Island Cat Resources & Adoption

Highly dedicated people who are committed to the wellbeing of community cats. They have been very helpful through the years with helping to educate us on how to trap, release and care for feral kitties. Merry and the amazing volunteers seem to go above and beyond for all kitties. I very much respect this organization.

I’m really surprised with all of the positive reviews on here. After Mary «helped» us get our kitten who we love very much, the pricing of getting him fixed kept going up and up from $ 25 to $ 75 to upwards of that as we were sitting in the waiting room of the pet hospital. I felt like a charity case when I arrived at the hospital. Mary was aggressive after we tried getting ahold of her for 2 HOURS and she made an appointment at 7AM without our permission. She set the appointment for 6 weeks old and when I called the vet I will now be going to who has much better references I was told only adoption services require them to be fixed so young and they don’t recommend the kitten being fixed until 4 – 6 MONTHS. I feel like Merry has been a pushy middle man for some inanimate object and uses her services into tricking people she is helping them. When the hospital was asked how long the procedure take they said «I dunno we close at 9PM so before that» it was 7AM. How long was my 6 week old kitten supposed to sit in a cage surrounded by barking dogs?

ICRA is a wonderful organization that takes special care of every cat it rescues.
I adopted two beautiful sister kittens from them and am so happy I did. The girls arrived well-​adapted to human interaction, friendly and cuddly. They were already spayed, had had their initial innoculations, and were/​are in excellent health. Their foster mother Julia was supportive and helpful on every step of the adoption, and prepared them for their new home beautifully.
The small donation I paid was well worth the quality of care given to these kittens, and I would adopt from ICRA any time. It deserves our support.

I adopted my kitty Fry from them. His foster mom helped make sure I was picking out a good fit for my household. She even did a home visit.
I would adopt from them again!

My husband and I adopted a pair of young cats last year, we and still keep in touch with our cats’ foster mom! She is very knowledgable about cat behavior, health, and nutrition. We always felt like we had support from the group on everything.
Our cats were immunized, tested for FIV/​FeLV, and neutered. We even had a recommendation to an excellent vet whom they already had a history with.
ICRA volunteers are the most dedicated, compassionate, passionate cat lovers I have ever met. I love that the cats are fostered and properly socialized with humans and not just left at a shelter. That’s where the dedication comes in… They only have so many volunteers but many cats that need fostering and forever homes!
Thanks ICRA for introducing us to our fur kids!

I recently adopted my first cat from ICRA. I began by sending an email to their general info email and got a response very quickly. They were very responsive and began helping me find the right cat for me. They suggested a few options for me to go meet in person. They even sent me a cat that hadn’t been posted to their site yet, who ended up being the one I choose. They were very patient with me, let me set up multiple visits to the foster homes and answered all the questions I had about cat ownership. They were also very honest with me. The 5yr old cat I initially chose to adopt began having litter box problems and they recommended I choose a different cat which they felt would be easier for a first time owner. I’m very happy with my cat. Thank you Merry, Erin and Christina for all your help and support. And thank you Elyse (reviewer below) for trapping and rescuing my beautiful little girl.

ICRA is a group of committed and compassionate cat lovers who do whatever it takes to help the homeless kitties. For an entirely volunteer group of individuals, it is hard to believe how far their effects reach. I am familiar with a number of volunteers who trap, neuter, and return ferals in locations which one would not want to visit in the daytime but that doesn’t stop them. My two ICRA adoptees were found in a flower pot in Alameda, bottle fed by a volunteer, and then adopted to me. When one of them was identified as having a heart murmur, I was supported through all the necessary tests for her. She thrives today. When her littermate had a infection, one of the volunteers came to my home to administer the meds that resolved the issue. They do what is needed to support the care of the cats that they love. The fundraisers are well done, well attended, and help support the ongoing needs of the cats for veterinary care. When you adopt from ICRA, you get the knowledge of the temperament of the cat you are adopting because you meet the foster parent and see the cat in their home rather than at a shelter. It’s a great way to adopt and support eliminating homeless kitties.

The smartest, most compassionate, most dedicated and experienced cat rescue group I have ever known. Its wonderful to live in Alameda except for the fact that many people abandon their cats here and nearby. Good kitties, nice kitties who deserve a happy home.
I’m proud to be a volunteer and urge everyone who can to foster a cat (or cats!) with ICRA. It’s an amazingly satisfying and enriching experience leaving you asking «who rescued who?»

