Trap Neuter Return

Trap-Neuter-Return, commonly referred to as TNR, is the process of trapping feral or community cats, spaying or neutering and vaccinating them, and then returning them to their living area or colony to live out their lives.

The process for TNR is fairly simple; a feral/community cat or colony is identified, trapped, brought into a vet clinic or shelter to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped, and then brought back to their home.  We work with our community to locate feral and community cats to trap, spay/neuter, and then return them back to their homes to live out their lives where they are most happy without reproducing.

Simply put, TNR is the most humane option for feral and community cats.  TNR is the best option for feral and community cats because:

• Some cats are not socialized to humans enough to make them candidates for adoption.  TNR allows under-socialized cats to live out their lives happily.
• TNR reduces the number of cats in an area.  On average, one unspayed cat and her resulting offspring can produce thousands of cats in their lifetimes.  TNR effectively reduces the population of feral cats in an area, while preventing the spread of illness among cats. 
• It has been proven that removing cats from an area creates a vacuum effect, causing new cats to move into an area previously occupied by another colony.  In short removing/relocating/euthanizing feral cats doesn’t solve the problem, it just makes it a never-ending cycle.  
• Cats are effective rodent control, making them great allies for farmers, business owners, and homeowners who want to keep mice, voles, and other rodents at bay.

If you have any feral or community cats on your property that are in need of spay/neutering, please complete the TNR request form below and our Animal Services Manager will get in touch with you to discuss next steps.

Learn more about caring for feral/community cats by clicking the links below!
– Colony care basics
– Cold and warm weather tips
– How to build a feral shelter