Forgotten Felines Westbrook, Connecticut

Caring volunteers, no kill shelter where the cats well-being is prioritized. Thank you!!

Terrible place. I thought people were joking when they said they were just hoarding cats and not willing to adopt them out to people. They have maybe 20 cats up on their website, but if you go in person you will see that they have about 100 cats there in 4/5 small little rooms. Not only did they deny my girlfriend and I of an adoption, but they would not even give any reason as to why. They simply stated in an email that they did not want to disclose the details. Our experiences with the volunteers were also not good. Many people are saying that they are knowledgeable, yet both of the volunteers we talked to seemed to know very little about the cats or the process of filling out an application for adoption. There’s a reason they don’t have the adoption people there during the only time it is open to the public - they are too pathetic to tell people they only want to keep receiving donations and not relinquish cats to people who will give them loving homes (there’s also another review here from a couple about 60 years old who said that this place would not let them adopt a young cat), but that’s clearly not the case. Don’t waste your time here.

Forgotten Felines is a wonderful organization! The staff are extremely friendly and knowledge and willing to answer any questions. We got both our senior lady (the tortie) and our younger black beauty there. They became fast friends even though they didn’t know each other beforehand and I believe it’s because of the openness of the shelter and that they allow the cats to socialize freely. I also immediately loved the layout of the shelter: the enclosed outdoor spaces for the cats, as well as all the objects for them to climb on. If I was a cat, I’d want to be there until I found my home! The application was thorough but quick and easy to go through. You can tell they really love all the cats under their care and want to find them their best match. Thank you for our fur babies :)

This "shelter" does not seem to adopt out cats much at all from the reviews my husband and I have seen. When we were there, one of the volunteers exclaimed how wonderful Jumper (cat we wanted to adopt) is and how she was surprised he has not been adopted. Either she was lying or does not know that she volunteers not at a shelter, but at an establishment that would rather hoard cats than see them adopted to loving homes. It seems that this place might adopt out cats at a very minimum to keep the place a "shelter" and reap whatever benefits they get from that. Not only was the establishment less than open and friendly when we visited, we witnessed them declining another couple because they were "too old" to adopt a young cat. We have set up appointments at other shelters, who have gotten back to us within a week, but at this place the timeframe is a ridiculous 3 weeks with no answers to emails/texts/phone calls, and with no explanation as to why our application was not approved (which I know they stated as one of their stipulations to applying) which is absolutely suspect and most likely stems from their prejudices rather than fact based decision making as they did not call any of the references from our application. In all we feel sorry for the cats in their care, that most of them will not get to experience a loving home, but rather be crowded into this pet hoarding house. The overwhelmingly negative reviews on Google and Yelp attest to this fact.

This is an excellent organization. We have adopted two cats from them. One five years ago, and one recently. This organization cares about their animals and this is why they are great! You have to take the time to go through each room to find your perfect match. Honestly, they both picked us! Yes, you have to fill out an application with vet and personal references. I cannot say enough good things about this organization. They are great at matching you with a cat or kitten of your choice and you will be happy! Their guidance is wonderful and they set everyone up for success with your new family member. You are never alone in the process and they are with you every step of the way. Thank you Forgotten Felines!

This is a forever home for the homeless. I try 2 refer ppl there so cats get adopted & make donations.

I’m 61, my partner is 63. We have a long history of adopting cats. We were told that because of our age we would not be able to adopt any cat younger than two years old! I found their volunteers to be arrogant and opinionated. Better to keep a cat in a shelter rather than have it go to a loving home? If you are over 60 don’t go there. Age Discrimination!

Forget this place. These people are rude. The reason they have so many cats is because they don't want anyone to adopt, unless your God you'll be rejected. I think they are cat hoarders who enjoy living off the donations. I was warned by several people not to waste my time going there. Wished I had listened to them.

Private shelter. The staff are very knowledgeable about each of the cats. Can tell you about medical needs, temperament, etc. While still a shelter setting, you get a better sense of the cat's personality. They have areas to climb and slings to hangout in. Cats and facility are clean and cared for.

This place was so rude. My family and I walked in during open adoption and they wouldn’t my two year old pet a single cat. He has experience with pets. No reason to be mean to a two year old.

Friendly atmosphere and it's a wonderful place to find a forever kitty to take home

1. I contacted them to ask about the availability of a pair of kittens and their response was to fill in the online application - which I had already done. I told them that, but they never replied to my follow up (I am writing this one month later). I would have really appreciated a rejection email, explaining why I am not suitable for adoption. 2. It seems like the kittens are still available for adoption, so it makes me wonder why would they keep them at the rescue when they could send them in a nice and lovable home? My husband and I own a home, we are both working remotely and we specifically said we're going to keep the kittens indoors. 3. The only thing that we couldn't provide was a vet reference, as neither myself or my husband previously owned a pet. It's so frustrating to see that people who've never owned before are unable to start somewhere.

I have both volunteered at the shelter and adopted cats there. The people who give up their time and go to Herculean efforts to rescue strays are truly amazing. Every penny they get goes to the care and feeding of the cats there and it is a "no kill" facility which is one of the reasons I worked there and continue to support them financially as best I can. The cats we have adopted are real darlings and an integral part of our family.

