About Savage Cats

If you know us at Brewing Good Coffee, you know we are animal lovers. One of our owner’s previous career was animal rescue, so when we discovered that our shop’s neighborhood (Savage, Maryland) has a stray cat population that no one else was helping, we got to work. 

What happens with the friendly cats and kittens?

We rescue friendly stray cats from the street, provide them veterinary care, including testing, vaccines, microchip, and spay/neuter, and house them in foster homes until they are adopted. Our adoption process is outlined below. 

What happens with the unsocialized cats?

We TNR unsocialized adult cats. TNR (trap-neuter-return) is the process of humanely trapping unsocialized community cats (sometimes called “feral” cats), providing them testing, vaccines, and spay/neuter, returning them to the location they were trapped, and then continuing to manage the colony by regularly feeding and monitoring for illness. Unsocialized cats who have been TNR’d are “ear-tipped”; the tip of one ear (usually the left) is painlessly removed while the cat is under anesthesia during their sterilization surgery. This has no impact on the use of their ear or quality of life and is an important signal that the cat is fixed. 

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Adoption Process

Step 1: Check out the profiles of our adoptable cats

Scroll down see their profiles!

Step 1 of our adoption process is an applicant reviewing the profiles of our adoptable cats and considering who might be a good fit for your family. 

Do you live alone, have cat experience, and enjoy earning a cat’s trust and seeing them blossom? One of our shy cats would love to come home with you! 

Do you have an active household with children? A confident, playful cat or kitten would fit right in! 

Step 2: Fill out an adoption application

Click here to apply to adopt a Savage Cat!

You can apply to adopt a specific Savage Cat or you can describe the kind of personality you’re looking for and we will match-make with one of our current fosters or hang onto your application until we have a good fit for you. 

The four major conditions of adoption are:

(1) All human members of the household must be enthusiastic about the addition of a new cat. Cats cannot be gifted to another household or a surprise for any members of the household. All household members must be present at a meet-and-greet prior to final adoption approval. 

(2) We prioritize the quality of life of any existing animals in the home. All non-human members of the household might not be on-board initially with a new family member - proper introductions and integration take time, skill, and patience. We work with our adopters to ensure that neither their existing animals nor the newly adopted cat(s) are experiencing undue stress and/or ultimately don’t thrive together. In the unlikely case that the existing and new animals cannot peacefully co-exist, Savage Cats accepts our adoptees back into our foster program. 

(3) Adopted Savage Cats must live inside exclusively and never be allowed outdoors unmonitored and/or unrestrained. 

(4) It is a requirement of adoption that Savage Cats receive yearly check-ups.Applicants who currently or have previously owned animals must be able to provide veterinary records showing: a minimum of once yearly check-ups, confirmation of spay/neuter, up-to-date monthly preventatives (flea/tick and heart worm prevention), and up-to-date "core" vaccinations (see more below). We call applicants' veterinarian’s office to confirm the information provided on our adoption application.

Applicants who have never owned animals will be required to schedule a vet appointment to establish their new cat(s) as a client with a clinic. The appointment must be scheduled prior to bringing the cat(s) home, must occur within one month of adoption, and the adopter must provide documentation of that visit (such as copy of the invoice) to Savage Cats. Adopters must also update Savage Cats if they change veterinary offices within the first year of adoption. Savage Cats may call the vet office to verify yearly check-ups are occurring. 

It is a requirement of adoption that Savage Cats receive yearly check-ups, at a minimum.

Yearly check-ups give your veterinarian the chance to examine the things that we can't check (like the sound of our animal's heart, lungs) or don't look super closely at regularly (their teeth, inside their ears) to ensure they are in good shape or that we are catching any problems early. This is especially important with cats because they actively hide that they aren't feeling well as self-protection. 

"Core" vaccines are those that are recommended or required for both dogs and cats. Dogs: heart worm prevention, rabies and DAPP - Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus - vaccines / Cats: rabies and FVRCP - Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, and Feline Panleukopenia - vaccines. Additional vaccines, such as leptospirosis or kennel cough for dogs and FeLV for cats, may be recommended based on an animal's risk of exposure. 

Note: Processing applications takes up to seven days. Please email karla@brewinggoodcoffeecompany.com if you have not heard back from us in that timeframe.

