Since 2019, we've been doing things differently. We're San Diego's first and only nonprofit Cat Lounge — a sun-filled La Jolla sanctuary where cats rescued from California's high-kill shelters can finally exhale, be themselves, and wait for the family who was always meant to find them.
Our Mission
Every day, thousands of cats in California's high-kill shelters run out of time — not because no one would love them, but because no one had the chance to meet them. The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center was founded in 2019 on a simple but powerful idea: what if cats had a real place to land? Not a cage, not a sterile kennel — but a warm, social lounge where they could decompress, rediscover their personalities, and connect with the people who might become their families.
Our mission is to rescue cats from euthanasia at high-kill shelters throughout California, provide a safe haven for rehabilitation and socialization, and adopt them out to loving homes — regardless of breed, age, or personality. We are a proud 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every visit, event booking, and donation to the Cat Lounge is a direct act of life-saving.
Our Impact in Numbers
One cat at a time — and a whole community pulling together to make it possible.
Cats Adopted Since November 2019
Founded in La Jolla
In Medical Care Provided
Of Donations Go to the Cats
Our Programs
Our programs go far beyond adoption. We've built a full-cycle network of support for cats and the San Diego community that loves them.
Flagship ProgramEvery cat in our La Jolla lounge arrived from a high-kill California shelter. When you adopt through the Cat Lounge, you're not just gaining a companion — you're giving a cat the second chance their first shelter couldn't provide. Cats of all ages, breeds, and personalities are always available and waiting to meet you.
Healthy cats and healthy communities go hand in hand. Our in-house vaccine clinic serves San Diego cat owners beyond our own rescue population — because keeping cats in homes starts with keeping them healthy. Affordable, accessible care right here in La Jolla.
Life circumstances change — and sometimes loving owners need help finding a new home for their cat. Our Cat Placement program offers a compassionate, responsible path for owners who need to rehome, while connecting cats with vetted adopters through our established network.
The Cat Lounge is San Diego's most unique event venue — imagine your birthday party, team outing, or date night surrounded by purring rescue cats. Private event rentals directly fund our rescue operations, making every celebration a life-saving act.
New Program
The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center is proud to offer a new program designed to support our community cat feeders. When we receive donated food or supplies that we're unable to use in our rescue, we make these items available — free of charge — to those who help care for outdoor community cats.
Availability varies and items are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This program is exclusively for active community cat feeders who care for unowned, outdoor cats — it is not available to private pet owners.
Feeders must be able to pick up supplies in person and may be asked for their information and to briefly describe the colony they support. Together, we can make a difference for San Diego's community cats.
Our Journey
From a bold idea to San Diego's only nonprofit Cat Lounge — here's how we got here.
The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center welcomed its first rescued cats to La Jolla, officially becoming San Diego's first and only nonprofit Cat Lounge. The organization earned its 501(c)(3) status with EIN 83-4145075, launching a new model for cat rescue in Southern California.
Even as the world paused, the need for cat rescue didn't. The Cat Lounge™ continued pulling cats from high-kill California shelters, adapting operations to keep both cats and community members safe while expanding awareness of the nonprofit Cat Lounge™ model.
With growing community support, the Cat Lounge deepened its suite of services — expanding the Cat Placement program and strengthening relationships with high-kill shelters statewide to increase the number of cats given a second chance.
Recognizing that healthy cats stay in homes, the Cat Lounge introduced its in-house vaccine clinic — extending the organization's reach beyond adoption to become a true community resource for all San Diego cat owners.
The Cat Lounge™ passes 5,000 cats saved — every one of them rescued from a high-kill California shelter and placed with an adopter, foster, or partner shelter.
Five years since opening day. The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center marks half a decade as San Diego's first and only nonprofit Cat Lounge — proving that a thoughtfully designed lounge space can be one of the most powerful tools in saving lives.
More than 6,000 cats saved — and the demand keeps rising. As intake from California's high-kill shelters grows faster than our capacity, we're leaning on our community more than ever to keep this work going. We need your help.
The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in La Jolla, California. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Legal Name
The Cat Lounge™ Rescue and Adoption Center
EIN
83-4145075
Organization Type
501(c)(3) Public Charity
NTEE Classification
D20 — Animal Protection & Welfare
Year Founded
2019
Location
La Jolla, CA (San Diego)
Every adoption, every donation, every afternoon spent in the lounge moves a cat one step further from a cage and closer to a couch. There's a role for everyone — come find yours.