Free Spay/Neuter, Supplies in Honor of Feral Cat Day October 16, 2010

Chicago – Tree House Humane Society is celebrating National Feral Cat Day by offering FREE Feral Fixes on Saturday, October 16, National Feral Cat Day, for registered feral cat colony caretakers in Cook County. In addition to the surgery, all cats will receive the Tree House Feral Cat Package which includes: post-surgery pain medication, rabies and FVRCP vaccinations, parasite treatment, ear-tipping, and treatment for any wounds.

At this time, all of our appointments are booked for this day. We hope you will still consider TNR for your neighborhood feral cats will schedule an appointment for another day. The regular subsidized package price is only $25. The clinic is open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Please call the Tree House BDVM MacLean Spay/Neuter Clinic at: 773-227-5535 to make an appointment. Cats must be dropped off in a humane trap between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and picked up between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the same day. Additional services include micro-chipping ($6) and virus-testing ($20). Space is limited and fills quickly so plan on waiting at least 7 days to get in.

In addition, Tree House Humane Society is hosting a Feral Cat Colony Caretaker Fest the same day, from 1-4 p.m., at our Shelter Headquarters in Uptown, 1212 W. Carmen Ave. At the Fest, registered colony caretakers can get free and low-cost colony winterization supplies, including outdoor shelters (plastic storage bins and Styrofoam coolers), insulation materials (Styrofoam sheets, straw, and Mylar blankets), heated water bowls, cat food and more. Refreshments will be served. Tree House is a Sponsor Organization for Feral Cat Colony Caretakers in compliance with the Cook County Managed Care of Feral Cats Ordinance passed in November 2007. For more information, please visit our sister web site: TNRchicago.org, or contact our TNR counselors at 773-784-5488, ext. 234, or tnr@treehouseanimals.org.
Our feral spay/neuter services are just one part of the Tree House Feral Friends TNR Program which includes a trap bank, post-surgery recovery space, food pantry and sponsorship of community TNR meetings and workshops and the administration of TNRchicago.org website.

There are an estimated 60-80 million feral cats in the United States, but thanks to a growing number of organizations and individuals participating in Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) - an increasingly widespread humane method of managing feral cat colonies - there is hope that we can drastically reduce the number of cats born on the street while respecting the lives of these animals. Feral cats make up the largest percentage of animals euthanized at shelters, so successful TNR Programs are the key to reducing euthanasia and becoming closer to a no-kill city and a no-kill nation.

Tree House was founded in 1971 and since then we have expanded and enhanced our programs and services to become a premiere, cageless, no-kill shelter for sick, injured, abused and neglected stray cats. To date, we have found homes for more than 15,000 cats. In addition to our focus on the rehabilitation and adoption of stray cats, we offer many other valuable programs and services, including our low-cost Spay/Neuter Program, Feral Friends Program, a Pet Loss Grief Support Group, a Humane Investigations Team, our Youth Volunteer Program, Animal-Assisted Therapy, a Behavior Hotline, our Pet Food Pantry, and our Education Outreach Program. Tree House is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charity and proud member of the Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance (CASA).