Return to Community Cat Program

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The Return to Community Cat Program, also known as Return to Field or Trap Neuter Return, aims to manage Gwinnett's feral community cat population through sterilization and vaccination services. Designed to ensure their humane management, community cats, whether feral, stray, or tomcats, are unowned and free-roaming. Please follow these guidelines when dropping off a feral community cat at the animal receiving office:
 
  • Complete the Return to Community Cat Intake Form
  • Ensure all cats are in a trap (carriers and wire crates are not allowed)
  • Multiple cats in one trap is not allowed, each cat must be in a separate trap
  • Only two feral cats per household per day will be accepted
  • Drop off on weekdays between 8:00am and 8:45am

Why It's Important

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  • Reduces unnecessary euthanasia
  • Prevents unwanted births
  • Dramatically decreases the population size over time
  • Minimizes or eliminates problematic behaviors such as spraying, yowling, and fighting
  • Improves the health of community cats

How RTCCP Works

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  • Residents trap and deliver community cats to the Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center for services and then later pick them back up to be returned to the community
    • The cat will be sterilized, receive a rabies vaccine and microchip, and have their ear tipped to indicate they are a community cat
    • Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement does not provide cat traps; however, traps can be rented through Planned PEThood
  • Residents are permitted to bring up to two cats a day with no appointment required
    • Only cats in a trap will be accepted
  • The program is limited to a total of eight cats a day and operates Monday through Friday
  • If a cat is friendly, social, and not deemed a community cat by definition, the cat will not be accepted, and the owner will be referred to their private veterinarian for spay/neuter services
  • For more information, contact us by email at RTCCP@GwinnettCounty.com or phone at 678.226.7730
Visit our Rescue and Partners page for information about partner and rescue groups, veterinary partners, and additional low cost spay or neuter and vaccine programs.

  • One female cat can have up to two litters a year, with an average of eight kittens in each litter
  • In our 2020 pilot program year, 1,710 cats were spayed/neutered which prevented more than 10,000 births.
  • In 2021, 1,178 cats were spayed or neutered, which prevented more than 9,400 births.
  • In 2022, 1,228 cats were spayed or neutered, which prevented more than 9,820 births.
  • In 2023, 1,548 cats were spayed or neutered, which prevented more than 12,380 births.
  • In 2024, 1,741 cats were spayed or neutered, which prevented more than 13,920 births.

2025 Monthly Results

Month Number of TNR'd Cats
January 42
February 111
March 103
April 97
May 99
June 123
July 131
August 113
September 146
October 130
November 116
December 73
Subtotal 1,284