Feral Cat Policies

We strongly recommend a Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release (TNVR) program for the maintenance of feral or community cat colonies.  A feral cat is a cat that is unsocialized to humans and must be trapped.  

All feral cats MUST come in a live animal trap with a towel or blanket covering the trap. Please do not try to cram your feral cat that you have been feeding and it now lets you pet it while eating, etc. into a carrier. These cats will revert to their feral instincts as soon as they are out of the environment they are comfortable in. We can sedate a feral cat through the sides of the trap and then safely handle the cat once they are sedated. After you have the cat back home, please put the cat in a quiet and safe place for the night. DO NOT open the carrier/trap door to check on the cat. Please allow your cat 24 - 48 hours from the time you get home to recover from the anesthesia.  After that time, you can release them back in their colony.  

If you need a trap, you may be able to borrow one from Aunt Kerry's Pet Store or purchase one at Lowe's Home Improvement or online.  

Feral cats will not be given a pre-anesthetic exam or post-op pain medications to go home. All other procedures are the same for feral cats. Feral cats are returned to their trap when recovered from anesthesia.

Feral cats that are vaccinated at the time of surgery have been shown to have an excellent response to vaccinations. Therefore, it is recommended to vaccinate feral cats at the time of surgery with both the rabies and FVRCP vaccines. Rabies vaccination is required. We will not euthanize a cat based on a single Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or FIV test result alone. A decision about euthanasia is based on the individual situation. 

We will “ear tip” (cut 1/8” of the ear tip off) all feral cats to facilitate identification of cats that have previously been spayed or neutered. We will tip the left ear at the completion of surgery. If the cat is ever retrapped, ear tipping prevents it from having to be put under anesthesia to find out it if has been already fixed.  

We will place a green tattoo on the abdomen of all animals to indicate that they have been fixed, but this is often not found on a feral cat until they are anesthetized.