Wonderful center for cat adoptions, but behind the scenes, there is so much more! I have adopted 5 cats from this facility and each of them has been the picture of health and well-adjusted personality. The veterinarian care from their on-staff shelter medical personnel is top-notch. Two of my adoptees had low grade heart murmurs as kittens and that information was disclosed and explained completely and in simple terminology. I felt fully informed and comfortable. Also, I was surprised by how many additional things the shelter provided for the cost of the adoption. For example, the cats were neutered, fully vaccinated, and microchipped. All in all, my experiences have been pleasant, professional, and resulted in incredible life-long friendships. If you're stopping in for a visit, make sure to ask for a guided tour, some of the volunteers are incredibly knowledgeable with literally decades of experience as cat fosters, shelter volunteers, and even some retired veterinarians! read more

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A Heartbreaking Goodbye to a Place I Once Loved After many years of giving my time, energy, heart, and dedication to a nonprofit cat rescue, I never imagined I would leave feeling this disappointed, disrespected, and heartbroken. I stayed because I believed in the mission. I believed in saving cats. I believed in finding them safe, loving, forever homes. And I worked hard at it. Over the years, I helped find forever homes for thousands of cats and helped generate thousands of dollars in donations for the organization. I was extremely good at what I did, and more importantly, I cared. These weren't just numbers or another job to me. Every adoption represented a life that mattered. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the focus seemed to shift. What should have been an organization centered around saving cats and serving the community became, in my experience, increasingly consumed by politics, control, power struggles, and a toxic workplace culture. And that is an incredibly sad thing to say about a cat rescue. As I got older and began experiencing physical limitations, I made the decision to move to part-time, semi-retired status. I wasn't walking away. I wasn't abandoning the cats. I was trying to find a way to continue doing something I loved while acknowledging that I could no longer physically do everything I once could. Then the job descriptions changed to include physical cat-care responsibilities that I was no longer capable of performing. What I needed was some understanding and support. What I received instead was pressure, harassment, and criticism about my availability -- even though I had deliberately chosen to work the busier days when I could be most useful. After giving years of my life to this organization, it was incredibly painful to be treated as though my years of experience, dedication, accomplishments, and contributions suddenly meant nothing because I couldn't meet newly imposed physical expectations. Apparently, loyalty only goes so far when you're no longer able to fit the mold someone else has decided you should fit into. That was the part that hurt the most. Not having to retire from a job I loved. Not having to accept that I was getting older. But realizing that an organization I had poured so much of myself into could make me feel unwanted rather than valued. A truly compassionate organization should understand that people, just like animals, go through changes. People age. Circumstances change. Physical abilities change. And after years of service, those people deserve dignity, respect, and compassion -- not harassment and pressure. I did not leave because I stopped loving cats. I left because I could no longer tolerate the environment surrounding them. And that distinction matters. I will always be incredibly proud of the work I did. I will always remember the cats I helped place, the families I helped bring together, and the lives that were changed because I cared enough to do the job well. No amount of workplace politics, control, or toxicity can erase that. The saddest irony is that I spent years helping cats find their forever homes, only to eventually realize that I needed to find my own way out of a place that no longer felt like home. I wish the organization had remained focused on what brought so many of us there in the first place: the cats. Because the cats deserve better. And so do the people who dedicate years of their lives to saving them. read more

