** ... BUT THIS PERSON told me ONLY e transfers are accepted as a method of payment??? NO CREDIT CARDS, NO DEBIT CARDS, NO CASH OR CHEQUES.... ONLY E TRANSFERS????? No wonder Toronto Cat Rescue CLAIMS they have hundreds, and they sermonize how essential it is to expedite their cats' forever homes .... I SUGGEST TO LOOSEN UP THE VARIETY OF METHODS TO ACCEPT FEES FROM ADOPTERS TO GET THAT FLOW MOVING FOR CATS TO GET THEIR PERMANENT HOME!!! YA THINK???? read more

It goes to show what kind of people are having a difficult time with this organisation. My fiance and I walked in to a petsmart one day, saw our beautiful baby Kira, left a call and applied immediately. The next day we picked her up. No issues, hardly any screening and no problems with the answers we provided. Medical issues with cats can present at any time and can often be invisible for weeks if not months. To put that on a rescue who is in a constant financial deficit is not fair at all. If you cannot financially provide for an animal, especially a kitten, DO NOT get one. The lady we spoke to on the phone during our adoption application was on the verge of tears with how happy she was, calling yourself 'ideal adopters' quickly shows exactly why the rescue had issues with you. Our Kira came to us FIV+ and likely needing medical support. We did not complain nor even think about contacting the rescue, we knew what we were signing up for adopting a cat, if you are unwilling to take that risk then buy a cat from a breeder who can provide health documents from the parents. read more

A Valuable Experience with Lessons to be Learned! Mistakes happen, and it's understandable that cats and other animals can sometimes get sick. However, as a trusted animal shelter, it's crucial for Toronto Cat Rescue to prioritize the well-being of the animals and to ensure that their foster homes are adequately prepared. Animals released for adoption should be healthy, or if they have any medical conditions, this information--along with any necessary initial treatments--should be clearly provided by the shelter. It is neither safe nor ethical for a sick kitten, especially one infested with worms, to be sent home with potential adopters without proper warnings or care instructions. We had quite a challenging emotional and mental experience with Toronto Cat Rescue. Last Friday evening, just a few hours after we brought home our newly adopted kitten, (J), things took a turn for the worse. Despite her warming up to us quickly, sitting on our laps and seeking affection, she began to show clear signs of illness. She refused to drink, eat, or even touch treats. She was visibly nauseous, had no bowel movements, and no urination. Throughout the night, we watched her grow weaker and weaker as she slept constantly, unable to engage with us or her toys. The following day, she vomited and had a single bowel movement, which was messy, liquid, and contained three visible worms. As someone who works in a laboratory with mice and has been a member of an animal ethics committee, I am well-versed in reading animals' body language and behavior. It was evident to me that something was seriously wrong. The following morning, we sought help immediately. After several phone calls to emergency clinics, we were fortunate to meet a very kind and compassionate veterinarian, Dr. Mary Shears. She confirmed our fears: J should never have been released for adoption in her condition. Dr. Shears treated her with hydration therapy and then coordinated with Toronto Cat Rescue to arrange for J to be transferred to a hospital for further care. The experience was extremely difficult. The long drive to the hospital, combined with J's worsening condition and stress from being in the car, was heartbreaking. My husband and I were both in tears, struggling with the overwhelming sadness of watching this little kitten suffer. Once at the emergency hospital, we were told to wait five hours for J to be seen, which was understandable given the clinic's workload. We handed her over to her foster family, who had also been caring for her mother. Late that night, we received a call from the hospital to bring her back in, but since she was no longer with us, we informed the hospital to reach out to Toronto Cat Rescue. Since that day, we've been hoping that J is receiving the care she desperately needs and that she is on the road to recovery. We miss her voice and presence in our home. However, after such a tough experience, we're unsure if we're ready to adopt another animal just yet. This review is not meant to place blame, but to highlight the importance of being thorough and careful in the adoption process. For animal shelters and potential fosters, please be more attentive and compassionate regarding the health and well-being of the animals in your care. Each animal deserves the best chance at a healthy, loving start in their new home. Thorough health assessments and transparent communication are vital to ensuring that both the animals and their new families have a positive experience. Let this be a reminder to improve these practices for the sake of all animals and adopters involved. read more

Just over a month ago, I adopted a 9 year old cat, Snowball. Everything was great at first. We picked her up from Toronto where her foster family was and brought her home. A couple days later, I noticed some bugs crawling around her. Well, they were fleas. Yup, fleas. Then I noticed something in her ears. MITES! Freaking mites! I asked the couple who fostered her (who we picked up from) and she said "oh yeah I'm so sorry I just found flea debris in my apartment, hopefully our other foster cat doesn't get them." I adopted this cat who had fleas and mites, and nobody had a clue. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get rid of fleas? It takes MONTHS, its expensive and time consuming. So thanks, Toronto Cat Rescue! Maybe you should be a little bit more invested in the status of a pets health before you send them off to a new home, as well as the foster families you are allowing these pets to enter. Also, they will not answer the phone or return your calls. I called to complain about this and let them know the name of the foster family who sent us home with all these parasites (to prevent others from encountering the same problem) and they never called me back. What a joke... STAY AWAY!! read more

