FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I make an appointment for spay/neuter surgery?  You can make a reservation by calling us at (608) 606-3070.  Leave your name, number, and gender and age of the cat(s).

How old does my cat have to be to be spayed or neutered?  Cats/kittens need to be healthy and pushing at least 5 months old to be at least 4 lbs.

Do you offer more than spay/neuter surgery?  All cats at our Clinic receive a basic health exam prior to surgery.  A rabies vaccination is REQUIRED.  If your pet has already had a rabies vaccination, please bring a copy of the rabies certificate at the time of the appointment.  We also offer other services including FVRCP (distemper vaccine), ear mite control, flea control, and many other services.

Can a pregnant cat be spayed? Yes.  However, we will not spay an obviously pregnant cat.  At times, cats are not far along in the pregnancy and we are not able to detect the condition until she is on the operating table.

My cat just had kittens.  When can she be spayed?   We prefer to wait at least 8-10 weeks after the kittens are born before spaying the mother.  It is safe to spay a lactating (nursing) mama cat and the surgery will not affect her milk production.  Make the appointment before babies are born or at birth because we book out so far.

Do I have to live in Vernon County to take advantage of the CATsNIP Clinic?  No!  Our programs are open to anyone, although our focus is on assisting low income, fixed income, multiple cat, and colony cat caretakers.

Are there income limitations to qualify for the program?      No!  There are no limitations on the program.  Our goal is to help spay and neuter as many cats as possible.

Is there a limit on how many cats I can have spayed or neutered at CATsNIP?      No!  We’ll be happy to help you with as many cats as you need to have spayed or neutered.  If you have several, we’ll be happy to coordinate the appointments so that more than one can be done on the same day rather than making several trips, if you wish.

When are appointments available?      Appointments for the CATsNIP Clinic are available (usually) on Mondays and the second Saturday of every month.  We are usually making appointments 8-12 weeks in advance.

What is the schedule for my pet’s appointment at CATsNIP?      Your cat must be at the Clinic at 8:00am on the day of the appointment to check-in.  The surgery is then performed that day and your cat is ready to be picked up at 4:00pm that same day if the cat is awake.

What forms of payment do you accept?  We accept payment by cash, check payable to Alterations, or credit/debit card with an added service fee.

What if I have concerns about my pet’s recovery or condition after I get home that night?  Do I have to contact my local veterinarian for an emergency?      We want to be sure that your pet has the best recovery possible, and we also want you to be comfortable about any concerns you may have.  If you have concerns or questions, please call the Alter-Ations phone number (608-606-3070) and leave a message.  We will then return your call.  You are always welcome to contact your local veterinarian if you feel you have an emergency situation and we cannot be reached.

Do you help with spaying/neutering free-roaming (feral) cats?   Yes, we do work with spaying or neutering feral cats.  We do require that each feral cat come to the Clinic in its own live trap.  Following surgery, a feral cat will be placed back into an empty carrier or live trap for recovery.

What is TNVR?  Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (TNVR) is a program that allows free roaming cats to live out their lives without adding to the homeless cat population.  Cats are humanely trapped, evaluated to ensure they are healthy enough to live a free-roaming lifestyle, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, ear tipped to identify them as being altered and released back to their familiar environment.  Often kittens and tame cats can be placed with rescue organizations for adoption into homes.

Why do we ear tip cats?  Ear tipping identifies free-roaming cats that have been sterilized and vaccinated. Ear tipping is completely safe and it is performed under general anesthetic. Ear tipping provides immediate visual identification, which alerts animal control that a cat is part of a colony. It also helps colony caretakers track which cats have been trapped and altered, and identify newcomers who have not been altered.

Where is the CATsNIP Clinic? We are located in Coon Valley, Wisconsin.  From the east, drive into town on Hwy 14 which is Central Ave in town. The clinic is the last business building on the right before leaving town.
Coming from the west on Hwy 14, the clinic is the first business building on the left as you cross the Coon Creek bridge and enter town.

Are there other low cost spay/neuter services in Wisconsin?  Yes!  WI Community Veterinary Center (Madison) www.wicvc.org; The Fix is In! (northern Wisconsin) thefixisin.org; Sauk County Humane Society (Sauk County) 608-356-2520  (If you know of any other low cost spay/neuter clinics please let us know!)