Sun Cities 4 Paws Intake Process

Sun Cities 4 Paws accepts owned cats from the public by appointment on a limited basis based on space. As cats are adopted, space becomes available to bring in new cats to find homes.

Surrendering your own cat or kitten:

Please note that intake appointments are limited, so there may be a wait period before we can take your cat or kitten into the shelter (typically about three - four weeks).
Do not abandon your cat at any shelter or veterinary clinic. Animal abandonment is a misdemeanor offense. Maricopa County can fine and prosecute those who leave animals at shelters, pet stores or veterinarian offices or any facility.

Intake appointment:

The first step toward surrendering a cat to our shelter is to contact the Peoria Shelter at 623-773-2246. We can schedule an intake appointment for your cat, based on space availability, and whether we feel the cat would be a good fit for our adoption program.

  1. At your scheduled intake appointment, Sun Cities 4 Paws staff will perform a visual exam on the cat.
  2. All cats must be tested for FeLV and FIV and be negative for both prior to being accepted into our shelter. We cannot perform FeLV/FIV testing during the intake appointment. Cats must be tested prior to intake. Once cats are tested, they must be kept indoors to prevent future exposure to these diseases.
  3. Cats/kittens must be adoptable and not feral.
  4. If your cat is accepted into our adoption program, we request an intake donation to assist with the costs associated with caring for and finding homes for the cats in our shelter. Intake fees are as follows: Non-sterilized cat/kitten $75, sterilized cat/kitten $50, pregnant or nursing mom/kittens up to $150, litter of kittens up to $125

Why Sun Cities 4 Paws requires intake donations

Sun Cities 4 Paws charges an intake fee to help cover medical and general costs of caring for the cat while in our shelter. In addition to vaccinations and other medical treatments, Sun Cities 4 Paws provides socialization and enrichment, housing, bedding, food, water, litter, and other supplies while working to find new homes for the cats in our care.

Sun Cities 4 Paws is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and we do not receive any government funding. Your intake donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.

We understand that intake fees and donations may be a hardship for some individuals. Please discuss fee options with the intake counselor.



Sun Cities 4 Paws has many permanent shelter residents. We have a ‘Sponsor a Shelter Resident’ program to help offset costs. Read more here or donate here and choose Sponsor a Shelter Cat from the drop down menu.
Want to help us get items we need and use all the time? Click Here to be taken to our Amazon wish list. You can purchase items we use regularly and ship them directly to us. Thank you!