From August to November last year, we had a very positive experience collaborating with another lady (NOT Taline) in this shelter. In December, the shelter's president, Taline, proactively reached out to ask if we could foster a cat again. At first, due to an uncertain schedule, we replied that we couldn't commit yet. About a week later, once our environment was confirmed suitable, we immediately contacted Taline with our availability, preferred cat types, and other preferences. Taline responded promptly, promising to review the list of cats needing help that week and get back to us. Over ten days passed with no response, despite our reminders. Assuming she was busy, we reached out via The Cat Connection's Slack channel under another volunteer applicant's name at the beginning of this week. Taline replied the next day, again promising to schedule a discussion this week. This week almost passed, and despite private messages and follow-ups, she ghosted us again. Six days ago, we posted a follow-up in the channel regarding fostering. Only then did Taline reply, claiming, "This channel is for announcements and statements to all members." This explanation contradicts prior posts by others requesting volunteer or other opportunities. When we asked again about scheduling a discussion, she ghosted once more. It became clear that she was not too busy to respond - she simply chose to ignore us. I guess she thought volunteers in her opinion were just someone to grab when she needed them. We want to stress that as the shelter's president, Taline's commitments carry weight. Repeatedly making promises and disappearing is disrespectful and unprofessional. Others' time and effort are valuable, and communication - whether to express concerns or provide simple updates - is essential. We hope that in her role, Taline can honor her commitments and respect the time and dedication of volunteers, rather than repeatedly making promises she has no intention of keeping. read more

I am a volunteer at The Cat Connection and have been for 25 years. I would like to ask the public to please remember that we have no paid staff. We are all volunteers and we work our hearts out for these cats and kittens. At sometimes it may be difficult to reach us, but we're running as fast as we can. I've seen comments that we don't care about the cats that are out there on the streets, but we have fantastic people helping with that one of them being Nadia. Please have patience while we work to take care of all these fur babies . read more

My family and I are so happy with the cat we adopted from this place . The process was fast and easy . read more

The Cat Connection - Animal Shelters Near Me

The Cat Connection is not just a rescue organization - it is a team of selfless, hard working, compassionate people that provide a safe haven and saving grace for cats in need. A few years ago, we reached out to The Cat Connection about adopting a cat we saw on their website. Within 24 hours, we were personally contacted via phone by Eva Miller (Founder and President) to discuss exactly what we were looking for in a new cat. She set up a meeting with a volunteer, Martha-Ann, so that we could meet a few cats that she was fostering. Although we didn't find a perfect match after our first meeting, The Cat Connection continued to follow up with us with other cats they thought would be a good fit for us. We then visited The Cat Connection's headquarters where we were greeted by volunteers and lots of happy cats. After taking a tour and meeting a few different cats, one cat in particular seemed to take a liking to us, and the rest is history! The Cat Connection is one of the best cat rescues in Massachusetts. I highly recommend reaching out to them to find your next feline family member! read more

Adopted a cat from there, love the cat hated the people that worked there. An employee in particular (cough cough Karen cough cough) will not stop contacting me. I understand wanting to make sure the cat is happy in a good home but after a text, a picture, and a video of the cat that should be the end of it. She literally called me to make sure everything was okay because after a week I was giving her short answers over text. Maybe because I don't want to talk to you anymore!!!! I understand not everyone takes good care of animals but I do and kitties are safe with me. Give it a break. read more

I am delighted to announce that I have officially adopted the seven semi feral indoor colony cats that I have been caring for in my home. Thank you to the TCC personnel for their efforts in creating such a wonderful Christmas present to myself. read more

I had such a great adoption experience that I became a volunteer, even though I already have a lot on my plate. The volunteers are a diverse group of individuals that defy the crazy cat lady stereotype. Not only do they foster cats for adoption, they care for feral colonies, fundraise and counsel owners. I wish I could do more. Maybe if I win the lottery .... read more

I cant say enough good things about this organization. I don't understand some of the reviews on here. They are run by volunteers so yes it may take a little longer to get a response but I have been very happy with everything. They truly care about the cats and the adoption process. They want the best homes for their rescues which I appreciate. If you cant afford an adoption fee, my guess would be you could not afford vet bills. I love that they work hard to get the best homes for cats and I would recommend them to anyone! - A Happy Cat Owner! read more

We adopted two kittens in April and couldn't be more happy! Eva and her team are amazing and care so much for the cats, they serve them good food, have tons of toys for them to play with and really treat them well. Both times I went the litters were clean (no small feat for all the cats there!) and all the cats looked healthy. The process took a little longer than other shelters (partly due to an illness) and partly because they are all volunteers and want to ensure the people adopting will be proper pet owners...after all it is all about the cats and if you can't be patient and afford the fees then you probably shouldn't own any animals. Thanks Eva and team for all the good work you do! read more

