King Street Cats Alexandria, Maryland

After weeks of obsessing over every cat on their website and finally finding a perfect fit, me and my boyfriend set up an appointment to meet our potential new kitties, full of excitement. After driving over 30 minutes to go to this appointment, we were greeted by a volunteer who took one look at us and decided we were not worthy to even meet the cats. The volunteer we talked with told me and my boyfriend (both college grads together for 5+ years, both with steady jobs) were unqualified and irresponsible. Despite both of us owning cats throughout our whole lives, dedicating hours of volunteer time to local cat shelters and all of our other experience, we were told we “probably don’t really know what we are doing”. Additionally, we were told we would probably break up, putting strain on the cat, and might not keep our jobs. After being insulted for about 20 minutes, we were turned away without even meeting the cats. And to make matters worse, all of the factors that deemed us “irresponsible cat owners” (age, relationship status, job status) were on our application that they accepted and set up an appointment for. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE. Thankfully we went to another local shelter owned by the SWEETEST woman who paired us with our two best pals. In the end I’m glad we didn’t go with King Street Cats, and I advise no one does. A TRUE SHAME FOR EVERY CAT STUCK AT THIS SHELTER. they are more interested in keeping the cats there to hang out with the volunteers than actually finding them loving homes. UPDATE: tails high is the organization we ended up adopting from- a total 180 from KSC and a great choice if you’re looking for an actual reliable place to adopt. UPDATE: also, thank you to the woman who assumed we would break up. We are now planning our wedding for 2022

I have never gotten any respond from them after application process. If they reject my application, I think they have to show at least some form of decencies. However, I receive no emails or calls.

Absolutely lovely and communicative staff! They know their cats and try their best to match you with the perfect forever companion! I couldn't be happier with the cat that I adopted through them. I don't understand the negative reviews that were previously posted, because everyone I met was so kind and helpful all throughout!

My partner and I were having problems getting connected with local rescues in Alexandria and after a few weeks of feeling ignored or like I was bothering coordinators (perhaps some of this was due to COVID-19 procedures too) before we came to KSC. We didn't have any strict requirements or anything, we just wanted to adopt a young, healthy cat! KSC quickly preapproved our application and found a potential match for us over one weekend. Within 30 minutes of meeting our new fur baby, we were able to take him home. They answered all our questions kindly and thoroughly. Thank you so much Vivien and Patti!!

We were so excited to adopt another cat, but the volunteers were frankly horrendous. They were angry it was taking us so long to decide, then pressured us to adopt cats we just didn’t connect with, then blatantly insulted me and said, “it’s clear you’re not a cat person.” Although I’ve spent my life with cats. There was one cat we really wanted, but without telling us (prior to our appointment) she was already adopted. They made it feel like they were just trying to push the cats out to homes without ensuring they were going to the right homes. Love an animal rescue and organization like this, but the volunteers made us so angry we honestly don’t feel comfortable using King Street Cats again. Truly can’t emphasize enough how awful and mean they were. Also told them (prior to everything), that I wanted to volunteer at an organization like this. And they said, “we’re not accepting applicants. And we have many already.” Just a series of horrendous experiences. UPDATE: Just realized one of the (what I thought were) volunteers, was actually the president of the org. Actually amazed that the president of KSC was so unbearable. Vivien was her name.

Misplaced priorities. King Street Cats makes it so difficult to adopt a cat from their shelter that I doubt that the employees working there have any interest in getting their cats into permanent homes at all.

King St Cats had me come up with a theoretical situation in which I’d consider declawing (which I had no intention of doing), then told me I was unfit because I came up with the requested hypothetical! Never mind that all my cats have lived to nearly 20, the volunteers and esp the head of this org are far more interested in being smug than in placing pets in forever homes. I completely agree with the other reviews that say the volunteers here are much more interested in judging you than in the cats’ adoptions. My husband and I ended up adopting from FancyCats where ALL the focus was on the welfare of the cats and on making good home matches. All the volunteers and foster parents were kind and caring, and we finally ended up with an adorable fur baby. Who has and will keep all her little claws, no less...

This is the best cat adoption center. A few years ago, they placed us with our cat, stating our first choice cat would not be a good fit. We are so happy they did, as we could not have asked for a more perfect cat for our family.

This cat shelter is such a gem! I volunteer here regularly, and there are always so many wonderful cats available for adoption– ranging from kittens to seniors to cats with special needs who require an extra special owner who can offer lots of love + care. If you are looking to welcome a new furry friend into your family, I highly recommend King Street Cats! :)

A ton of fraudulent 5 star reviews!!! After you submit an application you’ll find out they had pending apps on that same cat. You’ll also find out that they remain the primary contact on the cats microchip after adoption! We solved the issue by paying for the vet to remove it And replace it. It was expensive but worth sticking it to king streets cat. I’m just grateful I actually love my kitten. I was originally denied for absolutely no given reason. And I wasn’t denied via email I was denied the moment Vivian SAW me (I am a biracial woman with visible tattoos. I’ve rescued for 11yrs now. She judged me with no second thought. No worries though. My husband looks nothing like me and he went and applied, made up some good sounding answers and brought my fur baby home within a week no issue. I was desperate because I felt a bond with the kitten I met with however KSC is rude and judge mental and they don’t care about placing the cats in a good home.

