#Feral Cat TNR Programs

[alleycatallies]

Impact story saving community cat Tippy

Impact Story: Saving Community Cat Tippy

Alley Cat Allies is here to support community cat caregivers and provide advice and guidance. That’s what our Cat Help Desk is all about! So when a dedicated caregiver in Texas contacted us about one of her colony cats who wasn’t eating, we advised her to seek veterinary attention right away.

We ensured the cat, Tippy, received top-notch care and set up his caregiver with information for his continued treatment. We’re so glad to say that Tippy is eating again and is going home to his feline family today! Thank you to our incredible supporters for helping us save cats like Tippy every day. Your gifts make all the difference.

How to Really Protect Kittens During Kitten Season

Right now, kitten season is underway. This is the time of year when most litters of kittens are born, and when young kittens need our protection more than ever. But it’s not about scooping up kittens outdoors—in fact, doing so may do them great harm by separating them from their mother cats. Rather, it’s all about humane education!

Kittens have unique needs at every stage of life that their mother is best able to provide, and Alley Cat Allies educates advocates around the world to Leave Them Be if kittens and their mother cat are together outdoors. But if you find a young kitten who is orphaned and needs help, our popular How Old Is That Kitten? resource will help you determine their age and the best steps to take to care for them.

There’s a reason these resources are among our most popular; people are very passionate about protecting kittens, and we’re honored to guide them!

Best Practices for Community Cat Care at Your Fingertips

Following best practices for community cat care is incredibly important—and can even save cats’ lives!

Taking the right steps for feeding, TNR, and more not only benefits the cats, it protects you as their caregiver and helps prevent community concerns that could lead to dangerous action against cats.

We walk through it all at alleycat.org/BestPractices.

Stand Against Cruelty to Cats

This April, we encourage advocates to learn how they can stand against cruelty to cats, and explain to decision-makers that animal cruelty must be taken extremely seriously and penalized to the fullest extent of the law.

Alley Cat Allies has resources to guide you, including on how to report cruelty and the “Link” between cruelty to cats and cruelty to people. See them all at www.alleycat.org/Anti-Cruelty.

Stand with us against all acts of cruelty to all cats. We believe that every animal, owned or unowned, indoors or outdoors, deserves to be protected from human cruelty. We know you do, too.

Find Resources to Help You Save Cats’ Lives

We deeply thank every single person protecting cats and kittens, especially the incredible advocates doing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats!

If you’re looking for financial assistance in your critical, lifesaving work, Alley Cat Allies has tips to help at alleycat.org/FinancialResources.

Just for You: Get Our Public Education Bundle

Humane public education about cats sets the framework to save countless lives. Alley Cat Allies has the materials you need to educate others about community cats and TNR all in one convenient bundle!

YOU are the strongest voice for cats in your community. Our materials are always available for free download, too.

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/tippys-story-and-lifesaving-resources-for-cats/

[anjanahalo]

And Now, A Ghost Story 2

Previous

"I'm just saying you really can’t be mad if you leave a bunch of traps around Crime Alley without explanation and find them smashed. Nobody here would know they’re live traps for a TNR program,” Red Hood tried again, exasperated, to explain to the Robin before him. “Which is why I’m here,” Robin stated, also agitated at this back and forth that seemed to only repeat itself. “I even turned off my coms to speak in private. If your territory knew the Red Hood approved of the shelter’s program, they might even help bring in feral cats to be neutered, thus helping reduce the feral cat population.” “The one that everyone knows gets a hefty sum of donations from the Waynes and has one of Bruce’s son’s volunteering there? Yeah, sorry. As soon as a billionaire’s name’s attached, it’s impossible to get people to trust around here.” “There’s no closer shelter, though! Again, if YOU would advocate for the program-” “Hang on,” Red Hood interrupted, activating his own coms. “Got something coming into my line.” “If you think you can get out of this conversation, Red Hood-” “I said quiet!” Red Hood shouted, ignoring how Robin grabbed the hilt of his katana. “Not you,” he stated into the mic of his helmet, putting a hand on his holster in retaliation to the demon brat’s threat. “What is it?” “Got a situation, boss,” said one of his men. Glen, from the voice. “Saw a kid in an alley here. Not a local. He was sleeping in an alley in torn clothes, covered in wounds. You might wanna help find out about him.” “Why are you telling me instead of taking him to a doctor?” Red Hood asked. Yes, he cared for kids, but his men should know what to do if they saw an abused runaway on the streets. “Cause he disappeared!” “A kid gave you the slip?” “No! I mean, I tried to talk with him. I spooked him, and then he literally disappeared before my eyes! He’s some sort of meta, and you know how the Bat is about metas. Figured you’d want to investigate before he finds out.” “Yeah, that’s good info. Give me the last place you saw the kid. I’ll be right there.” “What’s happening?” Robin asked. “Got a hurt out-of-town runaway. Probable meta. I’ll get back to this lovely discussion later. I have actual thing to do.” “I’m coming with you.” “You’re not,” Hood huffed. “You stated he evaded your lackey,” Robin said. “That means this is someone difficult to track down, correct? You need my help.” “And this is entirely without any tit for tat?” “I think I won’t mind you owing me a favor if I aid you in aiding this child.” “Not very Robin of you.” “Tch. Fine. I would aid you regardless, but I also hope you’ll reconsider the TNR program.” “....Sure.” Red Hood unholstered his grapple. “Follow me.”