I have no issues with the adoption center (besides the fact that one cat I adopted from them had a major ear infection and the other had skin cancer), the clinic in the back is the problem. The least of all of my issues: Every single time I came for my appointment I never waited less than 45 minutes, and once almost two hours. Our cats ear infection got worse after every visit, the head doctor was dismissive and rude, (I would dread having to talk to her, and was so pleased anytime she wasn't there) they didn't keep track of what medications our cat was on, even going as far as telling me I must have gotten one of the medications somewhere else (what??), when we would ask about past medications THEY had given to him, half the time they didn't have the name or any information in their chart, they once gave us unlabeled cream in a random jar and never told us what it was. They put my kitten under anesthesia without prior warning multiple times because they couldn't handle cleaning out his ears when he was a tiny baby, and they often forgot to call us to pick him up, and rarely followed up with his test results despite promising to do so. We once waited almost a month to hear back, that was the final straw, we were already seeing another vet by the time they got back to us. The "ear cleanings" were them ripping the scabs off of his ears, it was reopening the wounds, causing him major pain, and probably causing more infection. Our new vet pointed out that they were opened and aggravated after our last visit with the clinic, and they didn't understand why they would do that, let alone why they would do that to him multiple times, or why they had to use anesthesia. We were told multiple times that he is deaf, when he is not, he can hear the treat bag being opened from upstairs, and our new vet confirmed he can hear fine. During one of our last visits the head doctor accused us of not doing our part at home when we had the scratches and scars to prove that he was getting the many different medications he was prescribed daily. We were driving a 2hour round trip just to go to them and doing everything that was asked of us, but were treated unkindly and accusatorially when we asked why things weren't getting better. We dealt with this for almost three months, his ears never improved, only worsened in that time and I am positive he would still have major issues if we had kept going here. As soon as we switched vets his ear issue cleared up within two visits (3 weeks), the vet never felt the need to put him under, and worked with us to find the underlying issues so we could deal with the root of the problem. After dealing with this new vet for the last half year I am convinced the cat clinic did nothing to help and very likely made things worse. Our experience with this new vet has been so opposite of our experience with the Cat Depot Clinic that I feel obligated to warn people. Even though we are grateful for Cat Depot for the amazing cats we adopted from them, we cannot trust this place, nor can we recommend it. PS our other cat had a small tumor on his face that the head doctor refused to look into, saying it was impossible for him to have skin cancer and it was just a pimple. Our new vet immediately took a sample his first visit and it was skin cancer. He had to surgically remove it and now we know to check him regularly for any new bumps. read more

Wonderful facility! Very clean and the cats seem happy. I have my Princes now about 3 weeks and it feels as if we have been together forever. Thank you for pairing me with such an individual she terrific. Sandy Levi read more

Although I didn't adopt a bonded pair from the Cat Depot, they took the time to talk with me, enter my information into thier system. They were glad to let me drop in and look for what I needed. Nice people that care about the cats! read more

The cats are great! The staff is nothing but bad energy everytime I walk into that place. You can feel it as the judge you by your looks and put similar people to themselves first and their attitudes change a lot. Definitely go get all of the kitties form this place! They deserve a big loving home with good energy . I've adopted two from them so far. Trying a 3rd now read more

Came in today to look at a kitten I had put an adoption application for. Was passed off to the red head lady with short hair. She had a concern on my application which I was more than willing to discuss and I tried to. She immediately shut me down, we didn't even get the chance to talk for more than a minute. She has a horrible attitude, instead of talking to me she scolded me, not sure if it's because I'm younger or she doesn't want the cats adopted. Instead of giving me anymore information about the cat she basically just stopped talking to me. I love cat depot and everything they do, but super turned off by this experience and her demeanor is pretty unprofessional and she's not helpful. read more

Professional resources, cordial invites, complete testimonials, features wonderful photos, coupons for cat only products, relates to up to date information daily, has a comments section and follow-up when needed read more

Whenever I go to Cat Depot, I instantly feel my cold little heart start to melt. To put it bluntly, I'm a cat lady. If I didn't have 3 already, I'd adopt more. Even though my fur ball family is full, it doesn't mean that I can't stop by and play with some kitties or buy some toys for my own. First of all, I'd like to compliment how insanely clean Cat Depot is. Walking in to each little room with cats, you don't smell any litter boxes. Each "pod" is clean and spacious with plenty of toys, scratching posts, and areas for the cats to roam around in. There are flyers in each pod with a photo of each of the cats, as well as their name, history, and habits. It's really cute how they describe some of the cats in their descriptions! The staff is super nice, and you can tell that they all really do love cats. I stop in the gift shop every so often to either get my cats a toy, a scratching post, or something else small to try and give my support! I genuinely love being able to come here and spend some time giving my attention to cats that are waiting for their fur-ever home. Some might be scared or cranky, but being able to show them a little bit of love even for a moment can help them come out of their shell, giving them a quicker chance at getting adopted. If you are considering adopting a cat, PLEASE come here. You won't regret it. read more

Cat depot sent us home with two very sick kittens. From day one at home, both kittens were sneezing, with runny eyes & nose. Our two older cats got sick also. They were diagnosed with upper respiratory infection, a $1,000 later. Cat depot said they are not at fault. Beware of sick kittens from Cat depot. read more

