The Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland, a coalition of area animal shelters, is offering an early holiday present to qualified cat owners.

The “Jolly St. Snip” promotion offers free spay and neuter surgeries and distemper vaccines for cats of eligible low-income cat owners at five locations in the metro area between Dec. 3-7.

"Now is the perfect time to spay or neuter your fertile cats to prevent unwanted litters of kittens being born in spring," says Joyce Briggs, President of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, and volunteer with ASAP's Spay & Save Program. "Prevention is the key to reducing the number of unwanted cats brought to local animal shelters or free-roaming in your neighborhood."

Cat Adoption Team has 48 surgical slots available between Dec. 4 and Dec. 7. Surgeries will be performed at CAT's in-shelter hospital, 14175 S.W. Galbreath Drive in Sherwood.

Transportation to the shelter from Washington County Animal Services will be available on a limited basis; ask about transportation assistance when you schedule your cat's appointment.

To schedule an appointment with CAT, call 503-925-8903.

Oregon Humane Society plans to spay or neuter 300 cats on Dec. 5 at the shelter, 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd. in Portland. Cats that are spayed and neutered at OHS or CAT will also receive a free FVRCP vaccine.

The remaining surgeries will take place at Multnomah County Animal Services in Troutdale, the Humane Society for Southwest Washington in Vancouver, and the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, which will spay and neuter stray or feral cats

To qualify, cat owners must live in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, or Clark counties and receive government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income the Oregon Health Plan or the Subsidized School Lunch Program to qualify.

Find out more about eligibility requirements here.

Make an appointment by calling 800-345-7729 (SPAY) or 503-797-2606 for feral and stray cats.

Some transportation assistance may be available on a limited basis.