At HSSW, we primarily care for domesticated pets (think your typical lap cat or playful pup). However, we know that there is a need in our community for cats that don’t necessarily fall into the category of Typical Lap Cat. Those cats are often referred to as Community Cats. Community Cats are cats that largely live outdoors, likely in and around your own neighborhood. These cats may not have a traditional home, but are likely actually looked after by several community members in the area. They are not truly owned by any one person or family, but move their way in and out of several families. The folks keeping an eye out for these cats may not even know that their neighbors are looking after the same cats they are themselves!

However, despite not being owned by any one person, these cats still need some help from time to time. Particularly, they need spay and neuter services (unless they already have an Ear Tip). An Ear Tip is the universal sign that a cat has been spayed or neutered. An Ear Tip looks like a little notch or a small portion (the tip) of the ear has been removed. This allows us to see from a distance that a cat has already been spayed or neutered and does not need our help for that anymore. For those cats that do still need to be spayed or neutered, that is where the Snips & Ear Tips Fund comes in! This fund was created to help off-set the costs associated with providing spay and neuter services for Community Cats and is entirely donation-funded. If you would like to support this fund and initiative, please make a donation below!