I'm in town visiting and pulled a tourist ad card from where I'm staying for Cat Depot. I drove from Bradenton one day to visit only to find when I arrived they were closed from 12-2pm for staff training...so disappointing! (I get that happens though) I was going to just visit and love on kitties as the ad card said they allowed and encouraged. I saw a Cat Depot Community Center across the street and stopped in there to check. I was met by an very unfriendly and cold woman who was eating their pot luck lunch and seemed to jump to meet me at the door as if I wasn't allowed to be there. After explaining the above to her, that I was from out of town and had driven from Bradenton she proceeded to tell me I could come back at 2pm related to adoption interest. I said I was their to just visit and love on kitties, she said they don't offer that anymore, its on their website. I said I got an ad card that said they did it. She said its on their website. She said the place that had the ad card had old cards, its on their website. I sort of paused to glance at all the literature on a table behind her and again, she acted as if she was a guard and did not acknowledge any interest I was showing. I would think a fellow cat lover (I assumed anyone that work there is) would at least be warm and somewhat sympathetic to my disappointment. Instead there was zero warmth and I was made to feel I shouldn't be there and it was tough beans...it's on their website. Btw, I couldn't stop staring at her mustache! Rude, rude, rude, a total turn off! Get rid of her! read more

SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR CATS AND DOGS! This is so critical to solving the pet overpopulation crisis. We wouldn't need animal shelters if everyone did this and did not let their pets have litters or buy from breeders. That said, the Cat Depot is just about the greatest cat shelter I have ever seen. They have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility that most communities and organizations cannot afford to have. Sarasota is so lucky for this very reason. If you are looking to rescue a cat and give it a forever home in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, look no further than the Cat Depot. Shelly and Michelle are amazing, dedicated staff at the facility and know the animals so well and can help match you with the right feline friend for life. They also sell items to help raise money to run the facility such as organic + fairtrade coffee that has pictures of adoptable cats on it, paintings by local artists, purses, t-shirts and other great gift items. They host fundraising events too to support the kitties. Check the website for details. They are always looking for more members, volunteers,donations, benefactors and foster homes so contact them today or stop by the facility to see how amazing it is for yourself. I've worked with a lot of animal shelters and cat rescue groups over the years and can say that for most, having this kind of a place to house temporarily homeless cats is a dream-come-true. I feel so good knowing that for all the people out there who abandon, abuse and neglect their pets there are people who lovingly dedicate their time to helping and rescuing those same animals so that they can find a loving home. Remember, Bob Barker says HELP CONTROL THE PET POPULATION. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS. It's the only way to stop and reduce suffering. Call your local vet or animal shelter if you need help making arrangements. read more

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Wonderful caring staff. Exceptional facility. If I win the lottery they'll get a load of cash from me.

Staff was great and took time to insure I knew what I was getting into. We love our new addition. Adoption fee was $100 but the trip to get things for him ended up being over $300. This place is better than any other adoption place read more

CHANGE: Just posting to note that you can no longer go to pet cats. They will do a visitors tour, but you can't interact with the cats. Covid and keeping cats calm were part of this change.go adopt from them though, just not a place for a cat "fix", lol. Staff were nice. read more

Thank you cat depot for helping us find the purrrfect birthday present for our little furry ball read more

Cat Depot - Animal Shelters Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We are so grateful to the staff for providing quality end of life care to our cat. Their compassion was evident in words and actions. We would not hesitate to use their services again. A follow up sympathy card was unexpected but was appreciated more than words can say. read more

The cat depot is a wonderful facility for cats and kittens awaiting homes. The facility was clean and obviously well run. The kittens and cats were very well cared for. You're able to walk around and touch, hold, read to and care for any cats or kittens. It's a fabulous place to do a good deed and care for the kittens and cats anytime you like. read more

Cat depot takes extremely good care of there cats and kittens it always amazes me how happy all of there cats are. read more

