FELINE SPAY/NEUTER INFO

   THE SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.  PLEASE CALL 717-304-9987 OR EMAIL [email protected] TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT.  (You will get a more expedited reply via email.)

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE S/N CLINIC: 1: Felines that have been vaccinated here 2: regular client kitties 3: clients that we have provided s/n services for previously 4: ALL TNR, Outside, ferals, strays that are not house cats (as defined by any cat that spends ANY time inside) 5: if you have not met criteria 1-3 and you have a house cat or in/out cat  that kitty needs an exam or vaccinations HERE before scheduling a spay appt

We have reverted to curbside service once again! PLEASE wait in your vehicle and we will be out to check in your feline. Please bring a pen to complete your consent form.

WHEN: A Reduced Cost Feline Spay/Neuter Clinic is offered on an AVAILABLE FRIDAY, MEANING NOT EVERY FRIDAY, for house cats and most inside/outside cats and on an AVAILABLE TUESDAY, MEANING NOT EVERY TUESDAY, for outside cats and TNR cats; YOU MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR S/N SERVICES

DROP OFF:  FRIDAY: AT 8am and TUESDAY: AT 7:30am IF YOU ARRIVE LATER THAN THESE TIMES YOUR CAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED THAT DAY.  MAKE SURE TO BRING YOUR VACCINATION RECORDS OR OUR BOOKLET/FOLDER AT TIME OF DROP OFF. WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO LOOK UP YOUR VACCINATION INFO ON A FRIDAY.

NO SHOWS/CANCELLATIONS:  IF you do not cancel your appointment BEFORE drop off time your appt will not be rescheduled.  We understand that ERs can occur but at least 24 hours notice would be appreciated so others can be scheduled, thank you.

PICK UP:  FRIDAY: AT 6pm; TUESDAY: AT 5PM; this means you can pick up kitties at the designated times

COSTS/CONSENT FORM: PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN PURPLE TO VIEW THE CONSENT FORM: 
Feline Spay/Neuter/Vaccination Clinic Liability Form  The MINIMAL requirements at time of surgery are spay or neuter, ALL THREE of the pain products listed unless your kitty is under 4 mos of age, and a rabies vaccine if your kitty does not already have it!  This means: UNLESS YOUR KITTY IS LESS THAN 4 MOS OF AGE WE REQUIRE MELOXICAM, SIMBADOL AND LASER AT TIME OF SURGERY. Your feline MUST be up to date with at least the distemper series before s/n and IDEALLY rabies as well.  If you have not been here before these vaccinations must be done HERE OR an exam is required HERE for females before a surgery appointment can be scheduled.   We provide the form here so you DO NOT need to print it.  HOWEVER, if you cannot personally drop off your cat you will need to send this completed consent form along with the person transporting your cat OR a signed letter giving us permission to perform surgery. If your female is pregnant, lactating, in heat, has a hernia, or there are any other complications at the time of surgery additional costs will be incurred. MAKE SURE YOU LIST A CORRECT PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR FORM IN CASE WE NEED TO CONTACT YOU!
PAYMENT: Payment is due at the time of DROP OFF and is CASH or MONEY ORDER ONLY.  There is NO pay on pick-up.

FOOD: FOR FRIDAY: ALL Kitties can have food until 6am; kittens under 1 year of age should get a snack before their trip..this means: if kittens are not used to eating early in the am just give them their food before the trip..if they typically get motion sickness then feed something around 4am or so and give a smaller amount than normal
WATER: no water restrictions; do not remove water sources 

Discharge Instructions: You will be provided with a copy at time of drop off. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE INSTRUCTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN PROPERLY CARE FOR YOUR CAT AFTER SURGERY!!!! You can also peruse them here as well:  Feline Surgery Discharge Instructions

GENERAL INFO
****SEE PREPARING YOUR CAT FOR THE TRIP, Cat Carrier Training Video You Tube, 5 Cat Carrier Tips and VISITING YOUR VET ****
1: We cannot accommodate more than 2 kitties per household per clinic.
2: CATS MUST BE HEALTHY FOR SURGERY. Your cat cannot be on antibiotics. If your cat was on meds please consult us about this when scheduling.
3: Any cat deemed UNHEALTHY or UNFIT, for WHATEVER reason, will NOT be spayed or neutered. IF WE CANNOT GET YOUR CAT OUT OF THE CARRIER DUE TO FEAR/STRESS/ANXIETY FOR EXAMINATION, HE/SHE WILL NOT BE NEUTERED/SPAYED!
4: HEART MURMUR: 1: What is a murmur? 2: Heart murmurs in cats-what do they mean? 3: Heart murmur in cats-everything you should know   If a heart murmur is detected when your cat's heart is ausculted here, we will not spay/neuter.  Cats may have a benign heart murmur detected due to stress BUT because we cannot distinguish the difference between that or a pathologic murmur, we will not spay/neuter.  If you know your cat has a murmur please consult your regular vet for surgery.  If you do not have a regular vet you can make an appointment here to see if your cat has the same murmur at a personal appointment.  If the murmur persists then we recommend pursuing an echocardiogram which is gold standard for heart murmurs in cats.  We do have the Bionote VCheck 200 (click on Bionote for an explanation of the product and test) to determine your kitty's NT-proBNP.   If the level is under 100 pmol/L heart disease is unlikely and surgery could be performed.
5: POST OP CARDIAC/PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS: There are some cats with an underlying heart problem, like HCM, which cannot always be detected upon auscultation of the heart.  These cats, despite not having a heart murmur, can develop heart failure and cardiogenic pulmonary edema after surgery.  Therefore, monitoring for signs of respiratory distress like difficulty breathing, lethargy etc are important after surgery.  An echocardiogram for every cat before surgery would be ideal though not financially feasible for most of you.   There is a SNAP test that can be used though sometimes it will not identify affected cats and sometimes incorrectly identifies normal cats.  Here is a journal abstract:
Should we be screening cats for cardiomyopathy? If so, how?
Language: English
J Am Vet Med Assoc. October 2022;260(13):1626 - 1630.
Mark Rishniw Article Abstract
Occult feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can result in unexpected sudden death or congestive heart failure (CHF) following routine interventions such as anesthesia, fluid administration, or, potentially, administration of corticosteroids. Consequently, clinicians would like to be able to screen at-risk cats to detect occult HCM and either avoid the risky intervention or attempt to reduce the risk of death or CHF. Currently, the feline N-terminal-proBrain natriuretic peptide test is the only potential screening test for detecting occult HCM. However, some cardiologists have pointed out the poor sensitivity of the test precludes its use as a screening test. This interpretation appears somewhat flawed. Using the current rapid test will allow clinicians to correctly identify half of the cats with moderate-to-severe occult HCM. A small number of cats without HCM will also test positive, necessitating an ultimately needless echocardiographic evaluation to demonstrate their disease-free status. However, the low prevalence of HCM in the general cat population and the apparently much lower rate of adverse events than would be predicted brings into question whether clinicians should bother screening. Therefore, until a more sensitive and accurate screening test becomes available, clinicians will have to decide for themselves whether identifying half of the at-risk cats of sudden death and CHF with this test is better than identifying none of them.

6: Since many purebred cats are predisposed to cardiomyopathies you will need to consult your regular vet for surgery.
7: If you just applied a flea/tick prevention product, administered/applied dewormer, etc, wait a few days for surgery since some cats can have reactions to these products and let us know this when scheduling.
8: House cats 5 yrs of age and over MUST have an exam and blood work HERE before spay/neuter regardless if you have been here before.
9: We do like females to weigh around 4# and be at least 18 wks of age, if possible. Ideally we like cats to be spayed and neutered around 18-20 wks or by 5 mos of age. 
10: We will only s/n 2 weeks after the last vaccination..for instance, if you received FVRCP and opt to get rabies at time of s/n there must be a minimum of 2 wks between the fvrcp and the s/n and rabies vacc
11: PAIN MANAGEMENT: We require ALL pain products so your kitty is more comfy post op! IF kitties are 4 mos or under we will only give simbadol and perform cold laser therapy as meloxicam is not approved for kitties under 4 mos of age in the US. We also offer gabapentin for you to take home post op to help keep your kitty calm but this drug does not help with acute surgical pain. This drug can cause GI side effects and sedation.
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:
HOUSE CATS and INSIDE/OUTSIDE CATS:
1: Your house cat MUST be vaccinated for AT LEAST the Distemper series before surgery.  Though NOT IDEAL we can give rabies at time of spay or neuter but prefer ALL vaccinations UTD.  If you have not met the eligibility criteria 1-3 above then it is mandatory that your house cat or in/out cat get either their vaccinations here, meaning rabies and distemper, OR if already vaccinated, have an examination here before scheduling.  It is ideal to have vaccinations, deworming, examination etc done before spay/neuter.  Due to the fact that we see outbreaks of Panleukopenia, aka Distemper, in our area we highly recommend vaccination before spay/neuter. You can read about this deadly virus on this site. FVRCP is a CORE vaccine! Vaccines may cause lethargy, pain at the injection site, reduced appetite and fever.  This is the reason we like them done prior to surgery.  Plus, we want them immunized before encountering other cats.  We will NOT give distemper at the time of surgery.  Again, vaccines may cause reactions.  Therefore, if your pet gets sick after the surgery, is it from the spay/neuter or from the vaccine? We do not consider felines vaccinated for FVRCP by owners as properly immunized.  We require proof of vaccinations from a veterinarian for many reasons.
2: WE REQUIRE A RABIES VACCINATION FOR EVERY CAT.  You will need to provide proof of rabies per PA State Law which is the rabies certificate. If you do not have proof of rabies, it is required.  Though it is not ideal, we will administer a rabies vaccine at the time of spay/neuter to unvaccinated cats.  Surgery does not affect the ability of the immune system to mount a response, and therefore, the rabies vaccine should be effective. BUT, there MUST BE AT LEAST A 2 WEEK INTERVAL BETWEEN VACCINATIONS!! This means, if your cat requires rabies at the time of surgery you will need to wait at least 2 weeks after any other vaccination.  You must wait at least 2 weeks so that the response of the immune system can subside before stimulating it again. IF we would give a rabies vaccination 1 week after the FVRCP it is very possible that it would not be completely effective!
3: While most vaccine reactions occur in the first 24-72 hrs, there are reported cases that occur 1-2 weeks post injection, this is the reason we like to do S/N 2 weeks after vaccinations. ALSO, if you require a rabies vaccine, and bring your cat in 1 week after a FVRCP vaccination, we will not be able to vaccinate for rabies which we require.  Vaccines, if given at separate times, MUST be separated by at least 2 weeks due to the immune system.

