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1. What is a community cat?

Any outdoor free-roaming cat that has been evaluated and sterilized by a licensed veterinarian, ear tipped, vaccinated for rabies, microchipped, documented with our DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn, and released back into the area from which it was captured.

2. What are the provisions of the Community Cat Program?

Free-roaming cats without acceptable identification that have been impounded or trapped in the community may be deemed a potential community cats based on age, health, and behavior. Once evaluated, such cats may receive services from our partners. Based on the availability of grant money or an individual's own finances, animal welfare partners may alter, vaccinate or ear tip for visual identification. The Community Cat provider will take community cats back into the community from where they were found. A cat identified as an existing community cat may be immediately returned to the community and exempted from the legal hold period.

3. What is a community cat provider?

A community cat provider is someone who provides food, water, shelter or otherwise cares for community cats and complies with the program guidelines.

4. What is ear tipping?

Ear tipping is the straight-line cutting of the tip of the left ear of a cat while it is anesthetized in order to identify the cat as a community cat.

5. What is a free-roaming cat?

A free-roaming cat is any cat not restrained and without acceptable identification.

6. What if a community cat is a nuisance in my neighborhood?

The City of Auburn may impound community cats that are public nuisances, diseased or not thriving due to loss of resources. The DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn shall coordinate with partnering animal welfare organizations and/or veterinarians to offer resource information for establishing opportunities for community cats, community cat providers and humane deterrents.

7. What is required of a community cat provider?

There isn't an application process, but you must comply with the program guidelines:

• Work with an animal welfare organization to confine a free-roaming cat for surgical sterilization, ear tipping, and vaccination for rabies by a licensed veterinarian. In addition, the cat must be microchipped with the documentation provided to the DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn prior to release back to the community to ensure a safe return to its territory should it be impounded to the DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn. Grant monies may be available to assist with these expenditures.
• Contact the DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn to seek assistance for a community cat requiring humane euthanasia for serious illness or injury. A community cat provider may choose to seek veterinary care for a community cat at their own expense.
• Make reasonable efforts to work with the DeKalb Humane Society and/or the City of Auburn or a designated animal welfare organization to resolve nuisance complaints using humane deterrents and/or removal of community cats identified as a public nuisance.