My daughter adopted a cat from them and was accused of animal cruelty after her cat "kuro" developed severe allergy. Kuro was seen by a vet for 2 years and even referred to dermatology and ear clinic. Spent so much money for Laboratory and medicines that were precribed. Nalini, who works there, accused my daughter of animal cruelty! why is that??? Nalini should be investigating first before accusing people who wanted to help the cats. I read so many negative reviews about her. TCR should look and investigate !!!! read more

I rescued my cat through TCR in 2019, and volunteered as a foster for a few months in 2020. In all of my experiences, TCR staff were extremely friendly, professional and responsive. They organized timely vet appointments for my fosters, showing their care for the cats' health. All of the other volunteers and adopters I met seemed well screened by the organization. I would have kept fostering except that my family cat is not friendly with other cats. read more

We adopted a cat from this rescue. They were upfront about the cat and the process was smooth. We love our new girl.

We have adopted two times with Toronto Cat Rescue. Once with Petsmart Cambridge, about 2 years ago.  The male cat's name was Cratchit.  He was a black and white cat, just over a year, and guaranteed as healthy by TCR's Volunteer adoption representative. Two trips to a TCR designated vet over an hour and a half from home, to be told that it was missed that Cratchit was diagnosed with pre-adoption "drop tail" a neuro-bladder dysfunction, congenital at birth. I contacted the TCR office three times, via email, and twice by telephone, leaving a message each time.  I wanted to get another cat, at no charge, as Cratchit couldn't come home with me again.  I was told by the TCR assigned DVM that he would have to be a "clinic cat". Cratchit would need a permanent catheter and be treated twice a day to empty his bladder, as he couldn't urinate on his own, due to his birth defect. I received one email response from a legal jargon typing representative from TCR. She relayed that TCR isn't liable, and I will have to pay for another adoption. No compassion for our loss, and certainly no accountability, or explanation of TCR's process. I spoke to our lawyer, as I was so upset about the lack of accountability. I was advised to drop it, as TCR knows they are a not-for-profit, and the case would be dismissed, or never reach court. Just this past August 8, 2021, we adopted Ada, we re-named her Daisy, from the Petsmart in Kitchener, Waterloo on Fairview.  She was a 15 week (4 month) old kitten.  Orange, Black, and white, so beautiful. After five days of a serious viral illness, ordered isolation away from our current cat and dog, by our Vet, and four trips to our Vets at Chicopee Hills Animal Hospital, we sadly had to euthanize her on the eve of August 13, 2021 at 5:30pm. Daisy had congenital pre-adoption Feline Panleukopenia (FPL), as diagnosed off a full blood work-up I ordered due to her not eating for two days and not drinking.  Also, Daisy had vomited all the syringe fed food and water I fed her at our Vets suggestion. From the bloodwork, Daisy's white blood cell count (WBC) was 0.01. Normal range in SICK kittens and cats is 9.0 - 24. Our Vet knew that Daisy was quickly dying, fast from an incubating virus that Daisy picked-up pre-adoption (as viruses can take up to two weeks before symptoms show). Fact: The TCR assigned DVM knowingly gave Daisy the FPL vaccine too late, and with the empirical and experiential knowledge that vaccines don't always work. Daisy was already exposed to contagious aerosol viruses, being transferred from street/home to facility, to foster care, to facility etc. My families and my grief, frustration, and sadness aren't about the money we spent (for your knowledge, it was over $1,000.00 CDN for Daisy's care).  So be prepared, this could happen. This negative review is about our disappointment in the ignored ethical obligation TCR has to train their volunteers to verbally educate the adopting parent, in regards to potential illness, and possible imminent death. I'm deeply concerned that there is no provided literature, or verbal discussion had by, or with TCR volunteers that are communicated clearly, and concisely, or given to adopters pre-payment to read, so an informed decision can be made. Basically TCR adopts out kittens and cats with no pamphlets that are bold and clear for the naïve adopters to properly be educated and absorb that the kitten or cat could be seriously ill. Additionally, vaccines given may be too late, or not have an effect on kittens or grown cats at all, leaving them susceptible. In all situations...these are facts that sad and grieving adoptive parents find out AFTER adoption and payment, by then, it's too late, and no action can be taken...apparently. Cratchit and Daisy, even though they only lived for days after we loved them, are photographed and framed on our fireplace mantle with our other passed senior cats Cyrus (20 years) & Fergie (18 years), who we had to let go, just a week prior to adopting Daisy. We really miss Cratchit & Daisy, and adopted them because we love them. It's the play on love by TCR, I think, that gets them in so many people's poor reflection. read more

