The Inside Scoop – Helping Community Cats

How Humane Fort Wayne is Helping Community Cats

Did you know there are about 16,000 free roaming cats in our area?

Humane Fort Wayne’s Community Cat Advocacy Program aims to improve the lives of community cats in our region by reducing shelter deaths, improving health, and reducing overpopulation.

Humane Fort Wayne does this by offering low-cost spay/neuter of community cats to the public, engaging in targeted TNR projects throughout our community, and providing education and outreach to increase awareness of community cats, how best to care for them, and the services that are available to help them.

What are Community Cats?

• Community cats are free-roaming cats with no identifiable owner. They are typically not adoptable.
• Community cats have a home: they live outdoors, thriving in every landscape, from the inner city to rural farmland.
• Unaltered community cats reproduce at an alarming rate, driving up overpopulation and shelter intakes.
• Community cats entering shelters drain already limited resources and take up space.
• Targeted trapping, spay/neuter, and release (“TNR”) of free-roaming cats is the only effective humane method to address these concerns.

Free Community Cat Surgeries for Allen County Residents 

Thanks to the support of a few generous donors and grantors, Humane Fort Wayne is excited to announce the Feral Fix 2026 initiative, which will allow Fort Wayne and Allen County residents to receive Community Cat Surgery Packages for unowned, free-roaming cats at no cost while funding lasts.

Community Cat Packages are still available to individuals outside of Allen County at a cost of $50 per feline. 

The Community Cat Package includes spay or neuter surgery, a microchip, Rabies vaccine and mandatory ear tip.

In February of 2026, Humane Fort Wayne began offering discounted Community Cat Packages for residents inside Fort Wayne city limits, but it soon became clear that the services were needed throughout the county.

Now, the free surgery package is available to all Allen County residents, including Fort Wayne, New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Grabill, Monroeville, Woodburn, Harlan, Hoagland, Arcola and Aboite.

“Our aim has always been to reduce intake at Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control and Humane Fort Wayne by ensuring access to affordable spay and neuter services – including for the roughly 16,000 free-roaming cats in Allen County. Until now, funding constraints meant that our ability to help was limited. But thanks to the support of a few special friends, we can make a huge difference today,” said Jessica Henry-Johnson, Humane Fort Wayne’s Executive Director.

Community Cats are accepted on a walk-in basis Monday through Thursday at Humane Fort Wayne’s 1333 Maycrest Drive location.

Check-in begins at 7:30am and Community Cat surgeries are limited to 15 per day with a maximum of 2 cats per household per day. Cats must arrive in a 14 inch humane live trap, which are available on a rental basis through Humane Fort Wayne.

How You Can Get Involved to Help Community Cats

Want to get more involved?

Join us for our Whisker Wisdom Community Cat Club Meetings. These sessions are for all advo-cats interested in all things community cats, like trapping, resources, colony care and more.

The next Whisker Wisdom Community Cat Club Meeting will be Wednesday, July 1st at our clinic located at 1333 Maycrest Drive.

Stay involved on social media by joining our Community Cat Facebook page!

To see detailed program information, get guidance, see local ordinances and more: