If you live in Spartanburg COUNTY, you are eligible to rent a trap from Cat Trap Depot and go through the FREE spay/neuter program for feral cats through Animal Allies.
If you live in Spartanburg CITY limits, please contact Spartanburg City Animal Control instead: (864) 582-1558
This process is called “TNR” (trap-neuter-return). When you rent a trap from Cat Trap Depot, we will provide you with everything you need, including instructions on how to use the trap and how to work with Animal Allies. For detailed instructions, please continue reading below.
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
If possible, establish a feeding routine so that the cats get used to being fed at the same time and in the same place each day.
ENSURE THEY ARE HUNGRY
Do not feed cats the day before trapping so that they will be hungry enough to go into the trap. Be sure to let any neighbors know to do the same. This includes dry kibble too!
HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE
Please do not set a trap until you have a plan in place on where you’re taking it for surgery (see options below). You do not want a cat to be stuck in a trap for more than a day or two.
I recommend trapping the evening prior to surgery as cats are typically more active at night. If you set a trap at bedtime, you should have a cat when you wake up the next morning.
Pay attention to weather so the trap is not out in extreme cold or heat. The green plastic covers that come with your trap are not waterproof, so please do not leave them out in the rain.
Important: You may only get one chance as cats learn quickly. Make sure you have a plan in place before trapping a cat, as you most likely will not be able to trap them a second time.
OPTION 1: ANIMAL ALLIES
Animal Allies provides free spay/neuter services for feral cats for Spartanburg county residents. In addition to spay/neuter, each cat receives a rabies vaccine, FVRCP vaccine, and an ear tip (to identify to others that the cat has been fixed).
Services are walk-in and available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Drop-off is 7:30-8am and pickup is between 12:30-4pm that same day (they will call when your cat is ready).
• No appointment necessary.
• One cat per person, per address, per day.
• Cat must be in a trap.
Important: check their Facebook page the day before you trap to make sure they have not temporarily suspended feral cat surgeries. This occasionally happens due to a holiday or a vet being out of the office, but they will make a post on their Facebook page alerting the public.
Please note: As of August 2024, County Animal Control is no longer helping with pick up or drop-off, so please make sure you are available to transport your cats.
OPTION 2: PERSONAL VETERINARIAN
If you have a feral cat that will need additional care (such as an injury), it may be best to make an appointment with a local veterinary practice. Be sure to set an appointment with them first before trapping. Even walk-in clinics require appointments for spay/neuter, and sometimes there may be a long wait. Surgeries can be expensive, so get an estimate beforehand.
If it is a friendly community cat and can be handled, you may consider purchasing a “Fix-a-Feline” voucher for $55 through Speak for Animals. Vouchers can be used at several participating vets in Spartanburg County (by appointment only). They also offer feral cat vouchers for $35. Note: please be considerate of others and only purchase the discounted vouchers if you are on a limited income and need the assistance.
POST SURGERY
When you pick up your cat after surgery, they will need a safe, climate-controlled environment to recover, such as a laundry room or bathroom. A garage may also work if there are no extreme temperatures (note: a garage can heat up to dangerous temps in the summer).
Leave the cat in the trap overnight so that it can fully recover from the anesthesia before releasing the following morning. There is no need to provide food or water; the cat will be fine for one day. Note: sedated cats can be very unpredictable, so do not open the trap. Just leave it covered overnight and they will sleep it off. You can put pee pads or newspaper underneath to protect your floor from any potty accidents.
Note: If you have a friendly cat and it does not seem stressed, you may consider giving it an extra day to recover indoors (outside of the trap) before releasing. This is not necessary though, and sometimes the stress of keeping an outdoor cat indoors can outweigh the benefits of an extra recovery day.
Be sure to release the cat at the same location it was trapped! Releasing elsewhere is not only cruel (and illegal), but most times, the cat will just find its way back, no matter how many miles away.
Cat Trap Depot 