Questions about free-roaming, “stray”, or feral cats
1.   What is a feral cat?
2.    How can I tell if the cats are tame or feral cats
3.   There are a lot of cats in my neighborhood.  Can you help me catch them and take them somewhere so they can find homes?
4.   There are a lot of cats in my neighborhood.  I don't know who feeds them, but they need to be sterilized?  What should I do?
5.    My neighbor is feeding cats, can Altered Tails come get them?
6.    My neighbor is feeding cats can you come trap them and get them sterilized?
7.            My neighbors [employer, landlord] are complaining about the cats. What can I do?
8.            I am moving, and I can't take the feral cats that I’ve been feeding with me.  Can Altered Tails take care of them?
9.            I don't want anything to happen to the cats, but they can't stay here.  Where can they go?
Questions about the trap, neuter, return (TNR) process
10.  What happens with TNR?
11.  Why does TNR work?
12.  What are the alternatives to TNR?
13.  I can't touch the cats, so how can I get them to the vet for spay/neutering?
14.  I've been told that cats should be indoors only, so isn't it cruel to leave them outside?
15.  There are several cats to be trapped, but I only have one trap. Will that do?   
16.  What is eartipping and why should the veterinarian do it?
17.  Do I need to test the cats for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?
18.  What is the vacuum effect?
19.   I'm secretly feeding feral cats at work [school, other property owned by someone else].  I want to get them sterilized, but I can't let the property owner find out.  Will Altered Tails help me trap them?
20.  My veterinarian is willing to sterilize some feral cats for me, is there anything special my veterinarian should know about working with feral cats?
Questions about the cost
21.   These cats are not mine, why should I pay anything to get them sterilized?
22.   I don’t want to pay any more than I have to pay.  What is the minimum donation that you require?
23.   I cannot afford to give any donation. Can I get the cats sterilized for free?
24.   These are feral cats, why should I pay anything to get them sterilized?
25.   Is there any other program that might help me with the cost of getting the cats sterilized?
26.   We are feeding cats at work [school, church],  I don't have much money.  What can we do to help cover costs?
27.   I’m on AHCCCS and heard that there is a program to help me get cats sterilized?
Questions about finding homes for cats and kittens
28.   I have been feeding a feral cat for a year.  She lets me pet her now.  Can you help me find someone to adopt her?
29.  A stray cat that I’ve been feeding had kittens, where can I take them so that they can find  homes?
30.  I have kittens that I need to find homes for.  What should I do?
Questions about nursing kittens (with or without a mother cat)
31.   Should I try to trap a mother cat that I know is nursing kittens?
32.   Is a mother cat able to nurse her kittens after she is spayed?
33.    How old do the kittens need to be before they can be spayed or neutered?
34.   There is a very young kitten(s) in my backyard all alone.  What should I do?
35.   I’ve waited for 18 hours and mom still hasn’t returned to get the kitten(s).
36.   I found a kitten(s) yesterday and brought it home.  Can you take it?
37.   A cat had kittens in my yard [on my roof, in my shed] can you come get them?
Miscellaneous Questions
38.   I have been feeding outdoor cats for a while and they are reproducing. I can't feed them all.  What should I do?
39.   I called two weeks ago why haven’t you helped me yet?
40.   I need to get rid of my cat [dog] where can I take it?
41.   A cat is dying in my yard can you come get it?
42.   One of my feral cats is injured is there a vet that will treat it for me?
43.   My neighbors are poisoning cats [threatening to shoot cats; trapping cats and dropping them in the desert] what can I do?
44.   I don’t want cats in my yard.  How do I keep them out?

1.  What is a feral cat?
Feral means that the cat is not socialized to humans and is afraid of people.  It does not mean the cat is aggressive or dangerous.  Feral cats run from people.  They do not attack unless they are cornered and have no other alternative but to fight for their lives.
Maricopa County’s Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project uses the following definition of “feral cat”:
Over the age of 8 weeks and not sufficiently socialized to people and, therefore, reasonable and caring owners/guardians in our community would find them unsuitable as a pet.
Back to questions...

2.  How can I tell if the cats are tame or feral cats?
Observe the cats’ appearance and behavior. A tame cat is likely to approach you, although usually not close enough for you to touch. If you put food down, a tame cat will likely start to eat it right away. A tame cat is often vocal, sometimes meowing insistently, and may look disheveled, as if unused to dealing with conditions on the street. A tame cat may be seen at all hours of the day.
A feral cat is typically silent, will not approach humans, and generally will be seen only from dusk to dawn, unless extraordinarily hungry and foraging for food. A feral cat has adapted to conditions and is likely to appear well groomed. If you put food down for a feral cat, the cat will wait until you move away from the area before approaching the food.
Back to questions...

