Trap-Neuter-Return
Welcome to our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) information page! TNR is the humane and effective approach to managing community cat populations by trapping, spaying or neutering, and returning them to their outdoor homes. Learn how this lifesaving method reduces suffering, prevents overpopulation, and helps cats live healthier lives while coexisting peacefully with their communities.
If you’re visiting this site, it likely means you have some vested interest in maintaining or even improving the health and lives of community cats in your area.
This page accompanies our TNR Fact Book and Guide and is meant to serve as a reference guide regarding what TNR is, its benefits, the steps involved, and the general roles of those involved in the process. Read on for more detailed information about Trap-Neuter-Return below!
So, what exactly is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)? And how does it benefit cats and communities? To begin with, it’s estimated that tens of millions of feral or stray cats roam the streets in the United States alone. Cats are also rapid breeders, making their numbers difficult to keep in check.
This is where TNR comes in. It’s a humane and non-lethal method of permanently reducing the population of community cats in each area, which in turn reduces the number of cats pouring into shelters and thereby greatly reducing euthanasia rates.
In addition, TNR programs provide community cats with vaccinations and medical attention during the process, which significantly improves their lives and wellbeing while reducing the spread of diseases and/or parasites. As the name of the process suggests, cats are trapped, neutered or spayed, and then returned to their communities soon after.
For TNR to be successful, it requires the partnership and dedication of numerous people in a community. But to help improve the lives of community cats, the effort is well worth it!
What is TNR?
Stage 01: Preparations & the Local Connection
Get to know your community: both the people and the cats!
Making initial preparations can be the most involved portion of the TNR process as a lot of planning and legwork need to be accomplished before ever actually trapping a cat. The actual trapping, spaying/neutering, and returning will take far less time, provided this stage is handled properly.
Step 01: Local Connections
First, you need to learn about the cats in the area(s) you plan to use in your TNR strategy.
With education comes understanding. Learn about the cats in the community. By talking with residents and surveying the area, you can gain an understanding of how many cats live there, how their relationships are with one another, and what their relationships with the people in the neighborhood is like. The more information you can gather, the better chances of success.
TNR requires the cooperation of many people, including the residents of the neighborhood you intend to launch such a program. By educating the people in your neighborhood, you also gain their trust and potentially even their support. Informing residents of your intentions is crucial and using Stray & Stay’s TNR Door Hangers can help you accomplish this!
IMPORTANT! If you start suddenly trapping cats in a community, residents might become upset or even angry, especially if some of them have been caring for those cats. Having discussions with residents of the target areas and coordinating with them is will be important to the strategy’s success, especially if you can convince people who tend to feed and care for community cats to not feed them on the day(s) you intend to implement the trapping portion of the program.
Make sure they have a reliable contact phone number and email address so residents can get in touch with you. This will help prevent any possible problems from mounting.
Second, you need to partner with a veterinarian and/or a spay and neuter clinic.
Without the aid and participation of a veterinarian or spay and neuter clinic, the TNR experience simply won’t work. Thankfully, many clinics and professionals are available in most locations across the country Speak with your local clinics and veterinarians to determine partnership and availability of both time and services. Be sure to thoroughly discuss and consider the following:
Pricing: Is the price too high or just right? Determine the costs involved in all aspects of the TNR process, including the spaying and neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, eartipping, etc.
Scheduling and Location: Be sure the veterinarian(s) and/or clinic(s) will be available and at the ready. Setting up times that work best for everyone will ensure a smooth process. Also consider the number of cats being sent to a clinic or veterinarian, as some facilities may not be able to handle—or even willing to handle—more than a few cats at a time.
Spaying/Neutering and Vaccinations: In addition to being spayed or neutered, all cats should receive vaccines for rabies and FVRCP, which is a combination vaccine for rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (feline distemper).
Eartipping: Eartipping is considered a universal sign that a cat has been brought through a TNR program and involves the surgical—and painless—removal of the tip of a cat’s left ear while they are still out from anesthesia. Doing this helps inform other people that this cat is healthy and can be left alone if found in another area where TNR is being considered.