TCR is a no-kill network of volunteers working to find forever homes for homeless Toronto cats. They now rescue almost exclusively from Toronto Animal Services shelters, which would otherwise have to euthanize some of these cats due to lack of resources to treat older, sick, or cats needing special care. That means you know when you adopt from TCR, you've saved two lives. The life of the cat you adopt and the one they will rescue from TAS in your cat's place! TCR is also contributing to a coordinated effort by the Toronto Feral Cat Coalition to implement a city-wide humane Trap/Neuter/Return(TNR) program on feral colonies around the city, though they are one of the less involved partners in this program. What's a feral cat, you say? It's a cat that has either been abandoned young or born outdoors and is wild and fearful of humans. They lead short and sad lives, if uncared for. There are an estimated 100,000 - 300,000 feral, homeless and community cats in the GTA. http://www.torontoferalcatcoalition.com It's a huge population and they are left in this situation by no fault of their own. Abandoned, lost, unsterilized, allowed to roam and breed freely out of lack of education and in many cases, just negligence. TCR also has a long list of cats waiting for their forever home in foster care or at a local pet store affiliate like Pet Valu, Pet Uno and PetSmart. http://www.torontocatrescue.ca/store/tcr_album.asp?idCategory=19 The simplest thing you can do for animals in your community is just remember the wisdom of Bob Barker: "Help Control the Pet Population. Have Your Pet Spayed & Neutered." And adopt, don't shop! read more

I was frustrated like anyone else ... I wanted to fill a void after one of my cats passed away ... Team cat rescue took the time to match and interview me ..... It is a huge responsibility to take on, not everyone realizes and rushes in.... they make sure the match is right..... any adopted animal may have health issues, they are rescued which is the most valued point .... I donate to them every year and they fully support me with any questions .... I was privileged to adopt these 2 .... thank you Team Cat Rescue read more

Toronto Cat Rescue - Charlee and Dakota - Animal Shelters Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Please be wary of adopting a kitten or cat through this organization. They do not provide any support, the volunteer we dealt initially offered no information and we were given a sick kitten. I contacted the agency after the adoption and again, they offered no support. I'm very disappointed in this organization and more disappointed with the vet(s) who pass sick kittens off as healthy. Please be careful when adopting from this agency. read more

I have been with TCR as a foster to kittens and as a volunteer driver. First, the person who posted saying they were put to make money is wrong. They lose money on every cat that comes through there. Between feeding and driving and neutering and vaccines, cats cost money. And the $100-175 they charge not only helps pay for that, it discourages people who are not truly committed and who don't have the money to support a cat. Sorry but if someone surrenders a cat because they can't take care of them, they likely still don't have $ to take care of them. It's not a free vet clinic. I have usually found them to be very organized and they are quite careful about who fosters or adopts. I had to pass multiple screenings. When I had kittens that needed to be bottle fed and then needed fluids injected the foster coordinator came over to help me. And when I could no longer foster because my own cat got ill they found someone else and were very understanding. Btw as a charity they are pretty transparent about the donations and where the money goes. When my old girl goes I'm going to foster and adopt from them. They take cats from "kill shelters" in other provinces so there's continuous intake and they truly believe in intervention and no kill if it's humane. read more

They don't respond to inquiries, despite saying on their voicemail that they reply within 24 hours. Don't state that and then ignore people who are trying to adopt a pet. I called and left an email. So rude. read more

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. And I'm not affiliated with them in any way, though I wish I was! I've worked with several cat rescue programs in the past and now share a home with three cats, all rescues. The most recent addition to our home was from Toronto Cat Rescue, and oh boy do I have a lot to say about that. Toronto Cat Rescue is the only rescue I've worked with that is actively involved in reducing the massive amount of unwanted pets by scouting local feral cats, humanely trapping them, spaying or neutering them, and then releasing them back outside. To be fair, the only other rescue organization I've worked with has been in a small town, but still I was pretty shocked to hear about TCR's program. And not only that but they have a wonderful rescue program for their cats. Most of these cats spend time in foster homes with other animals and humans, getting consistent contact and attention until TCR can find them a home using their website. Our most recent kitten was rescued by a TCR volunteer, who rushed him to an emergency vet after he was kicked into a wall by an angry drunk. (I know, it's awful.) He stayed under observation for several days and when he surprisingly made a full recovery, TCR took him into their program. When we first saw him, he was with a batch of recently rescued kittens and they'd all been up on the website for at least a month with no luck so they'd started displaying them in local pet food stores. He was sneezing a lot and they agreed to pay for our first vet visit in case he had an upper respiratory infection. (He did.) Not only did they pay for our visit, but they paid for his medication, a SECOND visit and a second batch of medication. We were positive we had to pay for the second visit when he hadn't kicked it yet, but it wasn't even a question. It was taken care of. I'm just beside myself with how wonderful TCR has been to us and our new family member. I cannot recommend this organization enough. I will probably be volunteering in the fall. read more

