Services
Typical costs for Spay/Neuter services: Male cats $10, female cats $20, male and female dogs $30.
We provide not only spay and neuter services, but also provide vaccinations and microchips at a reduced rate.
Feral Cats –> Our TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) Program
Feral cats are a special problem and as a solution we offer TNR assistance to people who feed feral and/or stray cats. Spay/Neuter surgeries and vaccines for TNR are funded by donations. If you feed or know of any feral/stray/un-owned cats that are still reproducing, please contact us!
If you see a feral cat with one ear clipped, then it has already been spayed or neutered. It does not need to be trapped or operated on again.
Please report any consistent interactions with feral cats where you are feeding them and they are predictably coming to a specific location. This includes both friendly cats and cats that are shy or skittish with people. Our specialists will discuss the situation with you and then visit the site to establish a feeding program that will lead to successful trapping of shy, skittish, or fearful cats. We will need some information on the cats to plan TNR, i.e. location, numbers, kittens, contact person, etc.
We then:
- Provide and set traps;
- Check the traps regularly;
- Transport trapped animals to our clinic;
- Perform spay/neuter procedures as required; and
- Release the animals in their original location.
Note: We do not relocate feral cats unless they are in life danger, i.e. their habitat is being demolished.
Please contact us to report your interactions with feral cats that you believe should be spayed/neutered to prevent any further proliferation of kittens.
Spay to Save TNR Program
TNR Coordinator Marion Wagner
marion@spaytosave.org
360-550-7855
Note: A true feral cat in a carrier is a safety hazard for the staff at the clinic. It is safer for the staff, and for the cat, if it is in a live trap.
How TNR works:
The cats arrive at the clinic in traps. They are anesthetized through the screen of the trap and then removed from the trap when asleep. While a licensed veterinarian performs the surgery, the right ear is clipped (while the cat is asleep under anesthetic) as an identifier that this cat has been altered and vaccinated. Volunteers clean out the trap and line it with fresh bedding. The cat is then placed into the trap again for wake-up and recovery. If the cat appears to be alert and has eaten after one night in the trap, it can be released at the trapping site.
FAQs regarding TNR:
Q. What kind of traps do you use?
A. Professional live traps made by "Tru Catch Traps".
Q. What vaccines do the cats receive?
A. At Spay to Save, cats receive a Rabies and FVRCP vaccine. They also get a flea treatment that is good for a month, and if necessary, Round and Tapeworm treatment.
Q. At what age can a cat be altered?
A. Spay to Save spays and neuters any cat over 2 lbs. body weight, and that is at least 2 months old.
Q. What is an ear tip?
A. During spay/neuter surgery 3/8" of the left ear is clipped. It does not hurt the cat and serves as an identifier that this cat has been spayed/neutered, and also vaccinated. This helps during and after a TNR project. It can save the cat from being anesthetized and undergoing a surgical procedure a second (and unnecessary) time.
Additional Background information on Feral Cats:
Feral cats have an average of 1.4 litters per year, with an average 3.5 live births in each litter. That equals 4.9 kittens per year, per female feral cat. In theory, a pair of breeding cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 kittens over a seven-year period.
American Veterinary Medical Foundation:
(multiple studies described)
1) Study of 71 female feral cats and 169 kittens. Cats produced a mean of 1.4 litters/y, with a median of 3 kittens/litter (range, 1 to 6). Overall, 127 of 169 (75%) of kittens died or disappeared before 6 months of age. Trauma (killed by predators) was the most common cause of death.
2) Of 5,323 free-roaming cats studied, 47% of adult females were pregnant in the Spring.
3) 155 free-roaming cats on a college campus were studied. Cats were trapped, neutered, then adopted or returned to the wild. The population decreased by 66% over 11 years.
Conclusion: TNR plus adoption can reduce cat populations
