What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
- TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return. TNR is the most humane and effective method of controlling the free-roaming cat overpopulation crisis facing virtually every city, town, and rural community in the country.
- TNR involves trapping all of the cats in a colony, having them neutered, vaccinated for rabies, eartipped, and then returned to their territory, where they are monitored by their caretaker and provided with food and shelter. Whenever possible, young kittens and any friendly cats are removed for vetting and socialization, and placed for adoption.
- TNR immediately stabilizes the size of the colony and will result in a gradual decline of the population over time. In addition, the nuisance behavior often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced. This includes the yowling and noise that comes with fighting and mating activity and the odor of un-neutered males spraying to mark their territory. The cats tend to roam less and so become less of a visible presence, yet continue to provide natural rodent control, a valuable benefit in rural areas. Because there are hundreds of thousands of free-roaming cats, and because the vast majority cannot be homed, TNR is the best solution.
Studies have proven that trap-neuter-return 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. Spaying/neutering homeless cats:
- Stabilizes the population
- Eliminates annoying behaviors associated with mating
- Is humane to the animals and fosters compassion in the neighborhoods
- Is more effective and less costly than repeated attempts at extermination. Costs for repeatedly trapping and killing feral colonies are far higher than promoting stable, non-breeding colonies in the same location. Vacated areas are soon filled by other cats who start the breeding process over again. If traditional trap/kill animal control methods worked, the feral cat overpopulation problem would be improving, instead the opposite is happening – in areas that have not adopted TNR, feral cat numbers are increasing year after year!
Facts:
- TNR is the most humane and most effective way of controlling outdoor cat populations.
- When cats are removed from an area, other outdoor or stray cats move in to take advantage of the food source, so removing outdoor cats only temporarily solves the problem.
- TNR has been used with success across the US and all over the world.
- TNR prevents unwanted cats and kittens from being born, relinquished and euthanized at Animal Care and Control
- A vaccinated, sterilized colony of outdoor cats poses no rabies threat to humans (raccoons, skunks, and bats are the most common carriers of rabies) and will deter other outdoor cats from moving into the area.
- TNR is the most efficient use of taxpayer money devoted towards animal control.
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is a cat born and raised in the wild, or who has been abandoned or lost and reverted to wild ways in order to survive, or any cat who lives on a farm is also considered feral. While some feral cats tolerate a bit of human contact, some may be too fearful and wild to be handled. Ferals often live in groups, called colonies, and take refuge wherever they can find food—rodents and other small animals and garbage. They will also try to seek out abandoned buildings, barns, deserted cars, even dig holes in the ground to keep warm in winter months and cool during the summer heat.
Most true ferals — certainly adults — are extremely difficult to rehabilitate and are unlikely to ever behave like “house cats.” Typically, the longer a cat lives outdoors, the more feral she becomes. By breeding with other stray or feral cats, she produces kittens who quickly learn feral traits. Cats can reproduce as young as five months and with a two-month gestation period, a colony expands rapidly. The most humane and effective solution for these cats is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), as most street cats are feral, not stray.
Stray cats have been recently lost or abandoned. A stray cat, having had contact in the past with people, may meow at you, rub against your leg, and allow a bit of petting, while a feral cat will not. Usually strays can be successfully adopted back into a home, but even a stray cat is likely to need some degree of socialization. It is worth noting that feral cats, especially those who are neutered and have a caretaker, often look quite robust and healthy, while strays, not used to the street, may look more scraggly.
Feral cats should not be taken to animal control pounds or shelters.
Feral cats’ needs are not met by the current animal control and shelter system. Because feral cats are not socialized, cannot be socialized, and are wild animals unsuitable for adoption, even no-kill shelters are not able to place feral cats in homes - they will be killed immediately.
Feral kittens CAN be adopted.
Feral kittens can often be adopted into homes, but they must be socialized at an early age. This is a critical window, and if they aren’t handled in time, they will remain feral and therefore unadoptable.
Feral cats can have the same lifespan as companion cats.
And they are just as healthy, too. The incidence of disease in feral cats is just as low as in companion cats. They live healthy, natural lives on their own, content in their outdoor home like other wild animals.
Humans are the cause of wildlife depletion.
Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought — not feral cats.
“Catch and kill” doesn’t work.
It is an endless, cruel cycle and is extremely costly to taxpayers. Cats choose to reside in locations for a reason: there is a food source (intended or not) and shelter. When cats are removed from a location, survivors breed to capacity or new cats move in. This “vacuum effect” is well documented.
Trap-Neuter-Return does work.
No more kittens. Their numbers gradually go down and their lives are improved. The behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling or fighting, stop. The cats are also vaccinated. This program creates a safety net for both the cats and the community.