My heart about dropped when I saw that The Cat Connection has only a two star rating here on Yelp. What a misrepresentation of such a fine, caring, and genuinely altruistic organization. A charity run by volunteers who want to do the right thing, and not a business, (as a fellow reviewer called it), Volunteers who have other jobs, families, and pets of their own to take care of. My husband and I adopted our two felines from The Cat Connection just over two years after we lost our previous cat and were left heartbroken. We met with Eva, the adoption coordinator at the time, and she listened to our story with compassionate ears and was able to match us up with the perfect pair of cats that we have loved since Day 1. If you are looking to adopt and rescue from a local organization run by passionate volunteers who are true animal lovers and want to do the right thing, please consider The Cat Connection. Never before have I seen a shelter that looks out for the animals first. They really strive to match you with the right pet from the start, and we were even given the option to take our two cats for a trial run. Luckily, we didn't have to return them because we love them so much. Thanks for reading! read more

It's great that this organization has done so much for the cats of Waltham, but dealing with the people that run it has been very difficult. It is unfortunate that such kind hearted people just don't always know how to run a business. Also, the owners seem to have poor people and communication skills. read more

The Cat Connection is a wonderful, completely volunteer run organization that focuses only on the best welfare of cats in need. I volunteer for this organization and have seen how extremely devoted each person is to the care of these animals, animals that people have abandoned, abused, and neglected. This organization does all of this just on donations and shoe string grants- the town has no shelter yet and looks to this volunteer organization to pick up the tab of sheltering, feeding, and providing all health care to these cats. I have to respond to the one star review by Thor M. who felt that she/he were "deceived" and gave this wonderful organization a one star review which it does not deserve. I wonder how "heartbroken" Thor could have been having only seen a picture of a cat on a screen, a cat that Thor felt she/he was entitled to have. Animals require patience and understanding, something that seems to be difficult for Thor. This organization, again run COMPLETELY BY VOLUNTEERS on their own time between their own jobs, families, and caring/fostering of cats for the Cat Connection, got back to Thor within a day, has a wonderful website that it tries best to keep up to date, and responded to Thor in a timely way. Not everyone deserves the great responsibility and honor of inviting an animal into their home for the rest of their life, and not everyone lives up to this, that is why the Cat Connection is here. read more

I adopted my two beautiful cats from The Cat Connection. Everything went smoothly, and I would highly recommend them. It is an amazing organization filled with many caring people. read more

I am writting this to warn everyone about their outdoor cats. If the Cat Connection or any of their fosters pick up your cat you will NEVER see your cat again. The Cat Connection is the place the community turns to when their cats are lost. The local police and animal control dont take care of cats and refer everone to them for any cat problem issues. They will deny they have your cat and the local police dont want to get involved with cat issues. The Cat Connection is COMPLETELY unhelpful if you ask them about any lost cats and if they pick up your cat then thats extra money for them, especially if your cat is friendly and fixed since they dont have to spend a lot of extra bucks for medical expenses as on ferrals and kittens ie getting them fixed and fostered for several months. BE-AWARE & Good Luck! read more

I hate to say it, but The Cat Deception is more like it. I looked on the site at adoptable cats and fell in love with a particular profile. I decided I wanted to adopt this sweet singular kitty. I filled out the online application. Someone got back to me within a day asking me which cat I was interested in. I told them, and they told me "oops, she's now part of a pair only" which I found odd. Anyhow, I pressed on and told them there was another cat I was interested in on the adoptable list. They told me they would forward my application to the Director and that she would get back to me. Fast forward four days. No response. I decided to email the woman I first spoke to to see what was going on. I immediately received a response, and an answer! "*name withheld* just told me *great cat* was no longer available." Now keep in mind, they didn't say she was adopted, but that she was "not available". Yet, her presence is still on the website as 'adoptable'! I didn't bother asking about another cat because I didn't want to get my heart broken once more to find out they weren't "available". Adopter beware. read more

I really highly recommend Cat Connection! I have been thinking about getting a cat for the past 6 months and visiting the MSPCA almost weekly. Then I read about the Cat Connection here on Yelp and submitted an online form. Eva promptly contacted me and helped me find these two adorable kittens. Cat Connection has policies based on years of experience-- they responsibly wait till the kittens are 12 weeks or so to adopt out. They also ensure they are a bit older before the spay/neuter (which is included in the adoption fee). I wasn't sure I wanted two kittens when I set out to get a cat but I am super glad now that I did. They play together endlessly and it's a joy to watch them interact. And it really isn't double the work. Getting two healthy, happy kittens and a lot of kitten wisdom from Eva and Amy at Cat Connection was a great experience. These are volunteers and true animal lovers running a great organization! read more

I recently adopted an adult male cat who fit in perfectly with my other 2 adult cats. I was looking for a cat that would play with my youngest cat (3 years old) as my oldest cat (11 years old) wasn't interested in playing and my youngest seemed bored. My youngest isn't bored anymore! The new cat is thoroughly besotted with her and follows her everywhere and wants to play even more than she does. He was trapped this past Winter when a woman called The Cat Connection. She'd been feeding some stray/? feral cats that had been coming in/out of her garage during the Winter. She asked for help. Neither cat was feral or microchipped and no one claimed them. The male was neutered and fostered until adopted. I lucked out. He's wonderful. He's now microchipped. If he ever manages to get outside-I want to be sure I get him back. I think he knows he has it good though because he shows absolutely no interest in going outside. read more