Step 3: Meet the Savage Cat(s)

Follow us @SavageCatsMD on Instagram for adoption event announcements!

All of our adoptable Savage Cats are in foster homes. We host meet-and-greets at Brewing Good Coffee Co. at least once a month when we have social adoptable cats.

Anyone can meet the attending cats and apply to adopt, but cats do not go home same-day at these events unless an applicant has been pre-approved prior to the event. All human members of a household must meet the cat before adoption is finalized.

Follow us on Instagram @BrewingGoodCoffeeCo or @SavageCatsMD for event announcements.

We also schedule private meetings at the shop with approved applicants any time. We will arrange this with you once your application is received and approved. 

Step 4: Adoption Agreement

We do not have adoption fees, but we do have adoption requirements. These are outlined in our adoption agreement, which is signed on the day a Savage Cat goes to their new home. The agreement covers the requirements of basic daily care, a minimum of yearly veterinary care, and that the cat stays under the care of the signing adopter for the rest of that cat’s life. 

If an adopter is unable or unwilling to continue caring for their adopted cat at any time for any reason, we require that the cat is returned to us. We do not allow the cat to be surrendered to another rescue or shelter or re-homed to an adopter that has not been through our application process. Because we make this lifetime commitment to all our Savage Cats, their microchips are and remain registered to us as the primary contact. 

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Adoptable Cats

All of our adoptable Savage Cats are in foster homes. Get to know them through their profiles and our posts on Instagram (@BrewingGoodCoffeeCo or @SavageCatsMD) and follow us for meet-and-greet event announcements! We will arrange for approved applicants to meet the cat(s) they are interested in.

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Sourdough & Brioche (bonded pair)  

Sourdough (male) and Brioche (female)

Age: 1 year 

Medical: spayed and neutered, received rabies and FVRCP vaccines, de-wormed, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, microchipped

Their story: We rescued Sourdough and Brioche from the woods behind Foxborough apartment complex in Savage in August 2025. They were only 2-3 months old, but they had already learned to live in constant survival mode. Once they were inside and safe, their initial instinct was still to hide from humans. After months of socialization (and reliable food!), they learned to trust and relax into their new lives. They have had impeccable litter box habits from day one. Sourdough and Brioche's sisters have been adopted and are thriving. This brother/sister pair deserve the same! 

Personality and ideal home: Sourdough and Brioche like playing together and grooming one another and Sourdough relies on Brioche for his comfort and confidence so they must be adopted together.

They are both happy, easy-going cats who love the indoor life. They have been with their current foster since April 2026. 

Brioche is so cuddly with her foster mom - she calls her "a certified lap cat" who loves snuggling with her on the couch and sleeping in bed with her at night. She loves to play with her foster mom too, and even learned fetch! 

Sourdough is a bit shy still, but he still likes hanging out with his foster mom and sister on the couch and engaging in play and with a Churu now and then. He's just a young cat who needs a bit of time to feel relaxed in new places with new people. As long as he has his sister as his home-base, he's happy. 

Dogs: maybe - Sourdough and Brioche might be nervous around a young, active dog. An older dog or a calmer dog who ignores them would likely be ok!

Other cats: yes - They love playing with other cats and find comfort in their company. They would also be perfectly happy being the only two cats in the house since they have each other. 

Kids: 6+, cat-savvy kids only - Sourdough and Brioche would be nervous around younger children who haven't learned about cat interactions yet. Children should be old enough to let Sourdough and Brioche come to them on their own terms.

Apply to adopt Brioche and Sourdough!

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Tyson (male)

 

Age: 2-3 years (estimate)

Medical: neutered, received rabies and FVRCP vaccines, de-wormed, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, microchipped

Tyson's story: We had been receiving reports of sightings of a gray cat around Savage for weeks, but we have no idea if this mystery man belonged to anyone, where he was eating, or where he was spending the majority of his days. Then suddenly, by pure serendipity, he appeared on the deck of one of our local fosters, asking for food. We established a meal routine, set a trap, and got our gray mystery man! 

Personality and ideal home: We didn't know what to expect personality-wise - we thought we'd likely ne neutering and re-releasing him - but it turned out that Tyson is a sweet, playful guy. We got lucky that the foster whose deck he showed up on was available to start him off on the indoor life he deserves and he took to it right away! 

