The Community Cat Program
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Community Cat Program is dedicated to reducing cat overpopulation and improving the lives of outdoor cats through the practice of trap, neuter, return (TNR).
Feral and community cats are caught using humane traps, brought to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic where they are evaluated, ear-tipped, and given a rabies vaccination. After they have recovered and are fully alert, they are generally returned back to their neighborhood, which is the cat's natural territory and his or her home.
Managing Community Cat Colonies
TNR programs can greatly reduce the number of community cats in a colony over time, thus improving quality of life by reducing illness, preventing unwanted litters, and reducing nuisance behaviors like spraying, fighting, howling and roaming.
If you have a cat colony in your neighborhood, we can help you do the best thing for your neighborhood and the cats who live there.
Once a feral or community cat is spayed/neutered, their left ear will be tipped. Ear-tipping is the universally accepted way to signify that a community cat has been altered.
These cats need your help.
You can start helping community cat colonies in your area right now by making a donation to our Trap/Neuter/Return program.
What is the difference between a feral cat and a community cat?
Feral cats are born and live without any human contact. Feral cats are afraid of people; you can’t hold them or pet them, and they must be caught using a humane cat trap.
Community cats are typically homeless, friendly or once owned, domesticated cats. They too must be brought to HSSA in a humane cat trap. Sometimes it is difficult to determine which is which. No matter how we define free roaming cats, they must be spayed/neutered to humanely reduce the outdoor cat population.
Important Information
TNR is by appointment only. If you are trapping yourself, please call our clinic at 520-881-0321 to determine surgery availability based upon your planned trapping schedule. HSSA will work with all trappers to determine a convenient surgery date for the trapper based on our surgery availability. At this time we cannot accept unscheduled cats for TNR. If you need assistance with trapping and transport, you can contact and coordinate with the Community Cat Program Manager at afahey@hssaz.org or call (520) 327-6088 x186.
Cats must be in humane traps, one cat per trap. HSSA recommends using humane Tru-Catch traps. Cats must also be at least 2 months old and weight 2 pounds. There can be a limit of surgeries per appointment. Call the clinic to determine a date for multiple cat TNR appointment availability.
Where can I get a trap?
You can borrow traps from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Community Cat Program for the purpose of TNR. Contact the Community Cat Program Manager at afahey@hssaz.org or call (520) 327-6088 x186.
Need help getting started?
Download our tips for trapping and transporting community and feral cats. For more information, contact HSSA’s Community Cat Program Manager at (520) 327-6088 x186 or email at afahey@hssaz.org.
Educational Resources
Best Practices for Community Cat Colony Caregivers
Tips for trapping and transporting cats
Solutions to cat-related issues
Humane Cat Deterrent Information
Contact
To borrow traps for TNR, for trapping assistance, or for more information on community cat colony management, please contact our Community Cat Program Coordinator at carnold@hssaz.org or call 520-327-6088 x186.
Angéline Fahey, Community Cat Program Manager
Kimberly Bullock, Community Cat Trapper
Where do I bring TNR feral cats?
If you need to bring TNR feral cats to the HSSA Clinic, you will want to go to the blue Clinic building.
