Cat Neuter/Spay in or near Bay Area in December 2021?
December 11, 2021 7:53 PM Subscribe
We welcomed in/kidnapped a stray kitten here in the San Francisco Bay Area a month ago. He's affectionate and playful and growing as a housecat where the two reigning middle-aged strays tolerate him. We want to keep him.
We're a little cash-strapped right now, and we're looking for a vet who can fix our new kitty and do basic worming and inoculation services without breaking the bank. We've heard that close-in veterinarians are kind of overwhelmed right now. Does anyone have good advice about vets that are a bit further from the center of The Bay who are still doing these services affordably? Or other strategies that get these services done without making us cash-vulnerable?
Best answer: I'd check with local shelters to see what the wait on free/low cost services are. Some like the one at the Oakland Shelter are restricted to residents of the city or area they service. Local cat rescues may have other leads for you. FYI the SFSPCA wait for a regular appointment was at about 6 weeks at the end of Nov. idk if they prioritize the neuter / spay appointments differently but they seem pretty booked up in general.
posted by oneear at 9:21 PM on December 11, 2021
posted by oneear at 9:21 PM on December 11, 2021
Best answer: I live on the other side of the country and am not familiar with Bay Area resources, but Googling "low cost spay neuter Bay Area" turned up the clinic run by the Peninsula Humane Society, 12 Airport Blvd, San Mateo.
You'll want to double check, but Peninsula Humane Society doesn't appear to have any residency restrictions on the use of its low-cost spay-neuter clinic. (The only geographic differential I saw on their website was that residents of Belmont, East Palo Alto, San Mateo and unincorporated San Mateo County get a break on the cost of microchipping their pets if they get it done at the same time as the spay-neuter procedure.)
However, the clinic is busy, so they're booking spay-neuter appointments eight weeks out. The cost is $50 for male cats and $60 for females; the clinic requests a $25 deposit at the time the appointment is made, with the rest due on the day of the surgery.
And that's just one clinic -- asking local cat rescues for their recommendations, as oneear suggested, is an excellent idea, because people who volunteer with cat rescues are very plugged in re: trustworthy and low-cost sources of veterinary care.
Good luck, to your entire family!
posted by virago at 11:00 PM on December 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
You'll want to double check, but Peninsula Humane Society doesn't appear to have any residency restrictions on the use of its low-cost spay-neuter clinic. (The only geographic differential I saw on their website was that residents of Belmont, East Palo Alto, San Mateo and unincorporated San Mateo County get a break on the cost of microchipping their pets if they get it done at the same time as the spay-neuter procedure.)
However, the clinic is busy, so they're booking spay-neuter appointments eight weeks out. The cost is $50 for male cats and $60 for females; the clinic requests a $25 deposit at the time the appointment is made, with the rest due on the day of the surgery.
And that's just one clinic -- asking local cat rescues for their recommendations, as oneear suggested, is an excellent idea, because people who volunteer with cat rescues are very plugged in re: trustworthy and low-cost sources of veterinary care.
Good luck, to your entire family!
posted by virago at 11:00 PM on December 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In the same location, Peninsula Humane Society
offers low-cost vaccinations against rabies, canine distemper, FVRCP and DHPP on the first and third Saturday morning of the month and on the second Wednesday evening of the month, by appointment only. (Scroll down on the page at the link to see more information.)
The only service that you're seeking that they don't offer is worming.
(Apologies for double posting.)
posted by virago at 11:15 PM on December 11, 2021
offers low-cost vaccinations against rabies, canine distemper, FVRCP and DHPP on the first and third Saturday morning of the month and on the second Wednesday evening of the month, by appointment only. (Scroll down on the page at the link to see more information.)
The only service that you're seeking that they don't offer is worming.
(Apologies for double posting.)
posted by virago at 11:15 PM on December 11, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by shadygrove at 8:08 PM on December 11, 2021 [1 favorite]