Gilroy’s cat adoption path runs primarily through the county’s shared shelter facility, with a dedicated local cat rescue as an alternative offering a more focused, cat-only experience. Here’s what to know about both before you make the trip.
Santa Clara County Animal Shelter
The County of Santa Clara Animal Services shelter, located at 12425 Monterey Road in San Martin, CA, provides sheltering services to Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Sunnyvale. Call (408) 686-3900 with questions. Because this single facility serves three cities at once, its intake volume and selection tend to be larger than what a single-city shelter could offer on its own.
| Age Group | Fee |
|---|---|
| Cats (5+ months) | $90 + $10 carrier |
| Kittens (4 months or less) | $100 + $10 carrier |
Residents can deliver stray animals Monday–Friday, 12–6 PM, and Saturday–Sunday, 12–5 PM. Adoption visiting hours can differ from intake hours, so it’s worth calling ahead to confirm before driving out.
Garlic City Kitty Rescue
Garlic City Kitty Rescue focuses specifically on cats in the Gilroy area — a more targeted option than the general county shelter, worth checking if you want a rescue with a narrower cat-only focus. Smaller, cat-dedicated rescues like this one often have more detailed information about each individual cat’s temperament and background, since fewer cats pass through at any given time.
What the County Fee Includes
Both the cat and kitten fees include a $10 charge for a cardboard carrier, worth knowing so you’re not caught off guard by the small add-on at checkout. Beyond the carrier, the base fee typically bundles spay/neuter, vaccination, and microchipping into a single price rather than billing them separately.
Finalizing the Adoption
Once you’ve chosen a cat, expect a short paperwork process confirming your contact information, any household details relevant to the cat’s needs, and payment of the adoption fee. Bringing your own carrier — even though the county provides one for a small fee — can make the ride home more comfortable if you already have a sturdier option at home.
Before You Adopt
See our guide to cat-proofing your home before adoption, and if you’re adopting a kitten, our guide to adopting a kitten covers what to know first, even if you’re not in the Fresno area specifically.
Budgeting Beyond the Adoption Fee
Whether you adopt from the Santa Clara County shelter or Garlic City Kitty Rescue, the fee itself is just the entry cost. Plan for basic supplies — a litter box, litter, food and water bowls, a scratching post — plus a first round of veterinary visits beyond what’s already included in the adoption fee. Bay Area veterinary costs also tend to run higher than in smaller inland markets, so it’s worth getting a sense of local vet pricing before you’re facing an unexpected bill.
Pet insurance is worth considering early, ideally enrolled within the first few weeks after adoption, since most policies exclude pre-existing conditions once they’ve been diagnosed. Enrolling before any issue shows up gives you the broadest possible coverage down the line.
Why Local Rescues Matter Alongside County Shelters
A large shared county facility like the one serving Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Sunnyvale plays an essential role, but smaller, cat-focused rescues like Garlic City Kitty Rescue fill a different gap — often taking in cats with specific medical or behavioral needs that need more individualized attention than a high-volume shelter can provide. Supporting both kinds of organizations, whether through adoption, donation, or volunteering, keeps the overall local system more resilient.
If you’re not ready to adopt today, both organizations typically welcome volunteers for socializing cats, cleaning, or event support — a genuinely useful way to help the local cat population even before you’re ready to bring one home.
Weighing a Kitten vs. an Adult Cat
Whether you adopt from the county shelter or Garlic City Kitty Rescue, it’s worth genuinely weighing a kitten against an adult cat rather than assuming a kitten is automatically the better choice. Kittens demand significant supervision and kitten-proofing through their first year, while adult cats generally arrive with an already-formed personality, making it far easier to predict how they’ll fit your specific household and daily routine right away.
Ask staff at either organization directly about a specific adult cat’s known temperament — whether it does well with children, other cats, or dogs — since this kind of detailed behavioral history simply isn’t available yet for a kitten still developing its personality.
Multi-Cat Households and Introductions
If you already have a cat at home, plan for a gradual introduction rather than a same-day meeting. Keep the new cat separated in its own room for the first several days, swapping bedding between the two so each becomes familiar with the other’s scent before any face-to-face interaction, which meaningfully reduces the odds of an early conflict setting the relationship off on the wrong foot.
Settling In After You Get Home
Set up a single quiet room with food, water, a litter box, and a hiding spot before giving your new cat access to the rest of the house, and resist the urge to introduce it to every family member or visitor on day one. A calmer, more gradual first week at home tends to produce a more confident, better-adjusted cat over the following month than a rushed, overwhelming introduction to your entire household at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the shelter that serves Gilroy?
Santa Clara County’s shelter is located at 12425 Monterey Road in San Martin, CA, serving Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Sunnyvale as a single shared facility rather than separate city-specific shelters.
What does Santa Clara County charge for cats?
$90 for cats 5 months or older, and $100 for kittens 4 months or younger, plus $10 for a cardboard carrier either way.
What are the shelter’s intake hours?
Monday through Friday, 12–6 PM, and Saturday–Sunday, 12–5 PM, for residents delivering stray animals — adoption visiting hours can differ slightly, so calling ahead is worth it.
Is there a cat-specific rescue near Gilroy?
Yes — Garlic City Kitty Rescue focuses specifically on cats in the Gilroy area, offering a more personalized alternative to the larger shared county shelter.
Does the county shelter offer any fee waivers?
Fee waivers and promotions vary and change periodically — it’s worth asking directly when you call, since counties across California frequently run limited-time adoption specials.
Not in Gilroy? We Can Still Help
Cats By The Tracks is a foster-based rescue serving Fresno and the Central Valley.