During the month of April, Altered Tails, a 501c3 organization and the Valley’s largest spay/neuter clinic specializing in high quality, low cost services, is offering no-cost spay and neuter surgeries, plus free rabies vaccinations as part of “Community Cat,” PetSmart Charities’ spay/neuter campaign to alter free-roaming cats.
If left unaltered, unowned feral and stray cats produce large quantities of unwanted kittens each spring, flooding local animal shelters and leading to higher euthanasia rates. By taking a proactive approach and getting the cats fixed now, Altered Tails will help lessen the impact of the coming kitten season.
Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population and is safe for kittens as young as 10 to 12 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Spaying a female cat before the first heat cycle can be beneficial, improving the health of the cat by reducing the risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.
“Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” says Ellen Clark, executive director for Altered Tails. “Most people don’t want to see the cats they’re feeding get pregnant over and over again, so our “Community Cat” campaign will serve as a gentle reminder to caretakers of free-roaming cat colonies to catch and sterilize their cats.”
This special free rate is available to all residents of Maricopa County. Residents feeding free-roaming cats who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Community Cat” campaign when scheduling their appointment. Appointments are based on availability. Please call the Spay Neuter Hotline at 602-265-7729 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
PetSmart Charities’ “Community Cat” campaign will provide $634,692 to spay/neuter clinics across the United States to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for 13,713 free-roaming cats during the month of April.
