The Catmobile helps local families get their cats spay/neuter procedures for less.
Photo credit: www.mrfrs.org

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the... Catmobile?

Operated by the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society out of North Grafton, the eye-catching Catmobile offers local families an easier, cheaper way to get their cats spayed and neutered.

Stacy LeBaron, president of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, said the Catmobile was designed to help many cat owners or caregivers take that next step because the package price is close to a third less than regular prices.

“The Catmobile encourages people to take the first step," LeBaron said. "Maybe a cat just lives in your backyard and you feed it. Hopefully being able to get it neutered in the Catmobile will inspire people to take the next step and maybe feel some ownership for it.”

True to its name, the Catmobile is a mobile clinic designed specifically for cats. The package includes a brief exam, spay/neuter, rabies vaccination for cats over 12 weeks of age, flea treatment and nail trim. The package is $75 for male cats and $100 for female cats.

The 33-foot RV can hold up to 40 cats. The veterinarian and two technicians run the clinic five days a week. The Catmobile that serves this area is the second of its kind, made possible by a grant from the Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare.  The original Catmobile was founded in 2008 and serves the communities on the North Shore.

According to LeBaron, many cats that end up in shelters are not sterilized. Getting them spayed and neutered can help keep them in the community and help save money for the shelters.

“Cats are generally pets of the poor and those that come into the shelter aren’t sterilized. The whole focus of the Catmobile is that any cat that needs a procedure can get it done,” LeBaron said. “Shelters take animals out of the community. This may help prevent that cat from being put into a shelter because it’s in heat. All the money spent on this side is money saved on the shelter side.”

The Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society also holds Catsnip Clinics, a program manned by volunteers that offers a la cart services that aren’t offered by the Catmobile. The next Catsnip Clinic will be held in Westborough on Sunday, Feb. 19.

For more information on the Catmobile or Catsnip Clinics, visit the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society’s website.