Clip and Tip Strays

06/17/2026

We have some exciting news to announce. The Village of Louisville, IL has donated $1,500 towards our efforts in sterilizing stray, community and feral cats within Louisville village limits. This investment will prevent countless unwanted litters, reduce suffering, and improve the lives of cats and residents alike.

If you see Mayor Chris Rinehart or a Village Trustee, please take a moment to thank them for choosing a compassionate, humane approach to solving the cat overpopulation problem, and for making a lasting difference—one spay and neuter surgery at a time ❤️🐾

The Village of Louisville, is continuing its proactive approach to address the local stray cat overpopulation, awarding a $1,500 donation to Clip and Tip Strays (C.A.T.S.), for ongoing Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) efforts within village limits. This funding will directly support spaying and neutering s...

06/16/2026

True! Healthier, happier, calmer boys! 👍🏼🤩👍🏼

Neutering a male cat offers many health and behavioral benefits. 🐈💙

Benefits of neutering include:

• Reducing roaming and urine spraying
• Decreasing aggression and fighting
• Eliminating the risk of testicular cancer and lowering the risk of prostate problems
• Reducing the risk of certain infections
• Preventing unwanted litters and helping control cat overpopulation

Neutering helps cats live healthier, safer lives while also reducing the number of kittens born into homelessness.

✅ Find links to search for low-cost spay/neuter clinics in your area through the LinkTree in our bio.

Image: Tender Loving Cats

06/15/2026

I, Cat will be speaking at the Flora Council Meeting today at 4:30 giving an update for CATS and asking for a donation to help Flora colony caretakers. If anyone would like to show their support please come to the meeting. 🤩🙏🤩

06/12/2026

July 14th, 2026 -- Low Cost Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic in Flora, IL.
Click on the image and it will take you to the Zeffy booking page.

$80 for Female Spays. $60 for Male Neuters.
Includes rabies vaccination and ear tipping (ear tipping is done on all outdoor cats).

NEW: Microchipping available for $30. No subscription fees and programmable with the owner's phone number. Offered through The Traveling Vet.

Clip and Tip Strays (C.A.T.S.) sponsors a monthly low-cost cat spay and neuter clinic to help reduce the unwanted cat population in Clay County, IL. We have partnered with a licensed mobile veterinarian to do spays and neuters for Clay County's cats -- pet cats, strays, community and feral cats.A ca...

06/12/2026

Friday Funnies! 🐈

06/11/2026

Uno, Dos, Tres, Quattro! Four thumbs (paws) up! 😽😽😽😽

A big thank you to Derek and Charity Mitchell of Clay City for reserving four spots for Uno, Dos, Tres, and Quattro at our low-cost cat spay/neuter clinic. The four kitten siblings—three females and one male—got sterilized yesterday. They were born after a stray female cat wandered onto the Mitchells' property in October ….the same day they put their faithful dog Duke down due to cancer.

When the female cat ended up pregnant by roaming tomcats, the Mitchells didn't waste any time. Rather than allowing the cycle to continue, they acted quickly. As soon as the kittens were weaned, they got mama (named Gato) spayed. Then they made sure her four babies wouldn't contribute to more unexpected litters. That's how real change happens!

By spaying and neutering, Derek and Charity prevented future homeless kittens while giving their furry family members a healthier, happier life. We're grateful they opened their hearts and home to this little crew and chose to be part of the solution.

Way to go, Derek and Charity! 😽😽😽😽

06/10/2026

Clip and Tip Strays June 9th low-cost cat spay & neuter clinic update:

It was a long, busy day and again successful with 37 cats sterilized!

Started with a bit of a hiccup as we were down a vet tech but with Dr. Jerden’s system and excellent volunteers we worked non stop and completed within 7 hours. That’s one cat every 12 minutes. 👏🤩👏

Of course, this doesn’t include checking in and picking up.

There is a long list of details involved in a clinic day, and every month we are incredibly successful.

What this means to our Clay County community is every month for the last 8 months, we have prevented 226 cats from continuing to breed and add to the over population and suffering of stray/feral cats.

Owners and caretakers have been able to get cats fixed at a cost that is affordable.
We’ve helped stop hundreds of “free kitten posts” which only adds to overpopulation. Females and males are living healthier lives without the constant instinct to breed.

Low-cost spay/neuter events are extremely successful because the demand is high and there’s an urgency to lower the overpopulation of cats in all communities, not just here, but across America.

We are very fortunate to have The Traveling Vet, Dr. Jerden coming to Clay County and performing these procedures.

Clip and Tip Strays is extremely grateful to Dr. Jerden and happy to be able to host these events each month.

Thank you to our volunteers Nicola Wattles, Belinda Rueter, JohnAnn Thomas and Cathy Billingsley for their volunteer time and hard work yesterday. You are all super stars! 🤩👏🙏👏🤩

Also thank you to all of our supporters...for monetary donations, donations of items needed, and sharing and supporting this cause!

All for now, and now it’s time to start planning and getting ready for the July 14th Clinic. 😃

With Sincerest Gratitude,
Clip and Tip Strays Board:
Cat Osterholtz, Chairperson
Nicola Wattles, Secretary
Belinda Rueter, Treasurer

05/27/2026

We need volunteers in Clay County areas of Flora, Xenia and Clay City.
We are in need of Community Advocates who can contact caretakers of feral/ stray cat colonies, give an approximate count of cats in that area, help set traps, transport to spay clinic, (for the elderly who can not), report back to Clip and Tip Strays on information gathered etc. if you are interested in helping C.A.T.S. With our mission to help reduce the overpopulation of homeless ferals and strays in Clay County please contact us via messenger, by phone or text 618-662-3837. Thank you