3.  There are a lot of cats in my neighborhood.  Can you help me catch them and take them somewhere so they can find homes?
We may be able to help you.  The first thing you need to know is whether the cats belong to anyone in your neighborhood or if they are free-roaming (usually feral) that someone is feeding.  Your first step is to do a little investigating to see what you can find out about the cats.  Are some of them owned by neighbors?  Are the cats being fed by people in your neighborhood?  Ask your neighbors about the cats, look for food dishes outside that tell you that someone is feeding cats in the neighborhood.  You might also consider posting flyers throughout the neighborhood.
Try to look at the top of the cat’s left ear from the side. If the left ear is flat across the top that means the cat is sterilized and part of a managed colony that someone is feeding.
If you do find out that someone owns the cats or that someone is feeding them but you can’t see that they are eartipped, ask the person if the cats are sterilized.  If the cats are afraid and they can’t easily catch them, tell the caregiver that Altered Tails can help them sterilize the cats and that they should call us at (602) 943-SPAY (7729).
If you are able to determine that the cats are tame and you cannot find their owner, consider registering the cats online at www.Pets911.com in the Found Pets Section.
There are an estimated 350,000 free-roaming, primarily feral, cats in Maricopa County Arizona.  Please realize that there are over 50,000 dogs and cats euthanized in Maricopa County, Arizona every year. Even the tamest, healthiest, cutest cats that are taken to a shelter may well become one of those euthanized. The cats you see on our city streets may be completely tame or completely feral but most often they are somewhere in between. If a cat or kitten you see on the street won’t walk right up to you, you need to assume that it would have little chance of being adopted from a shelter. The shelter environment is a stressful one where there are other cats, dogs, and a lot of people the cat has never seen before. If you can’t walk right up to the cat and pick it up the best chance it has of staying alive is trap, neuter, return (TNR).
One added word of caution, in the spring and summer kittens flood into our shelters.  An adult cat has even less chance of getting a home then.
Summary: The most important thing to do is to stop the breeding. Living in an outdoor home is better than becoming one of the over 50,000 dogs and cats dying in Maricopa County shelters each year. If the cat is totally tame with everyone and you really feel you must try to get the cat a home, have it sterilized then try to find an indoor home with family, friends, or co-workers. If the cat is not totally tame it definitely won’t get a home and it will be euthanized.  The fee to euthanize one un-socialized (feral) cat at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control is $96. The fee at the Arizona Humane Society is $75.
For additional information on sterilizing tame owned cats – send them to the tame portion of our website
Back to questions... 

4.  There are a lot of cats in my neighborhood.  I don't know who feeds them, but they need to be sterilized. What should I do?
The first thing to do is locate the owner or the caregiver.  If the cats are tame and you find their owner, ask if they are sterilized. If not, let them know that there is affordable spay/neuter help available – send them to the tame portion of our website
If you don’t find an owner, there are flyers on this website that you can download and use in your neighborhood to try to find out who the caregiver is. Looking for outdoor food and water bowls is the easiest way to start. If you locate a feeding station but not the person feeding the cats, leave a flyer under a food bowl at the feeding station.
If you find the person that is feeding the cats and they tell you the cats are “stray” and that they can’t catch them to take them to a veterinarian, tell them about Altered Tails and that we can help them humanely (safely) trap the cats to get them to a vet. Tell them the cats will be returned to them. Tell them to call us at (602) 943-SPAY (7729) or to visit this website to complete an online request for help. Since free-roaming cats are a neighborhood issue, please consider offering to help them with the work or with the cost.  If you are willing to help it greatly increases the likelihood that they will be willing to do what is necessary to stop the breeding.
Back to questions...

5.  My neighbor is feeding cats. Can Altered Tails come get them?
No. Altered Tails provides trap, neuter, return (TNR) assistance for free-roaming, primarily feral cats.  The cats are humanely trapped, sterilized, and returned to their outdoor home.  Altered Tails does not have a fostering or adoption program.
There is no rescue or shelter organization in Maricopa County that will come and remove feral cats. There are extermination businesses that may come and remove the cats for a price. If you catch feral cats yourself and take them to a shelter that accepts animals from the public be aware that they will charge you a substantial fee to take them and that they will euthanize the cats.
There are approximately 350,000 free-roaming, primarily feral, cats in Maricopa. Trap, neuter, return is the least costly, most humane, and effective way to stop the breeding.  Remove these cats and more will come to take their place.  (Please read the answer to Question 18 below.)
Please tell your neighbor that Altered Tails can help them stop the breeding. Give them our contact information and let them know how you are willing to help.
Back to questions...

6.  My neighbor is feeding cats. Can you come trap them and get them sterilized?
Altered Tails can help get the cats sterilized.  However, the best way to do that is for us to work with the caregiver (person who is feeding the cats). That is because we must have their cooperation in order to be able to humanely trap them when it is time to take them to the vet to be sterilized.
Please give our contact information to the person who is feeding the cats.  Our phone number is (602) 943-SPAY (7729).  Caregivers can also request our help from this website by filling out an online application for assistance.  You may also download some of our flyers, or our brochure, from this website so that you can give that information to the caregiver when you speak with them.  
Altered Tails also welcomes your help with this process.  If you can assist with the trapping and transportation of the cats to and from the vet, let the caregiver know. If the caregiver is unable or unwilling to participate in humanely trapping the cats and you are willing to do all the work of trapping and transporting the cats, give us a call. Please understand that without the cooperation of the person feeding the cats you will have a much more difficult time trying to humanely trap the cats.
Back to questions...

