Community Cats

MN SNAP subsidizes surgeries for community cats.

A feral cat is not socialized to live with people; it’s fearful of and generally avoids people. Feral cats cannot be adopted into homes.

Low-cost spay and neuter services are available for feral, barn, community or free-roaming cats to caregivers with no income qualifications. These are cats that will not be adopted personally or to a third party.

Barn cats live outdoors on farms, in barns or other structures near people. Barn cats are sometimes approachable but cannot be adopted into homes.

Community cats are free-roaming and unowned. These are cats who have been lost or abandoned and might receive food and intermittent care from one or more residents in a community.

Feral, barn, community or free-roaming cats will be ear-tipped during anesthesia to make them identifiable to the public as sterilized and vaccinated.

Thank you for helping to care for feral cat colonies and working to improve their quality of life and reduce their numbers.

More information on services for community cats:

Feral cats/kittens must meet the following criteria:

  • Kittens must weigh at least two pounds.

  • Feral cats must appear healthy, hydrated and eating the day of surgery.

  • Feral cats must arrive one cat per carrier.

  • We can safely spay cats that are pregnant or in heat.

  • Each cat will be ear-tipped a universal sign that the cat is feral and sterilized.

  • We request that the caretaker hold the cat for 24 hours post-surgery to monitor recovery.

A pre-surgical physical exam will determine:

  • Gender

  • Sterilization status

  • Weight

  • Hydration level

  • Activity level

  • Body condition

  • Heart sounds

  • External parasites

  • Presence of an umbilical hernia

  • Obvious signs of disease, such as vomiting, diarrhea, coughing or sneezing

  • *Patients with skin disease will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • A feral cat neuter is $100, which includes a rabies vaccination.

  • A feral cat spay is $120, which includes a rabies vaccination.

A photo of an ear tipped community cat. MN SNAP is a high-quality, low-cost spay neuter clinic based in Minneapolis, MN.