What are Community Cats?
From the Animal Humane Society: “Community cats are un-owned cats that live outdoors in the community. They may be feral or friendly, may have been born into the wild, or may be lost or abandoned pets.” Community cats usually live in colonies with other cats.
Community cats are everywhere – colonies pop up in both urban and rural environments, and you’ve probably seen some community cats near your home or office.
How Can We Help Them?
There are many compassionate people and organizations providing care for community cats across the country and around the world. From feeding and creating a shelter to TNR and medical care, these cat champions are creating better lives for some of our most vulnerable feline friends.
The Humane Society of the United States has a comprehensive list of community cat resources in the US and Canada:
What is TNR?
TNR stands for “Trap / Neuter / Release” – “feral” or “community” cats are rounded up, taken in to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated when applicable, given an “ear tip” to easily identify them, and released back to their colony, where a caretaker continues to feed and care for them. This method of population control is humane, effective, and helps increase the quality of life for community cats.
What does Emancipet do to Support Community Cats and their Caretakers?
Emancipet understands the importance of TNR programs and has a policy of never turning away a cat in a trap if it is within our power to add it into the surgeries scheduled for the day. Spay/neuter services will be provided at Emancipet’s for $69 and will include a tattoo and an ear tip.*
*Please limit 2 cats per visit.
Emancipet has built strong partnerships with TNR providers and city government in many of the communities we serve.
Austin
In the Austin area, Emancipet provides TNR services for community cats at our Pflugerville and East Austin clinics. If you have trapped a community cat, please call our resource center at 512-587-7729 by noon, and arrive at the clinic by 1 pm for surgery.
The Austin Humane Society has a great community cat program, providing free spay/neuter and vaccinations for cats without identified owners in Travis County. Cats trapped outside Travis county will incur a $20 fee. AHS has traps available to borrow, for cats coming into their clinics only. Spay/neuter clinics for community cats are held every Wednesday and Thursday at the Austin Humane Society, 124 W Anderson Lane.
Killeen
Emancipet provides TNR services for community cats at our Killeen clinic. If you have trapped a community cat, please call our resource center at 254-415-4950.
Through a generous grant from the Andrew Delaney Foundation, our Killeen clinic was able to provide community cats with free spay/neuter and vaccinations in 2018. Although funding has ended for the year, free services for community cats in Killeen will be available in early 2019.
Houston
Emancipet provides TNR services for community cats at our East End clinic. If you have trapped a community cat, please call our resource center at 713-321-2713.
Organizations in Houston providing free TNR services include BARC, Best Friends, and Friends 4 Life.
(https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/tnr_get_involved.html)
(https://bestfriends.org/our-work/regional-programs/best-friends-houston)
(https://www.friends4life.org/)
Philadelphia
Emancipet is launching a campaign to spay/neuter and vaccinate 500 community cats in Philadelphia, all at no cost to their caretakers! If you have trapped a community cat, please call our resource center at 267-774-4901.
Our goal for this campaign is $42,000, and we’re off to a good start with a $10,000 pledge from the Andrew Delaney Foundation. To learn more about this campaign, click here. To make a gift in support of the community cats of Philadelphia, click here.