Microchipping: This might be a useful consideration, although a potentially costly one, so be sure to discuss it with those involved and the veterinarian or clinic you’ll be working with. Scanning for chips and implanting them should be part of the process as it helps track the cats in a colony, as well as make sure you will be contacted if the cat is ever brough into a shelter or veterinary office at some later date.
Injured/Sick Cats, Kittens, Pregnant, or Nursing Cats: Work with the clinics or veterinarians to decide what to do with cats with these special circumstances.
Recovery: Determine how a clinic releases cats after surgery and procedures. Is it different based on gender, age, or pregnancy status? Should cats be housed overnight before being released? Are there additional costs involved?
Step 02: Preparations
Create a regular feeding schedule. Cats are finicky and extremely sensitive to changes in their environments, so trapping may not go well if they all run and hide when you and your team arrives on scene. As such, it is imperative you get them used to people’s presence ahead of time so they will be easier to entice and trap.
Using a designated time and place every day for at least two weeks, feed them as much food as they can eat in a 30-minute window, then remove the remaining food afterwards. Be sure to coordinate with residents so that normal caretakers are not feeding the cats outside of this window, otherwise your efforts may be for naught.
Take at least one week of normal feeding in this manner, and then take at least one more week using unset traps to feed them prior to trapping to get them used to the cages such that they will be more likely to walk into them voluntarily.
Set up a holding and recovery area. Cats may require an extended stay before they can be released post-surgery, plus you will need a place to house the cats while they wait for their turns. Having a holding area that can also act as a recovery area is important. It should be a dry, warm, secure indoor location that is safe from other animals.
Get your traps ready. Once you know how many cats you intend to TNR, and have come to an understanding and partnership with your community, veterinarian(s) or clinic(s), you will want to figure out what kinds of traps to use and plan out where to use them.
Box or drop traps, as many as you need with a few extra just in case unexpected cats arrive.
Bait, to lure cats into the traps, such as tuna or other odor producing fish.
Paper towels for cleaning up the inevitable messes.
Newspaper or some other material to line the bottom of traps.
Labels for traps to record date, cat description, exact location of where the cat was trapped, and enough room for observations (such as injuries or pregnancy).
Trap covers such as towels, blankets, etc. You need one per trap.
Ties of some kind to secure the trap doors, (e.g. zip ties, twist ties, carabiners, etc.)
Thick gloves to wear while handling traps for safety.
In addition, consider other logistical aspects such as vehicles for transporting traps, volunteers to move cats to and from the holding and recovery location, and so on.
Anything else that you think can make the process easier and more comfortable you and the cats.
At minimum, your trap kit should include the following items and considerations:
Injured or sick cats: Having a veterinarian who works with community cats nearby will be important when you encounter unhealthy cats. Consulting with these veterinarians in such instances will be paramount to the future of these cats.
Kittens: If you encounter healthy looking kittens, odds are good their mother is nearby, even if you can’t see her nearby. In such instances it is best to leave the kittens and mother alone to be spayed and neutered another time.
Nursing Mothers and Pregnant Cats: Let’s face it, cats are excellent breeders, so it is entirely possible you will discover nursing mothers or pregnant cats when trapping. Nursing mothers should be spayed and returned within one day at most to make sure they return to their kittens as soon as possible. Meanwhile, pregnant cats can still be spayed, but consulting with your veterinarian(s) and/or clinic(s) ahead of time will determine whether they should be trapped and operated on in your instance.
No two cats are the same, and as such it is important to understand what to do in special circumstances. These should be discussed and length with your clinic or veterinarian ahead of time:
Special Considerations
Other Considerations
Community cats are usually wary of people, so remaining calm, quiet, and respectful is paramount to their physical and mental health.
Do not pick up or directly handle community cats or kittens. You risk injuring yourself or the cat. Plus, cats with no vaccination records may end up euthanized to test for rabies if you or another member of your team is bitten. Use thick gloves when handling traps.
Only use humane box or drop traps. Tranquilizing or darting them could have severe negative effects on their long-term health.
Some other things to keep in mind while preparing for your TNR program:
With preparations complete, you should be in a good spot now. This includes: (1) residents informed and cooperating, (2) partnerships with veterinarians and/or clinics, and (3) staff or volunteers ready to go. Thanks to all your hard work in Stage 01, it’s time to start Stage 02!
