TNR means trap, neuter, return (or release). This is an approach to the management and care of feral domestic cat colonies. Less frequently, TNR is used for feral dogs. Feral felines, some of whom were abandoned by their owners and some of whom were born to homeless cats, are wild and generally avoid human interaction.
Caretaking of a Feral Cat Colony
A caretaker oversees the outdoor feline colony. The caregiver has the males neutered and the females spayed to prevent new litters of kittens and hence population growth. Fixed animals are ear-tipped, meaning a quarter inch of the tip of the left ear is snipped off to identify the animal as spayed or neutered and part of a cat colony. The felines are usually also vaccinated against rabies and other diseases.
Benefits of Trap, Neuter, Return Programs
There are numerous advantages to the TNR method of dealing with untamed felines. One of the main positives is that the animals are not killed. Euthanasia has long been used to control feral cat populations, but TNR provides a no-kill alternative while still reducing the number of homeless felines through attrition.
TNR also saves city governments money and reduces taxpayers’ burden. According to the Best Friends Animal Society article “The Fiscal Impact of Ferals,” implementing TNR programs can save taxpayers billions of dollars per year.
Best Friends has a calculator that allows people to compute the savings of TNR over putting animals to sleep. In California, for instance, citizens could save $329,346,400 (or $1,682,051,100 with discounted services) by using TNR instead of feline eradication programs — a savings of over 50 percent per cat ($100 versus $220). Calculator results, which break down individual expenses like the cost of trapping, sheltering and sterilizing, can also be broken down by county and city.
Fixing kitty colonies also reduces animal nuisance behaviors. Since cats aren’t competing for mating opportunities any longer, fighting and yowling are lessened. Tom cats are less likely to spray to mark their territories.
Cat colonies also provide natural rodent control for rural, farm, and other communities.
TNR Negatives
Though many rescue groups and animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) advocate TNR, there are some groups that don’t. Some animal activists point out that feral cats harm birds and other small mammals as well as their habitats. Some advocates claim that wild domesticated cats carry diseases and parasites that could harm humans and that their feces contaminate the water supply.
The nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) does not support TNR programs because it does not feel feral kitties are equipped to deal with the harsh realities of living outside. In the article “Animal Rights Uncompromised: Feral Cats,” the organization states, “PETA’s experiences with trap-alter-and-release programs and ‘managed’ feral cat colonies have led us to believe that these programs are not usually in cats’ best interests. We have seen firsthand and have received countless reports that cats suffer and die gruesome deaths because they are abandoned to fend for themselves outdoors.”
How to Care for Homeless Cats
Trapping, spaying/neutering, and releasing cats is a humane way to stabilize and manage a community’s or neighborhood’s feral cat population without resorting to killing the animals. The approach has proven to save government shelters and animal rescue groups money. A colony caretaker provides food, water, outside shelter, and veterinary care for the homeless cats.
According to the Feral Cat Friends website, “[TNR] seeks to manage this new population with enlightened techniques that allow the cats to live out their lives and fulfill their natures, while minimizing any possible negative impact. TNR is a movement that will continue to grow as more and more caring people see its potential and, in time, it will become the predominant method of feral cat management.”
Sources
- ASPCA, Feral Cats FAQ (accessed August 19, 2011).
- Best Friends Animal Society, “The Fiscal Impact of Ferals” (accessed August 16, 2011).
- Best Friends Animal Society, “Calculate the Saving Associated with Trap, Neuter, and Return Programs” (accessed August 19, 2011).
- Feral Cat Friends, “What is TNR?” (accessed August 19, 2011).
- Neighborhood Cats, “What is TNR?” (accessed August 19, 2011).
- PETA, “Animal Rights Uncompromised: Feral Cats” (accessed August 19, 2011).
Aimee Larsen Stoddard - Aimee is a professional writer/editor. She has a BA in English and is currently completing an MS in Theology.