Friendly helpful, many there love cats more than me and that’s hard to find, thanks you guys!

Thank you ICRA for a wonderful adoption process of Hemingway, our handsome, velvety black cat! He has been a wonderful addition to our family. The team of folks at ICRA helped bring Hemingway into our home and worked with us through his transition period. A great team that really ensures the adoption goes well and the family is happy. I really couldn’t have asked for much more. Plus Hemingway has been such a lovable cat which has made our day, every day.
Thank you again ICRA!

The people in this organization are incredibly helpful and nice. The cat I adopted had been severely traumatized and was very frightened of me when I first got her. The ICRA people coached me how to handle my cat so that she gradually become more comfortable with me and her new home. During this process, which lasted about a month, I communicated regularly with my coaches via telephone and e-​mail. They always responded promptly and helpfully. It was not long before my cat was content and comfortable with me and her home. I do not believe this would have happened without the coaching I received from ICRA.
When my cat escaped from my apartment several months ago and did not return for quite some time, I again contacted my ICRA coaches, who provided me with useful strategies that helped get my cat to return. This group has a team of dedicated, kind, and humane folks who genuinely love cats and the people who take care of them. I’m very grateful to them for their compassionate and competent help every step of the way in what has been for me the delightful experience of having a loyal and fun feline friend.

I recently adopted a kitten from ICRA, and Merry and Angie were so incredibly helpful and friendly. I have been wanting to adopt a second cat but was hesitant bc I wanted to find the right match to get along with my cat Ziggy.
I went in on a Saturday at petco adoption center and they had a nice & clean setup. The ladies were all so nice and friendly.
When it was time to adopt my kitten, Merry and Angie came to drop off the kitten at my house. I appreciate that and how much effort they take in making sure the cat goes to a good home! They were also good at communicating with me through emails and over the phone.
I am so happy & thrilled that I adopted my new kitten!!! :)

I wasn’t expecting to find a cat, but had been window shopping at the pet store while waiting for our car to be washed when she chose my husband. He leaned down to pick up a toy mouse off the floor, and when he put it in the cage, she came over to interact with him. She had been found abandoned with her litter mates at the old naval housing area. Almost dead, with badly infected eyes, she had to be hand fed at first. I was looking for a cat with unusual markings, so when he inquired about the grey tabby kitten, I was like «BOORIING». But he insisted, so we kitty proofed the house, chose a name, and after passing the home visit/​interview/​application/​fee processing (holy crap!) AND promising she would not be an «only pet», Sapphire (not what she was called at the shelter) came into our lives. Now she is my closest friend (making my husband jealous somtimes) and we are usually together when I’m home. She insists on going to sleep every night with her face nestled into my neck and my arm around her. She was a ratty little thing, but grew into a gorgeous goddess! The foster mom had done such a good job with her, she always goes to the litter box, and has been very healthy. She is definitely the diva of our home, and keeps our Boston Terrier Samson in check when he gets too rambunctious. (We got him as a puppy after we had the kitty for about 5 weeks, so that she would be the senior pack member in his world!) I couldn’t be happier with my companion, I think she’s the best cat I have ever had or known. My husband always takes credit saying «I chose her, you called her ratty!» haha! Thanks ICRA!

In 2010 we lost both of our cats to illness. One was 18 and the other was 13. When we lost the 18 year old, we were heartbroken but were somewhat consoled by the fact our other guy still had lots of years left in him. A few months later when we lost him too, I was doubly devastated.
After a few weeks, Beau said, I think it’s time to think about getting another cat. While we love kittens, we knew we wanted someone a bit older that might have a tougher time finding a home than a kitten.
We started looking online at
and saw a picture of the most adorable one-​eyed, bent ear orange tabby anyone has ever seen. We went to the ICRA adoption spot in Pet Smart and fell completely in love with him.
When we went through the application process with Merry, she was very kind and very thorough. She explained his injuries were somewhat recent and he was still recovering from the trauma and may always be on the fearful side. And, that it might take a while for him to warm to us. He spent the first few days hiding under the dresser. Now, nearly a year later, he rules the house and our hearts.
I love that ICRA found an injured kitty and deemed him worth saving. I appreciate that Merry explained to us that it might take him a while to warm up to us and feel comfortable in his new home. She did a fantastic job of telling us exactly how to make him feel right at home.
If you are looking for a cat, I highly recommend ICRA!

