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How to adopt a cat in Mexico City

Where to find cats for adoption, what you will be asked for and how to prepare your home so it settles in fast. Checked on October 13, 2026.

Reviewed by Paola De Valeri, veterinarian, October 17, 2026.

An adult tabby cat curiously steps out of its open carrier into a living room with plants, a scratching post and a screened window
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Where to adopt a cat in Mexico City

Cats from these places are usually handed over vaccinated, dewormed and spayed or neutered. Check requirements and hours before you go. Most staff speak Spanish only.

  • Animal Care Agency (AGATAN)

    Its catalog includes cats for adoption from its Chapultepec and Iztapalapa locations. Write to the email or call 56 4711 1186.

  • AdoptaCDMX (PAOT)

    The environmental attorney's office portal brings together more than a hundred shelters and associations. Filter by species to see only cats and contact the caretaker directly.

  • Animal Surveillance Brigade (SSC)

    Keeps rescued cats at its Xochimilco base (Av. Manuel Ávila Camacho s/n, Ciénega Grande) and puts them up for adoption. Call 55 5208 9898 before you go.

  • Adoptist

    A platform with dogs and cats from shelters and rescuers, with filters by age, personality and who they live well with.

Cat adoption fairs

  • Adoptatón by Sedema and AGATAN: in 2026 it was on May 16 at the Monumento a la Revolución; the city holds more throughout the year in different boroughs.
  • Gato Fest: in 2026 it was on August 9 at the Miguel Hidalgo borough plaza, with shelters bringing cats for adoption.
  • Boroughs and shelters announce fairs on their social media: follow them to hear about the next one.

Prepare your home before it arrives

  • Screens on windows and balconies: cats fall from heights more often than you think.
  • One litter box per cat, plus one extra, away from its food and water.
  • A sturdy, tall scratching post so it leaves your furniture alone.
  • Hiding spots: a box or a covered bed where it feels safe.
  • A hard carrier to bring it home and to go to the vet.
  • The same food the shelter gave it, to switch little by little.
  • A little catnip in its hiding spot or on its scratching post, to help it relax in its new space.

The first days

  1. 1. Start with a single room. Put its litter box, water, food and a hiding spot there. When it eats, uses the litter box and comes up to you, open the rest of the home.
  2. 2. Let it come to you. It's normal for it to hide for a day or two. Sit nearby, talk softly and don't pull it out.
  3. 3. If you already have a cat. First, a quarantine: keep it apart from your other cat for 12 days and take it to the vet before they meet, to rule out contagious diseases or parasites. Then introduce them slowly: first by scent (swap their blankets), then through a cracked door and finally in the same room, with you there.
  4. 4. Take it to the vet. In the first weeks, for a checkup. Ask which vaccines are missing and whether it was tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Current cat adoption campaigns

See all current campaigns

Frequently asked questions

Where can I adopt a cat in Mexico City?
In the AGATAN catalog (Chapultepec and Iztapalapa), on PAOT's AdoptaCDMX filtering by cats, at the Animal Surveillance Brigade in Xochimilco and at adoption fairs run by the city, the boroughs and shelters.
What do I need to adopt a cat?
Usually an official ID (your passport works), proof of address and an application. Many shelters ask for window screens and some do a home visit or charge a recovery fee.
Is it better to adopt a kitten or an adult cat?
An adult already has its personality, so you know what it's like; a kitten needs more time and play. If you are away from home many hours, adopting two kittens together or a calm adult usually works better.
How long does it take a cat to settle into a new home?
Some settle in within days and others take several weeks. Starting with a single room, keeping fixed routines and letting it come to you helps it go faster.

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Sources

Each place sets its own requirements, hours and dates, which may change. Information from (in Spanish):