Cat Depot - Sweat pea is a one eyed female cat and is the sweetest cat I've ever met - Animal Shelters Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The single greatest place on Earth, and no one can tell me otherwise. I came here in 2010 looking for a companion: the whole experience was wonderful, sweet, fun, and enriching. We were allowed to spend time in several of the cat "cages" (not cages at all, more like big fenced-in dorm rooms filled with better furniture than I have in my apartment), meet all the applicants for Lucy's-Lifelong-Feline-Companion, and really take our time getting to know the kitties. Every little room had a paper on the front with the cats' name and little personality descriptions, so we knew who was who. Cat Depot is very clean, full of toys and beds and kitty towers, and all the cats seemed very happy...to the point that when we ultimately took Juliet home, I almost felt guilty taking her away! We were sent home with a bag of food, a few cans of wet food, and lots of good advice for first-time cat owners. Several employees came out to say goodbye to Juliet, which, as an overly emotional woman, made me ugly-cry. This was back in 2010, but Juliet's adoption fee was $75. Considering Cat Depot spayed her, gave her a microchip, fed and gave her medical care for an entire year, sent us home with free food, and gave me a detailed report about her medical history and where she'd been found, I think $75 was highway robbery. (On my part. I would have happily paid double. By the way, adopt black cats. They've probably been in the shelter a long time and are so grateful for the love.) I'm so thankful that Cat Depot exists and takes such great care of their feline residents. A wonderful, compassionate no-kill shelter on which ALL animal shelters should be modeled. Thank you guys for taking care of Juliet until I came to get her. read more

No return phone call. Made two calls for clinic service. Very sad...have heard many good things about them.

This place used to be amazing but evidently since Covid, they no longer allow you to pet or interact with the cats. You also have to have a "tour guide" with you to even walk around the enclosures. Super disappointing. I hope they go back to what made this place so awesome to visit and adopt cats from. read more

Great organization! The cats are kept in spacious pods with plenty of beds and toys. Some of the pods even have fenced-in patios so the kitties can safely enjoy the outdoors. The Cat Depot staff and volunteers are always very friendly and knowledgeable. Wish all shelters provided this level of care for animals in need. read more

Literally my favorite place to go. NOTHING like the average rescue place. The cats are kept in "pods" which are the size of a small room. There are hidey holes and perches for the cats to rest on. The staff is so kind and genuinely cares about the cats. They're willing to talk about any of the cats back stories. An AMAZING place, the only place I'd even consider adopting a cat from. Also just a fun place to go and get some kitty love. They encourage you to come and read/interact with the cats bc it helps them acclimate to their new surroundings read more

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The cutest place with the most selection of kittens/cats! They are a bit more expensive than the human society/shelters, but do come with lots of benefits/etc. when you end up adopting. Got my beautiful kitten sage there! read more

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BEST CAT VET I have EVER been to! Very covid friendly! Extremely affordable clinic! When I showed up I didn't realize you have to have your pet in a carrier per covid rules. They were very kind and gave me a carrier to borrow! The fix went AMAZING my cat is very happy! By the end of the visit we were asked to return the carrier they lent us. They ended up just letting us keep it as we told them we did not have a carrier yet. All the staff were VERY VERY kind and VERY caring! I'm starting to think Mink misses them.. He's been lounging with his toys in the carrier ever since! Moral of the story: You don't have to worry about your cats being afraid of the vet (or mom and dad worrying). read more

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I love this place. They take great care of the animals. I wish I could go back to Florida and visit again. Cute gift shop also.

The cats were adorable.I would highly recommend. The cage designs were amazing. Tons of cats and kittens. Would highly recommend. The staff is friendly and the store has lots of cool cat gifts. read more

Cat Depot - Aww - Animal Shelters Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Five stars is not enough for this wonderful shelter where EVERYONE adores cats and treats them like the royalty they are! Cat Depot rescues stray cats and cats that have been languishing at Animal Services. The cats live in "condos," some of which include a screened patio so the kitties can enjoy the sunshine. You must also visit the gift shop where you can buy cute apparel for yourself or lots of supplies and accessories for your cat. Also try Namastray kitten yoga which is offered on some Fridays. I wish every shelter was this good to the animals! read more

Took my daughter here for a tour, and it was an inspirational experience for her. The staff is so caring and knowledge. You will be greatly moved when you see the love that the staff has for these animals. The place is so extremely well run and spotless; it is almost like resort conditions. read more

This was the best cat shelter I have ever seen. The pods the cats are in a beautiful and each one is individually vented and filtered. Some rooms have patios for the cats and each room is color coordinated. I would highly recommend this shelter. Plus all the cats are super friendly. read more

