Animal Care Community Cats

Most community cats exhibit wild, shy or frightened behavior, and it's impossible to predict how or if they will ever acclimate to indoor life and the consistent presence of humans. When properly cared for, community cats are happier outdoors in their own territory. Some community cats are actually stray cats who don't exhibit feral behaviors but rather are friendly and enjoy interaction with humans. These cats were likely once owned or have a caretaker who frequently cares for and interacts with them. Even though they might encourage petting or follow you around, they could likely be inadequately prepared for adoption and an indoor life. 

Returning sterilized cats helps keep new cats from entering a community and helps to reduce nuisance behaviors. The program's goal is to reduce the number of outdoor cats over time through sterilization.​ 

By participating in sterilization of community cats, it helps control the cat population/colony in the area by preventing new, unsterilized cats from coming into the community, it keeps the current cats healthier through vaccinations, and it helps reduce nuisance behaviors seen by unsterilized cats. Nuisance behaviors include things such as spraying, fighting, and aggressive tendencies of unsterilized males and protective mother cats of newborns. Sterilized community cats will also roam less as they are no longer looking for mates and tend to stick to a smaller area, closer to their food source. 

Removal of community cats has been proven to be an ineffective means of cat population control. Dumping cats into an unfamiliar area is considered abandonment and is inhumane, as it puts the cat at risk due to new, unknown predators and starvation due to an unknown food source. Broward County Animal Care does not remove or relocate community cats from their outdoor homes. 

The Community Cat Program's goal is to reduce the number of outdoor cats over time through sterilization. By utilizing TNR and RTF services, live outcome rates for cats is much higher and it helps prevent death of kittens born in the wild. 

For more information, please email CommunityCats@Broward.org​

The Return-to-Field (RTF) Program ensures that healthy community cats brought to our Adoption Center are sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, and returned to the neighborhoods where they were found.

Cats are brought to our Admissions Department by members of the public and are returned to their original location by our Field Services staff on the morning following surgery.

Each cat receives:

Spay or neuter surgery

FVRCP vaccination

Rabies vaccination

Flea prevention treatment

Ear tip identification

You may bring up to two cats per person, per day, in humane traps, Tuesday through Sunday between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. No appointment is required. Please drive to the Pet Help Entrance and remain in your vehicle.

Broward County Animal Care is located at: 
2400 SW 42nd Street 
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Please Note: Broward County Animal Care does not provide trapping services or trap community cats for the public.

Through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), ​Community Cats are humanely trapped by residents/caretakers and brought to our facility for next day sterilization. In addition to being spayed or neutered, cats participating in this program also receive their Rabies and FVRCP vaccines, topical flea prevention and an ear-tip. It is your responsibility to pick up these cats at the designated time.​

Starting Sunday, April 26, 2026 appointments are required for TNR.
 

Appointments are required for all TNR services at Broward County Animal Care. A maximum of two cats per person or household will be accepted. TNR drop-offs take place at the Clinic Services Lobby.

Schedule your TNR appointment online here .

Program Guidelines

Please Note: Cats dropped off for TNR surgery will be ready for pickup at 8:00 AM the following day.

Cats and kittens must be healthy, unowned, and weigh at least 3 pounds to qualify for the program.

If cats are not picked up on time, they will be returned to the colony address provided by Broward County Field Officers.

Each cat must arrive in its own individual humane live trap. Hard carriers, soft carriers, crates, and makeshift traps will not be accepted.

The process to receive a TNR voucher has changed as of October 1, 2023. Please read the information below carefully.

• To receive a TNR voucher, you will need to contact the providers directly to inquire about their TNR drop-off hours and surgery schedule.
• There are a limited number of surgeries allocated to each provider monthly.
• Please find the list of providers below.
• No TNR vouchers will be distributed via email.
• Please email Communitycats@Broward.org with any questions.

Get Tipped Program Saves Cats and Promotes Community Health.

To help reduce the number of kittens entering the shelter, Broward County Animal Care is offered free “Get Tipped” spay/neuter services for feral and free-roaming community cats in Broward County. Animal Care sterilized 329 cats during peak kitten season between January and June. ​

This initiative is generously supported by the Louise Wemyss Fund for Animal Welfare at the Community Foundation of Broward.