[never-forget-viva-la-pluto]

A note on the Barn cat programs/Working cat programs; they are designed for feral cats only or cat that are aggressive toward humans.

Barn cats are not something people go to a pet store and adopt a cat for(people do do this obv but its not what barn cats programs entail), they are usually feral colonies that would be killed otherwise, or sometimes they move the cats to a Barn location so that they can hunt things that are less at risk of ruining the ecosystems of the area where they originally were found.

They are at risk of some wild animals and to some wild animals, of course, but those cats are just ferals that need a steady source of food and a vet and these are NOT PET CATS. They aren't meant to be treated like pets, and it is sometimes the only chance a cat has, because otherwise they get euthanized bc no one wants a cat that is completely feral and a city's response to growing cat colonies is poison. But these are not meant to be pets, they are meant to keep the cat population in an area contained and not infested!

Any other cat need to be kept inside at all times, because that is a pet.

Barn cats are not pets, they are ferals that need to be monitored in a location where their exposure to endangered species is reduced and it goes without saying that these programs will get them all fixed before letting them take to the barns. ALL OTHER CATS SHOULD BE KEPT INDOORS! Saying your cat is a barn cat/Working cat is outright false if it is treated like a pet you let outside sometimes. A Barn cat is a feral cat that lives in a Barn. They are not pets.

Keep your pets inside.

If you say you have a semi-indoor barn cat, not you don't, you have a pet. If you say you have a barn cat who is cuddly and lives in the barn, no you dont, you have a pet that you let suffer in a barn when it should be inside the home.

Barn cats are cats that cannot be pets and have no where else to go.

KEEP YOUR PETS INSIDE!

you tell a bitch to keep their cat indoors and suddenly their town is the first in the world to have eradicated every viral, bacterial and parasitic disease, they invented completely harmless cars, dogs and predators dont exist either but somehow the native songbird population is fine since the cats in this place have lost the hunting instinct, there's no pollutants or toxic plants and human cruelty has ceased to exist. and mr mittens has a chip in his brain that will explode if he doesnt go outside 10 hours of the day

[splinterclan]

Wait do you have an particular dislike for twolegs moorsnow? May I ask why I mean I agree they should be avoided but your reaction to dropletpaws question was alittle harsh.

OOC: For the lore, since I'm gonna mostly only focus on living cats in the clan for my art/moons, Splinterclan was originally part of Oakclan; a large cat colony that got encroached on by a housing development. To help with the feral cats, a TNR program group was called in and started fixing cats, rehoming young kittens, and basically trying to get the numbers down. This is why Whorlstar took the few who would follow her and escaped to make a new clan.

For Moorsnow specifically, she and her mother were one of the first to get caught in live traps and taken to be spayed. While Moorsnow just lost her litter and was fixed, her mother ended up passing away from complications during the surgery and never returned. Obviously this gave Moor a lot of trauma, so this is where her great aversion to human-related things comes from.

(Double OOC I have personally taken part in TNR programs irl and they are a fantastic resource and great for real feral kitty health - they just make a great plot point for my fictional clangens as well lol)

[ylkcheeeks]

I don’t think anyone who follows me would disagree with this but I still want to signal boost it. This exact approach to managing feral cats is how I got the blessed goblins what are The Gorls. Their mother- probably younger than they are now- was Too Darn Hot (feral) to be an indoors cat & returned to her domination of the streets after recovering from her spay. They, along with their littermate who bonded with a different kitten, were all socialized by a foster and adopted out.

They were a little on the young side for adoption, my partner & I are both experienced cat staff, and were home a lot of the time for their first six months due to the work situation then, so they got a real natural 20 when rolling for socialization environment. Now they’re great at being house cats! Like, while they have their own personalities and don’t always want to be handled, they accept that sometimes they will be manually relocated for reasons that are beyond them (or for reasons they fully understand but disagree with) and each seeks out snuggling or pets of her own accord.

I've been seeing a lot of Discourse around outdoor cats that talks past one of the biggest problems addressing community cats/outdoor working cats so I thought I'd chime in with my two cents.

Many arguments I see just... don't think about the cats at all? Or don't consider the logistics of actually addressing the feral cat problem in a humane way. It's always about how outdoor cats shouldn't be outdoors, which is neither realistic nor helpful.

I used to volunteer at an municipal animal shelter in the USA that had a TNR program (Trap, Neuter, Return) and also adopted out community cats to local farms and businesses. Here's my side of the story.