Stage 02: Trapping & Transport
24 hours prior to setting traps, do not feed the cats as you have been during Stage One, where you had established a regular feeding schedule. Still provide water, but withholding food will encourage hungry cats to enter the traps voluntarily on the day of trapping. Be sure to coordinate this with residents!
Place traps in appropriate locations, likely coinciding with the same time and place(s) you have been using during the feeding schedule in Stage One.
Line the bottom of each trap with newspaper or cloth.
Test the traps to make sure they function.
Place roughly a tablespoon of food in the back of the trap, then a much smaller amount near the entrance to encourage cats to approach.
Make sure each trap is tagged with information about its location, to serve as a reference for returning the cats later.
Set the trap and move away, remaining out of sight of the cats else you risk spooking them.
Be patient and wait for them to enter the traps.
Step 01: Setting Traps
Do not open the trap or handle the cats directly! Once trapped, approach calmly and carefully. They will likely be displaying signs of distress or aggression due to fear and anxiety. This is normal.
Place the trap cover over the trap. This will likely calm them down right away.
Secure the closed-door using zip ties, twist ties, carabiner, or some other method.
Remove the cats from the area when appropriate.
IMPORTANT: Do not leave cats in the traps if the weather is especially hot or cold. They are just as susceptible to hypothermia or heat stroke as humans. In such cases, they should be removed from the area as soon as possible to a climate-controlled location, such as your designated holding area set up in Stage One).
Count your traps and take any notes as needed about the cat inside.
Remove any left-over traps. Do not leave any behind!
Transport cats to the clinic, veterinarian’s office, or holding area.
Step 02: Traps & Transport
Now that the cats have been trapped and transported, it’s time for the veterinarians and clinic professionals to do their work. The work involved in this stage is largely up to the veterinarians and clinic professionals, which is why it is so important to forge those connections early.
Stage 03: Spay, Neuter, Vaccinate
If you haven’t already, at the clinic/veterinarian’s office/holding area, hand off the cats (still in their traps!) to the appropriate staff where the medical procedures will occur.
Cats will be given appropriate medical attention as needed, including spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and ear tipping (at a minimum). Other procedures such as microchipping would be ideal but should be discussed and decided on ahead of time.
At the Clinic
With surgery and vaccinations complete, each cat should be returned to you in the same traps they were brought to the clinic in, with fresh and clean liners inside for the cats’ health.
Stage 04: Recovery & Return
With surgery and vaccinations complete, each cat should be returned to you in the same traps they were brought to the clinic, with fresh and clean liners inside.
Take possession of medical records for the cats, including rabies and vaccination certificates. This should also include microchip ID’s if applicable. Hold onto these records!
Let the cats rest and recover overnight in their traps. Keep the location climate-controlled and quiet.
Keep traps covered while they recover to help reduce stress.
Monitor the cats, checking on them every hour or so, while keeping watch for any potential problems such as infection, illness, bleeding, vomiting, etc. If problems like these do come up, contact your veterinarian right away!
You can feed them after waking, especially kittens, but adults can be fed after being released.
Step 01: Recovery
Return cats to their original locations within 24 hours of trapping. The longer they are trapped, the greater the mental and physical stress on them.
When releasing cats, early morning is best as it tends to be quiet.
Aim trap doors away from roads and other high-traffic areas to prevent cats from running straight to them once the door is opened.
Open the door of the trap and remove the trap cover.
Keep your distance. It can take the cats several moments to reorient and recognize their location. Once they do, though, they will generally run off.
Once cats have been returned, you can provide food and water. Residents who have been acting as caretakers can return to their original feeding schedules.
Note: Due to the stress of their experience, it may take the cats several days to return to their normal routines and locations. Most cats will still return, so be please patient.
Clean and disinfect the traps and trap covers.
Step 02: Return
Congratulations!
You have successfully completed a Trap-Neuter-Return program!
Thank you for investing your time and interest into helping community cats! It’s thanks to passionate supporters and advocates like you that community cats can enjoy greater and healthier lives!
You can download the TNR Fact Book & Guide and TNR Door Hangers here, or under the Downloads section of this website as PDF’s!