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Community Cats

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What Are Community Cats?

Community cats are unowned unsocial or ‘feral’ cats who live outdoors.

Cats have thrived living outdoors alongside humans for over 10,000 years. These cats are members of our community and live full, contented lives in their outdoor homes. They are generally not socialized or friendly toward people, which severely limits their chances of being adopted and don’t belong in shelters.  Outdoor cats should be altered to reduce the overpopulation and we can help you accomplish this. Check out the tabs below further information & resources.

Community cats are unowned unsocial or ‘feral’ cats who live outdoors. Cats have thrived living outdoors alongside humans for over 10,000 years. These cats are members of our community and live full, contented lives in their outdoor homes. They are generally not socialized or friendly toward people, which severely limits their chances of being adopted and don’t belong in shelters.  Outdoor cats should be altered to reduce the overpopulation and we can help you accomplish this.

Limiting overpopulation protects our community. Through our Community Cat Program, cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped (and registered), ear-tipped, and returned to their outdoor homes. Ear tipping is the universal sign that a cat has been spayed or neutered.  The alternative is to bring needlessly bring the cats to an animal shelter only to find new cats having replaced them as a result of the Vacuum Effect.

If you see one or more of the following signs, consult a shelter or vet IMMEDIATELY:

  1. Open wounds or other visible injuries: A wound is apparent, and/or there is blood anywhere on the cat. Look closely at areas where you can tell the cat has lost fur to see if an injury is visible.
  2. Limping, dragging part of the body: Cats may not always make their pain or limping apparent, so watch to see if they are walking differently than usual, like an inability to walk in a straight line or favoring one leg over the other.
  3. Clouded, crusted, runny, or injured eyes: Eyes that are crusted shut, leaking, swollen, or protruding, clouding or cataracts in one or both eyes, or holding one eye or both closed.
  4. Crusted mucus around the nose: An overly running nose and crusting of the nostrils are signs of respiratory infection and could impede breathing.
  5. Lethargy or immobility: The cat appears to be lying limp, is not moving for prolonged periods of time, or is struggling to get up.
  6. Swollen limbs, mouth, and other areas: Swelling is apparent on any part of the body, even if the cat does not appear to be limping. Mouth swelling can indicate dental infections.
  7. Severe weight loss: Being able to see a cat’s rib cage and hip bones, a very skinny face, and/or a clear and sudden drop in weight.
  8. Neonatal kittens (under 6 weeks of age) who are:
    1. Not moving or barely moving,
    2. Cold to the touch, or
    3. Dirty or covered in fleas

Check out this resource for a step-by-step guide on how to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) cats and kittens over the age of 4 months and keep reading below to see how the RHSPCA can help you to TNR Community Cats!

Rehoming Support

  • RHSPCA Rehoming Resources– Keep in mind outdoor cats should only be brought into a shelter if they are sick or injured.
  • Cat’s Cradle– Another local animal rescue that aids in TNR & rehoming

Pet Food Support

Spay/Neuter Assistance

  • Rockingham County Residents are eligible to receive vouchers to fix outdoor cats, keep reading below for more information.

Community Cat Education

HAVE YOU FOUND KITTENS?

Taking them to the shelter may not be the best thing for them.

Mom is usually nearby even if you don’t see her. Kittens under six weeks old should stay with their mom unless they’re sick, injured, or in danger. Aging kittens can be tricky, and we want to avoid separating them too soon.

Need help deciding what to do? Start here with our kitten aging guide & flow chart to decide whether to take the kittens:

What To Do: Flowchart (PDF)
Kitten Aging Guide

Always wait several hours, or even a full day to see if a mother cat returns. Watch from a hidden spot or from inside so you don’t scare the mother cat away. Your presence may keep her from returning to her kittens’ nest.

Even if you don’t see the mother cat for a long time, check on the kittens periodically. If they are cuddled together and sleeping quietly, look pink, warm, and clean, and have full bellies, then their mother has very likely been back. You just didn’t notice. Community cats are good at staying out of sight when they want!

A Helpful Tip

Sprinkle flour near the kittens’ nest. If the mother cat returns, she will leave paw prints.

If you have waited for several hours or more than a day and have reason to believe the kittens’ mother is no longer around, step in to help them. Neonatal kittens (kittens 4 weeks old and younger) will need special supplies and round-the-clock care to survive.

