The short answer
PetSmart stores donate space to local rescues, which run the in-store cat adoption centres through PetSmart Charities of Canada. The rescue owns the cats, screens applicants, and keeps the adoption fee. To adopt, ask the store which rescue runs the centre and apply with them. Prefer to browse first? See adoptable cats from rescues across Canada in one place.
If you have wandered past the cat habitats at a PetSmart and wondered whether adopting one is somehow different from “real” rescue adoption, you are not alone. It comes up constantly, usually as “is it bad to adopt a cat from PetSmart?” The answer is no, and understanding why clears up how the whole program works.
Who the cats actually belong to
PetSmart does not sell cats, and it does not own the cats in its stores. Through PetSmart Charities of Canada, stores donate floor space to local rescues and shelters, which use the in-store adoption centres as satellite adoption locations. The charity reports more than 100 adoption partners across Canada and over 18,000 pets adopted each year through the program.
That structure is the whole answer to the “is it ethical” question. A pet store selling kittens sources them from breeders and profits from the sale. A PetSmart adoption centre is the opposite arrangement: the rescue keeps custody of the cats, does its own screening, keeps the entire adoption fee, and gets exposure to shoppers who would never have visited the shelter. The store gets goodwill and future customers. The cats get seen.
Every adoption centre has one specific rescue behind it, and it varies store by store. In the Calgary area, for example, rescues like AARCS hold adoption events at PetSmart locations. The habitat signage names the rescue, and any associate can tell you who it is.
How to adopt one, step by step
Meet the cat first. The habitats are designed for viewing, and staff or rescue volunteers can usually open them for a proper hello during staffed hours. If a cat clicks with you, ask which rescue operates the centre, then fill out that rescue's application, sometimes on paper in the store, more often online. The rescue reviews it the same way it reviews any application: home situation, other pets, landlord permission if you rent.
Approval can be same-day, especially during adoption events, or take a day or two if the rescue checks references. The fee is set by the rescue and typically covers spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, and a microchip, the standard rescue package. From there it is a normal adoption: paperwork, fee, and a cat in a carrier on the way home. Our first week with a rescue cat guide covers the settling-in period, and the kitten checklist has the supply run sorted.
One tip that surprises people: the in-store cats are often the rescue's most adaptable, people-comfortable cats, because living in a store takes confidence. If you want a wider selection, including shy cats, bonded pairs, and kittens still in foster homes, go one step upstream and browse the rescue's full listings, or search adoptable cats across Canada in one place.
Adoption events: where the dogs come in
Cats live in the permanent adoption centres, but dogs mostly arrive through events. Partner rescues book weekend adoption days at individual stores, and PetSmart Charities of Canada promotes national adoption event weekends through the year. Event days are a good time to adopt: more animals on site, rescue volunteers on hand to answer questions, and applications often processed on the spot. If you are watching for one, follow your local rescue's social pages, since they announce store events there first.
Browse adoptable cats before you visit
See cats and kittens from rescues across Canada, including the organizations behind in-store adoption centres, searchable with filters and alerts.
Browse Adoptable Cats →Frequently Asked Questions
How does cat adoption at PetSmart work?
The cats you see at PetSmart live in an in-store adoption centre that a local rescue or shelter operates. PetSmart donates the space through PetSmart Charities of Canada, but the rescue owns and cares for the cats, screens applications, and sets the adoption fee. When you adopt, you are adopting from that rescue, not from PetSmart. Ask a store associate which rescue runs the adoption centre, or check the signage on the habitat, and apply through that organization.
Is it bad to adopt a cat from PetSmart?
No, and this is the most common misconception about the program. Adopting a cat at PetSmart is not like buying a pet from a store, because the cats belong to local rescues and shelters that use the store as a satellite adoption space. The adoption fee goes to the rescue, the screening is the rescue's own process, and the cat gets the same spay or neuter, vaccinations, and microchip it would get adopted directly from the rescue. It is rescue adoption with better foot traffic.
How much does it cost to adopt a cat from PetSmart?
The rescue that runs the adoption centre sets the fee, so it varies by organization and by cat. Fees generally cover spay or neuter, vaccinations, a microchip, and a health check, the same package you would get adopting from the rescue directly. Kittens usually sit at the higher end and adult or senior cats lower. The habitat signage or the store associate can tell you which rescue to ask for current fees.
Can I take a cat home from PetSmart the same day?
Sometimes, but it depends on the rescue. Some partner rescues approve straightforward applications on the spot, especially during adoption events, while others review applications over a day or two, check references, or want the whole household to meet the cat first. If you are hoping for same-day adoption, bring ID, know your landlord's pet policy if you rent, and be ready to answer questions about your home and other pets.
Does PetSmart have dogs for adoption too?
Usually through events rather than in-store residents. Cats live in the permanent adoption centres because they manage confinement better, while dogs typically come to the store for weekend adoption events run by partner rescues. PetSmart Charities of Canada promotes national event weekends through the year, and local rescues also book their own event days at individual stores.
Which rescues have cats at PetSmart in Canada?
PetSmart Charities of Canada reports more than 100 adoption partners across the country, and the partner varies store by store. In the Calgary area, for example, rescues like AARCS hold adoption events at PetSmart locations. The reliable way to find out who runs your local adoption centre is to visit the store or call and ask which rescue operates it, then look that rescue up to see their process and their other adoptable cats.
Are PetSmart adoption cats healthy?
They receive the same veterinary preparation as any cat adopted from the partner rescue: spay or neuter, age-appropriate vaccinations, deworming, and usually a microchip. The rescue remains responsible for their care while they live in the adoption centre. As with any adoption, ask the rescue for the cat's medical records and disclosed history, and book a checkup with your own vet in the first week or two after adopting.
Where else can I adopt a cat near me?
Your local humane society, SPCA, and foster-based rescues all adopt out cats, and most list them online. LocalPetFinder aggregates adoptable cats from rescues across Canada into one searchable place, so you can browse by city, filter by age or compatibility, and set an alert for the kind of cat you are looking for. Each listing links to the rescue, where you apply directly.
Adoptable Cats Across Canada
Cats and kittens from rescues coast to coast, in one searchable place.
SPCA & Humane Societies in Canada
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What Cat Adoption Costs
Fees, what they include, and the first-year budget.
New Kitten Checklist
Everything to have ready before the carrier comes home.