Kern County Animal Services has relocated our Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) program to Critters Without Litters.
Critters Without Litters will accept community cats* for spaying and neutering on Monday – Thursday. We open at 7:00 a.m., and begin intake after returning the previous day’s cats, under the following conditions:We will accept the first twenty (20) feral/community cats in traps each morning. Advance appointments are no longer necessary. Trappers are limited to two (2) cats (one cat per trap) per person/household, per day, Monday – Thursday. A sign-in sheet will be posted on the north door of our facility between 6:00 - 6:15 a.m. each morning for trappers to place their name and the number of traps with them that day. When we open at 7:00 a.m. we will intake feral/community cats in the order they are listed on the sign-in sheet. When we reach our limit, no additional feral/community cats will be accepted for surgery that day. We do not accept feral/community cats for surgery on Fridays. At the bottom of this page you will find a Feral Admission Form. You are welcome to print it out and bring the completed form with you to save time.Community cats coming in for surgery must be in a cat trap. One cat per trap. No exceptions. If you are using your own trap, please note that cat traps must be a minimum of 9″x 9″ x 28″. The small traps that are sold at feed stores, usually as part of a two-pack, (measuring 7″ x 7″ x 24″) are designed for ground squirrels or gophers. The small trap is not suitable for cats, and we will not accept cats coming to our clinic in those traps. If you choose to purchase a trap, we recommend traps that are 10″ x 12″ x 32″ for the safety of the cat. Critters Without Litters offers cat traps rentals if you need to get a properly-sized trap before your appointment. A $75 deposit is required for trap rental, which is fully refundable when the trap is returned to us clean and in good working order. You are welcome to come in for a trap between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Please refrain from coming for a trap between 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., as we are focused on helping our surgical appointments at that time. Cats coming to our clinic in carriers are subject to appointment availability and will be charged our fees for owned cats.Community cats will receive surgery, a rabies vaccination, an FVRCP vaccination and an ear-tip on their right ear. No exceptions will be made regarding ear-tipping. The fee for surgery for community cats is $60 per cat. Residents of Kern County (not living within the city limits of Bakersfield, Shafter, Delano or Wasco) may bring community cats in and have the TNR fee charged back to Kern County Animal Services. Residents living within Bakersfield city limits may have the TNR fee charged back to the City of Bakersfield. Proof of residency is required when you bring cats to us. Critters Without Litters has humane cat traps available for rent. If you wish to rent a trap, please come into the clinic between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Please refrain from coming for a trap between 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., as we are focused on helping our surgical appointments at that time. You will be asked to complete our cat trap rental agreement, leave the deposit, and take the trap with you. All community cats coming to our clinic for surgery will stay overnight. No exceptions.If you choose to rent a trap from Critters Without Litters, the trap must be returned in a clean and operable condition within the period of your rental agreement. Failure to do so may result in the loss of your deposit.If you need tips on trapping cats humanely, please download the Humane Trapping Tips form on the bottom of this page.*“Community cats” are defined as cats that are free-roaming and do not appear to have an owner or permanent place to live. This definition includes feral cats and neighborhood strays.
Occasionally, there are cats who enter our facility who are not looking for a comfy couch to sleep on - these cats are looking for a job! They need "employers" of all types to hire them and put them to work. They can provide all natural pest control anywhere that may be needed, such as barns, farms, factories, warehouses, stores, shops or on your private property.Our Working Cat Program does just that! Interested "employers" email us (workingcats@kerncounty.com) to adopt a cat to help out wherever they are needed.The best part yet, there is no charge to adopt one of these cats. Vetting included in the adoption is spay/neuter, ear tip and a rabies vaccine.Are they spayed/neutered?Yes, all Working Cats are spayed/neutered, Rabies vaccinated, and many are ear-tipped for visual identification.How much does it cost to adopt a Working Cat?There is no fee to adopt a working cat. We will need you to provide a form of identification to process the adoption. You will be responsible for ongoing veterinary care (as necessary), food/water, and shelter for your barn cat.How do I get my cat home?We will need you to bring a full sized metal cat trap or a medium or large sized crate. We will load the cat for you. Cardboard or soft sided crates are not recommended as the cat could escape on the way home.What do I do when I bring the cat home?Your new cat should be confined to an escape-proof room or enclosure (tack room, garage, coop, large dog crate) for at least a week while they acclimate to their new surroundings. Your cat should have access to fresh food/water and a litter box (even if the cat will not have a litter box once released) during the confinement period. Keeping the cat confined during this time allows it to associate the area as its new 'home base' and helps to ensure that it will stick around once released. After releasing your cat, you will then continue to provide fresh food/water daily and allow them access to shelter.I'm interested in providing shelter for a working/barn cat, what do I do now?We want to be clear that this an adoption of an animal for the life of the animal. When we refer to your new cat as an "employee" or a Working Cat, it's intended as a fun reference to hiring an employee to perform a job. The job the cat you will be adopting is to keep the rodent population under control using their natural instincts. But please make no mistake, this is your animal after it is adopted, and all of the legal requirements of owning a pet apply to this animal. For more information, or to be placed on our 'Working Cats Wanted' List, contact our Cat Care Coordinator at workingcats@kerncounty.com.*Please Note - We do not specifically intake cats to be sent out as working/barn cats. Cats eligible for our Working Cat Program will not be listed under our current adoptable animals.
Contact Critters Without Litters(661) 831-60004300 Stine Rd. Suite 720Bakersfield, CA 93313
Email animalservices@kerncounty.com.
TNR FAQs (PDF)
We thank you for being a part of the solution to the feral and community cat problem in Kern County and for helping us to save more lives!
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