Resources

The Facts

  • The recommended age for spay/neutering is 2-6 months of age

  • Female animals should be spayed before their first heat; they do not need to have a litter before being spayed

  • Spaying or neutering your pet can decrease the risk of diseases contracted by mating, and injury from fighting or chasing after an animal for mating

  • Pets who are spayed/neutered have decreased or zero risk of certain types of cancer (e.g., testicular cancer, mammary cancer)

  • Altering your pets reduces and often eliminates annoying behaviors

  • And, most importantly, spay/neutering ends the chance of generations of future homeless animals!

Area resources for lost-cost spay/neuter include:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Community Assistance

  • Thank you for caring about the cats in your community!

    The first step is to make sure these cats are not owned or lost — you can do this by asking neighbors, posting physical flyers, and browsing and making social media posts online (consider posting to lost and found Facebook groups, local groups for your area, Nextdoor, and Ring Neighbors, or ask a friend to post to these platforms on your behalf).

    Spend some time generally watching the cats, observing their behaviors and appearances. How long have you seen these cats around? How many are there? Do they have collars? Are they friendly? Do they run when you approach? Do they appear to go home at night? For more information on the differences between owned, stray, and feral cats, please click here.

    For more information on community cats, click here. Please note that if any of the cats appear to have an ear tip or slanted left ear, that is the universal sign of an altered feral/community cat. This means that particular cat has already been to a vet before and has been spayed and neutered.

    Once you have determined that these cats are not owned or lost, please reach out to us.

    If you are willing to help us humanely trap the cats, great! We can train you on the cat-trapping process — it’s easy and not scary, trust us. It’s humane, safe and gets cats what they need —spayed/neutered and vaccinated, and (if they turn out to be friendly, or are young enough to be socialized) — homes. We will provide traps, training, and get the cats to one of our veterinarians.

    Adult cats who are feral in nature will be returned back to their colony after neutering.

  • TAILS offers low-cost spay-and-neuter or no-cost assistance for those in need, whenever possible.

    We are only able to assist in the following Connecticut towns: Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

    Click here for more resources.

  • Kittens rescued from the streets (or friendly adult cats) who are young enough to be socialized will be placed into our robust foster program and go through our adoption program. Once they reach 12 weeks of age and have been to the vet to be spayed, neutered, vaccinated, tested and microchipped, they will be listed on Petfinder as an adoptable cat.

    Adult cats rescued from the streets who are feral in nature will be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. After a brief recovery period, they will return to their colonies and outdoor homes to continue to be cared for by their caretakers.

Volunteering

  • Anyone can volunteer with us! We offer a great way for teens, adults, and students to give back to their communities and earn volunteer hours for work, school, or religious reasons.

    We are committed to encouraging young people to volunteer to help animals and welcome those under 18; we base our volunteering on a maturity and animal handling level.

    Young kids must have a parent or guardian with them when volunteering.

  • Thank you for your interest in volunteering! There are several ways you can get involved with TAILS. Many of our volunteer opportunities are ongoing, so you can get involved at any time!

    Become a cat caretaker at Petco! — Our adoptable cats are currently at Petco in Westport (1850 Post Road East) and Norwalk (650 Main Ave and 431 Westport Ave) locations. Caring for these cats involves feeding them, cleaning their cubbies, and giving them time and space to stretch their legs and play. Training is provided and required in the form of an initial 45-minute orientation. We offer flexible volunteer shifts both in the mornings and evenings. We ask for an hour or two of your time per shift as often as you would like to. Volunteers manage their own time via our online volunteer calendar.

    To get started, sign up to attend a 45-minute orientation at your preferred store. If you don’t see an orientation listed, check back soon or contact us — we will notify you when we have new opportunities posted.

    Foster with us! — Fostering cats or kittens is critical to our ability to continue to save animals from a short, harsh life on the streets. Fostering enables animals the opportunity to be in a safe, home environment while getting socialization. We get a tremendous number of cats and kittens through our spay/neuter activities who we would love to help, but cannot without foster homes. All the cat/kittens need is a spare room. Duration of fostering typically lasts a few weeks, potentially longer if you are able/willing to continue. All fosters are supplied with food, litter, toys and bedding, as needed. Apply here!

    Trap with us! — Our feral cat trapping program is the single biggest program we have that saves cats. Also known as "TNR" (Trap-Neuter-Return) — we assist people with catching cats outside and getting them spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Feral cat sites are throughout Fairfield County and trapping is typically at night or on weekends. Training is provided.

