Feline Adoptions
We regularly have cats and kittens available for adoption. Adoptable cats vary in breed, age and personality. Some are indoor companion cats that love the cozy comforts of staying inside. Others, known as barn/working cats, love the adventures and freedom of the outdoors. All adoptable cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and medically evaluated.
Did You Know...
Nearly every day, we get asked to take in new kittens to our sanctuary? As much as our heart aches for them, as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the costs to accept these kittens put an enormous strain on our funds and resources, which also affects our ability to help other animals at our sanctuary. Kittens require extensive medical support including vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter, and often, respiratory treatment. We know that if we don’t take in such kittens, and other rescues are full, the kittens will likely end up feral, reproduce and further the cat overpopulation crisis in our communities.
You can now help us combat this crisis and care for these vulnerable kittens. You can help by adopting, fostering or sponsoring a kitten. If you adopt a kitten from our sanctuary, we do require that you return to FSS for spaying or neutering. If you would like to be a cat or kitten foster, please call us at (410) 370-4402 or email us at februarystarsanctuary@gmail.com.
Sponsor a Kitten
You can now put your donation toward sponsoring a kitten! Once your donation is received, if you would like to come to our sanctuary and interact with your assigned kitten, we would love to see you! If you don’t live locally, we will send you a picture of the kitten you’re sponsoring. Any donation amount is appreciated. If you have family and friends who would also love to help a kitten in need, please feel free to share our information.
Feline Sanctuary
February Star Sanctuary strives to find every rescue cat a loving forever home. While we are most often successful in our efforts, we also provide permanent sanctuary to cats that cannot be adopted due to medical or behavioral needs. Many of our cats that cannot be adopted are barn cats. These feral cats enjoy the excitement of the outdoors and make for excellent, natural pest control in our barns. If you’d like to add nature’s best and cutest pest control to your barn, inquire about adopting one of our available barn cats.
Trap-Neuter-Return/Rehome Community Cats (TNR)
Our TNR program humanely stabilizes community cat populations through spay/neuter, vaccination, ear tipping, rehoming when appropriate and education. We provide information on ways others can assist in preventing cat overpopulation, tools to work toward a community-oriented solution and educate current and potential pet owners on responsible pet ownership. Overall, we seek to stabilize and decrease the stray and feral cat population through cost-effective strategies, see a decline in shelter intake and euthanasia and improve the overall health and quality of life for vulnerable cats.
Safe Haven for Cats
We provide free, temporary shelter and full veterinary care for cats belonging to women and families experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence.
No woman should have to choose between her safety and her pet.
As a result of our Safe Haven for Cats program, women and their kids can find safe and stable living conditions to become self-sufficient and financially stable, with the confidence that their beloved cat is also safe, well fed and receiving proper medical treatment. FSS will care for program participant cats for up to 1 year, during which time their owners can visit or take home their cat.
While cats are on-site, our veterinarians, staff and volunteers coordinate thorough wellness exams, provide preventative and emergency medicine to address acute and chronic medical issues, deliver nutritious food and provide a warm, loving, temporary home. We have a specific indoor location for cats that are in our temporary care through the long-term rental of a home aligned with the February Star Sanctuary farm. Cats are also able to enjoy the adjacent field area for outdoor enrichment.
At this time, there are no shelters in our county offering these imperative animal care services for women and their children in need. This leaves us as the only provider in our region. One of the leading reasons women do not seek the help they need and stay in a dangerous living situation, such as one involving domestic violence, is because they are concerned there is nowhere for them to take their beloved pet. According to Maryland Courts, in 2024, there were 39,473 reported cases of domestic violence, 1,464 of which were in Frederick County, where our sanctuary is located. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that 71% of women in domestic violence shelters state that an abuser injured or killed a pet and 52% of survivors have been forced to leave their pet with an abuser to seek help for themselves. Pets as Pawns, from Carlisle-Frank, Frank and Nielsen, reported that nearly 50% of victims choose to stay in an abusive relationship so they don’t have to leave their pet behind. Based on a study from the ASPCA, up to 25% of victims return to an abuser because the abuser is using their pet as a way to force the victim back into the relationship. February Star Sanctuary's Safe Haven for Cats program, seeks to alleviate these concerns for women and their children.