This organization paid more attention to what my references thought I would do than what I said I would do. My first reference confused me with another friend with a similar name who was also adopting from a rescue. They never called either me or my reference back to get the truth. My second reference said they THOUGHT I would let the cat out on my balcony with netting and a harness. TCR said my reference said I WOULD be letting the cat on the balcony. I was sitting beside my reference when they called and I heard it all. TCR volunteer didn't get her facts straight and the truth was never told. TCR also got upset because I had applied for a cat from another rescue. I never knew it was illegal!!! They never told me I wasn't allowed to apply. I had nothing to hide. All I wanted was to offer a great home to a rescue cat. If they had taken the time, or had the interest in contacting me again, they would have found out the truth and everything would have been great. read more

This review might be slightly biased, because I got my wonderful kitten Sawyer from them, but I really did have a great experience! I actually came across TCR through Yelp, and decided to check out their website. I really appreciate how often it is updated, and always with pictures and short blurbs about their cats. It makes the pre-selection process so much easier to always have access to pictures! I contact TCR originally about another cat, and got a call within a few hours letting me know he had been adopted. Then I found Sawyer and decided he was the one! I went through the interview process, which I found very thorough - it's good to know they are serious about adopting cats only to people who can care for them. I promised to keep him indoors, vaccinated, and NEVER declaw, and then went to the next step, contacting foster parents! It may have been luck that Sawyer was placed with such amazing foster parents, but they were flexible with my schedule, super friendly and also concerned about Sawyer's well being. They checked out my cat carrier before taking him, and even followed up with me the next day! While $175 may be more than other shelters, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend TCR. I do wish that fee included microchipping, but I can easily do that on my own! If you want a healthy, happy, well cared for, socialized cat, TCR is the place for you! read more

An organization like this is only as good as its volunteers, and as an occasional foster parent for TCR, I admit that I'm a bit biased. Still, everyone I've worked with as part of TCR--fellow fosters, colony caretakers, administrative staff, the vets and adoptathon volunteers--have all been amazing, compassionate, driven people who care deeply and sincerely about animal rescue. If you're considering adopting a cat, TCR is a great way to do it. I know that it can be inconvenient, visiting with the cats you're considering at different foster homes, but cats behave so differently in a home compared to a shelter, and you can really get a sense for how your new family member will behave in your home when you visit the cat in a foster home. read more

LACKS INTEGRITY AND POORLY MANAGED --------------------------------------------------------------------- We agreed to adopt two kittens from the rescue. Left voicemail and email and they did not return our messages. FInally got through and passed pre-screening the next day to adopt the cats and arranged a time to pick them up the following day. 4 hours before we got voice and email messages saying the cats had already been adopted and not to bother coming! In my opinion, they just want the money and will give the cat to the first person whether or not they have made agreements with you or no. Go to Toronto Animal Services instead. Their adoption fee $99 instead of TCR's $175 and at Toronto Animal Services the cats are also chipped. Very disappointed. read more

TCR is a fantastic system that allows for pets to live in a more comfortable, livable environment than a shelter. Instead of waiting in a cage for adoption, animals live with foster families, which not only provides for better living conditions but helps them socialize with humans and sometimes other animals. I found my 2nd kitteh Mikey (Mr. Manager) on the TCR website, after seeing his rapscallion kitten face. Once you go through the application process (easy - just as long as you're not in it for the wrong reasons or partially insane), someone will call you and set up an appointment. Once you visit your potential pet (at the foster parent's home) and choose to adopt, you fill out some paper work, pay $150.00 and ride off into the sunset with your new companion! The fee covers neutering/spaying, too (you just have to take them to a vet). Definitely better than going to a pet store!! read more

I lost both my senior cats within two years of each other and missed them so much. I had both for over 15 years. I was not going to get another cat but after I saw Morgan on Team Cat Rescue's website I fell in love. I applied to adopt him and was throughly vetted, which I found to be very responsible on they're part. I am happy to say that after adopting Morgan, I applied and adopted another cat from them. They give you alot of support and are there for you and the cat which I find amazing! Thanks Team Cat Rescue for the lives you save and the support you offer! read more

We adopted one of our rescue cats from TCR and it was a wonderful experience. Team Cat rescues cats many would leave behind, and provides them with medical treatment and safe and loving foster homes until they are ready for their forever homes. The Team Cat adoption screening is very thorough which I appreciate: not everyone should be a pet owner. Thank you Team Cat for all that you do! read more

I would have given them -0- star if I could. They're highly disorganized. They are basically a mess! Don't waste your time and energy with them. There are other organizations in Toronto that can perfectly direct your time, energy, and your passions for cats to benefit the cats in need in an efficient and professional way. Don't let this rubbish organization to waste your potential, and probably exhaust and disappoint you at the end. They are very unprofessional and disrespectful of their volunteers. After more than 6 months of wasting my time with them, I quit volunteering for them and joined another organization to help cats in need. read more

