Operation Catnip--Raleigh
Upcoming Events:
Clinic Setup: December 9, 2023
Clinic Date: December 10, 2023
PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP TO CLINIC WITHOUT CONFIRMED CLINIC SPACES
Tentative 2024 Dates have been added to the Calendar below
See Calendar below for further details
Need our EIN? Click the gold box to the right to learn all about us!
We would like to extend a grateful "Thank You!" to Cary Animal Services. Through their Cary Them Home initiative they have graciously provided us with free microchips. We will be offering this service at our clinics until supplies run out.
In Memoriam of Ms. Sarah F. Hawes
It is with the sincerest gratitude that we accept an estate gift from Ms. Sarah Hawes. Pictured above is Ms. Hawes with her beloved Midas.
Sarah Frances Hawes was a lifelong resident of Texas. An English major in college, Sarah used her language expertise as a school teacher before becoming a technical editor for the research lab at Texaco in Port Arthur for nearly two decades. She returned to the educational sector as an academic advisor at the Lamar Campus of Texas State University. Outside of work, Sarah was an avid flower gardener, a reader of literature, and an expert in the needle arts of quilting, cross-stitch, needlepoint, and embroidery including bead and crewel work.
In terms of volunteerism, Sarah’s primary focus was felines, adoring every aspect of the species – graceful movement, wide-ranging intelligence, and beautiful eyes. So in tune with the feline species was she that many people joked Sarah had been a cat in a previous life. She spent countless hours and significant funds trapping cats for release after spaying/neutering, finding homes for cats with the requisite demeanor for placement, and as the advisor to the university campus animal rescue organization. There also were a dozen very lucky felines over the years who became Sarah’s feline companions at her home.
Sarah died unexpectedly in February 2022. The primary beneficiary of her will was to feline organizations selected by the estate executor. Operation Catnip was chosen as a recipient due to its intense mission focus on reducing the population of community cats with a highly efficient use of the organization’s financial resources.
Sarah’s primary character strengths were kindness, a love of learning, a balanced perspective, and zest. She is very missed, but her spirit lives on in every cat saved due to her great generosity to felines in her estate.
(Biography prepared by the estate of Sarah F. Hawes)
Love your community cats---TNVR
Community cats are everywhere. They comprise feral cats that have developed a natural fear of humans, stray cats that have been abandoned and free-roaming cats that may or may not be friendly.
Operation Catnip is committed to reducing the population of community cats through TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return). We hold a monthly no fee clinic to spay/neuter up to 100 cats in a single day. No fee doesn't mean free however. It costs us approximately $31 per cat and we rely on donations as we do not receive any government funding. We are proud that our Administrative and Fundraising costs average 0.03% of our income for 2021.
Through TNVR we can greatly reduce the numbers of unwanted feral and stray cats which lowers the intake and euthanasia rates at animal shelters. This saves tax dollars and leaves more space at animal shelters for adoptable cats. TNVR also addresses the public health concern regarding rabies and reduces annoying behaviors such as cat fights and spraying.
What is TNVR?
A good summary of TNVR or Trap/Neuter/Vaccinate/Return is a program where the community cats are trapped in humane traps (see Traps page for full description) and taken to a clinic or vet practice where they are fixed, ear tipped and given their FVRCP and Rabies vaccinations. Caretakers pick up the cats the same day and hold them overnight to release the following day back to their colony.
