Cat Rescue and Adoption

Following are cat rescue organisations that have information in English and foreign volunteers: 
HAPPY KITTEN and NABIYA. Following is information on each of them. There is also KOPC (Korea Organization for the Protection of Cats) that as a Korean-language Cafe Daum site with adoptable cat listings.

HAPPY KITTEN, located in Seoul, is a fostering home for kittens and cats who are rescued off the street, operated by volunteers and your support. Kittens here are provided with good care till being rehomed. The Korean volunteers of H.K. are also members of KOPC.

NABIYA is located in Itaewon and is a fostering home for rescued/abandoned cats. It is operated by volunteers and funded through donations. While the word 'nabi' means butterfly in Korean, it is also a term of endearment for cats.  Abandoned cats are fostered with Nabiya until a permanent home can be found.

NABIYA is always looking for volunteers as well as for people willing to adopt a cat and/or make a donation to help out with expenses.
The following information is from the NABIYA website. For more up-to-date information, please go directly to the website.

Bringing a cat to the shelter:
1. We accept your rescued cats and take care of them till they are being rehomed.

2. We take your donation as below in order to operate the shelter and take care of cats here. Your donation covers spay/neuter as well as any medical care and 1st vaccination shot including litter and food until a cat is being rehomed.

3. [Donation required to put your rescued cat at the shelter:
- Cash donation :  100,000 won(blood test for general virus should be run on a cat in prior to admission.)
- Any other form of extra donation will be appreciated as well.

4. Conditions under which NABIYA accepts cats: 
- The shelter cannot accept cats with contagious disease as it's a multi-cat place.
- Please consult to a vet in advance. We can also recommend you one, if you do not know any.
- It's primarily your responsibility to make an effort to find an adopter for your rescued cat. NABIYA only assists you.
- We accept tame cats only who are not over 8 months old in order to maximize adoption rate and minimize any conflict among cats at the shelter.
- Admission can be delayed or refused depending on the current number of the fostered cats.


Adopting a cat from NABIYA:
All persons adopting a cat must agree to the following:

1. I shall be the life-long human companion to my adopted cat from NABIYA.

 2. I shall take my adopted cat with me when I leave Korea.  I shall naver adandon.
*Should there by an insurmountable reason why cannot take the adopted cat with me when I leave Korea, I shall ring NABIYA and bring the cat back to NABIYA.
*I shall contact NABIYA in 2-months advance of my permanent departure out of Korea.
*If I am willing to find another person to rehome the cat, I shall notify NABIYA and have the new adopter to fill out a NABIYA's adoption contract.

3. I shall create a proper environment to comply with cat's habits/needs.
*i.e. scratchers, toys, cat-walk, cat-shelf, cat-tree, cat-tower, etc.

4. Most of all, I shall take a good care of my adopted cat with love and sympathy and never abuse him/her. (abuse includesany violent actions, unnecessary confinement, neglect, etc.)

5. In case you have to give up your adopted cat, you must talk to Nabiya for readoption or return of the cat for the best sake of the cat itself.

We are eagerly looking for cat adopters who are only willing to comply with the above listed requirements for the sake and happiness of the adopted cats and a continuous healthy companionship between you and the cat.

Please note that we are not a pet shop that sells cats!!

We want someone who will adopt a cat as a family member of his/hers, not just a pet.

Adoption charge is W70,000 (W30,000 if you will take care of vaccinations and neutering).

- If the adopted cat is too young to be fixed at the time of adoption, you need to bring him back when he is 6months old.

- This cost applies to an adult cat neutered(spayed) with vaccination.

- Your donation only goes to neutering/spaying as well as the 1st vaccination shot and food for the H.K. cats including general expences to run the shelter.

 For more information visit the NABIYA website at: http://cafe.daum.net/kittenshelter or  e-mail:  allie.cat.shelter@gmail.com or HAPPY KITTEN at http://www.happykitten.org/. The website address for KOPC is

K4E Note: If you know of other such organizations, please let us know by writing us at info@korea4expats.com