SBHumane
As part of their ongoing effort to address the feline overpopulation in northern Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Humane will offer cat owners the chance to have their cat spayed or neutered for free at their Santa Maria campus.
The free spay and neuter surgeries, which were made possible thanks to a generous donation from ResQCats, are a safe and humane way to prevent unwanted litters of kittens. An unaltered female cat can birth as many as 180 kittens in her lifetime, and those kittens often end up being part of the 3.2 million cats who enter animal shelters annually.
According to Dr. Katie Marrie, Santa Barbara Humane’s Chief Veterinary Officer, surgical sterilization also provides health benefits to cats, “Spaying your female pet helps reduce the risk of mammary cancer and uterine infection, and neutering males prevents them from getting testicular cancer.”
Owned cats won’t be the only ones who will benefit from free spay and neuter surgeries this April, as Santa Barbara Humane will also be holding special Community Cat Spay Days at their Santa Maria campus. On Thursday, April 11, 2024, and Wednesday, April 24, 2024, community members will have the chance to bring in an unlimited number of unowned community cats for free spay and neuter services.
Community Cat Spay Days come as part of Santa Barbara Humane’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. The program is designed to fast-track healthy cats back to their homes and neighborhoods, preserving space in the shelter for surrendered, displaced, sick, injured, and abused cats. Volunteers and other community members trap cats and bring them to Santa Barbara Humane’s Santa Maria veterinary clinic, where they receive a health exam, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and other necessary procedures and services. The animals are then returned to where they were found. The TNR program ensures no new kittens are born, stabilizes cat populations, and improves cats’ lives. It also stops the behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling, spraying, and fighting.
In 2023, 758 feral cats were spayed at Santa Barbara Humane, representing a 154% increase from the previous year. Between their two campuses, the organization provided surgical sterilization for 7,388 animals last year, a 27% increase from 2022.
Previous Community Cat Spay Days saw as many as 77 cats spayed or neutered in a single day, but Santa Barbara Humane hopes to see even more feral cats at this year’s events. All community cats should be brought in a trap; traps are available from Santa Barbara Humane’s Santa Maria campus. Drop off for Community Cat Spay Day will be at 7:15 AM. Those interested can learn more about helping community cats and Community Cat Spay Days at sbhumane.org/community-cats
While no appointments will be necessary for the Community Cat Spay Day events, all other visits to Santa Barbara Humane’s veterinary clinic, including those for free spay or neuter surgeries, are by appointment only. Appointments can be booked at sbhumane.org/clinic or by calling (805) 964-4777 x 205
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Santa Barbara Humane is the oldest animal welfare agency in Santa Barbara County, serving the community for over 135 years. The organization’s two campuses in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria provide low-cost veterinary care, affordable dog training, adoption, and socially-conscious sheltering for local animals, whether they are with a loving family or at the shelter waiting for a home of their own. Because Santa Barbara Humane does not receive any federal funding, it relies on donor support to help thousands of animals and families each year in Santa Barbara County.