I think any volunteer-run organization deserves credit for that alone. However, I had a really bad experience here via a volunteer who was incredibly aggressive. Communication was IMO unclear and they got very mad at me over it. I think their volunteers could benefit from some client-communication skills and a some human kindness. We moved over to one of the other excellent cat rescue orgs in the GTA and had an incredible experience. read more

Before quitting, I volunteered for this organization for about 2 years as a foster parent. Quite some cats were successfully adopted through my fostering. It ended because one of the organizers were being abusive. On top of that, the organization did not offer concrete help or solid back up and was being general untrustworthy during the aftermath. Roughly two years ago, during an Adopathon, I sent the foster cat to a Pet store for adoption, as instructed by the organizer. (Kyra I believe). Then when I arrived at the pet store, the cat was really frightened and started started foaming at his mouth. I have never seen a cat acting that way and was not sure what to do at all. So I consulted the Toronto Cat Rescue ladies on site, who seemed to be in charge of that store's event and has more experiences, they suggested me to send the cat to a different pet store that has bigger rooms and more quiet so the cat is less stressed. So I drove all the way across the city to send the cat to a different site. Upon arrival, a woman named Nalini, whom apparently is the one in charge of the entire Adopathon. whom i have NEVER met in person before at the time, started yelling at me in really nasty terms in front of all the volunteers, kids and parents at the store. She told me she never liked me because I email her all the time, she was calling me a horrible foster parent, I am putting the cat in danger, I shouldn't have brought the cat to adopathons etc. etc. She was also talking to me like I was her subordinate, ordering me to leave the store, which I refused and told her it is my right to be there and she cannot talk to me like that no matter whatever she is trying to say. This went on for 15 minutes at least. I was really shocked, confused and not sure what happened as I was told this drop off was arranged by the organization, so I called the lady who arranged the pick up. She ended up pulled back and said it was only an suggestion not an arrangement. (YA WTF). The whole episode went on for 15 minutes at least, no one in the organization stood up for me at the store, a 10 year old girl who witnessed the whole thing tried to comfort me saying "Don't be upset, you didn't do anything wrong." (THANK YOU). My mom who does not speak English was horrified and kept asking me what is happening. I reported the incident to the organization and demanded an in person apology from Nalini Otherwise I would leave. The organization apologized through email firmly, saying the behavior was not acceptable, however in the email they subtly blamed me. There were also no mention of arranging in-person apology either. Eventually, one to two weeks later, Nalini sent an email said she is sorry, without any mention of apologizing in person. Hence I left the organization as my request was not fulfilled. (being humiliated in front of crowd of strangers for 15 min? That definitely warrant an in-person apology!) The thing is, volunteers are not all vet-level cat experts. I have had my own cats growing up so I am already relatively more experienced with cats than some other volunteers. Even that, I am not very equipped in dealing with extreme situations that happen from time to time with cats that have had traumatic experiences. Situations like that, we rely on the organization to guide us on what to do. The organization failed on that miserably that day. After decided to quit, I asked them to remove the 2 cats from my property, however they claimed they did not have any spare foster homes and asked me if I can keep the cats until they find one for them. I agreed. That ended up to be almost half a year. Eventually I told them I am moving and the cat need to go right away, they literally find another home THE NEXT DAY. Basically yes they do save a lot of cats and they do some extraordinary work, however this is an organization who has no honor and has flexible moral standards. They are also not trust worthy when shit hits the fan. They treat their volunteers as their property or subordinates. As a volunteer, expect ego trips from some of the organizers and do not expect they will back you up or stand up for you in situations like this, simply because they need the person to do the work, even when that person is being abusive. To make you feel bad, they may even blame things on you. Why I post it now? I am now looking for a reliable organization to volunteer with and upon searching found out there are review pages for Toronto Cat Rescue, figured my experience would help other volunteers looking for volunteering opportunities. read more

The volunteers are polite , but aren't very helpful. We are really ideal adopting parents , never had any problems with other agencies in the past, but they found fault with our applications despite being financially stable, childless couple, owning our own house, being professionals who work mostly from home, and having lots of time to care and manage any issues. We completely understood maybe not getting what we wanted, and we respect their right to say no. However, their gatekeepers are overboard to the point where we felt as if they didn't want to adopt at all. They presented no alternatives to cats that would be suited to us, and just gave very contrite responses to our emails. We have adopted through our vet, through the Humane Society, and through Toronto Animal Services in the past....never had a problem. Their response to us was very disheartening, disinterested, and not constructive at all. We wanted to open our hearts to some more cats, but will just look elsewhere. We were simply surprised by the response we got, I would not recommend to anyone else looking, there are agencies that are more helpful as we learned. read more

I have volunteered as cat foster at TCR. I've been given cats to care for who have brought fleas into my home (which I had to solve). They would have gone on to be adopted. Enforced policies are lax only when it suits them. Poor communication from coordinators. I've been left hanging with cats for weeks without response. Received cats in need of "recovery" without indication of what their issues were. read more

