Andrea Estes
Board President
The city of Indianapolis recognizes Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), as the most effective and humane method for controlling the free roaming cat population. Free roaming cats produce 80% of the kittens born each year. It is the greatest source of cat overpopulation. After cats are fixed, vaccinated and recover, they are returned to the location they were trapped. Most annoying behaviors, such as yowling, spraying and fighting decrease. The cats live out their lives and over time the colony diminishes through natural attrition.
Provide shelter to keep cats safe from bad weather. Our Winter Shelter Program provides refuge to thousands of cats every winter.
Spay/Neuter and return cats to their neighborhoods or find an indoor home if the cat is friendly. Spay/neuter assistance is available.
Put out food and water everyday on a regular schedule. Food assistance is available from the FIDO Indy & INC Pet Food Pantry.
Make sure the cats are healthy and seek help if injured or sick. Medical assistance is available for Indianapolis community cats.
Since our founding, Indy Neighborhood Cats has grown from a grass roots response to a city-wide force for animal welfare. From landmark ordinance changes to expanding pantry partnerships and shelter builds, see how our team and community have pushed forward to protect Indianapolis’ community cats year after year.
Established the Indianapolis Community Cat Ordinance (commonly referred to as the TNR Ordinance) which created legal protection for colony caretakers, authorized city-wide TNR, set forth trapping guidelines, and established definitions and protections for community cats.
INC’s Shelterpalooza is an annual event where volunteers from all over Indianapolis and the surrounding counties get together to build outdoor winter shelters for community cats.
In August of 2019, INC was founded, receiving its 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS.
FIDO Indy graciously begins sharing their warehouse space with Indy Neighborhood Cats.
INC begins jointly operating the FIDO Indy Pet Food Pantry.
INC van is purchased and deployed in direct support of our field operations.
LifeNet Health begins donating expanded polystyrene (EPS) coolers that will be converted into outdoor cat shelters by INC’s Winter Shelter Program.
After years of side-by-side cooperation, the pet food pantry officially becomes the INC and FIDO Pet Food Pantry.
INC launches its new website and volunteer portal.
After years of sharing the space at the FIDO Indy warehouse, INC moves into its own space located at Nine13 Sports.
One thing we all have in common is our love for our feline friends.
Sustainable animal welfare takes strong leadership and a whole lot of heart. Our team combines hands-on field experience with a deep commitment to our community, working side-by-side with caretakers, volunteers, and local partners to keep outdoor cats safe and healthy.
Board President
Executive Director
Board Treasurer
Member At-Large
Member At-Large
Member At-Large
Member At-Large
Member At-Large
Member At-Large
Behind every mission success is a passionate team of volunteers working side-by-side with our board and leadership. It takes all of us to create lasting change for Indianapolis community cats. Learn how you can join #TeamCat today!
Behind our momentum is a incredible coalition of community partners. From high-volume spay/neuter facilities to financial support, meet the dedicated organizations working alongside us to create lasting change within our community.
Nine13sports have generously offered low-cost retail and storage space to INC. While the specifics are still being planned, INC plans to announce the relocation in Spring of 2026.
For the past seven years, Aquatic Arts has generously donated their expanded polystyrene (EPS) coolers which are then turned into winters shelters for outdoor cats.
FIDO Indy has been a long-standing partner providing critical support from the beginning, from shared warehouse space to integrated community projects. Together, INC and FIDO operate the INC & FIDO Indy Pet Food Pantry, the largest pet food and supply pantry in Indiana.
FACE partners with INC to fill spots in high volume spay day appointments. FACE and INC also partner to educate the community in training residents how to trap community cats through the Be Somebody Community Empowerment Program.
LifeNet Health generously donates their expanded polystyrene (EPS) coolers which helps fuel our Winter Shelter Program, creating winters shelters for outdoor cats.
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Hotel Bravo is a feline sanctuary that provides refuge and rehabilitation for cats needing specialized, one-on-one care with a focus on mending physical or emotional trauma.
Pet Friendly Services of Indiana has provided generous financial support to Indy Neighborhood Cats in the form of vital spay/neuter funding for our TNR program.
Over the past six years, Alley Cat Rescue has provided annual financial support for our TNR Program.
Our partners at Friends of Indy Animals provide financial support for our TNR activities in Indianapolis.
Indy Adopts and Nine Lives Cafe and Cat Lounge help find homes for abandoned, domesticated cats that end up in a trap during our TNR activities in Marion County.
Our first neighborhood group to organize under Indy Neighborhood Cats to recruit and begin a program to control cat populations in their area.
IAUC is a veterinary care bridge between Emergency and Basic Veterinary Care. IAUC works with INC to triage and stabilize or diagnose situations that need addressed while we work on long term care 7 days a week.
UNITS of Indy provides generous delivery and use of pod storage units for our winter shelter program.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
[ ] Legal & Core Messaging: Finalized legal copy for Privacy & SMS policies; email subscriber thank-you copy; instructional copy for Resources dropdown (Found a Stray, Found Kittens, Found a Sick/Injured Cat).
[ ] Programs & Directories: Copy/guidelines for Colony Caretaker Support, Working Cat, Winter Shelter, and Community Projects; verified directory entries for vets, pantries, animal abuse reporting, and lost/found pet portals.
[ ] Events, Media & Forms: Calendar entries and registration details; high-res historical timeline photos, volunteer spotlights, and program graphics; destination links for Assistance, Working Cat Adoption, and Volunteer applications.