7.  My neighbors [employer, landlord] are complaining about the cats. What can I do?
Ask what their specific complaints are and try to resolve them. Making sure that all the cats have been sterilized will reduce or eliminate most objectionable behaviors.  Yowling and fighting are mating behaviors that are reduced or eliminated by sterilization.  Spraying is a territorial behavior that is also eliminated or reduced by sterilization. Moreover, the pungent urine smell of intact male cats ends about a month after they are sterilized.
If the cats are soiling the neighbors' gardens, place (regularly cleaned) sand or litter boxes at the colony site.  Consider building a cat fence, if possible, that will keep the cats in (or out of) a specific area.
If others are concerned about health issues, point out that very few illnesses or conditions are passed between species.  You can learn more about that on our website or that of Alley Cat Allies at www.alleycat.org.
There are many flyers or information sheets available on our website or on that of Alley Cat Allies. You can use them to educate yourself about how to talk about the issues and about how to educate others. Whatever the complaints there are ways to work together to manage the situation.
Back to questions...

8.  I am moving, and I can't take the feral cats that I've been feeding with me.  Can Altered Tails take care of them?
No. Altered Tails concentrates our scarce volunteer resources on providing trap, neuter, return assistance only.  Find a neighbor, friend, relative, or co-worker to feed the cats.
Start looking for someone to take over feeding the cats today. This could take some time and you want to have arrangements in place well before your move. If you don't already know your neighbors, introduce yourself and explain the situation. You are likely to discover that others in the area are also concerned about the colony you care for.  Place flyers requesting help around your neighborhood, in pet stores, and veterinarian offices. Include only your name and telephone number on the flyer. Do not give an exact address for the colony.  Consider offering to help pay for the food as an incentive.  Another alternative is to purchase large self feeding and watering containers from a pet food store and returning periodically to fill them yourself.  Please don’t just abandon cats that have become dependent upon you.
It is easier to convince someone to assume care of a feral cat colony if the all of the cats have been sterilized. If you haven’t already done that, Altered Tails can help you.  Don’t delay.
Back to questions...

9.  I don't want anything to happen to the cats, but they can't stay here.  Where can they go?
Altered Tails does not remove or relocate feral cats.  With an estimated 350,000 feral cats just in Maricopa County there is simply nowhere else for them to go.  Also if you remove these cats more cats will simply come in to take there place and begin the cycle all over again.  (Please read the answer to Question 18.)
The cats are imprinted on their current location.  Relocation is traumatic to the cats and offers little guarantee that the cats will stay in their new location. 
It is only in extreme situations that Altered Tails considers helping with relocation.  Generally the location where the cats currently are must cease to exist.  For example, an airport runway is being built through their home.  Also, the caregiver must find a good place to relocate the cats.  That place must be somewhere that the cats can be safely confined for at least 2 weeks while they get used to their new home.
Even with all this Altered Tails generally does not get involved with relocation because it has been our experience that it manages to end up going badly.  If you are determined to relocate feral cats yourself visit www.alleycat.org to learn what you will need to do.
Back to questions...

Questions about the trap, neuter, return (TNR) process
10.   What happens with TNR?
Cats are humanely trapped using food as bait.
The cats are taken to a veterinarian where they are spayed or neutered.  Their left ear is “tipped” so people will recognize that the cat has been sterilized.
After the anesthesia wears off and the cat has begun to recover from the surgery, they are returned to their original outdoor home where the caregiver continues to provide them with food and water.
Altered Tails walks caregivers through the process. We provide any necessary equipment like humane traps and give instructions every step along the way.  Volunteers may help with any part of the process that the caregiver is not capable of performing by themselves.
Extremely ill or badly injured cats will be humanely euthanized.
Back to questions...

11.  Why does TNR work?
Through trap, neuter, return, cats are trapped using humane traps, sterilized, and returned to their outdoor home where caregivers who have been providing for them continue to do so.  TNR stabilizes the population, prevents future generations of kittens, and allows the colony to diminish naturally over time.  (See the answer to Question 18 regarding the vacuum effect.)
TNR works because people are much more willing to volunteer their time, effort, and money to humanely end the breeding cycle. Few people will volunteer to trap healthy cats when they know they will be killed. Therefore, attempts at eradication fail.   
TNR is a process that first manages the free-roaming cat population then gradually, over time, results in an ever-smaller population. It is not a quick fix.
Back to questions...

12.  What are the alternatives to TNR?
Do Nothing:  Eventually the number will reach unmanageable levels and cause untold suffering. 

Trap & Kill:  Aside from being inhumane, this approach is not a solution.  Free-roaming cats are everywhere.  More cats will simply move in to fill the void and start the cycle over again.  This method is also more expensive than trap, neuter, return. 

Catch & Tame:  This approach is not realistic. Feral adults cannot be socialized to humans to the point where they are able to find homes as pets.  For the small minority that could be tamed, the time and effort that goes into helping just a few cats is prohibitive.  Even with very young kittens, taming can take several weeks of intensive socialization work.  Shelters in Maricopa County, Arizona euthanize over 50,000 dogs and cats every year.  There simply are not enough homes to go around.
Stop Feeding:  Many people think that if they stop feeding the cats they will just “go away.”  Think of it this way: if they closed your favorite restaurant, would you move?  Probably not. You’d find a new restaurant.  In the case of free-roaming cats, it means they will find a nearby food source and begin eating whatever is available. 
Relocation:  There is no other place for them to go and studies show that if you remove cats from their original location, others merely move in to take their place.  This is known as the vacuum effect. (Please take the time to read the answer to Question 18 below.)
Back to questions...