You notice that all the negative reviews are from imbeciles who are incapable of logical thought and cannot write a sentence that is grammatically coherent. This is a wonderful group of people who are actually able to be let out without supervision. John M read more

I have experienced Toronto Cat Rescue as both a foster parent and adopter and can say without hesitation that this is a truly exceptional organization. For starters, the communication at every stage of my involvement was both prompt and professional. Every person I interacted with, from the foster parent coordinator to the volunteer driver who took my kittens to and from their hystero-oophorectomy operation, were friendly, helpful and so completely passionate about feline rescue that it was impossible not to be inspired. As I first time foster parent, I was nervous and had several questions along the way. TCR provided tremendous support and were always quick to reply to any incident. When the kittens had an upset stomach, I had someone from TCR on the phone within minutes. Inevitably, I wound up falling in love with my two foster kittens and adopting them. They are now permanent members of the family and fill my home with a continual supply of mischief, humour and joy. I am so thankful for TCR, not only for the tremendous rescue work they do throughout the GTA but for bringing these beautiful little souls into my life. I would not hesitate to recommend TCR for anyone looking to adopt, foster or volunteer for their various feline rescue efforts. This organization is absolute cream of the crop. read more

My complaint with the TCR is not with the level of service and dedication that the staff give to their rescue animals - I have had good experiences with the TCR over the years and adopted my wonderfully loved and spoiled cat Neo from the TCR 7 years ago. There are often sadly one or two apples in a bunch of good ones which can spoil such a high opinion. Today I was treated in a highly unaccetable manner by one of the TCR volunteers at a Brampton PetSmart store. While lining up to pay for items that my 1.5yr old Bernese Mountain Dog Jasper had selected (after spending 20 minutes in total dog-happiness about being in such an amazing place), I was called out publicly by TRACY of the Toronto Cat Rescue volunteers for allowing my dog to stand by a cage of two cats who had been placed right at the cashout desk. Both cats were obviously distressed by being put in the centre of all the action like consumer items on display - anyone who knows about cats, knows that they would not be happy in such a situation. The presence of my 110lb dog obviously elevated their distress so I pulled him back as close to me as I could, but he was naturally interested in these cute little creatures and so he kept looking at them intently. This is when I was called "INCONSIDERATE" by TRACY of the TCR for allowing my dog to stand within a foot of the cat cage. Humiliated and embarrassed in front of several other PetSmart customers at the cash, I was appalled and told Tracy that I was holding him back as far as possible while still keeping my place in line to pay. To which she insulted me further. PetSmart is a store where pet owners may bring their dogs to assist in their socialization. It is NOT a pet rescue and TCR should consider educating their staff thoroughly that paying customers at PetSmart are not to be harassed if TCR want to continue to use PetSmart as one of their rescue mediums. Having spoken with the PetSmart manager immediately, I was assured that the cat cage would be moved from such a high traffic location. I called TCR when I returned home to file an official complaint however received a trail of answering machine messages. Unfortunately the experience has tainted my thoughts of both PetSmart and the TCR - Who drives 20 minutes to a store expecting an enjoyable time out with her dog to end being verbally abused in front of a group of customers? I will certainly think twice before I go to PetSmart again. My advice for all employees in a public consumer venue is to think before you shoot your mouth off, you might regret it. read more

I'm extremely frustrated. We were very excited to bring our rescue cat home with our family however the problems began as soon as he got home. This cat turned out to be very high needs. it turned out he was very sick with a tummy bug and eye infection. We spent over 300 dollars trying to get him treatment. After the treatment his explosive diarrhea has changed slightly to mushy cow pies that he tracks all over the home including into where my toddler plays. Tcr and petsmart MUST have known this cat was sick. His explosive diarrhea must have been happening for a while because when we first brought him to our vet he had lost a pound despite being very hungry. I'm really upset because I've fallen in love with this cat but we simply cannot keep him in our house as we do not have the funds for his needs. I think that if tcr is placing a sick or high needs cat up for adoption they NEED to tell the family that this is the case. We would not have taken him on if someone had mentioned his severe stomach problems, as with a one year old and another high needs cat, I am not able to handle this emotionally or financially and it is the cat who loses out. We reached out To tcr to explain the issues we were having and they were zero help, basically saying "thanks for your input" No. You guys have a responsibility here. Don't sell someone a very sick high needs cat under the guise that the cat is healthy. That is just unfair to everyone involved. We are extremely dissatisfied and will be telling everyone we know to avoid tcr at all costs and go with a more honest rescue company. read more

