Trap Neuter Return

Stray cats are socialized to people and can be adopted into homes, but feral cats are not socialized to people and are happy living outdoors. Learn more at alleycat.org/StrayOrFeral.

Cats have always lived outdoors, so community cats are not a new phenomenon.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) came into existence about 10,000 years ago, when humans began farming. According to scientists, cats are one of the only animals who domesticated themselves. Evolutionary research shows that the natural habitat of cats is outdoors in close proximity to humans. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1940s and the invention of cat litter that “indoors only” for cats was even a concept.

Learn more at alleycat.org/CatHistory.

Trap-Neuter-Return is the humane, effective approach to addressing community cat populations. Through TNR cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. The tip of one ear is painlessly removed to indicate the cats are part of a TNR program. They are then returned to their outdoor homes where they live and thrive, ending the cycle of producing new litters of kittens.

TNR is good public policy. It reduces animal shelter intake, “euthanasia” numbers and calls to animal control agencies, which saves tax dollars. Hundreds of communities have adopted official TNR ordinances and policies, and thousands more conduct grassroots, volunteer-led TNR programs. Those numbers continue to grow because the programs have proven successful in a wide variety of environments.

We use the word “eartip” to describe when a small portion of the tip of a community cat’s ear is surgically removed during neuter surgery, as part of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, to show that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Eartipping is done while the cat is anesthetized and is not painful for the cat. Eartipping is the most effective way to identify neutered community cats from a distance, to make sure they are not trapped or undergo surgery a second time.

Cats have been living outdoors alongside humans for thousands of years. Research shows the majority of community cats are healthy. They have equally low disease rates as pet cats, and can live just as long. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) improves their wellbeing.

The ideal window for socializing (or acclimating cats to people) is when cats are young kittens. It is very difficult, and often impossible, to socialize an adult feral cat who has lived outdoors her whole life. Alley Cat Allies does not recommend attempting to socialize adult feral cats and promotes devoting time, energy, and resources to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) instead. TNR programs are the best way to help the most community cats.

While catching and removing cats may temporarily reduce the number of cats in a given area, it is ultimately counterproductive. Removing cats only creates a vacuum that will soon be filled by nearby cats, who move in to use the resources that sustained the cats who were removed. These cats breed and the area is soon populated again. This phenomenon is known as the Vacuum Effect and has been documented worldwide in many species, including coyotes and foxes. Because of the Vacuum Effect, catching and removing cats is an endless, ineffective cycle.

Join us! Mew has a local trapping program we would love you to. be a part of! Start with our volunteer application here.