Operation Catnip provides FREE spay/neuter, vaccines, and flea treatment to unowned (stray or feral) community cats at our monthly Spay Day clinic.
We lend humane animal traps for free to caregivers to bring cats to the clinic. All cats will have the tip of their left ear cropped to show that they have been sterilized and vaccinated.
Operation Catnip of Gainesville began in 1998. Our clinics are staffed by volunteers (veterinarians, vet technicians, and other trained volunteers) and are capable of sterilizing up to 300 cats in a matter of hours.
What are FERAL CATS?
Feral cats are the offspring of stray or abandoned household pets. Raised without human contact, they quickly revert to a wild nature and form colonies where food and shelter are available. Feral cats make up a large portion of the cats euthanized at animal shelters.
What is TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN?
The plight of feral cats has captured the hearts of animal lovers for many years, but only recently has a non-lethal option for their control become available. Called a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, this humane alternative involves spaying or neutering feral cats, then returning them to their colonies were they are looked after and fed by caretakers. This solution successfully decreases the population, reduces birth rates and improves the overall health of the colony. Performed on a large scale, the success of such programs is felt at animal shelters where fewer cats are admitted for euthanasia.