13.  I can't touch the cats, so how can I get them to the vet for spay/neutering?

Do not try to touch them.  Never attempt to catch a cat by throwing a towel or blanket over the cat. Never use tranquilizers on outdoor cats. The risk of injury (to you and to the cat) is too great.

Never try to lure a feral cat into a plastic carrier, cage or any container other than a humane trap to get them to the vet.  Many vets won’t work with feral cats.  Most vets that do work with them won’t do so unless they come to the clinic in humane traps.  That is because it is extremely difficult and risky to both the people and the cat to try to get them out of those types of containers to be sterilized.  We can provide you with humane traps.  With the right equipment it is easy to get them to the vet to be spayed or neutered.  Call us today!
Back to questions...

14.  I've been told that cats should be indoors only, so isn't it cruel to leave them outside?
The safest place for your tame companion cats may be indoors, but the best and usually the only home suitable for feral cats is outside. Feral cats that have been sterilized through TNR and live in managed colonies can live healthy and content lives.
Back to questions...

15.  There are several cats to be trapped, but I only have one trap. Will that do?
It is always preferable to have as many traps available as you have cats to trap.  Altered Tails will make every effort to get you enough traps to trap all the cats the first time.
If you choose to trap the cats one at a time you run the risk of making the cats “trap shy.”  After seeing traps repeatedly the cats figure it out and are much less likely to go into the traps.  Also, if you have several cats to trap, trapping over a period of time makes it much less likely that you will ever catch up to the breeding cycle as more kittens are likely to be born while you are still trying to get all the adults sterilized.
Back to questions...

16.  What is eartipping and why should the veterinarian do it?
Eartipping is the nationally recognized method of identifying sterilized, free-roaming cats that are part of a managed colony.  It is painless and humane.  While the cat is under anesthesia for the spay/neuter surgery, the point of the left ear is flattened ¼ inch.
If a cat that has been eartipped enters a trap again, it can be released without having to go to a veterinarian to determine if it has been sterilized. The ability to know that a cat has been sterilized just by looking at its left ear, prevents that cat from enduring the additional trauma and risk of another trip to the clinic, being put under anesthesia, and in some cases undergoing exploratory surgery.  
Back to questions...

17.  Do I need to test the cats for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?
You should not have the cats tested for FeLV or FIV.  Altered Tails will not assist with TNR if testing is done. Altered Tails position is consistent with many reputable national feral cat organizations including Alley Cat Allies and Operation Catnip in Gainesville, Florida.
Major reasons why Altered Tails follows the lead of the national experts and does not test feral cats for FeLV or FIV:
*  Studies show that the percentage of feral cats infected with either FeLV or FIV is very low. Three to seven percent are infected with FeLV and about two to five percent are infected with FIV. These percentages are about the same as indoor cats and no different from tame cats that are allowed outdoors.
*  It is unaltered cats, regardless of whether they are from outdoor colonies or private homes, who wander, fight, reproduce, and have the potential to spread disease.  Sterilization reduces or eliminates the behaviors which spread disease. 
*  Studies also show that using our scarce economic resources to sterilize more cats than otherwise would be sterilized given the cost of testing; actually works to more quickly reduce the number of FeLV positive cats.
*  The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) recommends retesting all cats that initially test positive.  AAFP states that the decision to euthanize should never be made solely on the basis of one positive test.  It is impractical and/or impossible to hold feral cats for the period of time necessary before retesting can occur.
*  False positives do occur and a negative test does not necessarily mean that the cat has not been exposed to disease.
*  Asymptomatic, infected cats can remain healthy for several years. 
*  Removing and euthanizing a cat that tests positive will not necessarily prevent the spread of infection within the colony since the colony’s exposure to the virus would already have occurred.
*  Exposure does not always mean infection.
Back to questions...

18.  What is the vacuum effect?
This refers to the fact that new cats, usually un-sterilized ones, will come into any area where a free-roaming colony has been living if the colony is abruptly removed. The saying is, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” That is true in this case.  Regardless of what you do with the colony that is removed (and most likely killed); you leave a habitat behind that is able to support cats.
Assume that you trap and remove a 10 or 15 cat colony from a field behind a business somewhere in Maricopa County. Not far from where that colony was you can be sure that some of the estimated 350,000 free-roaming cats in Maricopa County are living. It won’t take long for some of them to move into the habitat left behind when the other cats were removed.
Back to questions...

19.  I’m secretly feeding feral cats at work [school, other property owned by someone else]. I want to get them sterilized but I can’t let the property owner find out.  Will Altered Tails help me trap them?
Altered Tails may be able to help you but only after you have convinced the property owner that it is okay for us to humanely trap the cats and return them to the property.  Altered Tails can help you educate the property owner about the benefits of TNR.  We can send you information about the benefits of trap, neuter, return so that you can share that information.  You can also download some of that information from our website or from Alley Cat Allies’ website at www.alleycat.org.
If the property owner is willing to talk with us we will be happy to speak with them. However, you need to take the lead. Altered Tails will support your efforts.
There are many reasons why we do not TNR where owners have ordered that caregivers stop feeding or where caregivers are told that the cats cannot be returned to the property after they are trapped.  Altered Tails has a long list of people waiting for our help that are willing to have the cats back, feed them, and let them live out their lives. It is a waste of scarce resources to TNR cats that may well be killed anyway when that list is currently longer than we can manage.
Trap and Kill does not work.  Ordering people not to feed does not work.  Unfortunately cats die every day when people believe these things work.  If we bail them out they never have to confront the reality of the situation.
The position any volunteer trapper could be faced with is entirely untenable. Volunteers could be cited for trespassing.  They could be faced with hostility when they come to trap. They could be met when they come back with the cats and told that they cannot return them.
Back to questions...