It DOES NOT MATTER how well you prepare and plan and are qualified to take perfect care of a cat. King Street Cats discriminates based on appearance, age, profession, relationship status, and a further ridiculous list of irrelevant factors that have absolutely nothing to do with the welfare and care of a pet. If you are anything but a wealthy, married, late 20s or beyond individual, you will very likely put in hours of work over months for your many accepted applications to be thrown out the window when they take one glance at you and decide they just don't like the look of you. Do not waste your time, no matter how qualified or experienced an owner you are. Your ability and experience to provide a wonderful home for an animal DOES NOT MATTER to the people who work here and clearly don't understand what is important in finding a home for a cat.

Such a great place for adopting a cat

Can you believe this place is 100% volunteer run? I love KSC because all of the helpers are in it for the cats. And it shows. I started volunteering here after a while, and now I do much less but I purchase and drop off supplies for the kitties about once a month. I’ve seen some people be *shocked* that their applications are turned down (a process I have never been involved in myself), but some of them give off really strange vibes in their relationship to the cats. I have to say, I’ve definitely seen people come in looking for a cat and I just...don’t feel good about it. If I see someone forcibly grabbing a cat and picking them up repeatedly, and they don’t seem to care about the cat’s body language, and they make odd comments like “I hope this cat doesn’t die on me two years in”...as a former volunteer at the shelter on weekends, I can tell you this would be going in my notes. Are people turned down for this reason? I don’t know. There are background checks. What if the shelter calls a family’s veterinarian (a requirement if you have current pets) and the vet reports that the current pets aren’t well cared for? What if they call to check on the lease and find out that the family isn’t supposed to have any more pets? I’m sure some of the reviews are legitimate. Everyone is entitled to their experience and opinions. However, based on tone alone I wonder if some of the angry reviews weren’t turned down politely for quite reasonable reasons but weren’t told why and so couldn’t grasp it.

Certainly a pro cat group of people. Appreciated their double door system to gain access to their cat meeting room.

As all animal lovers understand, it's important that a potential pet owner is responsible and serious about making the decision to adopt. That being said, I got the impression from KSC that they enjoy the process of judging potential pet owners and making far fetch assumptions about them more than they care about getting these cats into real homes. The reasons they gave me for denying my application showed me how little they actually listened to me while I visited with the cats. I've been preparing to adopt a cat for several months now and have been waiting for the right cat at the right time. I thought I communicated this to the volunteers but they obvious missed that when they said they were concerned about me being in college (grad school I will stress, a working professional) and thinking I wouldn't give this cat a forever home. Even though I specifically mentioned I wanted a young cat who wouldn't die on me two years in. Their inability to actively listen to their patrons coupled with the dirty and cramped facility (compared to other shelters) is why I gave them the low rating.

very good place With cats

Fabulous experience, it took a week but our daughter is over the moon with her "new" kitty!

Came by to check the place out. The volunteers were very friendly, as were the cats. They were also very happy and running around the rescue, many of them insisting on being pet and held.

These volunteers care so much for these cats and are exceptionally helpful for their fosterers. They deserve all the help they give to utter sweetheart cats! As a fosterer, I'm glad to have met these wonderful people.

Outstanding cat-only animal shelter, all-volunteer run.

Staff have the best interests for all of the cars housed at KSC. In December, 2017 adopted an adorable kitten as a playmate for MeMe, my 1 1/2 year old feline. Her older brother Tuna (my emotional support cat) had recently passed. Staff enabled me considerable time to select the newest member of the family. Described each cats best features...to make the best match, etc. In short, superb service with a highly trained and committed team. You won't regret it. Forget other shelters if you just want a fabulous cat or two!????????

We adopted at the king street cats 3 cats. We don’t had any trouble or something. The staffs are very kind and helpful when it comes to the cats ! I’m really highly recommend it

I've never met a group of people more dedicated to the care of the cats -- not one of whom is being paid to be there at 9pm coaxing a depressed cat to eat or at the ER at 1am with a sick kitten, and then get up and go to their "real" jobs. I'm proud to have volunteered here for 12 years and know first-hand the blood, sweat and tears that goes into cherishing each and every cat. KSC is one of the rare safe havens for cats with special behavioral and medical needs that just don't make it because they are deemed "too hard to adopt out" elsewhere. Cats are given all the TLC and time they need to learn trust and to eventually decide to adopt someone...even if it takes years in Patches' and Maxie's cases! I'm also glad KSC takes finding a forever home seriously and is not a "retail rescue" -- no one can walk in and pick a cat off the shelf to match their sofa (yes, true story).

I briefly volunteered here before leaving the area and loved my experience. An all volunteer organization that 100% has the cats' best interest at heart. I could feel the kindness and compassion every-time I went into the building to take a cat out for an adoption event. The building is always very clean, the cats are always full and there are plenty of perches for climbing or napping!

Very standoffish and mean people. I thought we're trying to find homes for cats? I felt like I am applying for a government position. A total joke.

Wonderfully cared for cats. Came home with two and they warmed up to us in just one day, showing how well they were cared for. Great shelter!

Great free roam cat shelter. Awesome volunteers.

Fully volunteered, it is an amazing place to get a pet.

The cats are allowed to roam free during afoption hours so you can see how they interact with other cats and humans. The staff and volunteers here are extremely friendly and helpful. There are lots of cats here to pick from!

This place is amazing. They really care about the cats and want to make sure they get a loving home. My husband and I just adopted a sweet companion for our cat from KSC. They were great about finding a time to meet the foster kitties around our schedule. The folks volunteering and fostering there were all so nice. Great experience.