"Your cat doesn't need to be outside" -- Yes, correct. Your domesticated (non-feral) house cat does not need to go outside at all. They can have a fully actualized life safely indoors. When I see this argument, proponents of indoor only cats are correct in most or all their arguments regarding this.

"Outdoor cats are the largest invasive species in the world, and decimate bird populations." -- This is also correct, and part of the reason why you can help by bringing your house cat indoors. Cats are the largest invasive species. Spay and Neuter your cats, bring them inside, and socialize them so they don't become feral.

"TNR doesn't work." -- False. Whether we like it or not, feral cats exist. We have two methods by which we can address the feral cat population -- decimating them (humanely euthanizing the whole colony) or TNR. For a long time, euthanasia was the preferred way to address the feral cat problem. Afterall, if the cats aren't there, doesn't that save the local wildlife population?

Except that we found, studying these colonies, that when a colony is wiped out, the cats of another colony will spread into their territory and continue to have kittens and the population of feral cats is neither controlled nor diminished.

Hence, TNR. What we found performing TNR on cat colonies was that this controlled the population of the colonies, allowing them to stay in their territory, which kept other colonies from spreading (especially colonies we hadn't performed TNR on yet). We at the shelter felt this was the most humane way to control the feral cat population and safely deflate their existence without dealing with the population blooms that euthanasia caused.

"What about kittens?" -- Kittens from these colonies were brought into the shelter, socialized, and fostered out until they could be adopted. Some of these semi-feral kittens needed special homes to be adopted into, but this was the best quality of life for these cats.

"What about cats that get missed during TNR?" -- We would return to the colony several times over a period of several years to perform TNR on the same colony. We mark cats that have been neutered by clipping their ear (this is done humanely, but is the most reliable way to tell if a cat has been neutered so the poor thing doesn't have to have surgery 3-4 times in their life). Also, during the TNR process the cats would be vaccinated to ensure disease did not spread from the colony (i.e. rabies). Still, even getting 60% of the colony TNR'd would dramatically reduce the number of kittens being added to the colony each year. This controlled the population by allowing the territory to naturally deflate in size over time, buying us time to address the larger feral cat problem.

"What if the colony was in an unsafe location?" -- There were two ways we addressed unsafe colony locations -- remember, we know that when the colony is removed, a new colony will move into its place, so we tried not to move the colony unless we really felt the cats or the public was unsafe -- one was to move the whole colony to a new location. Preferably someplace like a warehouse where we have an agreement with the owners of the warehouse. Some of the cats were even relocated to shelter grounds as our community cats. If the colony was small enough we would bring them into our Feral Cats room and adopt them out as community cats.

"What is a community cat?" -- The way the program worked, was that anyone who needed a working cat could apply to the program. These were often rural farmers or businesses with warehouses that needed rodent protection. We trained the farmers and businesses on how to acclimatize the cats to their new home, and as part of the agreement, they had to care for the cats (veterinary care, vaccinations, food and water). This gave businesses and farms an alternative to expensive and environmentally unfriendly rodent control, and also gave these feral cats good places to live out their natural lives.

"Can't you just adopt out feral cats?" -- No. Cats that have not been socialized around humans as kittens, or who have several generations of feral cat in them could not interact with humans in a way that did not cause them undue stress. This was not a humane way to handle feral cats. However, when a cat was brought into the feral cat room, they would be monitored for up to a week. If the cat displayed signs of being semi-social or fully social (hanging out outside of their den, allowing staff to pet them, showing interest in staff in the room), then we would either move the cat into the adoption room or place them in foster to be socialized before adoption. Feral cats who displayed signs of being able to live full and healthy lives with human companions were NOT adopted out as community cats. We also observed this behavior during TNRs and would do the same for those cats too.

"But aren't cats bad hunters?" -- Compared to other species, cats are not the most effective form of rodent control. This is true. However, you have to understand that feral cats exist. There is no "undo" button we can push to stop them from existing. We have to deal with the problem we have right now, which is to safely and humanely decrease the number of feral cats in our communities. And yes, we do that by using cats as rodent control in the community.

"What can I do?" -- Stop saying community cats shouldn't exist. That's not helpful and doesn't solve the problem we have. Bring your cat indoors. Spay and neuter your cats. Adopt from shelters. Volunteer with a TNR team. Support TNR efforts in your community. Recognize that those of us actively dealing with the community/feral problem are trying to do what is in the best interest of our communities and the animals we love. We aren't sitting over here saying these cats should exist -- a feral cat will not have the same quality of life as one that is indoors with a family -- but we have to address the problem in practical terms. We don't have the moral high ground to just do nothing while pontificating solutions that have no basis in actuality.

And yes, it's okay to celebrate community cats. If your local farm has a couple of working cats, that means that farm is helping participate in the safe deflation of the feral cat population. Don't shame a farm or business for using community cats. We're all doing the best we can to solve the problem that we have.

[followthebluebell]

I have a friend whose cat was originally part of a TNR program. The kitty was found in the boiler room of our apartment complex, somewhat feral, and ear tipped, and was given to the friend after a few weeks of no one claiming the cat.

