What’s the tea on TNR?

What’s a community cat?

Community Cats are free-roaming, unowned (but often cared for) cats who live outside. They can be friendly or asocial to humans (often referred to as “feral”). Often, members of the community care for these cats by placing food and water outside and providing the managed colony with shelter and protection. Outdoors is their home and these cats would be unhappy anywhere else.

Having a managed community cat colony in your neighborhood can be beneficial for rodent control. The key word there is “managed.” Spaying and neutering is essential in preventing the population from growing out of control and becoming more of a nuisance than a nice thing. Whether you love ‘em or you hate ‘em, spaying and neutering is the ONLY effective and humane strategy for managing a Community Cat population. In the animal world, this solution is called TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return).

Why can’t I just bring the cat inside?

Community cats PREFER to live outside! Cats are really good at taking care of themselves. Many outdoor cats would fall into a depression or develop behavior issues if brought inside. The only time we recommend bringing a community cat inside or to a shelter is if the cat is visibly sick or injured. 

How can I TNR in my neighborhood? 

Step 1: Plan ahead! Set your appointment to get the cats altered. Many vet clinics or cat rescues offer this for a low cost and can work with you. Figure out your game plan before setting the traps.

Step 2: Buy or rent a humane trap to safely secure all cats in the colony. 

Step 3: Bring the cat to their spay/neuter appointment.

Step 4: Return! Return the cat back to their home in your community where they can safely live without reproducing.