Programs Overview

IndyFeral is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which serves as a resource for caretakers of stray and feral cats in central Indiana. IndyFeral also serves as the official Trap-Neuter-Return designee for the City of Indianapolis, Lawrence, Southport and the Town of Speedway in Marion County, Indiana.

Our mission: IndyFeral seeks to reduce the stray and feral cat overpopulation through the non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), not trap and kill. To accomplish our mission the following programs are offered.

Spay Day Clinics

IndyFeral provides high quality, low cost spay/neuter clinics to caretakers of stray and feral cats on a weekly basis. The goal is to stop uncontrolled population growth and improve the lives of unowned free-roaming cats.

Spay Days are efficient high volume clinics in which cats and kittens are examined, vaccinated and sterilized. These MASH-Style Clinics are carried out by a staff of veterinarians, vet assistants, and trained IndyFeral volunteers.

Cats treated in the clinics receive the following care and treatment:

IndyFeral's spay/neuter & vaccination package price: $20

• Spay or Neuter by a licensed veterinarian (including antibiotic and pain control medication applied at the time of surgery)
• 3-year rabies vaccination
• 3-in-1 feline vaccination (FVRCP) including "distemper" (cats under 6 months)
• Treatment for fleas, worms, earmites and other parasites
• Wellness check, including ear and eye cleaning
• Treatment for injuries and illnesses as needed
• Post-operative recovery provided at our clinic
• Eartip: a permanent visual identification in the form of a cropped, left eartip
• Financial assistance is available for those who qualify

The FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic provides spay/neuter for friendly stray cats through the Neighborhood Cat Program. Visit their website for more information.

Medical Care

IndyFeral provides a wide range of medical care for colony cats as the need arises. Our veterinarian will evaluate the course of care for each cat and develop an individual treatment plan which may include medical, surgical, and long-term recovery care as needed until they are ready to be returned to their colony or placed with an adoption group if medically dictated. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program

IndyFeral provides Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) training and education for caretakers of free-roaming cats. These services are provided to ensure the safe trapping, transport, and management of the cats in an effort to stop their uncontrolled population growth, improve the lives of the cats, minimize nuisance behavior and ensure ordinance compliance.

• TNR - In preparation for TNR, caretakers will be instructed how to safely trap and transport the stray and feral cats they have been caring for to our clinic. The cats will then be examined, vaccinated, eartipped and sterilized by the veterinarian. Caretakers then return the cats to their outdoor home.
• Cat Colony Management –- Caretakers will be provided colony management guidelines and resources to assist them with the long term care of their colony cats. This includes food, shelter, on-going health monitoring and adoption resources for friendly colony cats. Over time, properly managed cat colonies should diminish in size through natural attrition and/or adoption.
• Field Assistance - Trapping and transportation assistance is available as volunteer resources allow. This assistance is reserved for qualified "special needs" caretakers, large scale mass trappings or special projects.

Feral Freedom Program

The Feral Freedom program is a partnership between Indianapolis Animal Care and Control (IACC), IndyFeral, the FACE Clinic and Southside Animal Shelter. The goal of the program is to reduce the killing of feral cats and kittens who are trapped and brought to the city shelter. Since feral cats and kittens are not socialized to people they are not adoption candidates or appropriate to live as an indoor cat. As such their only outcome is to be killed at the shelter. Qualifying feral cats that can be matched to a managed colony/caretaker in their neighborhood will be returned to their outdoor home. All cats are sterilized, vaccinated and eartipped for identification. Sterilizing the cats greatly reduces the nuisance/mating behaviors associated with unaltered cats.

For feral kittens that can not be safely returned to their colonies or neighborhoods due to a hostile habitat or a medical condition an alternate placement will be sought as resources allow. If you would like to help foster and socialize feral kittens in preparation for adoption, please contact Robin@ssasi.org

TNR education and enrollment is also offered to citizens who are trapping and taking cats to IACC as a non-lethal alternative to the trapping and killing of the cats.

Barn Cat Program

The goal of the barn cat program is to ensure that all cats have appropriate and safe placement options. Not all cats can live as indoor house pets. Cats who qualify for the barn cat program typically fall into 3 categories:

• Cats whose litter box habits make them unsuitable as a house pet
• Cats who are shy/fearful of people and prefer the company of other cats and animals
• Cats who have behavior quirks that don't make them ideal as a house pet

The barn cat program reaches out to those with a working barn, riding/boarding stable, landscape nursery, warehouse, safe heated outbuilding or a managed colony that would like to add a cat that needs an outdoor home. Having a barn cat (or cats) will help keep down the rodent population. The cats will help the property owner, while the property owner provides the cat(s) a safe place to live. All cats will be registered through IndyFeral.

If you have a safe outdoor environment for cats, please contact for more details.

Community Resources for Colony Caretakers

Cat Shelter Resources - IndyFeral maintains a list of resources for purchasing or building a wide variety of shelters and feeding stations to suit a range of budgets and abilities. Feeding stations and multi-size cat shelters are available through a partnership with "Habitat for Catmanity."

Food Assistance - Nutrition for feral cats is important given the hardship of their outdoor lives. Food assistance is available for colony caretakers through a partnership with the Indianapolis Animal Care and Control food pantry and Pets Supplies "Plus".

Adoption Assistance - Given the high abandonment rate of cats, many friendly formerly indoor cats find themselves on the street and part of a feral colony in order to survive. The Humane Society of Indianapolis and many other local adoption groups assist caretakers with rehoming friendly colony cats and kittens as their resources allow.

Special Thanks

IndyFeral would like to thank the following foundations and donors for supporting our mission:

	James M. McFadden, M.D. Fund
	Clara E. DeVault Charitable Trust