Now here’s the kicker, when she got the cat from them she took it in for a wellness check and was told the kitty was a boy. Fast forward about 2 years and their previous vet retired leading them to find a new one, and one of the first things they say to her after the exam is “you realize he’s actually a she right?” And told her the cat is a girl.

Is this something common with fixed cats? I know when males are neutered later you tend to see more of a deflated sack unless there’s a whole ablation performed, but I also know that’s not a super common procedure so I’m just kinda curious lmao

I wouldn't say it's terribly common, but things happen. One of my personal cats was listed as male for a few years because a vet tech had misclicked on her file and it wasn't caught for ages. Sometimes a kitten looks fairly male at first but then the balls don't drop so you check again and oops, that's definitely a vulva. I called Mouse a boy for a few months just because her genitals were pretty indistinct at first and I didn't bother to check again until it was time for her neuter since it genuinely wasn't important to know if she was male or female right up until that point.

There was also a fun confusing moment where I got a kitten from a shelter and the shelter was very clear that the kitten was a girl. Her paperwork was pretty clear, listing that she was spayed because of a uterus infection. So I was pretty fucking surprised when her balls dropped a few weeks later. I checked her chip and they had given me the wrong kitten.

Which was fine, it all worked out in the end. Hermes nee Hermione found a lovely home.

There was another time when I got a VERY fluffy himalayan cat named Princess. She was matted absolutely SOLID. I shaved her down and started to really struggle with a set of mats around her urogenital area--- I just couldn't find the space to get the blades UNDER the mat.

In fact, I realized, the 'mats' were oddly symmetrical. And had a certain feel to them. And a certain shape. And a certain placement.

They were balls.

Princess was absolutely a boy. To his credit, he was incredibly patient about my fumbling around his testicles.

With a significantly less patient cat, I could see a vet making a mistake. With a semi-feral (or a full feral), you might only have a split second to check and sometimes that's just not long enough.

[heepthecheep]

I think I have a theory about why Frostpaw was Fixed and it actually has very little to do with her at all

(spoilers, and I probably talk for way to long about things)

I think that Frostpaw being spayed is actually more about the two-legs then it is about Frostpaw.

In the past, no one was fixing their cats, except for Henry, a cat who's mentioned exactly once. Not at the old territories, not at the lake, not in any of the two-leg places we've seen in between. Perhaps the two-legs are becoming more aware of the feral cat population around them, enough to know that this cat needs to tnr'd. Perhaps this is setting up more human involvement in Changing Skies? Perhaps something from the humans will harm the moonpool, or they'll have a large-scale tnr program, kinda like what we saw in TNP?

If the forum leaks are to be believed, Squirrelstar mentions that it's getting crowded in camp. This seems like a strange thing to mention in a summary, so I guess it actually does get discussed somewhat? The crowding will only get worse, as we know that at least two litters will be born between now and The Elders' quest. Perhaps the, for a lack of a better term, fixing plotline will come back and be important? And Frostdawn, being the only cat who's been through it, would be called upon for wisdom?

Idk if any of this makes sense. But. I think it's about humans being more involved with the Clans than it does anything to do with Frostdawn's personal arc

[alleycatallies]

How to Implement an Organizational Trap-Neuter-Return Program

Feral cats require a different kind of care because they are unsocialized to people and are not candidates for adoption. Many organizations recognize their unique needs, and offer information about how to improve the lives of stray and feral cats. Others want to go a step further and launch their own Trap-Neuter-Return programs. These groups understand that the best practice is to neuter, vaccinate, and allow feral cats to remain in their original habitat along with their colony members. Alley Cat Allies' guidelines will help organizations interested in adopting this humane, life-saving program implement one that is effective and sustainable.

Because every community faces different circumstances when it comes to implementing a Trap-Neuter-Return program, there is no single formula for successthough there are basic common denominators. One town may already have a flourishing feral cat care model in place. Another community may face an uphill battle, with punitive laws or public perceptions that are obstacles to implementing a program.

Most effective programs include some element of the seven steps outlined and explained below. Though none are required, consider each one and how it applies to your organization and locale before moving forward.

Benefits of an Organizational Trap-Neuter-Return Program

Through Trap-Neuter-Return, cats are humanely trapped, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. Stray cats (cats socialized to humans) and kittens are adopted into homes, and healthy adult feral cats are returned to their outdoor homes, where their lives are greatly improved without the strains of mating behaviors and pregnancy. Another important component of a Trap-Neuter-Return program includes outreachpromoting organizational services and educating the public about humane methods of cat care.

For an organizational program, it is important to understand that Trap-Neuter-Return involves straightforward steps that result in significant, measurable, and positive outcomes for the cats, the community, and your organization.

