Please do not leave unwanted cats or any other animals at Heritage Square! It is not good for them, or for our community cat colony. We have information below about re-homing animals if you find that you can no longer care for them. Thank you!

Heritage Square’s Cats

Heritage Square is home to a colony of community cats. You can find information about them (and their upcoming book!) here:

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are community cats?
Community cats are cats that live outside and are feral – not socialized to be around people.

Does anyone take care of the Heritage Square cats?
Yes! There is a group of people who take care of our community cats. They provide the cats with food and water; take them to the vet to have them spayed or neutered, vaccinated, or when they’re ill; and make sure they’re happy and healthy.

Do the Heritage Square cats really live outside all year?
Yes! Unlike house cats, these cats are used to living outside year-round. They have safe places to sleep – usually under one of the historic houses – that are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Why do the cats of Heritage Square have notches in their ears?
The notches in the ears of Community Cats are a universal sign that they are vaccinated as well as spayed or neutered, as a part of a Trap – Neuter – Return (TNR) program. The notch is made while they are under anesthesia, and heals quickly. Find out more about ear tipping or notching from Alley Cat Allies.

Pet Resources

If you can no longer care for a cat or any animal, we suggest taking them to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, or to any no-kill shelter in your area. You can search a list of no-kill shelters in Arizona on the No Kill Network website.

Coming in 2024…

We wrote a book about the Heritage Square cats that will be published in 2024!

Stay tuned to this webpage, our emails, and our social media posts for more information about the book, including how to pre-order the book for yourself or how to sponsor the book for a local classroom.

Banner photo by Artem Makarov, via Pexels. All other photos are of the Heritage Square cats themselves, and were taken by Heritage Square staff and volunteers.

Information about Community Cats was gathered from the Alley Cat Allies website.