A feral cat is a cat that lives outside and isn’t used to people. Unlike house cats, feral cats usually avoid humans and survive by finding food and shelter on their own. They are born outside and usually hide or flee from people.
Community cats are free-roaming, unowned cats that congregate in groups called colonies. They are unowned stray cats, sometimes friendly, that may have had positive humane contact early in life. They often have dedicated neighborhood care takers who provide food, water and manage TNR to help control populations.
One female cat can have several litters each year, and each litter can have multiple kittens. That means a few outdoor cats can turn into dozens—or even hundreds—of cats over time.
When that happens, it can create problems: Cats may not have enough food. Some kittens get sick then don’t survive. Cats might fight and spray over their territory. Communities may worry about noise or animals getting into trash.
So what can we do to help both the cats and the community? This is where Trap-Neuter-Release, or TNR, comes in. Let’s break it down.
Trap:
Animal volunteers humanely trap feral cats using safe cages. The cats are not hurt. The traps are designed so the cat simply walks in to get food and the door closes behind them.
Neuter:
The cats are taken to a veterinarian where they are spayed or neutered.
- Spaying means female cats can’t have kittens anymore.
- Neutering means male cats can’t reproduce.
While they’re there, vets give vaccinations, check their overall health, and mark the cats with an ear tip to clearly identify that they have already been serialized.
Release:
After they recover, the cats are returned to the place where they were found. That might sound surprising, but it actually works really well.
Trap-Neuter-Release helps control feral cat populations in a humane way, improves cat health, and reduces problems in communities. It’s a solution that tries to help animals and people at the same time. If you have feral and community cats in your neighborhood that you would like to have spayed/neutered and rabies vaccinated, please fill out our TNR waiting list form.