Organizations realize positive benefits after implementing Trap-Neuter-Return, including:

Improving the cats' lives;

Stabilizing coloniesreproduction stops and litters are not born;

An immediate reduction in calls from neighbors about behaviors associated with mating, including spraying, caterwauling, fighting, roaming, and breeding;

Resources previously spent on ineffective removal and/or lethal services are spent on non-lethal, life-saving, positive, publicly-supported initiatives such as subsidized neuter services, adoption, and outreach programs; and

Positive public reaction, fundraising platforms and partnership opportunities, media exposure, and support from staff, volunteers, other like-minded organizations, and the community at large.

Seven Recommended Considerations for Trap-Neuter-Return Program Implementation

1. Gather baseline statistics and assess your community.

Gather statistics. Statistics are an invaluable measure of progress. Take time to collect a baseline of facts and figures about your organization prior to implementing your Trap-Neuter-Return program, and update them at regular intervals (at least once a month) after the program is fully implemented. You can then track the impact that Trap-Neuter-Return is having on your community's animal services system in both the short- and long-term. Document the following every month:

The number of outdoor cat-related calls

The specific concern (noise, smell, kittens, animals on property, sick animals)

The specific location of the cats in the community

The number of cats picked up/accepted by your organization

The number of cats your organization adopts out

The number of cats killed (if applicable)specify how many were feral out of the total

The number of cats spayed or neutered and returned to their outdoor colonies

The number of people who contacted your organization looking for animals to adopt

The total amount of your budget spent caring for stray and feral cats, and the amount that this care costs per cat

The cost of spaying or neutering one male cat; one female cat; average per cat

The percentage of employee/volunteer turnover

The number of Trap-Neuter-Return volunteers

Community supportin dollars and in number of participants (for all programs, not just Trap-Neuter-Return)

Assess your community. Because every community faces unique circumstances, your Trap-Neuter-Return program will be built around the information you gather as you assess the needs, availability of resources, and potential roadblocks to success. Identify and understand the following areas before moving ahead:

Need What programs are currently in place for stray and feral cats? Are any feral cats in the community part of neutered/vaccinated colonies? Have they been neutered? Use your gathered statistics and local connections to determine the appropriate approach for your organization to take. If there is already a thriving feral cat group, you may consider working with them to provide services they require, such as a subsidized neuter clinic and a volunteer pool. If there are only nascent groups, you will want to build partnerships and possibly contribute to program management. If there are no programs currently in place, you will have to build one from the ground up.

Current Level of Support What is the general perception of cats within the community? How involved is the community with feral cats and with your organization? Use your research on cat-related calls, as well as other avenues that might help you gauge the public's support for feral cat related programs. These could include the success level of other groups' current programs (funding, volunteers, supporter base) as well as any possible media coverage of feral cats (and if it is positive or negative in tone).

Potential Roadblocks Are there punitive or misinterpreted laws on the books that threaten or penalize caregivers or put cats unnecessarily at risk? These and other potential roadblocks can actually be turned in your favor as educational opportunities. Take advantage of these situations to promote the need for humane care and mediate with disgruntled groups to get to the source of and properly address their problems.

2. Build your “people power.”

Hire or appoint a feral cat coordinator. Having a staff member/volunteer responsible for feral cat protocols and information within the organization is a great way to jump-start a Trap-Neuter-Return program. This person would be responsible for educating the rest of the organization on protocols, including how to respond to the public regarding feral cats. This person would also:

Create and implement humane protocols for feral cats.

Educate and train volunteers/staff on Trap-Neuter-Return protocol and trapping techniques.

Create and manage local trap depots so that residents can borrow traps for use in Trap-Neuter-Return.

Determine target areas for Trap-Neuter-Return based on phone calls from the public.

Coordinate targeted trapping events and neuter appointments for feral cats.

Communicate with neighborhoods in order to educate, identify caregivers and feral cat colonies, coordinate trapping, and organize volunteers.

Process all feral cat intake paperwork from clinics. Manage database of feral cats that have gone through clinics.

Develop and maintain relationships with community feral cat volunteers and other organizations.

Plan and host community outreach and training meetings or workshops.

Procure necessary equipment for Trap-Neuter-Return program.

Identify and apply for appropriate grants and other funding mechanisms to carry out Trap-Neuter-Return and offer services for caregivers of outdoor cats.

Evaluate the success of the Trap-Neuter-Return program through statistical analysis.

Volunteers Recruit and train a volunteer base willing to help with Trap-Neuter-Return. Potential volunteers can be found by: working with other local feral cat groups and colony caregivers; returning calls from the public about feral cats; and recruiting through your public education efforts.Learn more about successful recruitment of volunteers. Emphasize that there are many different roles for volunteers, including trapping, neuter clinic support, fostering, and administrative tasks.

Partnerships Partnerships with other organizations can guarantee your Trap-Neuter-Return program's success. Work with local animal control or animal services to support and implement the Trap-Neuter-Return program. Progressive and compassionate animal control officers have the ability to educate the public during their interactions about feral and stray cats and refer residents to workshops and local neuter resources. If you are collaborating with other animal organizations, be sure to: encourage participation of key stakeholders; establish the project leaders; involve each organization in discussing the plans; and keep everyone informed of the program's progress. Working with feral cat caregivers and other concerned citizens is a key ingredient. Often they know the details that you need about coloniesthey have been on the ground, doing the hands-on work.

