TNR Facts
What is a Feral Cat?
Feral cats are essentially "wild" cats that have not been socialized to humans. When cats are left to fend for themselves, they reproduce litters of kittens that are only socialized to other cats and are afraid of people. This breeding cycle continues until the cat dies, producing hundreds of kittens that repeat the cycle. With assistance, feral cats can be spayed/neutered and young kittens can be tamed/socialized, and placed in indoor-only homes.
What Happens with TNR?
Trap: Cats are humanely trapped using food as bait.
Neuter: The cats are taken to a veterinarian where they are spayed or neutered. Their left ear is "tipped" so people will recognize that the cat has been sterilized.
Return: Unfortunately, adult feral cats are extremely difficult to tame and are not adoptable, so they are returned to their original environment where caregivers agree to provide them with food and water.
What Are The Alternatives?
Do Nothing: Eventually the problem will reach unmanageable levels and cause untold suffering. One unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in just seven years.
Trap & Kill: Aside from being inhumane, this approach is not a solution. The problem is everywhere. More cats will simply move in to fill the void and start the cycle over again.
Catch & Tame: With the exception of young kittens, this approach is not realistic. Wild adults cannot be socialized to humans to the point where they are able to find homes as pets. For a small minority that could be tamed, the time and effort that goes into helping just a few cats is prohibitive. Even with very young kittens, taming can take several weeks of intensive socialization work.
Relocation: There is no other place for them to go and studies show that if you remove cats from their original location, others merely move in to take their place. This is known as the vacuum effect.
Why TNR Works?
· Stabilizes the homeless cat population humanely.
· Is more effective and less expensive than attempts at extermination.
· Eliminates or reduces behaviors like spraying, yowling and fighting.
· Is the humane, responsible thing to do.
How Can I Help?
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