What is a TNR program?
Trap, neuter, release programs are the most humane way to reduce overpopulation of cats, and keep the cat community healthy. The process involves trapping, sterilizing, & vaccinating, ear tipping, and returning them to their community. This process helps remove issues with free-roaming cats such as marking their territory, fights, and most importantly, the overpopulation of cats. When cats are left unaltered, the population can increase exponentially. Cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months and have up to 4 litters a year with each litter containing an average of 5 kittens. Having two feral cats in the community can quickly turn to 22 cats in a year. If left unmonitored these cats can also contract diseases that make their life miserable and can infect the publics indoor/outdoor cats. For these reasons, they would benefit from various rescues help in spaying, neutering, and vaccination so they can thrive and survive. Most people use box traps to acquire the strays because it makes it a safe experience for both the cat and human taking them in for TNR.
Getting This TNR Program Started
Shelters + rescues who want to help with TNR in a community or start their own need to understand what all is involved first. The program will obviously require veterinarians to alter the cats and provide vaccines. This will be costly and rescues will need to find vets who are willing to donate these services or budget for this program yearly. Other costs to take into consideration are the costs of employees trapping the cats and transporting them. Rescues may be able to pair with the local Animal Care and Control who most likely have vans and traps already. Otherwise, the rescue will need to invest in humane traps, bait for the traps, and come up with a plan for placement and collection. The cats will need to be fed during their processing as well as a place to stay and rest before and after their surgeries and vaccines..
Trapping Cats Humanely
The best article we've come across in trapping cats humanely is from the wonderful rescue, Best Friends Rescue. You can read that article by following this link. The main idea is to set the trap near where the cats usually eat. Never leave a trap unattended as animals are very vulnerable to danger and the elements while trapped. Place the trap on a level surface as to not detract the cat when it wobbles on uneven placement. Bait the trap with enticing food like tuna and encourage the cat to enter the trap by having food lead up to the main plate/bowl by sprinkling the food or juices on the trap floor. Place a cover over the trap while leaving the entry open to enter. After the cat has been trapped, check that you have trapped the intended animal and keep the cover on the trap to help keep the cat calm as well as protect yourself. Make sure to have a hold area ready for the cat as well as a spay/neuter appointment ready before trapping the cat.
Educating the Public
When discussing starting a TNR program, it is important to take the public in mind. Many people will not be familiar with TNR and therefore have questions and may be weary. We would suggest creating a pamphlet, social media posts, and or holding a town meeting to explain the program and get ahead of opinion. People unfamiliar with the program will be concerned with the idea of sending these cats back to the community instead of being put up for adoption so make sure to explain that these cats unfortunately do not fit the mold for a family pet. They were born in the wild and have not had much human interaction and are therefore not made to live with humans. They need to remain in the wild as they won’t be able to transition into life in a home.
This program allows feral cats to be treated humanely by stopping them from repopulating but letting them live out their life. TNR is an important program in tracing feral cats and vaccinating for deadly diseases like Feline Leukemia which keeps the communities’ pet cats safe as well as giving feral cats their best life. TNR is an exhaustive program that requires many efforts including trapping, spaying/neutering, ear tipping, release, and educating the public but the results can be immense.
There are many resources to learn more about TNR, Best Friends Rescue has many related articles and we have linked many available resources in our "Resources" page
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