Operation Catnip of Gainesville

Creating Lasting Impact though Clinical Services In 2023 Operation Catnip provided programs and services that empowered individuals and the community to control the community cat population through affordable and accessible spay-neuter and vaccination services with a total of over 7,961 Spay-Neuter surgeries, of which 1.249 were through our Kitten Shelter Diversion Program. This program alone kept nearly 1,200 kittens out of the local shelters and rescues.

Transforming the Landscape with Volunteer Support and Student Training Operation Catnip provides proactive programs and services aimed at targeting cats that are frequently overlooked or unseen. This approach prevents issues from becoming problems, mitigates or eliminates unseen suffering, and trains the next generation of humane healers. During 2023 a total of 123 unique veterinary students performed 5,321 spay-neuter surgeries and performed or scrubbed in on most of the 45 enucleations, 15 amputations, and 10 entropion repairs under the watchful eye of DVM coaches. This level of experience is not provided by most veterinary universities.

Building Humane Communities through Caregiver Support Programming that provides the resources Caregivers need to be successful in managing the cats in their care. These resources include trapping training, education, traps and trapping equipment loans, care for seriously ill or injured community cats, and trapping and transport for those unable to do so on their own. In 2023 we served 1,103 unique caregivers in 59 municipalities covering 18 counties.