Community Cats Program
About Community Cats
Cat Depot’s Community Cats Program assists both animals and people around our community by providing a variety of services to improve the lives of free-roaming and feral cats.
Community Cats are unowned cats that live outdoors in the community. They may be feral or friendly, may have been born into the wild, or may be lost or abandoned pets.
Our community cats program provides assistance for free-roaming and feral cats, as well as aid for community members seeking help caring for both community and personal cats.
Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return
Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) is a program in which free roaming cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies and other feline viruses, and then returned to their outdoor home to live out their lives. TNVR involves a caretaker who provides food, adequate shelter and monitoring of the cat’s health. TNVR has been shown to be the least costly most efficient and humane way of stabilizing community, feral, outdoor cat populations.
Cat Depot offers TNVR services every other Sunday. Reservations are required.
Call 941-366-2404 ext. 301 to schedule!
- No cost, but donations are always requested as this in an unfunded program whose future relies solely on public donations.
- Cats must arrive and leave in a trap.
- Includes ear tip, spay or neuter surgery, FVRCP, Rabies.
- Optional services available at additional cost.
- A Medical Release Form is required on arrival. We recommend printing and completing the form in advance to save time. One form per cat is required.
- Cats must be kept in a safe place overnight following their surgery.
Schedule TNVR Services
To schedule TNVR services with Cat Depot, please complete the TNVR Application below.
You will be contacted by a staff member for further details and to confirm your appointment. Submitting the application does not guarantee service as appointments are first-come, first-serve.
Please read the TNVR Take Home Instructions. Once your appointment is scheduled, please complete the TNVR Medical Release Form, one form per cat.
Food Bank
Cat Depot is aware that some families in our community might need assistance in feeding their beloved pets due to financial hardship.
We provide life essential supplies such as wet and dry food for 250 personal pets and over 700 community/free-roaming cats in Sarasota and Manatee Counties every month!
Donations are always welcome in the form of dry or wet cat food. We will take open bags of fresh cat food.
We’ve selected in-stock items on Amazon to make it easier to donate from the comfort and safety of your home.
Items can be dropped off at Cat Depot daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Working Cats
Traditional home adoptions aren’t for every cat. Our Working Cat Program works to find outdoor homes for cats and kittens.
Why adopt a Working Cat?
- They serve as excellent critter control – even if they are not particularly skilled hunters
- Studies have shown that just the smell of cats on your property might even be enough to keep mice away
- They are an eco-friendly solution to your vermin problems
- They can be low-maintenance
- They are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped
- They have a waived adoption fee
- And most importantly, it saves lives!