How does HCP get the cats to a veterinarian?
Veterinary appointments for the cats are made by designated volunteers. HCP volunteers use humane traps baited with food. When a cat is trapped, he/she is moved to a holding area (usually a volunteer’s home) and transported to a participating veterinarian the next day. This arrangement ensure that cats will be available for surgery; furthermore, the animals will have fasted prior to the operation. During the surgery, the cats are given rabies and distemper shots. The veterinarians will usually perform courtesy checks of the cats’ teeth and ears. Cats are generally brought to a heated recovery site the same day and cared for until they can be returned to the original property. Since dissolvable sutures are used, cats do not have to return to the vet for stitch removal.
