Apartment Cat Team (ACT)

Two young, feral kittens at the shelter

When feral kittens are very young, they can easily be socialized to become adoptable.

Stray, Feral Kittens Being Round-up with Food.
ACT Volunteer Holding a Rescue Cat and TNR Award

An ACT volunteer proudly holding a rescued cat and an award for achieving 100 TNR spays and neuters.

A Feral Kitten in a Cat Trap
Feral Cat with an Eartip cuddled with Another Rescue Cat

Cats with an "eartip" have been altered (spayed or neutered) and are part of a colony of cared-for feral cats.

ACT is a collaborative partnership between FCCO (Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon) and Multnomah County Animal Services.  We are dedicated to seeking a humane solution to “too many cats.”

Teams of volunteers work with managers and tenants of low-income or subsidized apartment complexes and mobile home parks to offer free or low-cost spay and neuter services to EVERY cat in the complex.  This includes owned cats, as well as stray or feral outdoor-living cats.

ACT promotes spaying/neutering.  We work with owners to provide spay/neuter services to their cats.  We believe in TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) as a humane solution for stray and feral cats.

ACT’s goal is to reduce the numbers of cats living outdoors.  We promote the concept of keeping cats indoors.  Whenever possible, ACT also attempts to socialize young feral kittens so they can be adopted into forever homes. 

Volunteers are needed to trap cats on location, care for cats in traps, transport cats to/from surgery, pick up cats from owners and transport to/from surgery. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Ann Potter at ann.d.potter@multco.us.

Interested in ACT’s services?  We will require cooperation of the owner and/or manager of the complex, as well as permission for a caregiver to continue feeding the feral cats. Due to a high volume of requests, there is often a waiting period. Please send an email to act@multco.us to request services.

Not part of an apartment complex, but still need help with cats? Consider the following options:

  1. For advice on conducting your own TNR program, check out  FCCO’s website. They will even lend you the traps needed.
  2. For lost cost spay/neuter services for owned cats, see our  "Spay/Neuter" web page, which has a list of resources.
  3. To keep owned, stray cats off your property, check out our web page, “10 Tips for Keeping Cats Out of Yards and Gardens.”

More questions?  Send them to act@multco.us

More Resources:

Home Sweet Home: Bringing an Outside Cat In (HSUS)
Peaceable Backyard Kingdom: Protecting Pets and Wildlife (HSUS)
ASPCA- Outdoor Cats: Coming in from the Cold
Portland Audubon & Feral Cat Coalition Team Up

The following was reprinted by permission from FCCO (from Web Tails August 2012 Newsletter):

Have you recently seen a new cat in your area? Are you wondering about the difference between stray and feral cats? 

Stray cats...

  1. May approach people, homes and businesses
  2. Will likely live alone
  3. May display body language of a house cat (walk with tail up, make eye contact with humans)
  4. May "talk" (meow)
  5. Likely will be dirty
  6. Will not have an eartip

Feral cats...

  1. Will not approach/ will avoid people
  2. May belong to a colony (a group of cats)
  3. May crouch and stay low to the ground and protect body with tail, avoiding eye contact with humans
  4. Won't meow or purr
  5. Likely will have clean, well-kept coat
  6. Will have an eartip (right ear) if spayed or neutered

If you become aware of a new cat in your area, look for his/her home by posting signs around. Regardless of feral or stray, if you do not find the cat's home but are willing to provide food and shelter to a cat who can not live inside, please visit the FCCO website for information on spaying/neutering.