20.  My veterinarian is willing to sterilize some feral cats for me, is there anything special my veterinarian should know about working with feral cats?
Yes.  There are special things to consider including the suture to be used, anesthesia, eartipping, and early age spay neuter for kittens.
If kittens are involved be sure to find out first whether your veterinarian has any limitations on the size of the kittens he or she will sterilize.  Altered Tails works with veterinarians that are very experienced with early age spay/neuter.  If your vet won’t sterilize kittens as small as the ones you are dealing with, consider using one of Altered Tails’ vets instead.
The most important thing to remember, and for veterinarians to teach their staff, is to treat the cat like it is a wild animal.  Sterilizing feral cats is unique.  It is not like working with tame, domestic cats – even if those tame, domestic cats are outdoor-only cats. 
A feral cat should not be handled until it is under anesthesia. Anesthesia must be of a type that can be delivered intramuscularly so that it can be administered through the bars of a trap. Use a trap isolator to pin the cat into one corner of the trap so that it can be injected.  A net or snare pole should not be used.
The vet should eartip the cat to identify it as a sterilized member of a managed colony.  One quarter inch of the tip of the left ear is removed while the cat is under anesthesia.  (See Question 16 above.)
Suture material used on female cats is of critical importance.  Our vets recommend that stainless steel (4/0) or absorbable suture be used.  The suture pattern to close the body wall must be a series of cruciates or a simple interrupted pattern.  If a continuous pattern is used, and the suture breaks, the cat will be out in the street in trouble and there will be no way to help it.  The recommended suture pattern on the skin is a subcuticular pattern.  No external suture.  This will greatly reduce the potential for cats and/or their nursing kittens to break the suture.  Additionally, on large incisions and adult females, subcutaneous suturing is required with one suture for every inch of incision (for example, a two-inch incision should have two skin sutures evenly spaced).  In the case of sick or undernourished patients, additional subcutaneous sutures should be administered because catgut can absorb in three days in such patients   Finally, the vet should use surgical glue in addition to closing the skin with suture to help ensure the incision stays closed.
Back to questions...

Questions about the cost
21.  These cats are not mine, why should I pay anything to get them sterilized?
Altered Tails is a volunteer-based non-profit corporation.  Your donations are tax deductible. Altered Tails receives no government funding to help us with the work that we do. 
There are an estimated 350,000 cats living on the streets in Maricopa County.  It costs us as much as $55 to sterilize one cat. Also, because you must trap the cats, Altered Tails has to purchase humane traps that cost over $60 each. To help as many cats as we do now Altered Tails has several hundred humane traps on hand.
TNR is also the humane and compassionate thing to do.  If we ignore do nothing to sterilize free-roaming cats their numbers will continue to increase.  It is generally estimated that only about 50% of the kittens born in the street will survive to adulthood.  The 50% that do survive will continue to breed.  Eventually the numbers will reach unmanageable levels.
Free-roaming cats belong to the community. Community cats are the responsible of all of us.
Back to questions...

22.  I don’t want to pay any more than I have to pay.   What is the minimum donation that you require?
It costs Altered Tails as much as $55 to sterilize one feral cat - particularly during the spring and summer when the majority of the female cats are pregnant.  It is critical to our continued operation that we receive as much as possible in donations to help cover our costs. 
There are a lot of expenses that go into a TNR program beyond the cost of paying the veterinarian.  Each humane trap costs over $60.  Even your ability to reach us by phone or by email comes at a cost to us.  Altered Tails requests that caregivers donate as much as their financial situation will allow them to because the majority of the caregivers we help with TNR do not cover the veterinary cost of sterilizing the cats in the colonies that they feed. 
Individual donations comprise over 70% of our TNR operating expenses.  Nonprofit corporations in the animal rescue community are unable to apply for grants or funding from many foundations such as the United Way because they specifically preclude animal rescue organizations from obtaining funding.  A little known fact is that many organizations that do help fund animal related nonprofits exclude feral cat organizations.  The Maricopa County Maddie’s Spay/Neuter Project is one example of a foundation that helps with animal rescue but does not help with feral cat sterilization.
Unfortunately this is one area where grass roots efforts are the primary source of help. Please remember that the volunteers that answer your phone calls, help trap and transport the cats, and do all manner of work to help you help the cats – also often donate their own hard-earned money to help with costs in addition to giving of their time.
Thank you for being as generous as you possibly can be!
Back to questions...
23.  I cannot afford to give any donation.  Can I get the cats sterilized for free?
It is very unlikely that Altered Tails will be able to help you with trap, neuter, return unless you can contribute something toward our costs. Veterinarians do not work for free.  While many generously discount their services to help us out, they have to make a living.  We must also pay other bills if we are going to be able to help anyone.
Consider asking family, friends, or neighbors to help you with costs. After all this is a community issue and the entire community should be involved. You are trying to do something that helps our community. You may be surprised at how many people are willing to give tax deductible donations to help sterilize free-roaming cats when they understand the problem.
Altered Tails will place you on our list of people waiting for help even if you are financially unable to make a donation. Should funding become available, we will help you. Please understand that you may wait a very long time.
Back to questions...

