Press Release

As part of their ongoing mission to care for the feral cat population on Ocracoke Island, the non-profit group Ocracats has contracted with Coastal Animal Hospital out of Kitty Hawk to provide a feral cat neuter/spay clinic on April 13 at the Firehouse from 8 AM until 3 PM.

Ocracats has Hav-A-Heart traps to loan to community members or will assist with trapping feral cats on your property. (Volunteers to help with trapping are needed). There is no cost for the surgery – Ocracats has received a grant from Petsmart Charities that will pay for this cost. Rabies shots will also be given to each cat. 

This is a great opportunity to halt unnecessary breeding and population growth of the feral cat colonies. Over-population leads to many health problems for the colonies. Many residents in the village as well as large numbers of visitors feed and enjoy the cats. Over the last several years, Ocracats has spayed/neutered close to 700 cats through clinics or by transporting feral cats off island for neuter/spay surgeries. You can tell if a cat has already been spayed by looking for a notch in the ear.

To participate in this clinic, Ocracats needs to know where your feral cats are located, how many there are (estimate) and how to contact you. All cats will be returned to their colony locations after surgery.

Please sign up using the supplied posters at the bulletin boards either at the Ocracoke Post Office or at the Variety Store. You will be contacted by someone with Ocracats.

Ocracats is looking for more volunteers to help with trapping and general help for this clinic, as well as ongoing assistance with other Ocracats programs including working with socialization, fostering and the adoption of kittens; fundraising; back up feeders for feral cat colony care, and other jobs that arise.