Pasadena Holds No-Cost Spay Neuter Clinic

The Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA will hold a no-cost spay and neuter clinic on October 15 and 16, 2015, for feral cats residing in the shelter’s nine service cities.

PHS says the event will be held in honor of National Feral Cat Day, October 16.

In a process commonly referred to as trap-neuter-return, or TNR, community members humanely trap feral cats, have them sterilized at a spay/neuter clinic, and return the cats to their original location. While under anesthesia, feral cats are also vaccinated and ear-tipped – a small part of the cat’s left ear is removed – to indicate sterilization.

Feral cats are free-roaming cats that are not socialized to people. PHS says that left unaltered, these cats could produce large numbers of kittens each spring and summer, inundating local animal shelters.

“Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” says Steve McNall, president and Chief Executive Officer of PHS and SPCA. “Most people don’t want to see the cats they’re feeding get pregnant over and over again, so our National Feral Cat Day ‘TNR-a-thon’ will serve as a gentle reminder to caretakers of free-roaming cat colonies to catch and sterilize their cats.”

SNiP, the PHS low-cost public spay and neuter clinic, expects to book 20 feral cat surgeries each day. A limited number of TNR appointments are also available weekly, Tuesday through Friday.

TNR appointments at the SNiP Clinic include free spay and neuter surgery, vaccinations for FVRCP and rabies, and ear-tipping for feral cats in the PHS cities – Pasadena, Arcadia, Bradbury, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, South Pasadena, San Marino and Sierra Madre.

Additional services such as FeLV/FIV testing, flea treatment and microchipping are available upon request for an additional cost. A small inventory of humane traps are also available to rent for a deposit of $55, which is fully refunded upon return of the traps.

TNR is by appointment only. To make an appointment, email snip@pasadenahumane.org or call (626) 792-7151, ext. 166.