24.  These are feral cats, why should I pay anything to get them sterilized?
This is a community matter.  Sterilizing these cats is the humane and compassionate thing to do.  If we ignore them their numbers will continue to grow.  It is generally estimated that only about 50% of the kittens born in the street will survive to adulthood.  The 50% that do survive will continue to breed.
There are an estimated 350,000 cats living on the streets in Maricopa County.  It is estimated that only about 5% of the free-roaming cats are sterilized nationwide and about 11% have been sterilized locally through the Altered Tails program. We still have a lot of work to do and that work costs money.
Altered Tails is a volunteer-based non-profit corporation.  Your donations to Altered Tails are tax deductible.  Altered Tails receives no government funding to help us with the work that we do.  Altered Tails is made up of individuals who give of their own time, many of whom donate their own hard-earned money to help solve the problem of homeless cats living on our city streets.  We are here to help you but in order to help you, and others like you, we need your financial support.
Back to questions...

25.  Is there any other program that might help me with the cost of getting the cats sterilized?
Some caregivers have been creative in getting funding through their city council.  You can try contacting your city council member, explaining the situation (which is a quality of life issue in your neighborhood) and ask whether there are grants or other forms of assistance you can apply for.  Neighborhood Preservation Funds or “Fight Back” programs may be something that you can ask about.
Back to questions...

26.  We are feeding cats at work [school, church], I don’t have much money. What can we do to help cover costs?
There are a lot of ways to raise money.  You might simply ask others in your organization to donate toward the costs.  Consider having a fundraiser to help the cats – yard sales, bake sales, penny drives, are just some of the creative ways in which caregivers have raised TNR funds.  
There are various ways that you can contribute to our program over time. One way is to sign up for an automatic monthly donation to Altered Tails which is taken directly from your checking account.
Your donations may be tax deductible. Consult your tax attorney.
Back to questions...
27.  I’m on AHCCCS and heard that there is a program to help me get cats sterilized?
There is a program through the Maddie’s Spay/Neuter Project that may help cover some of the costs of getting tame cats or dogs sterilized if you receive AHCCCS benefits.  Altered Tails is one of the veterinary clinics that works with Maddie’s Spay/Neuter Project to sterilize the tame  cats belonging to AHCCCS recipients.  However, Maddie’s Spay/Neuter Project will not help people that are feeding free-roaming, primarily feral, cats.
Back to questions...

Questions about finding homes for cats and kittens
28.  I have been feeding a feral cat for a year. She lets me pet her now. Can you help me find someone to adopt her?
No. Often feral cats will learn over time to allow one or two caregivers to come close to them, pet them, and even, very rarely, to pick them up.  The cat develops a strong attachment to those who have been caring for the cat.  On some level the cat has learned to trust the people providing food and water.  That does not mean that the cat is tame enough to be adopted and placed inside someone else’s home.  If you want to test how tame the cat really is bring someone with you to the feeding station that has never been there before.  You will probably find that someone who is a stranger to the cat cannot pet it and certainly cannot pick it up.
This cat is happy in her outdoor home.  While it may seem to you that an indoor home would be better, the reality is that the cat is better off where she is.  In a shelter or in the home of a stranger she would most likely spend her days in fear, hiding under a bed or in a closet.
Back to questions...

29.  A stray cat that I’ve been feeding had kittens, where can I take them so that they can find homes?
We are sympathetic to your desire to find loving indoor homes for kittens. We do understand that feeding cats and kittens can sometimes strain a budget. We want to help.
Our ability to help is very limited and that is why we are focused entirely on stopping the breeding.  We do not have a fostering or adoption program.  There are a lot of variables involved when there are kittens in a colony and much depends upon timing. Just know that we will give you whatever help we can and that our primary focus is on making sure that all the cats and kittens you are trying to help will not reproduce in the future.
Because it is their best chance at having any life at all we recommend that you simply allow any kittens born to your colony to grow up and live in their outdoor home.  We can help you get them sterilized when they are very, very small.
Finding Homes: If you do feel that you must try to find homes for kittens then we strongly urge you to try to do that on your own with family, friends, and coworkers -- outside of our already overburdened shelter system after they are sterilized.  Please allow us to offer you some guidance through that process so that we are sure those kittens are sterilized before they go to their new homes.
Back to questions...

30.  I have kittens that I need to find homes for.  What should I do?
The first thing to do is to have the mother cat and all the kittens sterilized before you try to place them in a home.
If the kittens are from free-roaming, primarily feral, cats that you are feeding call us at (602) 943-SPAY (7729) or fill out an online request for our help to humanely trap the adults and get them sterilized.
Please try to find the kittens homes through friends, family, or co-workers rather than through our over-burdened sheltering system.
For more information about this please read the answer to Question 29 above.
Back to questions...

