About Our Clinics

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Operation Catnip is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering no-cost spay-neuter clinics and vaccines for unowned, free-roaming community cats in Alachua County, Florida since 1998. Our services are made possible by the generous contribution of time and service from volunteer veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and cat lovers. The goal of our nonprofit is to prevent unplanned litters and eliminate the excess of cats entering shelters and ultimately being euthanized.

At each clinic, large numbers of community cats are humanely trapped, sterilized, vaccinated for rabies and returned to their colonies where they can no longer reproduce. Our clinics are run entirely by a team of over 75 volunteers (veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and others), and are capable of sterilizing 150 to 200 or more cats in a matter of hours.

All of the cats receive anesthesia, sterilization, rabies, distemper, and feline leukemia vaccines, as well as antibiotics, flea treatment and dewormer, and pain medications. All cats have the tip of their left ear trimmed to help identify them as sterile. 

What Operation Catnip does

  • Sterilize unowned stray or feral cats from Alachua County

  • Provide routine vaccinations at the time of surgery

  • Permanently crop the left ears of sterilized cats

  • Lend out humane traps free of charge for safe capture and transportation of cats to the clinic

What Operation Catnip doesn’t do

  • Sterilize owned pets or strays that are for adoption

  • Sterilize cats that will be placed in sanctuaries or shelters

  • Accept cats for adoption

  • Relocate cats

  • Participate in cat trapping for euthanasia

  • Participate in cat trapping for release to animal shelters

How many cats have “graduated” from Operation Catnip?

Since 1998, Operation Catnip has sterilized over 65,160 cats. With the continued support of our community, that number continues to rise each year.

How We Fund Our No-Cost Clinics

It costs about $50 for each cat treated to be treated. This cost is very low because veterinarians and other volunteers donate their time, and caregivers donate funds needed to buy a portion of the necessary supplies. Operation Catnip raises the rest of the funds needed to keep the clinics running at full capacity through donations, fundraisers and grants. Operation Catnip does not receive any funding from the University of Florida or any local, county or state agency.

Major Funding Provided By

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