    Help us with cat transport or recovery — We need help with transporting cats to and from veterinary appointments, foster homes, and helping house a cat one or two nights during their post-surgery recovery period.

    Join our fundraising team! — TAILS saves animals by raising funds through our events and newsletters.... and we need help because we are all out doing the rescue work! Whether you want to help plan the events or volunteer at them — this is the team for you.

    TEAM TAILS is our walk/run fundraising team. We need help organizing, soliciting for members, posting information and (if interested) participation. Team members walk or run a short distance in a local race and get pledges or make a donation for their participation.

    View our calendar of events for everything we have coming up! If you are interested in volunteering with us and do not see a training opportunity listed, or want to get involved in some other way, please contact us.

  • Thank you for your interest in fostering!

    Please fill out our online fostering application here. Someone from our team will be in touch!

  • All you need to foster is a spare bedroom, bathroom, or miscellaneous temperature-controlled room in your home, and some space and love in your heart! Our cats don't need much, but they do need YOU!

    All fosters are supplied with food, litter, toys and bedding, as needed.

  • Of course! Consider taking care of our cats at Petco in the Westport (1850 Post Road East) and Norwalk (650 Main Ave) locations. These cats rely on our volunteers to provide for them.

    To get started, sign up to attend a 45-minute orientation at your preferred store. Check out our opportunities and events. If you don’t see an orientation listed, check back soon or contact us — we will notify you when we have new opportunities posted.

    Young kids must have a parent or guardian with them when volunteering.

    If you are interested in helping with office or administrative tasks, please contact us.

  • We do not allow anyone to just play with the cats without providing further care. Signing up for a volunteer shift at Petco involves more than just play. Volunteers must clean the cats’ cubbies, provide fresh food and water, and scoop litter boxes for all cats that reside at that location.

    Cats can be played with once everything else is done, and if the cat is interested in playing.

    We base our volunteering on a maturity and animal handling level. Young kids must have a parent or guardian with them when volunteering.

  • Yes, they can! We are committed to encouraging young people to volunteer to help animals and welcome those under 18. We base our volunteering on a maturity and animal handling level.

    Please check our response above for all of our volunteer opportunities.

    Young kids must have a parent or guardian with them when volunteering.

  • Please check out our calendar of events for volunteer orientations, volunteer meetings, adoption events, and more. As we are all-volunteer, we do not have any paid staff.

    If you are looking for more information about volunteering, please contact us.

    Follow us on social @TAILSSpayNeuter to stay up-to-date on all things TAILS!

Support TAILS

  • Thank you for wanting to donate and to help us save more local dogs and cats!

    We accept donations through our main donation portal, PayPal, Venmo, and Facebook fundraisers. You can choose to make a one-time or recurring donation.

    Cash or checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 2277, Westport, CT 06880.

    During certain times of the year, we participate in day-long fundraising events, such as Giving Tuesday. The money we raise during these events fuels our rescue work throughout the year. Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on our latest fundraising efforts.

    As an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization, every dollar you give goes directly to our animals, and your donation is tax deductible (as allowed by law).

    Your support is sincerely appreciated!

  • Yes, we do!

    Check out our Amazon and Chewy wishlists.

    We sell new or gently used items on Poshmark to raise additional funds.

    We accept the following donations: clothes, jewelry, footwear, handbags, electronics, accessories, gift cards, and pet items. If you’re interested in donating, please contact us.

    Thank you for your support!

  • Follow and engage with us on social! — Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (@TAILSSpayNeuter). Like and re-share! 

    Leave us a review on Facebook or Google.

    Volunteer with us!

    Subscribe to our mailing list.

    Check out our items for sale on Poshmark.

    Take a look at our Amazon and Chewy wishlists.

    Know someone looking for a cat in southwestern CT? — We would love to hear from them! Whether they’re looking for an adept barn cat or a cuddly companion, we have a cat for everyone. Send them a link to our foster or adoption application!

    Speak up for the cats (and people!) in your community. — Animals need us to be their voice and advocate. If you see a cat in trouble, or if you notice a cat colony getting out of hand, say something. Do something. Get involved with TNR to rescue cats in your neighborhood. Let a friend, family member, or neighbor know about our spay-and-neuter assistance program. YOU are the solution — and the smallest acts of kindness can mean a world of difference to an animal whose life you just saved.  

  • For all other inquiries not listed here, please visit our contact us page.

Make a donation

We rely upon donations – both financial and of goods and services – from individuals and businesses to support our spay/neuter initiatives, and can credit the generosity of our community members for the success of our programs.