Questions about nursing kittens (with or without a mother cat)
31.  Should I try to trap a mother cat that I know is nursing kittens?
Yes. There are a couple of instances when you may want to wait for a short time. One is when you are absolutely certain that the mother has very, very recently given birth, you are unable to find the kittens or cannot get access to them, and the mother cat is the only cat you need to try to trap.  In that case you may want to wait a little while to let the kittens get a bit older.
The other time you may want to wait is when you have only the mother cat and her kittens to sterilize and you do not intend to do anything other than sterilize the kittens and return them to their outdoor colony.  In that case you may want to wait until the kittens are 2 pounds (about 8 weeks old) so that any veterinarian will easily agree to sterilize them.  Be aware though that the mother cat can become pregnant while she is nursing the kittens so don't wait too long.
With about 350,000 free-roaming cats living in Maricopa County it is almost always unwise to delay humane trapping simply because there may be young kittens that will have to spend a brief time without their mother, particularly during the spring and summer months.
If you have access to the kittens you can feed them using KMR (kitten milk replacement) while the mother cat is at the vet.  You can get KMR at PetSmart or Petco stores.  (Never use cow’s milk.)
A mother cat continues to produce milk and to be able to nurse her kittens after she is spayed. You would be amazed at how long kittens can go without their mother and survive even when they are very, very young.  If the vet knows that the cat is nursing kittens they may be able to do some things to help her recover more quickly from the anesthesia so let staff or volunteers know when you take the cat to the clinic to be sterilized.
You can release the mother cat early the morning after she has been sterilized (even 5 or 6 a.m.)  You should never release the same day she was spayed.  Even if the mother cat is “reversed” (given medication that makes her wake up from the anesthesia sooner) she should not be released the same day.  If the mother cat is groggy when you let her go she could injure herself in a fall or even be killed by a car or predators because her ability to escape is compromised.  A dead mother cat cannot help her kittens.  It is not worth the risk.
Back to questions...

32.  Is a mother cat able to nurse her kittens after she is spayed?
Yes.
Back to questions...

33.   How old do the kittens need to be before they can be spayed or neutered?
It is not a matter of the age of the kittens.  Veterinarians working with us practice early age spay/neuter.  Kittens that are as small as one pound are routinely and safely sterilized by our experienced veterinarians.
The American Veterinary Medical Association supports the concept of early age (prepubertal) spay/neuter and it is accepted in many veterinary schools.  There is a video available through the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, that shows the surgical techniques used for early spay neuter.  Call UC Davis at 530-752-1324 or visit their web site at www.calf.vetmed.ucdavis.edu.
To read more visit http://maxshouse.com/links_to_early_neutering_articles_.htm
Back to questions...

34.  There is a very young kitten(s) in my backyard all alone.  What should I do?
The first thing to do is to leave them alone and stay away.  Watch from inside your house or from some other location away from them if you can.  Otherwise try to check on them every so often. Don’t be any more disruptive that you must because mom may be close by and watching. You don’t want to frighten her away.  There is no hard and fast rule about how long you should wait.  It depends upon a lot of things like whether the kittens are in a safe location, whether they are in the shade or the sun, whether other adverse weather conditions are present, and it depends on how young the kittens are.  But in general you can wait as long as 12 to 18 hours before you decide that mom isn’t able to come back.  Patience is the kittens’ best chance for survival.  It is hard to keep very young nursing kittens alive without their mothers.
Obviously the best outcome is for the mother cat to be able to recover her kitten(s) and for you to follow up to make sure that mom doesn’t have any more litters and that the kittens are ultimately sterilized.  That is why it is important to try to watch, because if you can see where mom goes with her kitten(s) you can investigate and try to get information to her owner or caregiver that might help us intervene and prevent more kittens.
Be sure that all the kittens are accounted for before you make any decision to take the mother cat in off the street other than for a brief time to get her sterilized if that is appropriate under the circumstances.
Back to questions...

35.  I’ve waited for 18 hours and mom still hasn’t returned to get the very young kitten(s).
If you are absolutely certain that the mother cat has not returned at all it may be time for you to intervene. 
For information on caring for motherless kittens that cannot eat on their own visit http://www.alleycat.org/faqs.html.
If you are unable or unwilling to try to care for the kitten on your own you can try to find an animal rescue organization that may help you at www.Pets911.com.  Be aware though that many of them do not take animals directly from the public and that, particularly during the spring and summer, most of them are always filled to capacity. Also, there are very few foster homes available that are willing to take on the care and feeding of “bottle babies.”
Sadly the only course of action may be to take the kitten to your own veterinarian or turn it in to the Arizona Humane Society to be humanely euthanized rather than allowing it to starve to death. Contact the Arziona Humane Society at (602) 997-7586 or visit www.azhumane.org
Back to questions...

36.  I found a kitten(s) yesterday and brought it home.  Can you take it?
No. Altered Tails does not have a fostering or adoption program.  If you need information about caring for a motherless kitten that cannot eat on its own visit http://www.alleycat.org/faqs.html.
Back to questions...

