Spay/Neuter Surgery For Your Cats & Kittens

1. Thank you for wanting to get your cat fixed! You'll reduce animal overpopulation and suffering, your cat will be healthier, and you'll help your community! Way to go!

2. Once we've scheduled your cat's surgery, we do require a 24-hour notice if you cannot keep your appointment, so another cat can be helped.

3. If you do not show up for your appointment and do not give a 24-hour notice of cancellation, we likely will be unable to reschedule the missed appointment.

4. Don't let your cat have food or water after 8 PM the night before surgery or the morning of surgery. No food or water in the carrier or trap. 

5. Cats must travel to their appointments in individual secure, hard-sided cat carriers for their safety, yours, and that of those who will have to handle him or her. Do not attempt to carry a loose cat into the clinic. NO soft sided or zippered carriers are accepted. Please label your carrier with your name and sex of cat if known, and place a towel in the carrier with your cat. One cat per carrier. 

6. Your cat(s) must stay indoors on the night of the surgery. Cats who've had surgery that day may be too sleepy to avoid predators or vehicles outdoors, and they may be unable to regulate their temperature properly until the next day. It also helps to keep the cat in a climate controlled area the night before surgery when it is hot or cold outdoors.

7. We do request a co-pay or a donation as you are able, depending on your circumstances. We accept cash, checks, PayPal, CashApp ($HARP0922), or Venmo (HARP1). 

8. Spay is the removal of the uterus and ovaries of a female cat and involves an incision into the belly. After surgery, there typically are no stitches to be removed. Neuter is the removal of the testicles of a male cat; there are no stitches.

Males are usually recovered in about a day after the surgery. Females may take a few days to recover from their abdominal surgery. Kittens typically return to play shortly after surgery. 

9. Both procedures are done under general anesthesia (your cat will be asleep), and cats, like people, may be wobbly or disoriented after anesthesia. We promise to give your cat the best possible care, but it is always possible that there could be complications, up to and including death, after any surgery.

10. ALL cats matter: males and females should both have birth control surgery. Fixing both males and females reduces cat overpopulation, improves their health, and reduces or eliminates problem behaviors like spraying and fighting.

11. Kittens can be fixed when they weigh two pounds at about eight weeks of age. Kittens should not leave their mothers before they are eight weeks old.

12. The tip of the left ear is removed when wild feral cats are asleep for their surgery (see photo below). This provides instant identification that the cat has been fixed. If you have a lot of cats, we recommend tipping the ear even if they are tame, so that you can tell which ones have already been fixed.

13. To promote community health and animal welfare, we provide a complimentary three-year rabies vaccination at no charge to every cat we spay or neuter. We do not provide medical records detailing your cat's care or paperwork proof of shots.

If you want or need a rabies certificate, proof of vaccinations, or medical records detailing the care of your pet, please pick a full-service veterinary clinic of your choice and pay for the vaccinations and care there.

14. Cats in heat or who have been bred move to the top of our surgery list. Cats can safely be spayed to prevent a litter even after they've been bred. Call us for more information ASAP.

15. We are unable to offer discounted care to purchased cats, cats adopted from shelters or rescues, or to owners who simply would like to pay less. SpayMemphis.org at (901) 324-3202 or spaydesoto.com offers some options for surgery if we are unable to help. 

16. If you have questions about your cat's recovery from surgery, please do not hesitate to call (662) 292-0922.

17. If you're uncertain about getting your cats fixed, visit fixbyfive.org, unitedspayalliance.org, alleycat.org, and neighborhoodcats.org for more information.