Terms

You need to be at least 13 years old. 209 Cats is free for everyone, forever: no paywalls, no ads, no premium tier. One account per person, and do not impersonate someone else or a rescue organization you are not authorized to represent.

You keep ownership of everything you post. You give us permission to store and display it on 209 Cats so the site can work, which includes showing your lost cat flyer publicly and letting people share that link. That permission ends when you delete the content, except for copies other people have already shared off-site, which we cannot pull back.

Only post photos you took or have the right to use, and only post someone else's information with their consent.

209 Cats is a noticeboard run by volunteers. It helps neighbors find each other. It is not a shelter, a veterinary service, or an adoption agency, and we do not verify individual users.

• We do not vet the people who offer to foster, transport, or hold a cat. Use ordinary judgment: meet in public where you can, ask questions, and involve a rescue for anything significant.
• Information posted here, including resource listings and care guidance, may be wrong or out of date. For a medical emergency, call a veterinarian.
• The site is provided as-is. We cannot guarantee it will be available, or that a lost cat will be found.
• Verified organization badges mean we checked that the organization is real. They are not an endorsement of anything it does.

You can delete your account whenever you like by emailing hello@209cats.com. We can remove content or suspend an account that breaks the content policy, and we will tell you why. Serious cases, such as a threat to a person or an animal, are removed immediately.

To the extent the law allows, 209 Cats and its volunteers are not liable for what happens between users or for anything that follows from using the site. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, and any dispute belongs in the state or federal courts serving San Joaquin County.

If we change these terms in a way that meaningfully affects you, we will say so in the feed rather than quietly editing the page.