3. Set policies and establish a trapping plan.

Set policies. Launching an organization-sponsored Trap-Neuter-Return program is just one element in your new, comprehensive humane approach for cats. If you operate a shelter, then our Toolkit for Shelter Transformationcovers the steps shelters must take to best serve the cats and the public.

Establish a trapping plan. Once you have the research and support in place, you can get down to creating a trapping plan. Use your data to identify colonies and map their locations. Use your connections with caregivers and volunteers to put your trapping plan into practice.

Step-by-Step Trap-Neuter-Return Learn all you can about the actual process of Trap-Neuter-Return. Read our How to Conduct Trap-Neuter-Return Guide and watch our video, Trapping Cats: How to Trap an Entire Colony.

Pilot Program Once you have these preparations in place, consider implementing a pilot Trap-Neuter-Return program before attempting to address the entire community. A pilot program focuses Trap-Neuter-Return on no more than one or two neighborhoods. Pilot programs are designed to be successful with the minimum commitment level of resources and volunteers. They are also a good way to get buy-in from government officials, if that is a goal of your organization. Providing assurance that the program will be tested first and modified as needed has persuasive power. If the pilot works, it is more likely that an expansion program will be supported.

Targeted Trapping Targeted trapping is a method of trapping, neutering, and vaccinating an entire colony at one time before moving on to the surrounding colonies in a specific geographic location. This method is inclusive of all cats in the neighborhood, because it provides opportunities for residents to get their indoor cats neutered and vaccinated at a reduced cost. Including these cats helps reduce the chances of future colonies being created. Targeted trapping allows you to focus your work judiciously and accomplish more in the long-run. Learn more about targeted trapping.

4. Determine a funding plan.

We often hear from organizations claiming they do not have money to institute a Trap-Neuter-Return program.

In the case of pounds and shelters, when they stop trapping, holding and feeding, killing, and disposing of stray and feral cats they realize substantial budgetary savings. But savings from implementing Trap-Neuter-Return programs are not limited to pounds and shelters alone. Other organizations dealing with adoptions, for example, will also see cost savings as Trap-Neuter-Return reduces kitten littersand therefore also reduces resources spent on adoption.

Use Savings to Invest in New, Humane Programs For shelters, the money saved across almost every budgetary line item can be allocated for providing humane servicesincluding a Trap-Neuter-Return program, but also subsidized neuter services, adoption, and outreach programsfor cats.

Fundraise around your new approach Improving your organization's services by introducing Trap-Neuter-Return means that you are gaining a new fundraising platform. The public and foundations will be more interested in supporting your organization when they hear that you are adopting a more humane approach for cats.

Check out www.petsmartcharities.org, and www.petco.com for grant opportunities. Many of these grant programs are interested in hearing about a focus on the feral and stray cat population or on increasing neuter availability. For other fundraising suggestions, read our Fundraising Guide.

5. Set a veterinary care plan.

Feral cats require a special veterinary approach that takes into account their unique needs and the fact that they are unsocialized to humans. For Trap-Neuter-Return to be successful, you must have a veterinary care plan in place with professionals who are comfortable with the specific methods and procedures necessary to provide appropriate care for feral cats. Read our Feral Cat Veterinary Care Guide to determine exactly what you must have in place.

Then, determine your ability to provide neuter services.

If your organization has a clinic on site, provide subsidized or low-cost neuter services for stray and feral cats. Some organizations set aside one day a week specifically for feral cats. If possible, offer weekend neuter services to allow feral cat caregivers to trap when most convenient. For help, access our Spay and Neuter Clinic Information. For more hands-on information visit the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project and Humane Alliance.

If your organization does not have a clinic, convince local veterinarians to provide subsidized or low-cost neuter for feral cats (even if only offered one day per month). It may be necessary to subsidize expenses and/or purchase supplies for use on spay days. Consider assisting with paperwork and intake procedures

6. Organize a community outreach component to educate the public, promote services, and build support.

The majority of callers reporting outdoor cats are looking for help. Callers can't ask for services that they do not know are available. And they also may not understand all of their options.

Take advantage of every opportunity to educate. Share educational materials and information about: feral cats and their life in colonies outdoors (that they are not candidates for adoption); humane ways to deter cats from unwanted areas such as gardens and play areas; Trap-Neuter-Return; and your organization's response to feral cats through:

Newsletters

Blog

Advertising, press releases, and articles placed in local media. Learn more about working with the media and creating publicity materials.

Distributing flyers and posters in local neighborhoods

Being a guest speaker at schools and local community clubs

Posting on in-shelter displays and bulletin boards

Communicating with residents when they call the organization for help with cats

Hosting public workshops. Learn more about how to host a Helping Community Cats Workshop.

