Feeding
stray cats in your neighborhood? Help stop overpopulation—and
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Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project
Policies and Information |
How Can I Help? |
Other Feral Cat
Resources | Voices
for Animals Home
Who Qualifies?
The Feral/Stray Cat Project is for feral (wild) or "shy"
stray cats in Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene,
Louisa, Nelson, and Orange Counties (and
cities within these counties). (For spay/neuter assistance
for a tame or owned cat, contact the Charlottesville-Albemarle
SPCA at 434-973-5959, SPAY USA at 800-248-SPAY, or www.lovethatcat.com)
Anyone caring for a feral unowned cat or cats in these counties
may make an appointment for our free spay/neuter clinics,
purchase subsidized spay/neuter/vaccination certificates,
and borrow traps to catch and transport cats to the clinic
or vet office.
New!
Feral Cat Tracking
Help us track the need for feral cat spay/neuter and the
progress we're making. If you're caring for feral cats (sterilized
or not), please register your cat groups at www.feraltracking.org.
This will help you keep track of the cats, help us contact
you if a cat in your colony ends up at a local shelter, and
you will be eligible to win prizes, such as cat food and gift
certificates to pet supply stores. All information is confidential
and is accessible only by you and the Voices for Animals database
administrator.
Upcoming Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Clinics
Reservations are required to bring cats to the free feral
cat spay/neuter clinics. Clinics are offered periodically
throughout the year. Please call 434-979-1200 or email
for clinic reservations. Clinics are equipped to handle up
to 100 cats, but these spaces fill up quickly. If you fail
to get a reservation, please read below about our spay/neuter
certificate program.
Clinics are currently scheduled for the following dates:
- Monday, May 12 & Tuesday, May 13
Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Certificate Program
In addition to our spay/neuter clinics, Voices for Animals
operates an ongoing subsidized spay/neuter certificate program
for feral cats. Feral cat caretakers who meet the qualifications
described above and agree to adhere to our policies can purchase
certificates for $25 per cat (or $15 per cat in cases of financial
hardship). Each certificate covers spay/neuter surgery and
routine vaccinations (rabies and distemper) for one feral
cat at a participating veterinarian.
Optional services, such as FIV/Felv testing, flea/tick treatments,
etc., are extra.
Please call 434-979-1200 or email
for more information. Individuals who haven't trapped with
us before must attend a brief training session in order to
purchase vouchers and borrow traps (see dates below). Please
also see our trapping guidelines
and list of participating
veterinarians.
Trap Loan/Return & Training Dates
Anyone wanting to borrow traps or purchase certificates
must attend one of these orientation/training sessions at
the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA (downstairs training room)
at 3355 Berkmar Drive, Charlottesville, VA (visit www.caspca.org
for directions). The training session will take approximately
45 minutes to an hour. Please show up on time so the session
can begin promptly as scheduled.
Upcoming (2008) trap loan/return & training dates are:
- Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, May 27, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 24, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, July 22, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m.
Trap Loan/Return Policies
To borrow traps or purchase certificates, you must
be on time for the training presentation. Please also see
"Who Qualifies" and "Trap Loan/Return Policies"
and our trapping guidelines.
To return traps, you must bring them to one of our
regularly scheduled trap loan/return and training dates (you
don't need to attend the training portion). Please note that
the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project is run separately from the
Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. The SPCA allows us to hold
trap loan/return and training sessions at their facility.
However, you must return traps to and purchase
certificates from Voices for Animals' volunteers. Please don't
return traps to SPCA staff. It increases everyone's workload
when we have to sort these things out. Thank you.
Voices for Animals Does:
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Sterilize feral and unfriendly stray cats
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Provide routine vaccinations at the time of surgery
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Permanently crop the left ear of sterilized cats
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Lend out traps for humane trapping and transportation
to and from the clinic
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Voices for Animals Does NOT:
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Sterilize owned pets or strays adopted by the finder
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Accept cats for adoption
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Relocate cats
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Participate in cat trapping for euthanasia
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Participate in cat trapping for release to animal
shelters
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Other Information
We rely on donations
from the public to keep our program running. Donations are
tax-deductible.
In 2007, a record-number 800 cats were spayed/neutered, vaccinated,
and given other medical care through our Feral Cat Spay/Neuter
Project. We've already held four more clinics in 2008. Our
free spay/neuter clinics wouldn't be possible without the
help of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA and volunteer vets
and staff members from Airport Animal Clinic, Animal Clinic
of Rockville, Assisi Animal Foundation, Charlottesville Animal
Hospital, Crozet Veterinary Center, Fork Union Animal Clinic,
Georgetown Veterinary Center, James River Animal Hospital,
Lake Forest Veterinary Clinic, Monticello Animal Hospital,
Old Dominion Animal Hospital, Piedmont Veterinary Services,
Tucker Veterinary Hospital, Woodworth Animal Hospital, and
veterinarians Andy Bidwell, Sandy Feldman, John Hayes, and
Matt Kessler.
If you’d like to become involved in bringing more of these
life-saving clinics to our community, contact 434-979-1200
or email
. You can also make a secure online donation by credit card
at www.firstgiving.com/voicesforanimals.
Funding
Voices for Animals is a small group with limited resources.
Our handful of dedicated volunteers work very hard to raise
the money to fund our subsidized spay/neuter program. Currently
the cost per cat is $60 for females and $35 for males. Please
be as generous as possible - if you can afford to pay the
entire charge, rather than the subsidized rate, for any cat
you take to one of our participating vets, please do so.
How Can I Help?
Donations for veterinary expenses and volunteers to assist
with the Project are always needed and are much appreciated.
Click here for more information
about how you can make a difference to cats in our community.
Our free feral cat spay/neuter clinics are the most effective
means for spaying and neutering a large number of cats. These
clinics have happened in the past only because of the caring
and dedicated people who gave their time and volunteered.
If you can volunteer at an upcoming clinic or help with setup
the evening before a clinic, please contact volunteer coordinator
Dian Howe at
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For information on how to set up a trap/neuter/release program
in your community, please see "Feral Cat Resources"
below.
Feral Cat Resources
For more information on caring for feral cat colonies, trap-neuter-return,
taming feral kittens, etc., visit these websites:
Operation Catnip of Richmond
A free, monthly spay/neuter clinic for feral and stray cats.
Clinic is located in Richmond, but feral cats from other counties,
including Albemarle, are accepted.
(804) 674-0660; www.operationcatnip.org
Alley Cat Allies
The national feral cat advocacy organization and information
clearinghouse: www.alleycat.org.
Feral Cat Coalition: www.feralcat.com
Spay/Neuter Resources
For a list of low-cost and free spay/neuter programs in
your area, visit www.lovethatcat.com.
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