STABILIZES FERAL CAT COLONIES
​
According to Alley Cat Allies, "During an 11-year study of TNR at the University of Florida, the number of cats on campus declined by 66% with no new kittens being born after the first four years of operation."

IMPROVES THE CATS' LIVES
​
TNR relieves the feral population of the stresses that come along with mating and pregnancy. It also stops mating behaviors like spraying, fighting and vocalizing. Cats that have been altered as part of a TNR program have also been vaccinated, leaving them less susceptible to infectious disease. Overall they are just happier!

HELPS THE COMMUNITY
​
Feeding a few stray cats can be rewarding for some, but without TNR programs, a few becomes many in a very short time. Once TNR is in place in a colony, the population stabilizes and becomes healthier. Cats are less destructive, and coexist with the community better.

The first step in TNR is to trap the cats. Humane traps are set in feeding locations, using our secret recipe chow, and left in the hopes of catching unaltered feral cats. Traps are filled with newspaper, covered with tarps, and put in locations where any trapped animal can be kept safe from the elements. Trapping is usually done late in the night, the night before veterinary appointments.

​Before we can get to this step, volunteers head out first thing in the morning to retrieve the trapped cats from the night before. Wild animals and already altered cats are released, and unaltered feral cats are on their way to the vet! Once at the vet, the cats are checked over for illness, injury or other compromising condition, and then spayed or neutered and given a rabies vaccination. It is common practice for the veterinarian to tip the ear so that you can tell who in the colony has been altered.

​Cats that have been altered are released back into their colony. It is important to release them to the colony they came from. Removing cats from an area creates the vacuum effect, but we'll get into that later. Female cats are usually kept safe indoors for 1-2 days to ensure their incision heals, while males can be released the same day. Thanks to our friends from Belknap Lumber, we were able to add cat habitats to some of our trapping locations!

​WON'T THE CATS GET HURT IN THE TRAP OVERNIGHT?
​
Every precaution is taken to keep the cats safe overnight in the trap. The traps are covered with tarps and kept in dry areas, utilizing garages, sheds, or tree cover when possible. They are then transported in the trap to avoid any injury in transport, or any further stress on the animal.

WHY WOULD YOU PUT THE CATS BACK TO THE SAME AREA?
​
There are many reasons to return cats to the same area. First, they have amazing homing instinct, and if released to an unknown area, some cats will try to return to their previous location, usually becoming injured or killed while trying. The second reason is the vacuum effect. There is scientific evidence available to support the theory that if you remove all cats and kittens from a feral colony, an influx of new cats from neighboring territories will move in. This is a natural phenomenon, and can be costly and result in an endless cycle of TNR.

HOW CAN I HELP?
​
Trap Neuter Release takes an army, and a lot of materials. We are always in need of volunteers to help set traps, transport traps and house females overnight to make sure their incisions heal. We are also in need of a lot of materials in order to continue the program. Check out the list below.

WHY DO YOU TIP THE EAR?
​
Ear-Tipping involves surgically removing a small portion of the cat's ear while under anesthesia. It is an easy and universally accepted way to identify a community cat that has been spayed or neutered. If you see a cat with an ear-tip, it means they can no longer produce new kittens and they are helping with population control!

DONATE MATERIALS
​
This is a list of all of our material and donation needs to continue our TNR programs.

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
​
Click below to find out how you can get involved with our TNR programs!

ALLEY CAT ALLIES
​
If you are looking for more information on Trap Neuter Release and how it can be helpful in our community, check out our friends over at Alley Cat Allies.