All About Hagrid's Hope Cat Rescue

Hagrid's Hope is a small cat rescue that was started in 2023 to fill a void that exists in the Portage, Indiana community for the rescue and care of abandoned and homeless cats.  We named it in honor of Hagrid, one of the first cats we rescued.

We are the only cat rescue in the City of Portage, and in Porter County. We are often the only hope for homeless cats in our city. Portage Animal Control is not tasked with answering calls for homeless cats, unless the cats are sick or injured and need to be taken directly to a vet's office. Porter County Animal Shelter does not help Portage residents with stray cats because they have a limited contract with the city. Portage residents have no one else to call for help.

Hagrid’s Hope rescued about 140 cats in 2025. We generally have around 40 to 50 cats in our rescue and foster homes, many of them are kittens and their moms. The goal of Hagrid’s Hope is to provide these cats with food, medical care, vaccines, a safe place to live, and to assure that they are spayed/neutered, and prepared for adoption and life in a forever home. Hagrid’s Hope also conducts adoption events and fundraising events to help in their mission to save cats.

We are a 501c3 charity, operated completely by volunteers, and get our funding from donations. We do not receive any government or corporate funding. (EIN 93-3894136) 

One hundred percent of your donation goes to help cats and kittens. 

How have we helped?

Portage residents have called us for help when:

- cats have been abandoned on a resident’s property or in their neighborhood

- momma cats have had kittens under a homeowner’s porch/deck

- residents find cats that are injured, disabled, sick, or abused

- cats have been thrown from cars, or caught in a hunting trap

- a family can no longer keep a cat due to a death, illness or financial problems

- people needed help to get their own cats out of a home’s crawl space, rafters, heating duct, or car engine, or their cat was up on the roof

- a cat had kittens near the Indiana Toll Road and three of the kittens had already been hit and killed. We saved the rest of the kittens and the momma cat!

-local businesses (stores and a hotel) have called about cats in their buildings or on their property

- a realtor finds that cats have been abandoned by a family that moved out of the home

Why do we need your help?

Average monthly cost for food and litter  -  $100 per cat

Rabies vaccine - required by the city and state   -- $ 35 per year

Neuter surgery (males)  $100   -  Spay surgery (females)   $125

Average monthly vet bills  -  $800 – $1,000

How can you donate?

Through PayPal – it’s under our email address – hagridshope@gmail.com

At Centier Bank in Northwest Indiana

 Through our wish lists with Amazon.com or Chewy.com  -  under  Hagrid’s Hope Cat Rescue

Or donate for veterinary care at Hero Small Animal Hospital (219-515-4376)

How can you contact Hagrid’s Hope?

Email us at hagridshope@gmail.com

Or message us on Facebook – Hagrid’s Hope Cat Rescue

Hagrid's Hope Cat Rescue - Rescue, Foster and Adoption Guidelines

1.     If you call us to rescue a cat and or kittens, you acknowledge you are surrendering the animal to our care.

2.     When adopting, you will need to sign and agree to our rules for adoption. We will need to see your ID to verify your name and address.

3.     At any adoption interview we reserve the right to deny adoption to anyone

4.     If you choose to adopt and or foster to adopt, we reserve the right to have 2,4,6 and 8 week follow ups via messenger, or by phone - with new videos and/or pictures you provide and an update on their well-being. If we do not hear from you within 24 hours of us trying to contact you, we will be coming by your listed residence to do a wellness checkup.

5.     If we take in a cat or kitten, we are bound by law to have them vaccinated and spayed/neutered. When we pick up a stray cat or kitten, they now legally belong to Hagrid’s Hope Cat Rescue. If this was your pet that you wish to reunite with, you will be following the same adoption process as anyone else.

6.     If for any reason you cannot continue to care for this cat, we will happily take them back, no questions asked.  Please just give us a call.

Nap Time at Hagrid's Hope

Here are some tips for helping your new pet into your home:

1. We recommend trying to keep your home as calm as possible while your cat adjusts to the new sights, sounds and routines of your home.

2. If you have other animals, we recommend that you keep your new cat in a single, separate room for the first couple weeks.  Give them time to smell each other and get used to the presence of other animals before they interact.  Keep an eye on their initial interactions to judge if they are ready to be friends, or if they need a little more time to adjust.

3. Pheromone diffusers and calming treats are natural ways help cats feel calm. This may help if your new cat is feeling anxious or frightened by their new surroundings. (Pheromone diffusers plug into an outlet and emit an odorless cat pheromone that is like the one cats emit when they are nursing. This is calming to them. Veterinarians and rescues strongly recommend using theses diffusers. Calming treats or liquid supplements can also be given as treats or mixed in with their food.

4. Show your new cat their litter box and keep it easily accessible for the first few weeks until they learn their way around your home.

5. Make sure there is plenty of water and food available for your cat throughout the day and night.

6. If your cat has not yet been spayed/neutered, please be sure to get them in for this essential surgery. (There are enough homeless cats and we don’t need to add to the population.)  Also, keep up with their yearly vaccinations and wellness checks.

7. Be aware that kittens are like toddlers. They need to be watched carefully as they are curious about everything. Cords, strings, plants, glass, and many other hazards may interest them and cause harm.

8. Letting your cat go outside exposes them to many dangers and diseases. We strongly recommend that you keep cats indoors for their safety and health. Give them room to play and toys to chase, and they will be content inside. Leave out boxes for them to play and hide in, a place to sit by a window so they can watch birds, and scratching pads or posts to scratch on. 

9. Contact us any time you have questions about your cat’s care

10. There are many helpful websites, videos and books that have valuable information about cat care. (PetMD, fourpaws.com, petsafe.com, ASPCA, RSPCA – these are just a few)

11. Most of all, enjoy your new cat. Spend time playing and cuddling with them, and you will find they are great companions.

How to Adopt

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