Promote your organization's services. When discussing your organization's approach for feral cats with the public, explain:

Trap-Neuter-Return and its benefits to the community and the lives of the cats.

That you will be providing tools and support to community volunteers to help you implement Trap-Neuter-Return.

In the case of shelters, your policy of no longer picking up or accepting stray and feral cats.

Share important information about cats. Be aware that some community members will want the cats to “go someplace else” after they have been trapped. Educate the public about the vacuum effect and the failures associated with relocation of feral cats. Indicate that cats will not be removed from areas where they currently reside. In some cases it may be necessary to gently remind people that it is illegal for any individual to harm a cat, as stated in your state's animal anti-cruelty laws.

IMPORTANT: Even in the best case scenarios relocation can be very dangerous for cats and ineffective. Relocation is stressful for cats and since community cats are not socialized to people they can be unpredictable. Community cats bond to their outdoor homes and will try to go backin some cases cats have died in the process, when people misguidedly believe that their life will be better someplace else.

Read more information that you can share with the public about how to deter cats from areas where they are not wanted.

Go to our shop to purchase brochures with this and other information to distribute in your community.

Build community support by including the public in your programs. Purchase a supply of traps to lend out to the public. Consider charging a refundable deposit to ensure that traps are returned. Learn how to use the traps and become familiar with trapping techniques. Learn more about Alley Cat Allies equipment suggestions for feral cats. Include information about how to trap feral cats with each trap, and always make sure people borrowing traps sign an agreement stating that the traps will be used only for the purpose of Trap-Neuter-Return. Show borrowers how to set the traps before they leave your facility.

7. Evaluate the progress of your Trap-Neuter-Return program.

Using the baseline statistics that you gathered prior to the implementation of the program, determine the impact Trap-Neuter-Return is having in your community. Refer to the tracking statistics posed under the “Gather Baseline Statistics” section above. Compare and contrast the statistics prior to the program and after the program has been established.

Be sure to continually measure your success. Accurate statistics will help identify areas that need improvement. Adjust the program accordingly, and demonstrate the effectiveness of your changes.

Our experience has shown that by taking into account these seven guidelines, organizations can implement a successful Trap-Neuter-Return program that improves the lives of cats and in helping improve your community. You will be joining a movement that values cats' lives and paves the way for the expansion of humane care for cats.

Content source: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-implement-an-organizational-trap-neuter-return-program/

[stavromulabetaaa]

stav's feral cat fund!

hello all! i would typically never ask for donations, but in this case it is not for me or my personal use. it's all for the kitties!

i do feral + community cat TNR (trap neuter return) in my city and although i've helped many cats (i even found two of them forever homes!), they just keep coming. thankfully the spay/neuter program i use does not currently charge a fee, but the supplies i need to care for these furballs is beyond what i can realistically afford. i'm also gearing up in preparation for kitten season, which is right around the corner. i have two humane traps, and a large dog kennel for recovery. i have to keep the cats for 24-72+ hours after surgery, and am currently in need of these supplies:

cat litter, for obvious reasons

extra large towels to cover the trap during transportation, and to cover the recovery kennel. having these enclosures covered reduces stress for the cats and helps protect them on cold nights

warm cat beds, to keep them warm and to have a safe place to hide inside the recovery kennel

feliway spray, a calming spray that works wonders for ferals! i just used up my last bottle

canned wet food. the cheap stuff comes in huge variety packs, cats prefer the taste, and the kitties just need the calories and moisture while they are recovering in my care.

if you would like to donate any of these items to the kitties in my area i have set up an amazon wishlist. this seems like the best option, since you know exactly what your donation is going towards. i tried to find the cheapest options available. if you would prefer to donate a different way, please let me know and we can discuss! i can take PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, and Zelle. and i would be more than happy to send you photos of the cats benefiting from your generosity if you would like! there are also other costs involved when the spay/neuter program finds issues once the cats are under anesthesia, such as worms or injuries and illnesses. i pay for those myself and would appreciate any help with that, but i'm more concerned with the basic necessities right now.

and if you are interested in helping the cats in your area, please google your city + TNR to find local programs! you can also reach out to me and i will answer any questions you have. cat populations are out of control, where i live in the US it is continuously heartbreaking just how many cats need our help. and in many places, like my city, the responsibility of care falls upon people like me doing it in their free time. let's help these often ignored and hidden kitties in need!

credit to @getawayfox for naming most of the cats in the photos above! ❤️

[leebrontide]

I love my rescue cats. We have three- two former ferals who got brought in during TNR programs, 1 orphaned feral kitten.

I know that not all former ferals are open to socialization. But we have three extraordinarily affectionate, people-friendly, gentle animals in our house and I love them so much.

[the-adventures-of-dave]

Same anon: California SB 1459 - "(2) Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to willfully abandon any animal, except as provided. This bill would create an exception to the above-described crime for animals released by a licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician if the release is pursuant to a program of trapping, neutering, and releasing feral or stray cats." I apologize for the oversimplification in saying it "exempts cats" as technically it specifies TNR programs, so I should have said "exempts feral or stray cats."