Amazing and 5 stars isn't enough for cat depot. Clean, wonderful cats, the staff and volunteers (OMG !!). Store , vet services. I love my kitty more because cat depot is so amazing. I can also tell Mimi was loved by a loving foster mom/ family. Cat lovers- you just know read more

Cat Depot - Mimi is a love girl - Animal Shelters Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Despite all evidence to the contrary, I insist that I'm not a crazy cat man. So when I say that this was the best time I had in Sarasota, it's not because I spend 75% of my free time thinking about my cat. It's because this is a wonderful place. Cat Depot is a series of rooms filled with adorable pointy-eared fur babies, run mostly by very pleasant human volunteers. When we walked in, we got a short tour and then were allowed to play with the cats. All that was free, but since it's funded by donations and grants, a small donation would be a nice thing to do. Also, they have a very nice and very reasonable cat store in the front, and little Tilly baby meow meow cat loved everything we got for her there. We went home smelling like other cats, because they were all so goddamn adorable we couldn't help ourselves. So, even if you're just passing through Sarasota and looking to kill an hour, even if you have no interest in getting a kitty meow meow, an adorable doe-eyed friend for life, a loyal fuzzball, a lizard exterminator, or a sassy Sally kitty katty, this is a fun outing. read more

All of the workers are very nice and knowledgeable of the cats that are there. They are very well taken care of and you can tell the compassion the workers have. Would recommend this place over any other rescue when it comes to adopting a cat. They are amazing! read more

I come here to pet the cats every time I make a visit to Sarasota (a few times per year.) They take great care of the cats and it is a great place to adopt (or just visit the cats, like I do)! read more

While vacationing in Sarasota, we saw their brochure at the Botanical Gardens. We decided to visit as we love cats. Their receptionist was very friendly and let us into the main room where all cats up for adoption are in open, comfortable rooms. No "you have to wait/get on a list, and only 30 minutes and don't pick them up or touch them" list of rules like many cat cafes & stores / shelters do. We were able to meet and be with all the cats, who looked pretty content. Their living areas are offices converted into playrooms, a few even have a door to the outside, in case some want the open air. The only few cats in cages were ones with medical needs. The setup seems purposely enjoyable and comforting for visitors / potential adoptees as much as it is for the cats. We gave a donation and have since kept track of their events and news. I am so glad this organization and its facility exists. The appear very caring and organized. read more

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Hi, my name is Steve Weller, a 31 year resident of Sarasota, FL. I've been volunteering at the GREAT Cat Depot for the past 5 1/2 plus years. Such a CLEAN, modern facility, with very CUTE, healthy, well fed, and well cared for furbabies! The gift shop at the cat shelter has TONS of good stuff to buy or just browse! The (human) restrooms are very clean, and the whole place is well air-conditioned! And during the 3 or so cool "winter" months, it's nice to pet the kitties on their "catios!" This place is purrfect, for these many 4-legged cuties, 'til they find their forever homes and humans! Some of you who visit the Cat Depot may or may not know that there's a 2nd, smaller building on the other side of 17th St., for offices, for people who work for the Cat Depot. Special thanks to Bender (a good looking, young Cat Adoption Counselor at the Cat Depot) and to Marianne, for the always good job they do every day at the shelter! read more

Had my heart set on adopting a cat we went here a couple times before finally deciding when we were gonna adopt. The lady that was working on our adoption process was very condescending and rude about it like she didn't want us to adopt the kitten? She talked to us like we wouldn't be able to care for it. We decided against it because of the lady. read more

Went here with my Mom, 2,4 and 8 year old and we all LOVED it. I have never seen a shelter/rescue center nicer than this one. They are so sweet and nurturing to their animals and everyone is SO friendly!! There are multiple "pods" and each had no more than five or six cats in each they were so spacious and it was so nice knowing the cats were not confined to cages. Every room had a different color theme and so many toys, comfy beds, food bowls full & super clean!!! Even though entry is free we made a donation + purchase from the gift shop. I really loved taking my kids here, made the rainy day not so bad and we will definitely make it a tradition to come here and visit the cats! read more

Very clean!!!! So clean. The cats are well taken care of and they rotate between cages and the runs so they get equal exposure. The social media is done very well and this place is a landmark for Sarasota. I volunteer here and I love getting to meet new cats. They screen the applicant swell and there is a low return rate. They do a lot of education and TNR and pet food bank. There is also a low cost veterinary clinic on site. read more