About Us Partnerships
The Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project fosters partnerships with local rescue organizations, grass roots rescuers and our County Animal Care and Control agency. We recognize that our success is based on community partnerships in addition to our successful and affordable spay/neuter program. Combined, these partnerships are integral to ending feline homelessness. A single agency cannot solve the problem, but when several partners work side-by-side, we make great strides toward saving the lives of homeless cats.
Feral Cat Prevention
Years ago, the larger shelters recognized the value of altering pets before adoption and funneled donations into spay/neuter. Individuals and smaller rescue groups that rescue and adopt out kittens simply could not afford to alter before adoption because of the cost of spay/neuter at local veterinarians. At Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project, kittens from all sources have access to spay/neuter before adoption...before breeding.
Rescue groups who used to pay more for spay/neuter after adoption now spend their donations more effectively through collaborating with Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project for spay/neuter before adoption. These groups no longer spend volunteer or staff resource time following up adoptions to verify spay/neuter after adoption. The time and money saved by using low cost spay/neuter before adoption is now funneled into adoptions and medical attention for the animals in their care.
Agencies who have partnered with Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project through spay/neuter before adoption
- Animal Safe Haven
- Animal Talk
- Feral Care
- Forgotten Felines
- Friends of the Animals
- Humane Society of Tacoma-Pierce County
- Kittitas County Friends of the Animals
- MEOW
- Peninsula Spay/Neuter Project
- South County Cats
- Three Rivers Rescue
- Whisker City
GREAT CAT RESCUE
In the Great Cat Rescue, we partner with King County Animals Services (KCAS), our county animal shelter, and the PetSmart adoption center in Issaquah, WA. The pilot program began after our initial meeting with KCAS shelter leaders. The Great Cat Rescue strives to free up space in the county shelter by removing adoptable, but “at risk” cats into the adoption program at a nearby PetSmart adoption center.
Eligible cats are those awaiting adoption at the shelter for an extended period without being adopted. Because there is only a finite amount of space at the shelter, moving any cats out for off-site adoption creates room for new cats arriving at the shelter. Increasing space to hold incoming cats may make the difference between a scared cat exhibiting feral behavior and appearing unadoptable or allowing that frightened cat time to acclimate, demonstrate social character and receive a chance for adoption.
Since starting this program, we average four adult cat adoptions per month with most cats being adopted within 2 weeks of moving into the PetSmart adoption center. All cats placed into offsite adoption are altered by KCAS, thus, there is no expense to FCSNP for managing this program. In addition, volunteers transport cats from the shelter to PetSmart and manage the adoption process.
KING COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER-COLLABORATION
TNR as 1st Option
When individuals request traps from KCAS to humanely trap free-roaming cats, each receives education about the option of Trap Neuter Return (TNR). The Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project brochure, “Are You Feeding Stray Cats” is placed inside every loaned trap for the borrowers to read. In many cases, concerned citizens have provided food, shelter and care for neighborhood free-roaming cats. They request traps with hopes that the shelter will find homes. What they do not realize is that these cats are likely to exhibit feral behavior in a shelter environment or inside a trap. This unsocial behavior quickly deems them unadoptable. Instead of being placed for adoption, they are euthanized. By KCAS explaining to the public the concepts and success of TNR and the free services of FCSNP, most people opt for TNR. Our brochures are also displayed in the shelter’s lobby and distributed by animal care and control officers when offsite.
Are You Feeding Strays? 
TNR – 2nd Chance
KCAS Officers are trained to recognize an ear-tipped cat as a cat as rabies vaccinated, altered, and therefore, not reproducing. They understand that ear tipped cats do not add to the homeless cat population.Officers also recognize that an ear tip is not testimony to the cat’s social behavior, because many free-roaming, ear tipped cats are social with people. These cats are often cared for by a caretaker or neighborhood community. As long as the officers do not receive complaints about specific cats, the cats are allowed to live their free-roaming lifestyle.
Ear-tipped cats entering the shelter as strays follow the same regulations for stray holds as all other cats. In addition, an officer of KCAS contacts Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project describing the cat and the address or neighborhood of origin.The Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project forwards this information by email to the list serve of caretakers and trappers of free-roaming cats in hopes to reunite the cat to his/her colony.
KITSAP PENINSULA SPAY/NEUTER PARTNERSHIP
A three-way collaboration was formed in the fall of 2006 to increase spay/neuter access to cats on the Kitsap Peninsula. The three-way collaboration is between Cats Altered To Save (CATS), Dr. Bill Larson, owner of Peninsula Mobile Veterinary Clinic and Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project.
One Saturday morning each month, the three groups join together to alter 30 cats. Cats Altered To Save (CATS) handles reservations plus the collection and return of all cats. Dr. Bill Larson, performs all spay/neuter surgeries in his mobile veterinary clinic. FCSNP pays Dr. Larson to perform surgery and provides surgical supplies and a veterinary technician. We hope to expand this program in the future.