Reduces cat overpopulation:

Getting stray cats sterilized stops them from reproducing which in turn curbs the over population. Alley Cat Allies has been leading the charge with TNR since forming in 1990. Their research shows that over time, TNR can reduce the size of colonies by as much as 75%. Check out the ‘Boardwalk Cats’ Project to see the great results they have seen in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Reduces rodent population: 

The CDC has published a list of diseases that are carried/transmitted by rats and mice. Cats are natural born hunters that will happily find many of their meals in rodents When you have a cat colony you can prevent rodents from coming into your home or business. Reducing the rodent population also protects your family and pets from coming into contact with them, and the diseases they carry.

Nuisance behavior reduced:

The most common complaint we receive concerning stray cats is their behavior. From digging in flower beds to fighting, unaltered strays can be a big nuisance to homeowners. However, the biggest problem is usually the smell of urine when an unaltered male sprays. This is his way of marking his territory, this also lets the females know he is there and ready to breed. It is a proven fact that when cats are sterilized, this behavior decreases significantly and many times becomes non-existent. Therefore making a more pleasant experience between the homeowner and community cats.

Every trapped cat that comes into our facility will be evaluated. Staff will look for a microchip, verify whether the cat is declawed as well as check for any clear signs of injury or illness, basic medical treatment/care will be provided. If the cat is found to be suffering, Veterinarian consultation will be sought and euthanasia may be performed if deemed necessary.  Staff will also determine if the cat is feral or non-feral. After evaluation, all intact cats will be sent for their spay/neuter surgery and receive all primary vaccinations, including rabies. Once the cat has returned from surgery, they will be housed at the animal shelter during their recovery period.  Here are a few factors that determine the outcome of each individual cat.

Mircochipped:

When a microchipped cat arrives in the facility, we make every attempt to contact the owner in hopes of getting the cat back to the family. However, a microchip doesn’t always guarantee being able to find the owner. For instance if the microchip was never registered we would not be able to retrieve owner information. Often times, owners will move or change phone numbers and not up date the information with the microchip company. In cases like these, reuniting a lost pet with their owner is rare. If all avenues are exhausted and no owner is located, the cat would be placed up for a adoption, if suitable adopter is not found, the cat may be re-released in the area it was originally found.

Declawed:

Any cat that comes into the facility that is found to be declawed, will not be placed into a TNR Colony or outdoor home. Declawed cats have no way to defend themselves outdoors and quickly become victims of predation. Therefore, our facility will only place a declawed cat into a home where they will remain indoors. We will make every attempt to place these cats, but unfortunately, there are times that declawed cats are unable to find a home and will need to be euthanized. By declawing a cat, one is taking away necessary survival tools. Often cats that would be euthanized in an animal shelter are given a reprieve, by becoming ‘working cats’ on local farms. Sadly, declawed cats do not have that as an option. For more information on declawing cats, please check out our declaw page.

Friendly:

At times, trapped cats are healthy and non-feral (friendly). In this situation, we will vaccinate, deworm and sterilize the cat then, after a 5-day stray hold, the cat could be placed up for adoption. The stray hold allows a possible owner a 5-day period in which to claim their cat. If no owner shows up, the staff would make every attempt to place the cat in a new, loving home. Unfortunately, we are not always able to find homes for even the most loving cats. In a case like this, the cat could eventually go back to the area where it originated from or into a barn home. There are times where the facility is at maximum capacity and there simply isn’t room to house more cats. Therefore the cat, even if non-feral, would be placed in a barn home or returned to the area where it originated from.

Feral:

Any cat that is behaving in an aggressive/nonsocial manner, is considered feral and will be placed back in the area where it originated from or into a barn home. This will take place immediately following the post-surgery recovery period.

If you are aware that the trapped cat belongs to your neighbor, speak with them. Let them know that you are trying to help with the overpopulation of cats. Their cat will be back to them in a few short days, fixed and up to date on vaccinations. Most owners will be happy to have their pets fixed and vaccinated. If they are less than happy, let them know that this is a violation of the local ordinance and if they don’t keep the cat confined they could face a citation. In the event that the owner continues to let their cat roam, please feel free to bring the cat to our facility. Let us know where the owner resides and we will be happy to speak with them. We will let them know that they are in violation. We will also speak to them about the importance of their cat being fixed and will be happy to help them get this done.

Trap and kill policies have been attempted for decades and have clearly failed to reduce the number of stray cats. In actuality, those numbers have risen significantly! A 2015 study published in Wildlife Research states ‘euthanizing outdoor cats is not effective… Colony numbers stabilize, and sometimes even increase within 12 months as other cats fill the void.” While lethal control may rid an area of cats temporarily, it is not effective for long-term results, simply because new cats will fill the vacated area and begin to breed resulting in a perpetual cycle of killing. According to Mark Kumpf, 2010 president of the National Animal Control Association, “The cost for picking up and simply euthanizing and disposing of animals is horrendous, in both the philosophical and economic sense.” A 2010 study by John Dunham and Associates found that “With an estimated 87 million free-roaming, homeless cats in the United States, it would cost governmental entities about $16 billion to trap and kill these cats as opposed to about $7 billion for supporting trap-neuter/spay-return (TNR) programs run by rescue organizations and individual volunteers.”

Here is a video from Best Friends Animal Society on why TNR has been proven to the best long-term solution.

Clearly all cats are safest in a loving home, but unfortunately, there just are not enough loving homes for the millions of stray cats in the U.S. Therefore millions of cats are left with either euthanasia or living outdoors as their only options. We need to remember that the outdoors is the natural habitat for feral cats. Just as we would not say wildlife should not be outdoors, feral cats are accustomed to life in the wild and well equipped to the environment.

The AVMA states that properly managed programs can improve quality of life for these (outdoor) cats through better nutrition, vaccination to prevent disease, spaying and neutering to reduce unwanted litters, euthanasia of sick and debilitated cats, and adoption of healthy kittens.