37.  A cat had kittens in my yard [on my roof, in my shed] can you come get them?
No. Altered Tails does not have a fostering or adoption program. Altered Tails would urge you to simply provide the cat with food and water (if you aren’t already) allow her to raise her kittens, then get them sterilized through our trap, neuter, return program. Call us at (602) 943-SPAY (7729) for more information or fill out a request for help from this website.
Back to questions...
Miscellaneous Questions
38.  I have been feeding outdoor cats for a while and they are reproducing. I can't feed them all. What should I do?
As soon as possible, you must trap the cats using humane traps and have them spayed or neutered.  We can help you with that process.  That will prevent the situation from becoming even more unmanageable.
Sometimes you can get food stores or other businesses that sell pet food to give you broken bags or other damaged food products.  Ask those stores that you frequent about this.
Save pet food coupons and ask your friends and family to do the same.  Petco also has a PALS program and if you become a member you get one free bag of food after you purchase a certain number of bags.
Back to questions...

39.  I called two weeks ago why haven’t you helped me yet?
We understand your frustrations.  There are an estimated 350,000 feral cats in Maricopa County.  We wish we could help everyone the day that they call but there just aren't enough volunteers and resources to do that.  We are a volunteer based non-profit. If you are waiting for us to send a volunteer to help with the trap and transport consider trying to get a family member or friend to help you instead.  We can provide you with the equipment you need.  We provide instruction and a demonstration of how to use the equipment.  It really is quite simple.  However, because we don’t have enough volunteers to help everyone, those caregivers that are able to do the work themselves will generally be helped more quickly.
Again, we understand how frustrating this is.  We are frustrated to.  Please know we will help as fast as we can. Please let your local elected officials know that you care about the free-roaming cat population and that you want them to put your tax dollars to work to fund trap, neuter, return for those cats to stop the breeding. That would be a constructive way to channel your frustrations.  We feel just as badly as you do about our inability to provide everyone with prompt help.
Back to questions...

40.  I need to get rid of my cat [dog] where can I take it?
If you are giving up your cat or dog because of behavioral issues you may be able to get help that will correct the problem. Call the Arizona Animal Welfare League’s Behavioral Help Line at (602) 273-6850.
We strongly urge you to try to find a way to keep your pet. If you feel that you simply cannot keep your pet then please try to find it a home through family, friends, or coworkers first.  (Be certain to have the dog or cat spayed or neutered before you place it in a new home.)
If you originally adopted your pet from a shelter or an animal rescue organization, contact that organization.  Many of them will accept return of the pet no matter how long you have had it.
Typically only open admission shelters take cats and dogs from the public. In most places your county animal control facility may be the only open admission shelter available. In Maricopa County there are two such shelters. The one that takes owner surrendered pets is the Arizona Humane Society. Their number is (602) 997-7586 or visit www.azhumane.org for more information.
Be aware though that the Arizona Humane Society may euthanize dogs and cats for lack of space. If your pet has certain behavioral or temperament characteristics it may also be euthanized because it cannot be adopted into another home. Medical conditions or illness can also mean that your pet will be euthanized because it is not adoptable.
Over 50,000 dogs and cats are euthanized each year in Maricopa County.  Please don’t assume that your pet, no matter how cute or sweet you think it is, will survive surrender to a shelter. That is particularly true in the spring and summer when our shelters are flooded with kittens and puppies.
Back to questions...

41.  A cat is dying in my yard can you come get it?
No.  You might try calling the Arizona Humane Society to request an ambulance.  They don’t charge for the service and the ambulance runs from 6 AM to 2 AM. The number to call is 602-997-7585, extension 2073.
There are 4 emergency veterinary hospitals in the valley.  You can take an injured or ill stray and turn it in to them.  Those clinics are:

Back to questions...

42.  One of my feral cats is injured is there a vet that will treat it for me?
Yes.  We are aware of two veterinary clinics that will treat feral cats for you.
The Animal Wellness Center on South Higley Road in Gilbert. Their telephone number is (480) 988-3660.
Van Aken Pet Hospital on Indian School Road near 38th Avenue in Phoenix. Their telephone number is 602-278-6632.
You might also ask your own veterinarian for advice or a referral to another veterinarian willing to work with feral cats
Back to questions...

43.  My neighbors are poisoning cats [threatening to shoot cats; trapping cats and dropping them in the desert] what can I do?
Cruelty to animals is a crime.  Call your city police department and report what you know.  If you are within Maricopa County but outside city limits contact the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department. There are also various organizations that may investigate cruelty cases. 
Arizona Animal Welfare League           602-433-2000
Humane Society                                602-997-7586
Maricopa County Pet Posse                 602-876-1681
We have a flyer that you can use to educate others about this.  We can mail it to you or you can download it from our website.  (Click here to go to flyer)
Back to questions...

44.  I don’t want cats in my yard.  How do I keep them out?
Scent repellents (available at garden and pet supply stores) will keep animals out of marked garden areas. For information about one such natural repellant visit www.critter-repellent.com. (This link is provided solely as a courtesy. We make no promises about how successful this product is.)
You can discourage cats from entering your yard by spraying them with a gentle blast of water from a spray bottle or squirt gun. If you are persistent, they may get the message that they are not wanted on the premises.
There are a variety of other products available to discourage animals from entering your yard and a lot of ideas for keeping them out of particular areas. A general search on the web for “cat repellent” or “keeping cats out of yards” will reveal many of them.  Please remember to use only humane products and those that won’t harm other animals or the environment.
Back to questions...