Meant to post the review on this account. Read my aquaticosaur review.

Worst place ever to adopt a cat. They will not let you adopt a cat. Period.

So many cats available for adoption. Filled out an application after our visit. Rejected a week later with no explanation whatsoever, they didnt even call my vet reference or personal reference or requested a home visit. They’re just hoarding cats at this point. This place is so disorganized and didn’t even follow their covid restrictions with 4 members in each room. Some of the cats are extremely overweight but their volunteers continue to shower them with treats and allows them to free feed. What a joke.

This place is fantastic! We went to adopt a cat named zuzu, and the care and love these people put into their cats is amazing. It’s a beautiful place and all the people that say otherwise are wrong. -The gilligan family

Beautiful cats for adoption and or donations

Don't waste your time here. Just like all the other comments, this place has so many cats that needs home, yet does not approve adoption application. My partner and I went to check out the place and filled out the application. However, they didn't even call our vet or did a home visit and just rejected our application without any explanation whatsoever. We have another cat and we take extremely good care of him. Honestly, I feel like this place is just hoarding a lot of cats and not letting anyone give them forever homes. Just go to another shelter and don't even waste your time here.

Will you give a cat a furrever home? ????

All the volunteers seem to really care about the cats here. With that being said, it’s extremely difficult to adopt a cat from this place. My wife and I applied to adopt two different cats and never got a call back. There was another couple that applied to adopt the same cat while we were there but after looking on their Instagram the cat is STILL not adopted. It just seems strange when they have so many cats who need homes but the people who run this facility aren’t willing to give them up to people who will clearly give these cats good homes.

I would not say it's worth the time. It takes weeks to review the applications and my experience at the shelter did not end pleasantly. While the volunteers were very informative about the cats, they seemed very on edge. For example, I never received the automatic confirmation email that my application was received by the shelter. When I asked about if they had it, while visiting the shelter in person, the volunteer responded seeming upset by the question. Before very passive-aggressively being ushered out with advice to go to a different shelter down the road (repeatedly), they said/scolded me that it tooks weeks for them to read the applications, that I was competing with other people as one does for a job, and that I would just need to be patient. All I wanted to know was if my application was received. I left feeling very uncomfortable and still confused on if they even had my application. It's odd that they have so many cats there, some that have been there for very lengthy times, and yet they take weeks to read applications and, as many of these other reviews state, they deny a lot of seemingly qualified applicants. It is also suspicious that there is verbiage in the application that states that they can deny you and not tell you why.

I have been visiting Forgotten Felines for several years. I live an hour away from the shelter, and for a while I made special trips there with my daughter, who was young at the time, just so we could drop off donations and interact with the cats for a while. Forgotten Felines is a beautiful, large, clean no-kill facility with plenty of room for all the beautiful cats who live there while waiting for their "furever" homes. Cats are not kept in cages -- they are free to walk around, make cat-friends, snooze in beds, play on cat trees, and even step out on to "catios" -- large, secure screened-in porches that let the cats feel like they're outside. The volunteer staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and works very hard to care for the cats and the facility, and to screen potential adopters. Their love for the cats really shows. It has been my dream for several years to adopt a cat from Forgotten Felines, and recently I was able to fulfill that dream. My daughter (who is now a teenager) and I drove down there in September to adopt a longtime Forgotten Felines resident who I always used to notice on our trips there when my daughter was little. He is currently adjusting to life at our house and his new cat sister. We LOVE Forgotten Felines, and recommend them wholeheartedly to any Connecticut resident looking to adopt a cat.

We are still awaiting a response to our adoption application submitted 2 months ago. It appears we have been rejected as the shelter will not return calls or direct messages. We visited an adoption event - while the place is clean and the staff appear friendly, there is something off about the adoption process. There is no visibility into what their requirements are or why an application can be rejected. Simple communication would be expected from an established shelter but they fail across the board. For reference, I am a 30+ year old homeowner with 10 years of work experience. I've owned Persians and Tabby's all my life. We offered to rescue to a beautiful large home in CT, rejected with no reason ever provided. Edit: 8 months later. The cat we tried to adopt is still appearing in their instagram as adoptable.

This was my second visit to Forgotten Felines. My first was more pleasant. I went because I lost as cat who got outside and didn't come home, and I was hoping she was there. I had initially called 3 times to ask if a cat matching the description of mine had been brought in, but never received a return call, so my only option was to go during their open adoption event on Saturdays. During my first visit, I was welcomed, and when I explained why I was there, i was consoled and invited to visit the rooms at my own pace, and even encouraged to visit with the cats - others were there to do just that only. This visit, different volunteers, once they learned the reason for my visit and that (horrors!!) my cats are indoor/outdoor cats (who have lived to be 15, 17, and 18) I was escorted to each and every room and shown only the cats that might be mine, even though I said it comforted me to spend time with and see the other cats. I was basically reprimanded a minimum of 5 times for letting my cat outside, and shown no compassion or empathy for my loss. The adoption event ends at 3:00. By 2:30 I was back in my car as I was told they were closing in just a few minutes and they had to be out of the way for the next shift. While I sat in my car, I saw others going in and others coming out. At my first visit the volunteers chatted with me and gave me advice on how I might entice my cat home, and it was after 3p when I walked out. I highly doubt I'll go back. I felt like a pariah because I wasn't there to adopt and I let my cats outside ... so they'd never let me adopt one of their cats anyway. I was apparently a waste of time for them, and they had no interest in offering me compassion or advice- just admonish me for letting my cats out.