If a kitten is sick or injured, contact your local veterinarian right away if your kittens show these signs:

Signs of a sick kitten include:

  • Thin stomachs and gaunt faces, visible ribs and spine
  • Cold ears, bellies, and paws
  • Pale gums and tongue
  • Lethargy/almost no movement
  • Excessively crusted eyes or nose
  • Diarrhea or vomiting
  • Struggling to breathe

Signs of an injured kitten include:

  • Limping
  • Visible wounds or sores
  • Crying out in pain

There may be rare circumstances in which the kittens’ current environment places them in immediate danger. This is not a common scenario, so use common sense. For example, kittens may need to be removed if they are in an area that is about to be flooded or is close to a fire.

If possible, move the kittens to another outdoor spot as close to their original nest as is safe so their mother can find them.

If you believe mother and kittens are in more long-term danger, such as extreme weather or disaster conditions…

  • Bring the whole family inside to a quiet, small room (like a bathroom). You can also use a large dog crate, covered with a blanket.
  • Provide the mother cat and kittens with a carrier as a hiding place. Provide food and water, and a litter box placed as far away from the sleeping and eating area as possible.

Determine how old they are by reviewing the Kitten Progression Chart.

Consider taking the kittens on as fosters before bringing them to the RHSPCA.  We took nearly 1,100 kittens into our care last year.  We could not have all the positive outcomes for those kittens without the help of foster families.  Ordinary families, just like yours, whom we provided the resources and know how to help us save the little ones.

The RHSPCA will provide you with any supplies you need and all the know how to care for them.  Young kittens cannot receive the attention and care they need in a shelter setting.  By partnering with us to care for them we will together ensure the kittens get exactly what they need to get them ready for their adoptive homes.  Please consider purchasing some of the supplies to help offset the cost of the full medical care that will be provided by the RHSPCA.

Kitten Care Supplies List

Caring for Neonatal Kittens

Check out this resource for a step-by-step guide on how to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) cats and kittens over the age of 4 months and keep reading below to see how the RHSPCA can help you to TNR Community Cats!

Community Cat Program Update

PLEASE READ: As of February 2025, the RHSPCA’s Community Cat Voucher Program is currently going through a revamp. Please submit a voucher application so that we can reach out in regard to next steps. We are receiving high capacity spay and neuter days as they become available!

Community Cats

Free Spay & Neuter For Stray Cats.

The RHSPCA provides $25 copay community cat vouchers for outdoor and indoor/outdoor cats in Rockingham County. This valued service helps to limit the overpopulation of outdoor cats through trap-neuter-return (TNR). TNR is the only humane and effective approach to managing outdoor cat populations. Our Community Cat Vouchers go a step further by providing a microchip for the cat as well.

Here’s How It Works:

We’ve streamlined and simplified the process so anyone can help our community stay healthy. These vouchers are for Rockingham County residents with outdoor cats that they are caring for – City of Harrisonburg residents do not qualify due to city ordinances. RHSPCA does not currently provide vouchers for indoor cats.

  • Contact The RHSPCA

    Contact the RHSPCA to request a voucher for one cat to receive a spay/neuter surgery, rabies & distemper vaccine, ear tip and microchip. * All cats will receive an eartip, regardless of sociability levels.

  • Schedule An Appointment

    Wait to hear back from us regarding your voucher application. We’ll let you know what dates we have available so your cat can get altered and vaccinated!

  • Rent A TNR Trap & Pick Up Your Voucher

    Sign and submit the trap loan agreement and provide a $80 rental deposit for the trap to catch the cat. We’ll provide guidance on how to use the trap. Transport cages for cat’s that do not need to be humanely trapped and are more handleable, can be rented for a $40 rental deposit.

  • Appointment

    Bring the cat to the RHSPCA for transport. The RHSPCA will transport your cat to get sterilized at one of our partner veterinarians. All cat’s must come in a humane trap or transport cage.

  • Return The Trap & Get Reimbursed

    Return the TNR trap to us and receive your full $80 deposit back

*By utilizing the voucher, you agree to have the animal’s microchip registered to you.

Get Started
pet adoption

Support the Community Cat Program

Last year, we took in almost 1,000 kittens! If you’d like to help, please donate to our Community Cat Fund to help provide spay and neuter clinic services to help reduce cat overpopulation in our community.

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