FIX YOUR DANG CATS

There are so many myths and excuses out there for not getting your cat spayed/neutered, and this misinformation has led to a rapid increase in homeless cats, creating cycles of suffering and death on the streets. This could be avoided if everyone would do their part and be responsible pet owners. If reducing suffering isn’t enough of a reason, there is also a long list of benefits to getting your furry friends fixed!

The main excuse I hear from folks not getting their cat fixed is cost. While it’s true that some veterinary clinics charge hundreds of dollars to get a cat fixed, there are local resources available that can provide spay/neuter for as low as $25! That’s even cheaper than some bags of cat food! If you can afford to feed them, you can afford to fix them!

I want to help folks discover local low-cost spay/neuter options, so I made this page as a resource for my friends and neighbors in Fayette County, Indiana.

TNR improves the lives of street cats as well as their human neighbors

Trap Neuter Return (TNR) is the best tool we have to combat overpopulation of stray and feral cats in our neighborhoods. Due to irresponsible pet ownership and abandonment, communities all across the globe are struggling to control stray and feral cat populations. Sadly, some have resorted to inhumane methods to reduce populations by mass euthanasia or relocation, which never fully solves the problem thanks to a phenomenon known as the vacuum effect. By neutering and returning community cats to their territories, population growth is slowed and the neutered cats remain in control of their territory so that unaltered cats don’t move in to take over and repeat the cycle.

How do you do it?

It’s easier than you might think! Check out this detailed “How To” from Alley Cat Allies, a trusted source for rescue and TNR. I explain how I conducted my first TNR project here if you would like to see what the entire process was like for me in complete detail.

Resources Local to Fayette County

We’re lucky to have some low-cost and feral-friendly options nearby! Public Vet is a traveling clinic that offers low-cost spay/neuter and other veterinary services for cats and has financial assistance available if you apply for it. With financial assistance, I have been able to get cats fixed for only $25 per cat. They come to Fayette County fairly regularly, just check out their website to see when they are coming next! You can go to any of their clinics even if you are not a resident of the town they are visiting. Animal Care Alliance in Richmond also provides low-cost veterinary care and has a financial assistance program as well. They are a bit more expensive than Public Vet, but not by too much. Both clinics are happy to work with you if you need help, so please don’t be afraid to reach out to them with questions!

If you lack the ability or can’t afford to conduct TNR yourself but would still like to help support local TNR efforts, MAKK’s Street Cat Rescue, inc. is a nonprofit in Connersville that is actively working to TNR community cats around town. There are ways to donate money and supplies posted to their Facebook page. It’s just a small organization led by a single amazing person, so her resources and capacity are limited, but she is doing everything she can to help street cats in our area get fixed and receive lifesaving veterinary care. She also rescues and rehabilitates friendly strays and has many available for adoption!

Pet Friendly Services Low-Cost Voucher Program

Income-qualified pet owners pay $50 per surgery, using veterinarians in Pet Friendly Services’ statewide network. The SNAP program opens Monday at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. Each household is limited to two (2) SNAP certificates.

Community Cats
SNAP certificates for free-roaming “community cats” are available for $25 per cat. All income-qualification requirements apply. Community cat certificates include a mandatory ear tip, which will be clearly noted on the certificate you receive.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be residents of the State of Indiana. While Pet Friendly Services of Indiana works with veterinarians across state lines, SNAP assistance is limited to Indiana residents only.

This program is not available to breeders, rescue organizations, or shelter employees, regardless of income qualification.

Click here to visit their assistance program application page.

List of Local TNR/ Low-Cost Veterinary Care and Rescue Organizations:

Public Vet
Animal Care Alliance
Logue’s TLC Pet Hospital
MAKK’s Street Cat Rescue, inc.
Whisker’s Rescue and Foster, inc.
HELP The Animals, inc.
Liberty Acres United Rescue Animal Sanctuaty
Fayette County Animal Shelter

Not cat related, but there is a great project underway in Connersville aimed at helping dog owners access affordable spay/neuter as well! Check out the Carrie Can Project on GoFundMe!

Sign up for the upcoming clinic on July 25th 2026 here

A NOTE ON PUBLIC VET

Public Vet does require folks who use their service to list themselves as the owner of any feral cats brought to them for surgery. This does not mean you have to keep the cat as a pet, they can be returned to their territory after recovery. You are just agreeing to be the responsible party for the cats that you sign up for surgery in the event that a medical issue might arise, and you must agree *as the owner* to Public Vet’s terms and services. This is really all just semantics for legal reasons, but it can be confusing for folks, so I wanted to make this clear in case anyone has concerns while applying.

Also please keep in mind that in the state of Indiana, if you have fed a cat for three or more consecutive days, you are legally assuming ownership (this does not apply to colony cat caretakers). I always encourage folks to fix the cats they feed, and continue providing food and care after releasing from spay/neuter surgery if you can.

I post TNVR / TNR activism, cat rescue, and just generally cute stuff from my resident rescue cats on Instagram @spoiledrescuecats
We bought this wheel for Churu back in February of this year. We had to train her every night with @inaba_northamerica tube treats (yes she loves them so much we named her Churu, it was supposed to be a placeholder name but we foster failed her and it stuck 😹) and it took a couple of weeks of that consistent training for her to get comfortable on it, but now she loves her @one_fast_cat wheel so much that she can’t even wait for us to finish putting it back in its spot when we have to move it out of the way 🤣 Apparently it was bath time 🛁 Just a normal goob doing normal goob things ✨ Extra special birthday / gotcha day treat ✨ (dried bonito flakes on top of a bisque treat) “The heck am I supposed to do with this?” -Dovah, too cool for toys now that she’s 9 whole years old Nine years ago today, I scooped this feral kitten up off the street. She had been living in my porch shed all alone, barely three months old if that. I coaxed her out slowly but surely over a period of a few days consistently offering wet food on a schedule. Closer and closer she came until I was able to quickly swoop in and grab her. Oh, she fought. Got a good chomp on my finger, too! Hissing, spitting, thrashing around like the wild animal she was. This right here is what rescue is all about! 🥹 Blackjack, the friendly homeless cat we intervened to get neutered and off the streets, is now settled in happily at the new forever home found for him by the animal shelter we brought him to. His new mom just shared this photo of him living his best life with his new friends! 🥰 This is a photo from a big TNR event done by @animalcarealliance for Cambridge City, IN. I was grateful to be allowed to bring in a few of my own feral community cats to be fixed that day as well. Pictured is Dr. Stacy Kostiuk as she lead Animal Care Alliance staff in performing nearly 30 spay/neuter surgeries on May 6th. I’ve had a really good day today! Had several really nice social encounters with human and animal friends alike! Just ran into one of my favorite community cats in the Offutt’s Park area and gave him a lil treat. 🥰 He is cared for by an older gentleman who lives alongside the park and thankfully has all his kitties fixed at @publicvet (You can see the ear tattoo in the first photo). I love seeing other community members being responsible like this. Public Vet is coming back ro Connersville in June and financial aid IS available! All you have to do is apply on their website and you will get a response very quickly. They always get back with me within just a couple of days. Financial assistance is based on your ability to pay. I have a spot at the next clinic secured and I am grateful I was able to get assistance enough to make it only $25 for me to get another one of my community cats fixed! Get out there and #TNR / #TNVR! You can do it!