Support My Lifesaving Work!

I am an active volunteer for trap-neuter-return (TNR) in the Cincinnati area. Community cats-- who can range from feral to friendly--often face a harsh life outside, made worse by frequent reproduction. It is estimated that unspayed female cats can get pregnant 2-3 a year with an average of 4 kittens per litter, and only 25% of kittens born outside will make it to 6-months of age. Male cats who aren’t neutered fight which can lead to disease, and nuisance behaviors!

Cincinnati TNR volunteers like me have the support of two clinics that accept community cats. Through their grant programs I have been able to spay and neuter many cats at no charge - only paying $10 here or there when a kitty needs antibiotics or some subcutaneous fluids. In 2023, I was able to fix 21 community cats, provide assistance to 4 owned cats whose families couldn’t otherwise afford surgeries, and secured rescue placements for 16 cats, 8 of which were kittens who otherwise would have lived their whole lives on the street. So far into 2024, I’ve been able to fix 13 community cats, provide assistance to 3 owned cats, and have gotten 5 kittens into rescue. But there are so many more cats out there who need help.

Unfortunately for those cats in need in our community, the demand for the grant-supported programs far outpaces the capacity of the clinics. Staffing shortages have further complicated using these the grant programs as clinic hours have been reduced over the last few weeks. These clinics have a cap on how many feral cats they can accept, and when that cap is reached volunteers are left with no options to help the cats they have caught. Plus, when a cat has to released before it has the chance to be spayed or neutered, it can be harder to trap it again as the cat is now “trap savvy”. As of August 15th, one clinic has moved to an appointment only model and the appointments are already fully booked for the year.

To ensure I can continue my life-saving work during this challenging time for the clinics, I am hoping to use local veterinarians instead. However, these veterinarians don’t have access to grants to subsidize the cost and not all vet clinics are comfortable handling angry cats in a trap, making it harder to shop around. Originally, I found vet that has staff knowledge able in handling these cats has quoted $166 for males and $500 for females. A rabies vaccine which is required by the county is $30. Thankfully I’ve been able to get appointments with Dr. Jaax, a lovely vet in cincy who will see ferals and who will do neuters for $55 and spays for $181! I aim to raise $1500 which will allow me to help at least 8 more cats this summer.

I can’t do this on my own. Any amount is appreciated! Together, we can make a difference for these cats and our community