| Animal
Trustees of Austin Spay / Neuter Clinic
Walk-In
Feral Cat Policy
PLEASE
NOTE: Policies, availability, and schedules change, so please call
ahead!
- ATA accepts 12
feral cats per week as walk-ins each Thursday
on a first-come / first-served basis.
If fewer than 12 ferals arrive on Thursday, ATA may take the remainder
on Friday.
- Please sign the sign-in
sheet beside the east door when you arrive. (The vet techs check you
in according to the order of names on this sheet.)
- Bring
only 2 cats per person per week. There
are many people in need of this service.
- All surgery is performed
at the discretion of the veterinarian. Sick, injured, or very pregnant
cats may be refused surgery if the the vet feels that the risk to
the cat is too great.
- The vet works walk-in
cats into the regular schedule; consequently ferals may have to spend
as long as 2 nights at the clinic.
- ATA is proud to provide
this service to the feral community but requires the cooperation of
participants.
Additional
Tips
The clinic
opens at 7:30 am and demand is great. Don't plan to walk in at 9:00
am if you want to get a feral cat sterilized! During busy times, some
trappers bring cats as early as 6:30 am.
Ask that
the vet tip the left ear of each feral cat that you plan to return to
the colony. This may save the cat's life if it is picked up by animal
control, and allows future caregivers to determine which cats have been
neutered.
If you think
a female may be nursing, ask the vet tech to check immediately. This
allows you to return any mother cat to her nursing kittens right away.
Wait 2 weeks
after a mother cat stops nursing before you bring the mother to be spayed.
ATA will
not sterilize a kitten which is less than 3 months old or which weighs
less than 3 pounds on their scales. (2.9 pounds is not OK.)
The vet may not take all 12 ferals per week, or may take fewer females.
Feral
Cat Referral List
If you are unable to get
your cat into the ATA clinic for surgery, try these free or low-cost
locations, or talk to your regular vet:
PLEASE
NOTE: Programs and availability change, so call to learn about current
programs!
Emancipet: City of Austin
Free Fridays
Free spay/neuters and rabies shots for pets of Austin residents living
east of IH35.
No appointment necessary. Pets taken on a first-come, first-serve
basis.
Arrive between 8-9 a.m. Bring cats in a carrier. Do not feed pet breakfast.
587-7729
emancipet@yahoo.com
See www.emancipet.com for Friday
locations.
PLEASE
NOTE: Programs and availability change, so call to learn about current
programs!
- TVMA Maddie's Spay/Neuter
Project
If you are on Medicaid, you can access one of the Texas Veterinary
Medical Association's Maddie’s Spay/Neuter Project reduced-fee
cooperating vets. See the TVMA
web site for a list of participating veterinarians.
Not all participating vets take feral cats, so ask specifically when
you make the appointment.
Return
to AustinFeralCats.org home page
Return to AustinFeralCats.org
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