What you need to know about me: I've been a responsible, loving, cat home sharing "owner" for 16 years of my 40 years of life. Due to a 12 year Navy relationship I have moved to various states but my cats always came with me, always. My cats always had a vet, ample food and water etc. My oldest lived to 16 and was on a special urinary diet for half of her life. Basically I'm saying I've always done right by my cats even if it wasn't always the cheapest or convenient option. What I Experienced At Forgotten Felines: I was given a tour of this free-roaming cat house upon arrival. The volunteers seemed to be pleasant folk though I'm not sure they're involved in the adoption decision making in any way. I did notice though that my particular tour guide never touched the cats with bare hands but instead always had a brush between her and any cat she was showing me. Instead she plied each with tons of treats. Upon being asked how new cats are introduced into this free-for-all, she said "Oh, we just toss them in and let them sort it out." She pointed to a squirt bottle that was only present in one of the four rooms I toured. I saw two cats actively stalking and bullying other cats which is something I would have never allowed to occur in a home environment. A later email that was sent asking exactly when in the intake pricess they do medical testing or whether fighting FIV cats were segregated from the pack, went unanswered. The email also asked what steps they were taking to handle the couple of morbidly obese cats I met there. Free feeding certainly wasn't helping them and it would only get worse with time. The cat I spent the most time with, spent the majority of my visit and potentially even her time there, crouching uncomfortably and hyper-aware of a big bullying cat that stalked through the area. Despite her fear she was a really sweet, pettable cat. I asked the volunteer if the cat was ok with being picked up. She responded "No cats like being picked up." She asked a nearby male volunteer if he'd ever picked that one up. Nope. She then told me her back hurt so she couldn't pick her up if she wanted. From the way the cat showed me her belly and was amenable to petting it, I just knew it likely wouldn't have been an issue. I never pushed her to come out from her safe space. Just sat on the floor with her my back to all the truly ferals who likely will never be socialized to ever leave the facility. I put in an adoption application for that specific cat and left all excited about having met her. Three days letter I received an email that must be so common for them because it was a form letter. It reminded me that I'd signed in the application that I understood they didn't have to provide a rejection reason. They were exercising their right not to provide one. Before I'd left all volunteers had reminded me to let my vet and reference know they'd be calling. I called my vet and my fellow cat loving friend whom I'd listed as a reference. Neither were ever contacted by Forgotten Felines. In talking with "people in the know" I've since learned that, if you work full time, don't even bother trying to go here. Despite my wanting an older cat, I was essentially rejected because I'm either not independently wealthy or a stay at home Mom who never intends to work ever. I am childless, single and a full time worker as the majority of humans on the planet are. To Forgotten Felines, having cats crouch in fear under furniture and in constant stress is preferable to sending them home to a cozy bed they can sleep in in peace all day and having a loving owner come home every afternoon and stay home with it every weekend. It's simply not logical and is way more stressful on the cats to keep them in such a state long term. I'm personally interested to see numbers of cats placed verses potential suitable adoption applications in. I'd question a selection process so restrictive cats stay there for years as a volunteer told me some had been. If you are not actively adopting more than you're taking in, aren't you just a sanctioned hoarder?

Submitted an application to adopt a kitten. Received an email 10 days later stating based on information obtained, we have decided to pass on your request. I'm not sure what information was obtained. I never received a call for further information, neither did my landlord or reference. I've been a cat owner and the only reason I can think of being denied is because I rent.

Just like all of these other one-star reviews, I am also appalled at this supposed “rescue” and will no longer support them like I have been. I have been looking into adding another kitty to my family, and filled out an adoption application last week. You see, I can confidently say my pets are well-cared for (as though they are my own kids)— in fact, I had even received compliments from my veterinarian at our last visit at how healthy and amazing my cats looked. Essentially, you could tell they are well cared for and in the eyes of a true professional who examines and cares for animals all day, everyday... there was no better compliment to me. Everyone who knows me knows that I am an animal lover and an advocate for them. All of my donations each year go to animal rescue groups. Anyway, It took me following up 3 times to then get a rejection email today - to which they chose not to disclose specifics as to why I was not eligible for adoption. If they were to actually truly check-in with veterinarians and references or EVEN A HOME VISIT, they would see what a wonderful opportunity of an adopter that they just lost out on. Such a shame and a disgrace of a shelter when there are an overwhelming amount of cats that need good, loving homes. Very, very sketchy process and it’s interesting to see that I’m not the only one who sees this.......

Seems like a good enough place but I applied to adopt a cat and never got any response, even went in person and introduced myself to confirm they had my application and still nothing.

Good place to adopt a cat on the shoreline.