I would not recommend fostering with this organization. They are extremely ungrateful and all they seem to care about is pushing the cats through the foster homes as fast as possible to the cats' detriment so they can get as many donation fees as quickly as possible. I fostered with them until now and I experienced several negative issues with them. They are certainly not in need of foster homes as much as they say they do, because if they did, it would make no sense for them to refuse the cats I wanted to foster. First of all, for no good reason, they persistently refused to let me foster the cats I wanted to foster. I requested a specific cat and I was told she was taken and offered a different one. But when I arrived to pick up my foster cat, the one I wanted was still there and the woman who was there to pick him up said that the foster coordinator suggested the cat to her (probably after I said I wanted it) but she was not partial to it and offered to let me foster him, and offered to switch with me. Without offering an explanation, the foster coordinator (who wasn't even there) refused to let us switch. I took the cat home, and I actually bonded with her really well. She was pregnant and she eventually miscarried six kittens early in the morning at 5 am. I took care of her throughout the morning and brought her to the vet first thing so she could be looked after. Barely a week after this whole ordeal, when she was still healing from her surgery (she got spayed after she miscarried), I got an email from a foster coordinator insisting that she be driven at 9 am to an adopt-a-thon at a store and that if she didn't get adopted that day, she would stay in a cage in the store. I didn't end up doing that, because not only was it super early on a weekend morning and on the other side of the city, it was my understanding the whole point of the fostering experience was for the cats to receive care and love in a home environment before being adopted into their forever homes, not to languish in some tiny store cage for however long until someone adopts them. Because I refused to do this, the organization seems to have a vendetta against me, and refused from that point on to let me foster anymore pregnant cats, saying that I didn't seem "keen" on driving the cats around and that pregnant cats needed to be driven to the vet on short notice - notwithstanding the fact that that is exactly what I did when my cat miscarried, and that they even thanked me profusely for doing so when it was needed. I even drove all the way to the outskirts of the city to pick up my first foster cat, and they are accusing me of not driving enough? What if I didn't have a car?! I can only surmise that the reason they are so dead set on pushing the cats to the stores as quick as possible is because they care about money more than anything else. Most foster cat parents do this because they love cats and they love spending time with them. There is nothing to gain from the foster experience if we are just to be treated like assembly line facilities to run the cats through before placing them in cages in stores. That is no better than just leaving them at a shelter. Not surprisingly, after I submitted a persuasive, well-written bio and took amazing, professional quality photos and videos of my foster cat, she was adopted within a day of them uploading the bio (it also took them almost a week to get the bio online after I submitted it - and yet they were complaining to me that because I hadn't driven the cat to the adopt-a-thon, she wasn't getting adopted fast enough?) I have noticed very holier-than-thou attitudes from the staff at this organization when it comes to pet care and pet philosophy. For example, when I asked them why a cat who was given up because the owner could not afford the surgery was getting the surgery for free, but was not allowed to be returned to the owner, the foster coordinator very rudely suggested that anyone who can't afford vet fees does not 'deserve' to have a pet, even if that person may have loved the cat and tried everything in their power to get the fees to pay for the bills. I think it is because I happened to have voiced this opinion in the discussion I had with the organization via email from the beginning of my fostering experience that made them biased against me despite everything I did to care for the cats that came into my home. To me, it seems like these people don't really care at all about these cats. All they care about are their own opinions and having their way, even if they are arbitrary and completely irrelevant to the wellbeing of the cats. There are plenty of other organizations to foster with in this city, and a lot of them will give you food and litter for free - which this organization does not. I would recommend going to one of those instead. EDIT: See their Facebook page for another bad experience with them. read more

I love to concept of foster homes for the cats and the screening process at TCR. I was interested in adopting a cat, specifically contacted TCR because of their setup, went through the interview, and was given the contact information (phone number) of the foster parent. I phoned twice and left voice mail but the person never returned my calls. After 4 days of waiting, I contacted TCR again to get an update on the cat (in case he had been adopted), was told that the cat was still available and that the foster parents had left for the weekend (I phoned Thurs & Fri) and that they should return my call if I had left a message. The parent never returned my call and when I went to the TCR website, the cat I was interested in was no longer on their adoption list. My experience with the TCR staff was overall very good but because of my experience with the foster parent (or lack thereof), I give TCR 3 stars. read more

My wife and I wanted to adopt a cat. We selected the one we wanted and emailed them using the form on their website. It took a few days for them to respond. After finally getting in touch with them by phone, the lady we spoke with was extremely judgmental and rude for no reason. I was extremely kind in return as I believe kindness overcomes all in the end, but it was to no avail. They denied our request to adopt for no good reason. I thought I was the only one who this happened to, but based on other reviews it seems this is quite common. Avoid this organization for your own good! read more

