Cat Adoption Fees Waived For 1 Day Amid Emergency Shelter Overcrowding

SALEM, MA — MSPCA-Angell will waive adoption fees for adult cats at all four of its adoption centers on Friday as the organization tries to reduce an unusually high shelter cat population and make room for more cats expected in the coming weeks.

The one-day event applies to cats age 1 and older during regular adoption hours, and no appointment is necessary. The Northeast Animal Shelter of Salem, and MSPCA-Angell centers in Boston, Methuen and Cape Cod are participating in the adoption event.

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The organization announced the emergency event as more than 350 cats are currently in its care. Adoption fees, which normally range from $100 to $250, will be waived during the event, which is sponsored by the Catvocate Group.

"We don't often waive adoption fees for cats, let alone healthy, young ones, but capacity is extremely tight right now," said Jamie Garabedian, Project Manager for the MSPCA-Angell's Animal Protection Division.

Garabedian said the crowding is tied to both a high number of cats already in care and additional arrivals from local owner surrenders and partner shelters.

"In addition to the high number of cats we have in our care, we have had a significant number surrendered by local owners as well as scheduled relocations from partner shelters that count on us," she said. "For example, we received a surrender request this week involving approximately 20 cats from a local pet owner who was overwhelmed.

"We are able to help them, but my biggest concern is that, without a large number of cats being adopted, we won't have the flexibility to respond to other urgent local needs like these over the coming days and weeks."

According to Garabedian, early summer is typically a slower time for cat adoptions, but 2026 has been especially slow. Cat adoptions from the MSPCA-Angell between January and June 2026 are down nearly 7% compared with the same period in 2025, and that has left more cats spending longer in shelters while waiting for homes.

"We currently have a large population of healthy young cats waiting for homes," Garabedian said. "Typically, cats like these are adopted within days — or even hours — of becoming available, but they have been waiting longer than usual. We also have several higher-need cats who have been waiting for months, such as those who need additional medical or behavioral support, and we would especially love to help them find homes."

The organization said capacity constraints could also affect planned relocations from partner shelters in other states.

"We are expecting a flight of cats from Texas on Saturday that we may be forced to cancel," Garabedian explained, adding that the MSPCA-Angell does not want to reduce the number of relocated cats it can take in."

Adoption center hours and available cats can be found here.