Step 1: You trap a stray or feral cat near you using a medium-sized animal trap. The cat must be able to stand up and lay out fully extended in the trap. If the trap is too small then we cannot accept it. This is for the safety of the cats and our vets. Please ensure that your trap can close securely or zip-tie it shut so that we don't have any escape artists. Trap rentals are available at the animal shelter but they are not guaranteed the day of the clinic.  Click here for more info on traps.

Step 2: You bring the cat to Berkeley Animal Center on the morning of one of our clinics. Approximately 40 cats are accepted each clinic by appointments or walk-ins on a first come, first served basis. You can sign up for an appointment here. These appointments open up at 9 am the Monday morning immediately preceding each clinic date. Appointments can ONLY be made using the online link; we do NOT accept appointments via phone. 

Appointments fill up quickly, but we will still always take walk-ins until we hit our limit, so if you can't get a spot then still bring us your cat! We operate as a drive-through, so you will remain in your vehicle until one of our volunteers lets you know it's your turn. Note: there is a limit of three (3) cats per person per day, effective July 1, 2025.

Step 3: The cat will be transported to Charleston Animal Society, where their team will spay/neuter, vaccinate, microchip, and ear-tip the cat. Once out of surgery, the cat is moved to recovery, where they are monitored until they are placed back in their traps. The traps are then loaded back up onto the transport van and brought back to Berkeley Animal Center.

Step 4: Once the transport van arrives back at Berkeley Animal Center, you will come to get your cat between 3PM and 5 PM on the same day you dropped them off. You will receive specific instructions during check-in. We may give you a text or a call and let you know they are ready for pick-up!

Step 5: After you pick up the cat(s), you will need to keep them in the trap for 24-48 hours. They need to be kept somewhere safe and away from other animals, like a shed, garage, or a spare room in your house. It's best to keep the cat covered with a towel or blanket so they don't get overwhelmed. You can drop some food in the trap for them while they're in there so they can still eat. Please see this document for everything you need to know about taking care of cats after surgery. If you think the cat is not healing well, contact your local vet as we cannot give out medical advice.

Step 6: After this period has passed and you can tell the cat is healing well, the cat is ready to return to where you found them! You must return the cat exactly where you found them because that is where they know how to survive.

Need help trapping?

We recently partnered with a local 501(c)(3) Nonprofit called Forgotten Paws of the South who will come out to your colony and help you trap cats for a small fee. Space is limited as they only have a few volunteers helping. You can get in contact with them through their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/forgottenpawsofthesouth.