OUTSIDE/FERAL CATS
We understand that vaccinations prior to S/N for feral or TNR cats is impossible and will give rabies at the time of S/N. We also understand that some trapped cats will weigh less and be younger than 4-5 mos of age.
TRAPS: YOU CAN BRING FERAL/TNR CATS IN THEIR TRAPS BUT PLEASE COVER THEM TO REDUCE THEIR STRESS. If you want to bring a carrier to recover your feral in after surgery that would be great! 

CARRIER INFO
Fear Free recommends covering carriers with a towel to decrease anxiety, spraying the towel with Feliway 30 minutes before transport, playing soft music on the trip or Through a Cat's Ear CD, and placing the carrier on the floor behind the passenger seat.
THERE IS INFO ON THIS WEBSITE ABOUT GETTING CATS INTO CARRIERS UNDER CARRIER WARS AND MAKING THEIR TRIP TO THE VET MORE FEAR FREE. PLEASE CHECK OUT CATFRIENDLY.COM FOR MORE INFO.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CARRIERS ARE CLEAN, INSIDE AND OUT!!!! IT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR YOUR CAT TO TRAVEL IN A CARRIER WITH MOLDY FOOD, PETRIFIED STOOL, URINE FROM A PREVIOUS VISIT OR SOILED/DIRTY TOWELS; RODENT OR BIRD DROPPINGS, ETC ..PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PROPER CARRIER, AS LISTED HERE, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT YOUR CAT FOR SURGERY. PUT SOMETHING IN THE CARRIER TO ABSORB WASTE LIKE a fleece, fabric towel, shred or newspaper but NO LITTER BOXES in the carriers or litter. Soiled materials will be discarded so do not use cherished items. CATS PREFER FLEECE.

Cats must be in SEPARATE, SECURE, HARD CASE CARRIERS-NO HARNESSES OR LEASHES OR SOFT CARRIERS OR WIRE CRATES!!!!!!
SEPARATE: THIS MEANS ONE CAT PER CARRIER; YOU CANNOT PUT 2 CATS IN THE SAME CARRIER;
SECURE: THIS MEANS DO NOT BRING A BROKEN or DUCT TAPED CARRIER, OR A CARRIER HELD TOGETHER WITH NAILS, SCREWDRIVERS, WIRE, STRING, BUSHES, PENS, PENCILS , DUCT TAPE, ETC ETC ETC-we do not want your cat to escape!!!
HARD CASE: This means your carrier must be constructed of hard plastic (cats prefer carriers with top and front openings) MAKE SURE YOUR CARRIER IS SIZE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR PET!!

DO NOT BRING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS--THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED:
1: anything constructed out of cardboard
2: ANY TYPE OF SOFT CARRIER!! we have seen cats frequently chew out of these..
3: ANY TYPE OF WIRE CRATE..cats are too stressed in these...
4: THE FLIMSY MIDWEST PLASTIC CARRIERS THAT DO NOT CLOSE PROPERLY
5: hay or straw
6: cat leashes or harnesses
7: wash baskets
8: hampers
9: duct taped carriers
10: suitcases
11: flimsy bags
12: boxes
13: duct taped trash cans
14: 5 Gallon buckets
15: picnic baskets
16: picnic basket style carriers that only open from the top 
18: Back packs
19: Litter Boxes
20: dog kennels large enough for a 30-50# dog
21: A TOTE