He has had perfect litter box habits since day one. He loves playing with toys by himself and with his foster. Most of all, he LOVES ATTENTION! It can be hard to stop petting him, he loves it so much! 

Dogs: maybe - Tyson has the type of confidence we would expect to be able to tolerate an active, but cat-respectful dog. 

Other cats: maybe - Tyson has a pre-neuter history of being territorial with other cats. Post-neuter in his foster home, he is physically separate from his foster's cats, but he displays a calm curiosity, no intensity or aggression. We believe Tyson could be happily integrated with a cat who matches his energy level (intensely playful when he's in the mood, very chill otherwise).

Kids: older kids 12+ - Tyson eventually gets overstimulated when being petted and expresses this through "love bites". He doesn't break the skin, but this is a behavior to avoid, so he'd do best with cat-savvy adults and older kids who can read cat body language and stop an interaction before Tyson is overwhelmed. 

Apply to adopt Tyson! 

Cami (female)

Age: 6 years (estimate)

Medical: spayed, received rabies and FVRCP vaccines, de-wormed, tested negative for FIV/FeLV, microchipped, see her story below for more info

Cami's story: Cami's story is one of second chances and survival. She is gentle, calm, playful, and affectionate. She's a little shy and can take some time to trust, but you wouldn't blame her once you know what she's been through... 

Cami was found as a stray in Savage with her front right leg stuck through her collar. It was so tight and had been like that for so long that the collar had embedded into her skin. She was ear-tipped, so we knew she was spayed already. We found out she was even microchipped but the person who "lost" her didn't want her back and didn't care about the poor state Cami was in when we found her.

We were so relieved she was in our care.

Cami got stitches, which helped get the wound smaller and it is currently continuing to shrink and heal on its own. Her veterinarian is very impressed! It doesn't affect her quality of life and she doesn't bother it. She just needs time and an antibiotic ointment once a week - she is a very patient patient! 

Personality and ideal home: Cami's ideal home would be quiet, with one person or a couple, and no other animals. We have had her in three different foster homes and she absolutely blossomed once she has her person/people all to herself. She's been through a lot and benefits from peace, quiet, and stability/predictability. Her ideal adopter(s) work from home or are retired. 

Cami loves being petted and has been cuddling up next to her current foster mom on the couch and in bed. She usually doesn't stay still for too long, because she loves looking out the window and making sure she's keeping a watch on the neighbors, be they humans or birds.

Cami taught her foster mom a game, where she sits on the stairs and catches toys, then lets them fall down the stairs to be tossed back up again. She will also entertain herself and play with toys on her own - or even watch YouTube if you pull up some interesting bird videos for her!

She has good litter box habits and hasn't shown an interest in knocking things over or scratching things she shouldn't. 

Dogs: maybe - Cami could live with an older, lazy dog who ignores her. A high-energy dog who is interested in her would overwhelm her. 

Other cats: maybe - Cami has lived peacefully with other cats. She doesn't choose to interact with them and doesn't seem to benefit from having another cat around. She never hissed or ran when other cats approached her though, so she could be adopted into a home where there is already a cat or cats, as long as they are a good personality fit for her. 

Kids: older kids 12+ - Cami is very gentle and would be ok around older children, but she would be overwhelmed by lots of activity, noise, and visitors coming and going. 

Apply to adopt Cami!

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Other Ways You Can Help

Foster

If you aren't in a position to adopt a cat, consider fostering! Savage Cats covers all veterinary and daily care expenses. Please email Karla at karla@brewinggoodcoffeecompany.com to inquire about becoming a foster home for Savage Cats.

Donate

We have an Amazon Wishlist that helps us with daily care supplies for our Savage Cats in foster. In addition to our ten adoptable Savage Cats, we have two more in longer-term foster while we work on their socialization. 

You can also donate to our daily care and veterinary costs via Venmo.

It costs about $55/month in food and litter to care for one cat. Initial veterinary costs for each cat, including spay/neuter, tests, basic treatments (like deworming and flea/tick treatment/prevention), vaccines, and microchip cost $225-$300. 

Spread the Word

All of our Savage Cats have been adopted by Brewing Good Coffee regulars and their friends and family. Let people know who we are and what we do, even if you aren't sure whether they are looking to adopt. You never know when you might have an opportunity to save a life with us!