Community Cats
Community Medicine
Our Community Cats Program partners with the community and volunteers to provide spay and neuter services for unowned, free-roaming, community (feral) cats throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area. Once community cats are altered and returned to their familiar communities, they live out their lives with fewer health issues and no longer contribute to animal overpopulation.
To request an appointment, please email us at communitycats@sfspca.org or call (415) 554-3084.
Note: All community cats spay/neuter services are available by appointment only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our organization assists with spaying and neutering free-roaming, unowned cats. Community cats are essentially wild animals and, because they do not typically adjust to a life with human companions, they are not appropriate for shelter intake or adoption. Learn more here.
TNR stands for trap, neuter (or spay), and return. Community cats are humanely trapped, brought to a spay/neuter clinic for surgical sterilization, then returned to their original location once they’ve recovered from surgery. Learn more here.
The Community Cats Program provides free surgery appointments for TNR (trap/neuter/return) for San Francisco community cats ($50 each for out-of-county community cat). TNR appointments are available Tuesday–Saturday; and drop-off is at 10am and pick-up is at 5pm.
To request an appointment, please email us at communitycats@sfspca.org or call (415) 554-3084.
Community cats must be brought to the Spay/Neuter Clinic in individual humane cat traps or metal transfer cages. Cats brought in crates, carriers, or boxes will not be accepted. Call (415) 554-3084. or email communitycats@sfspca.org to make an appointment.
All community cats must be rereleased to their original locations.
Humane cat trap rentals are available Tuesday–Saturday, 11am–4pm. You can pick up a trap at our Spay/Neuter Clinic at 201 Alabama Street on the second floor.
A trap-rental deposit of $75 is required and refunded only when the trap is returned undamaged. Trap rental is subject to availability.
A community member who is physically unable to complete the trapping and transport can request assistance from the Community Cats Program. A SF SPCA Community Cat volunteer can assist with trapping and transporting within San Francisco County; however, this service is subject to resource availability.
To request assistance, email us at communitycats@sfspca.org or call (415) 554-3084.
San Francisco is home to many cats that live indoors, outdoors, and indoor/outdoor. Most cats you see outside are not in need of intervention and should be left where they are—unless they require assistance. First, determine whether a cat is a community cat in need of TNR, needs immediate attention (such as if they’re sick or injured), or whether they’re a healthy neighborhood cat on their daily stroll. Please visit SFACC’s page to learn how you can help.
San Francisco County residents should reach out to San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SF ACC) for assistance with kittens found in their community. Learn more here.
Contact your local animal shelter for cats found outside of the San Francisco city limits.
Interested in Becoming a Community Cat Volunteer?
Our community relies on caring and hardworking volunteers to provide these vital services to the community. Join us for an in-person volunteer meeting.
Community Cats Resources
You can access helpful information and expert guidance here.