Surgery for feral cats is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays by reservation only. To make a reservation, email us at least 1 week in advance with your anticipated date of arrival. We recommend not placing your traps until you have received confirmation from the clinic. Space is limited - we can accept 2 traps per client/colony.
There is no penalty for not keeping a reservation if you are unable to trap the cat(s), but please let us know. The more notice you give us, the more cats we can help.
All feral cats brought in for surgery require an ear tip.
Feral cats are wild, outdoor cats that you cannot touch. Feral cats must be captured using a humane trap. This category does not include friendly stray cats. If we determine that a cat is not feral, pet cat pricing will apply.
Feral cats stay overnight. Admission and discharge are at 9:15 a.m. In order to have the space to accommodate the incoming traps, we ask that you are timely in picking them up the following morning.
All feral cats are to come in one per trap. We will not transfer feral cats from carriers to traps.
Thank you for helping a wild, outdoor cat lead a safer, healthier life. By spaying or neutering and vaccinating a feral cat, you will change their life, prevent homeless kittens, and improve the health and safety of your neighborhood.
If you have questions about feral cats or kittens, you can email us at spay@dakinhumane.org
Feral Cat Package Pricing
Dakin covers most of the cost for feral cat spay/neuter services. You are responsible for a surgery co-pay.
Massachusetts cat copay: $40
Connecticut cat copay: $85
At this time, no grants are available to cover the cost of feral cat surgeries.
Package includes:
- Spay or neuter surgery
- Ear tip
- Pain medication (given at the clinic)
- Rabies vaccination
- FVRCP vaccination
Where to Get Humane Traps
Traps are available for loan at Dakin's Springfield Animal Resource Center. A refundable deposit is required for each trap. Email us at Springfield@dakinhumane.org to make an appointment.
How to Use a Humane Trap
Click here for information on how to trap feral cats for surgery. Have hard-to-catch cats? Click here for advanced trapping tips. If you are unable to trap feral cats yourself, contact Dakin's Kitten Street Team.
What is an Ear tip?
An ear tip is a universal sign that a cat has already been humanely trapped and fixed, preventing them from being trapped again. During surgery while the cat is under anesthesia, 1/8" of the left ear is surgically removed. This procedure is painless and required for feral cat surgeries.
Helping Feral Kittens
We will perform surgery on any healthy kitten who is at least 8 weeks old and weighs at least 3 pounds.
How can you tell if a feral (wild) kitten is old enough? Kittens get very speedy (faster than you are!) at about 6-7 weeks of age. Mom cat usually brings them out to start eating regular food at about 7-8 weeks of age. If you have been seeing kittens out and about, eating food, they are old enough for surgery.
In order for feral kittens to become pet cats, they should be caught even earlier (ideally at around 4 weeks old, while their eyes are still blue). If these young kittens receive regular handling and socialization to people in a home, they can become pet cats and be adopted at 8 weeks of age.
Questions?
Email us! spay@dakinhumane.org.