Change comes from action
The Feral Change program is all about improving the lives of community cats.
The crux of all cat rescue comes down to spaying and neutering. There will simply never be enough resources, adopters, and caretakers for the number of cats being born. This needs to change.
That change begins with better access to spay/neuter for all cats.
We believe spay/neuter needs to be…
Affordable
In the SF Bay Area, spay/neuter surgery costs anywhere from $45 to $200 for unowned cats receiving an ear tip. If you are trying to fix the colony of ten cats on your block, this adds up quickly. For owned cats not receiving an ear tip, these prices rise to about $150-$2000. Now imagine you are trying to help out a litter of four kittens you found in your yard, doing the right thing getting them fixed before adopting them out. That cost quickly becomes outside most people’s range.
The Feral Change program provides free and donation-based spay/neuter appointments at local area clinics. Our primary focus is fixing unowned free-roaming cats, but we occasionally have clinics for owned and independently fostered cats.
Accessible
Spay/neuter appointments are hard to book and typically involve lengthy wait times which means more cats are reproducing. The Feral Change program aims to alleviate some of the frustrations and waiting involved in traditional spay/neuter scheduling. We have standing appointments with area clinics each week and try to accommodate time-sensitive requests like pregnant cats or injured toms.
There are no high volume spay/neuter clinics in Oakland, where the majority of our community members live and work. Drop-off times are typically in the early morning hours when transportation is less available and work schedules make it hard to accommodate. Feral Change program volunteers are available to host cats overnight and after surgery and arrange transportation to clinics. We work with community members to arrange drop-off and pickup times that fit their schedules.
Supported
Community cats must arrive at clinics in humane traps. These traps are hard to find and can be expensive to own. Full Circle Cats has traps and equipment to borrow at no cost and with no deposit. Our volunteers take the time to show folks how to use the traps and give helpful advice that demystifies the process.
Caring for community cats comes with a unique set of challenges and we are here to guide caretakers, feeders, neighbors, and friends throughout the process.