They are ALL about the cats and doing what’s best for them. What I like most is that the ones that aren’t adoptable are released back into their colonies fixed and with vaccinations to live a normal (healthier) life… Love Merry and her crew!

When I found 3 day old kittens in the backyard, me and my roommates had no idea what to do. I wrote an email to ICRA and got a reply within a day. After my frantic plea, I got a phone call and was able to meet the Patron Saint of Kittens later that day.
Gina, who we can never thank enough, saved one of the kittens on the brink of death. She has been taking care of kittens for years and is definitely an expert in kitten care. What was great about her taking care of them, was that ICRA was going to spay and neuter the kittens, and get them up to date vaccinations. WE got them back a little early, so when they are big enough, we’ll certainly be calling ICRA.
If you have an kitten problems/​cat problems– they can help you. They saved our kittens lives and we now have to kittens, about 6 weeks old, and in great health. So if you need someone to help, call them and they will probably help you!

I adopted my sweet boy, Baxter almost four years ago. His name was Fritz, and he was living in San Leandro, the son of a feral and the favorite of one of his foster moms.
I was looking for a specific kind of cat personality — someone who was sweet and easy-​going because my other cat is definitely the alpha. The new cat would replace my Sherman, who died at age 18.
Baxter was a year and a half old and didn’t show well at Petco because he was shy. When he came home with me, he was scared of the noises of daily life and stayed in his own room for six weeks before he was ready to come out.
Today, he is Captain Stripey Head, Commander BooBearington and boon companion to my other cat, Petra. He still isn’t a lap cat, but he loves to snuggle in bed in the morning, and loves to be brushed. He is the sweetest boy ever!
Thank you, ICRA. You’ll be the first I turn to when it’s time to adopt again.

I’m not a cat person, but Selma, one of my wife’s two, is batting me on the leg as I type and trying to say ‘Hey Dad, you’re always Unilocaling about dog-​friendly restaurants and bars, and dog parks, and dog rescue groups; what about ICRA, where Mom adopted me and where you take all your friends who want to adopt cats”. She’s got a point. This group does great work in caring for and placing strays and surrendered cats. They and another rescue group both have adoption showoff days at the Alameda Petco, and while both groups do a good job, the ICRA cats seem generally better cared for and better socialized. I’ve known a number of their volunteers, and they are totally dedicated to the cats. Both the adoption events and their fundraisers are always friendly and professionally run. A good group in every way.

We adopted our little dude from ICRA in January, 2009. Little did we know that, when we thought we were interviewing him, the foster family was interviewing us! We immediately knew «Huff ‘n’ Puff» was the cat for us. It had been two years since our Ted had died and we finally felt recovered enough to give our hearts away again. The foster mom said she would bring «Huff ‘n’ Puff» over. I thought it was great that we were getting free delivery service!
Somewhere in the process there was what seemed like a lot of paperwork. I was surprised. We didn’t expect to have to answer a questionnaire. Weren’t they just grateful to have a home for one of their cats?
When Huff was brought over, the foster mom stayed for a while and visited. I didn’t know why she stayed so long but I figured she was just being social. We finished up the paperwork and she went over it with us. It began to dawn on me that maybe the folks at IRCA didn’t deliver their cats to just anyone! Perhaps she had delivered the cat, not as a free service, but to see what Huff’s new home would look like!
It’s a good thing I didn’t realize we were being checked out or I would have been a nervous wreck!
We are so happy with our Two (the name the cat, my husband and I settled on). He snuggled his way into our hearts very quickly.
We are extremely impressed with ICRA, their adoption process, their thoroughness, all the work they do, the dedication of their volunteers, the wonderful care they give the cats, and for making sure that their sweethearts go to good homes.
I’ll tell you, a little more of this kind of giving and our world would be a heck of a better place.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for ICRA. Time to fix THAT!
I adopted my beloved little guy, Simon Sebastien, from ICRA back in July of 2001 (they knew him as «Shasta», though he never answered to that name for me). Before I could adopt Simon I had to answer a questionnaire and they visited my home in order to determine that I was prepared to be a responsible cat caretaker. I’m so glad I passed the audition because I cannot imagine my life without Simon!
I am forever grateful for the folks at ICRA who rescued his litter and for his foster mom who gave him a great start in life!