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TNR Services for Community Cats

PLEASE NOTE: There will be no TNR services on Friday Dec 8th, Tuesday Dec 26th or Wednesday Dec 27th.

For the safety of staff and cats, all community cats receiving the TNR surgery package must arrive in traps. See our trap prices below, as well as our easy-to-follow trapping instructions.

Community Cats can be dropped off for surgery at the SPCA Tuesday-Friday from 8:15am-9:00am. For large colonies of cats, call us at (434) 973-5959 ext. 310 to make reservations. No appointment is needed for fewer than three trapped cats; however, calling the clinic ahead of trapping is strongly recommended to verify that spay/neuter surgery has not been cancelled on any given weekday. For the weekly surgery schedule, please call us at (434) 973-5959 ext. 206 or 207.

Staff will notify you at drop-off of when you should come back for pick-up. Please withhold cats’ food the night and morning before surgery but do offer water.

Due to the unpredictable medical needs of our resident shelter animals, we cannot guarantee same-day surgery for all TNR drop offs. If we are unable to perform your community cat’s procedure the same day as drop off, community cat guardians will be made aware and given the option to have the patient stay overnight for a $10 boarding fee in order to have surgery performed the next day.

FOR THE SAFETY OF STAFF AND CATS, ALL COMMUNITY CATS MUST ARRIVE IN SEPARATE TRAPS.

We have humane capture traps available for rent to trap cats for TNR services within the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Fees are $5.00 a week plus an $80.00 deposit. The deposit will be refunded to you once the cat is fixed, released and the trap is returned to us. We also offer easy-to-follow instructions on how to successfully trap community cats for surgery. We have a limited number of traps in our trap bank – calling ahead is recommended.

Need tips for how to keep community cats off of your property? Check them out here!

Please note: We are not currently offering TNR services for community cats located outside of our jurisdiction.

About the Program:

The Community Cat Program, launched in 2011, is a program aimed at reducing the population of outdoor felines by ensuring all owned cats are spayed or neutered and that free-roaming cats are trapped, altered and returned to their outdoor homes by their caretakers. Through Trap-Neuter-Return (“TNR”), we are able to provide these felines with necessary vaccinations and health checks before sterilizing them and returning them to their homes. The SPCA provides this resource at no cost to residents of Charlottesville and Albemarle and works diligently with members of the public to help manage the community cat population. TNR is the only method proven to effectively reduce the free-roaming cat population. It is a non-lethal approach that is being embraced by towns and municipalities all across the nation.

The SPCA provided sterilization surgeries and veterinary care for 801 community cats and kittens in 2021. Since we started the Community Cat program in 2011, feline stray intake has dropped by 53%, allowing us to increase
feline transport and save more lives!

*Free for cats trapped within Charlottesville/Albemarle County*

Services Include:

  • The spay or neuter surgery, (kittens must be at least 2 months old and weigh 2 lbs. to be eligible for surgery).
  • FVRCP+C & Rabies vaccines, (kittens must be at least 3 months old to receive Rabies vaccinations.)
  • Post-op pain medications.
  • Ear tipping of the cat’s left ear to indicate sterilization.

We offer low-cost medical services outside of surgical alteration in certain circumstances. If your community cat is in need of additional services, please inquire at the clinic reception desk when you drop the cat off for surgery.