I picked the TCR to rescue 4 kittens that were born in my backyard. I chose to surrender the kittens to the TCR as opposed to selling them through Kijiji as I wanted them to get the best care and forever home they could receive. I looked at the reviews and decided to surrender the kittens after 2 months of taking care of them (the mother cat was still feeding at the time). Much to my surprise, the TCR would not keep us updated on the kittens progress. When I surrendered the kittens I happened to meet the foster home parents that they were going to. They seemed ok with taking my cell phone number to keep me posted. I didn't hear from them so asked the volunteer that was helping me, Jackie, to ask the foster coordinator, Nalini, if she could see if the foster home would possibly send some pics and update us as my children were very upset surrendering them and wanted to know how they were doing. After all, the foster parent had told me that he would be willing to keep me updated as he enjoys it when the forever home parents do the same for him. I figured that maybe he just got busy and forgot to update me...so I was hoping that the foster coordinator would just inquire if he would mind updating us. They wouldn't even ask him...no common courtesy for 4 children who cared for the kittens for 2 months!!! I don't think my request was unreasonable...I wasn't asking for any personal information...and he already had mine. My problem is that they didn't even try to enquire on behalf of my children and threw legal obligation terms in my face!! Unfortunately, although they may do a good job for the kittens, they make the people surrendering them feel as though what we did didn't matter and have no regard for our emotions. Therefore, I will not use their services again. I understand that there is no obligation on the foster parents to update us...but I don't think there is anything wrong with inquiring if they would mind updating us especially when the foster home parent told me directly that he wouldn't mind. read more

They put cats up for adoption but when you call them or e-mal them - no one answers. I e-mailed them about a kitten and they replied right away telling me that the kitten had a potential adopter. I asked which other kittens were available with no potential adopters and they provided me with a list. I e-mailed back to see if I was able to set up a meeting time and I have yet to hear back from them (days later). They seem to be very selective with who they reply to which is unfortunate because I literally asked about these kittens days ago and they probably already have potential adopters (and I say selective because I personally know people who have adopted from their organization with great luck and I thought I would have the same luck.. but I've just been ignored). I even e-mailed asking for a response and nothing!! I find them to be very unprofessional. read more

As others have said here, they are very disorganized, unprofessional, and rude. They do not even respond to any emails or phone calls, take SO much unrequired, sensitive, personal information from you, do not comfortably take you through the process of adoption, and straight out ignore you. Some people I know, and myself, have, on more than one occasion, experienced such unprofessionalism from them. Recently, I had a phone interview with one of their volunteers, and then was told I would be provided the foster's information so I could meet the cat and decide whether or not to adopt. After over a week, there has been no response from TCR, no reply to my several voicemails, emails, etc, and I have not been sent any foster information at all. My adoption has been pending for nearly two weeks now, and they are not even a busy, large organization like Toronto Humane Society. They have literally under 20 animals on their website. What a disappointing, unorganized, disgusting organization. There are many other cat adoption organizations with regulations and proper timeline rules in Toronto with people who understand your needs, properly help you find a good cat, and do not ignore you or steal your personal information. Seems like a scam and a waste of my time. read more

I may be slightly biased (being a foster mommy of a lovely kitten right now) but this organization is great. All of their volunteers are so compassionate and you can really tell they love their work. Plus, they are no-kill and feed-trap-release ferals... so much love all around! read more

This organization seems like a very good way to adopt a cat but my experience was a very sad and disappointing one. My son and I went into a Brampton PetSmart store to adopt a cat and we were greeted by a two Toronto cat rescue lady volunteers. We asked questions about the five cats up for adoption and expressed our interest in providing a loving home to a cat same day. When I inquired if any of the cats were declawed, one of the volunteers explained the TCR mandate for not declawing cats and said they would require any prospective adoptive pet parents to sign a waiver which would allow TCR to take legal action on whoever adopted a cat and proceeded to declaw the cat. I explained to her that I was not for or against declawing but was only asking questions I felt I was entitled to ask. We proceeded to hold two cats and when my son asked to hold a third, the one he had his eye on since entering the store, the same TCR volunteer said she would not let us hold any more cats because we would not be able to adopt a cat. When I asked why, she said because I had asked about declawing, and since it was against their mandate, I would be denied adoption. I told her I'd like to clarify that I simply asked if any of the cats were declawed and that I would be willing to sign the legal recourse waiver but she said the decision was hers and she decided not to let us proceed with adoption. I told her I thought it was judgemental and presumptuous of her and again said I had no intention of declawing any cat. She said that was it and her say was the final answer. My son and I spoke to the PetSmart manager about our disappointment and extreme upset about how we were treated so unfairly merely because I asked a question. I called the Toronto cat rescue number, and left a few messages briefly explaining what had happened. No one has called us back and I emailed the site directly but still no response. I am very upset at how we were discriminated against based on my one inquiry, even after clarifying myself and seeking other solutions such as trimming a cats nails or nail filing. I will never recommend TCR for anyone based of this hurtful experience. We have since then bought a baby kitten but I would have loved to save an older cat who needed the love we would have provided. I hope that the TCR executive volunteers read this review. Maybe then someone would respond to me. For all future prospective adoption pet parents, be prepared to interact with very judgemental, harsh and unknowledgable volunteers. read more