Ooh I see, thank you for the clarification! Do you know which groups specifically are lobbying for this? (No worries if you're not comfortable sharing, I'm just curious!) And no worries about the simplification, there are only so many characters in an ask box haha.

I still definitely think it is odd to exempt feral/stray cats, even if it is for the purpose of TNR. In my experience and by what I've heard, fully adoptable cats are often encouraged to be released to the streets because there is an ongoing TNR/"community cat" program in the area. My local animal control won't even take in cats unless they're dying or dead. This would just encourage that. Sure it keeps cats out of shelters, but it also keeps friendly cats out of homes, too.

[robbie-roo]

guys guys look kittens it's little baby kittens ooo look little babies

HA! I GOTCHA! let's talk about the ethics of getting a kitten!

It's kitten season now that summer has started and it's important to keep some things in mind before looking into getting a new furry friend!

1. Shelters are overrun!

because of kitten season lots of feral cats and lost pets will give birth and unfortunately that leads to a lots of abandoned or orphaned litters but that does not mean finding a litter of kittens means there's no mama cat nearby! if you find a litter keep an eye out for mama too! kittens are always better off with a cat mom versus humans trying to take care of them in a clinic or at home.

2. Always always always spay/neuter your cats! TNR programs exist for a reason! cats are adorable and we love them but they are also an invasive species in many locations and are also domesticated species. while they can survive out in the wild much better than dogs can overpopulation leads to disease, malnutrition, and general danger to their welfare! this means you should also fix your indoor cats as well! accidents happen and if your kitty were to find itself outside its much safer to not have to worry about that aspect. fixing your pet is beneficial to their health by avoiding certain cancers and even supporting calmer and more lovable personalities in our feline friends!

3. if you get a kitten- try two!

kittens learn from each other and entertain each other in ways humans simply cannot replicate! kittens are a lot of work but ironically having more than one can make it easier on you- fostering or adopting a kitten is a big responsibility even if you can't handle more than one cat be sure to do your research and make sure you are prepared. the leading cause of death in kittens are GI problems (Diarrhea, vomiting, etc.) or URI (upper respiratory infections) unfortunately since it is kitten season these issues are very prevalent. many shelters offer sick adoption waivers where they will help cover the cost of Healthcare for these kittens through adoption or fostering them. animals always do better in a loving home than a shelter and while cats can handle kennel decline better than dogs can- we want these furry friends in a nice warm bed at home rather than stuck with us.

thank you for reading and here's some more kitties!

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

In Australia it is legal to shoot feral cats because of what they do to our ecosystems, and let's be real TNR programs are kind of useless when it comes down to it. Imagine how many endangered species we could save if cats didn't have pretty privilege.

it’s also legal to shoot them in the US but you might get put into a saw trap for it.

[plantingseedsfortomorrow]

Cats are up to twice as likely to be reunited if they are in their neighborhood instead of the shelter.

Feral cats can be very damaging to ecosystems, hunting small animals that aren't used to cats. Mass euthanizing of cats makes people sad for the cats, so making it so they can't reproduce will reduce the number of cats over time and friendly cats can be adopted into loving homes.

TNR programs regularly will rent out their traps, but rarely have personnel to manage the actual capture on their own. Instead, it is up to community members to take care of their community cats.

[saltingsmells]

i live in a city that is positively overrun with abandoned and feral cats. i do my best to take in abandoned cats, re-socialize them, and get them adopted out to loving homes. i took in this little guy a few weeks ago with the intention of rehoming him, but the situation has fallen through and he is under my care for an undetermined amount of time. i would like to raise money to get him neutered - this includes bloodwork, anesthetics, and surgery. he is on the waitlist at several low-cost neuter clinics, but these programs prioritize feral animals and i cannot guarantee he’ll ever win that lottery. getting him neutered will greatly improve his quality of life as well as decrease behavioral issues, allowing him to get adopted out faster. i can link studies to TNR efforts and benefits of fixing cats for more info on why i feel strongly about fixing him before adoption.

vnmo - emoboyfriend

pypl - 7seven7seven

surgery at low cost clinic is ~ $150

surgery at my local veterinarian is ~ $400

[msvelawciraptor]

Since I left Roswell 2 years ago, I have been sending a monthly bag of food to my neighbor to continue feeding the feral cats I'd befriended. I just checked in with that neighbor to see how she and hers were faring after the flooding down there. She's fine, but the cats are gone. The last two bags I've sent to have gone to the Humane Society.

The neighborhood is surrounded by farmland. An owl apparently got a couple of kittens. One of the cats that looked a lot like mama cat got hit by a car about a year ago. There are coyotes and such around. Feral cats living in the country don't have a long life expectancy. I'm not surprised, but I'm still sad. I always wanted to try to trap, tame, fix, and rehome the crew, but I couldn't get near them and there was no real TNR program in Roswell when I left.

Here's to Morrigan and her crew.