TNR

TNR or Trap-Neuter-Return involves spaying or neutering feral and stray cats in a colony. Then after ear-tipping and vaccinations, they are returned to their territory where they will no longer be able to procreate.

A FEMALE CAT and her offspring can produce over 12,500 kittens in five years. A great majority of them become homeless. The euthanasia of many thousands of unwanted cats and kittens takes place each year. Help make euthanasia a thing of the past by having your cat or kitten spayed or neutered. And encourage others to also do so. Having cats spayed or neutered (altered, fixed) is a very important part of keeping them safe and happy.

A spayed or neutered animal can also be less territorial. If you have a male, that means he won’t urinate on your furniture and plants. They also are less likely to engage in fighting and are less likely to bite. Altered pets are less likely to roam, as they aren’t looking to mate. If they are at home with you and not trying to get out every time you open the door, they are safe from outside dangers such as cars, dogs, rabid animals and fleas or ticks.

Altered pets are also less likely to get certain cancers and will not add to the already unmanageable problem of pet overpopulation.

• Spaying your female pet before their first heat reduces breast and uterine cancer
• Neutering your male pet can reduce prostate and testicular cancer
• It discourages cats from spraying
• Spaying/neutering means lower licensing fees
• There are less injuries from roaming and fighting, which means fewer vet bills
• It makes happier, healthier companions.

FERAL VS. STRAY – what’s the difference?

Feral cats are the ‘wild’ offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of pet owners’ abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals, allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Feral cat ‘colonies’ can be found behind shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, and rural areas. They are elusive and do not trust humans.

Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do not automatically return to their “natural” instincts and cannot fend for themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to kill an estimated 15 million homeless cats and dogs annually. The alternative to humane euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death. Many “throwaways” die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse — or as food to a predator.

A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period, And the overpopulation problem carries a hefty price tag. Statewide, more than $50 million (largely from taxes) is spent by animal control agencies and shelters for cat-related expenses.

Studies have proven that trapping-neutering-and releasing is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining healthy feral cat colonies with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves.

A Stray Cat is NOT a Feral Cat

A Stray Cat is not a feral cat…A stray is a cat who has been abandoned or who has strayed from home and become lost…Stray cats can usually be re-socialized and adopted…

A Feral Cat is an un-socialized cat…Either he was born outside and never lived with humans, or he is a house cat who has strayed from home and over time has thrown off the effects of domestication and reverted to a wild state…They should not be taken to local shelters to be adopted…Feral kittens can be adopted within 4-6 weeks of birth, socialized and then they can be placed in homes.

If they aren’t handled in time, they will remain feral and un-adoptable.

FERAL CATS
Trap-Neuter-Return
TNR Handbook
HOW TO TRAP A CAT
Feral Vs Stray – What’s the Difference?