doin' Trap-Neuter-Return NOW!

These current news articles highlight folks who have been and are practicing Trap-Neuter-Return TODAY! They are acting to prevent and control homeless cat populations in their communities. If your neighborhood, city or county doesn't have a Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage (TNRM) program, help start one! For how-to, see Neighborhood Cats and Alley Cat Allies.

"Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a full management plan in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers."
- Alley Cat Allies

City man opposes feral cat program
Rutland Herald, Vermont - July 7, 2006
[Excerpt]
In 2000, a group called City Cat Allies formed to deal with a burgeoning stray feline population by trapping the essentially wild animals, spaying or neutering them and then releasing them back into the city where they are cared for by members of the group who oversee "colonies" citywide.For six years, the group's activities have drawn little notice from city officials.But after listening to complaints from one Rutland property owner, the Board of Aldermen decided to get involved.
But after hearing from animal control officer Craig Petrie, city health officer Pam Petrie and a number of representatives from City Cat Allies, committee members concluded that the program was doing far more good than harm.Craig Petrie said the complaints from Searles were the first he'd heard about the program since its inception.And while the nonprofit organization has no ties and receives no funding from the city, Pam Petrie said she supported the program which she credited with preventing a feral cat population explosion in Rutland.

Cat population control strategy
CJOB, Canada - July 6, 2006

The City's Protection Committee will look Monday at a revamped strategy to control the cat population in Winnipeg.
Committee chairperson Gord Steeves says the new strategy focuses on ways to reduce the number of unsterilized owned and feral felines in the city, and those that run at large.
He says in addition to existing measures including a bylaw prohibiting cat owners from letting their pets run loose, city staff recommend a targeted approach...
(click above for audio)
Steeves says those areas could include the core area, and the northeast part of the city.
He says more partnerships could be developed with vets for low-cost sterilization, and ways to transport cats to the Humane Society, or clinics that subsidize the procedure.
CJOB's Colleen Bready reporting.

Genoa votes to help bring window, door company to town
Dekalb Daily Chronicle, Illinois - Jul 5, 2006
[Excerpt]
Also Monday:On a 5-2 vote, the council approved a program to hire the nonprofit group Fix-n-Feral Felines to capture and neuter feral cats in the city as a way to cut down on their population. The cats are reintroduced into the wild after being fixed.“I'd like to try it,” 2nd Ward Alderwoman Laurie Curley said. “We have a lot of concerned residents.”First Ward Alderwoman Glennis Carroll did not support the program.“I don't think the (Genoa residents') tax dollars should be spent on that when we have broken sidewalks and streets,” she said after the meeting.Police Chief Pat Solar said the program is expected to cost about $1,500 a year.

Here kitty‚ kitty
Lansdale Reporter, Pennsylvania - Jul 6, 2006
[Excerpt]
Stray Cat Blues fights kitten season on two fronts – with a trap‚ neuter‚ return program and adoption “extravaganzas.”
“We have a public phone number and e-mail address where residents from the community can let us know if there’s a kitten breeding problem around their business or home‚” said Palmarozza.
Volunteers then respond to the calls and perform what is called trap‚ neuter‚ return – the cats are caught‚ neutered and then returned to their natural surroundings‚ said Palmarozza.

Program traps, neuters and releases cats
Kerrville Daily Times, Texas - Jul 4, 2006
[Excerpt]
Pumpkin is part of the 1-year-old Big Fix Project for Homeless Cats. The project uses the trap-neuter-return system that will save money in the long run instead of trapping and killing feral cats, said Pamela Warner, coordinator of the project. Almost 170 cats in Kerrville have been altered and returned into the wild using this system.The trapping and neutering system has been done nationwide, but the Big Fix Project is the only agency in Kerrville advocating neutering instead of killing. It uses Freeman-Fritts Animal Shelter and Veterinary Clinic as its headquarters. The Ingram Veterinary Clinic, Kerrville Veterinary Clinic, River Hills Animal Clinic and Town & Country Animal Hospital also are part of the Big Fix Project, which began in May 2005 with the help of the Alley Cat Allies Web site.

Trapping, sterilizing feral cats a humane solution to colonies
Cumberland Times-News, Maryland - Jun 30, 2006
[Excerpt]
There are a couple of options if you want to control the population. If you care about animals and you have feral cats around your home, one of the best things you can do is Trap/Neuter/Return. If you are wondering how you will be able to trap a "wild" cat, you can call Allegany Animal Control at 301-777-5930 and borrow a "Have a Heart" trap. Using food as bait, the cat goes inside the trap, it closes, trapping the cat humanely inside. Once the cat is inside, it can be transported easily to the shelter or to a vet. (The Animal Shelter will need a $25 deposit for the use of the trap, but will return the deposit once the trap is returned to them.) Call your vet before you trap the cat and make sure they will be able to spay/neuter it on short notice. You will usually only catch a feral cat once, so make sure to make the arrangements prior to trapping. (Check with your vet to see what the charges will be.) Once the cat is spayed or neutered, he/she can be returned to the colony, without the ability to reproduce. Another option is to trap the cat and take it to the Animal Shelter during their regular business hours. Call the shelter first to make arrangements.

Cats can reproduce up to four times a year, averaging four kittens per litter, so you can see why we have such a problem with cat overpopulation, especially with feral cats. We all need to do our part. Please have your pets spayed and neutered.

We are the Animal Welfare Society. Our mission is to educate the public in all areas of responsible pet ownership and to alleviate animal suffering. Please visit us at awsac.com.