Bryan Kortis, Executive Director [e-mail] 212-662-5761 www.neighborhoodcats.org

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Bryan Kortis, Executive Directorheadcat_at_neighborh
oodcats.org212-662-5761www.neighborhoodcats.org

• Trap-Neuter-Return
• Colony Community Solutions

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Todays topics

1. Effective advocacy persuading officials to try
   TNR
2. Effective implementation of TNR on the colony
   level - Mass Trapping
3. Effective implementation of TNR on the community
   level - essential elements of a program

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What is TNR?

• Feral cat population control method involving
• 1. Trapping members of feral colony
• Neutering (and rabies vaccination eartipping)
• 3. Return of ferals to original site
• 4. Long-term caretaking/monitoring

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Effective advocacy requires(a) presenting TNR
as primarily an animal control issue (not a
humane one)(b) being able to explain
persuasively why TNR works while other methods
fail(c) establishing that the community has a
feral cat overpopulation problem
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Popular failed alternatives

• Trap and remove (whether to euthanize, relocate
  or rescue)
• Feeding bans
• Do nothing

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Trap and remove fails because

• Habitat remains unchanged (food, shelter)
• Surrounding colonies and/or newly abandoned cats
  move in (vacuum effect)
• Untrapped cats in the colony overbreed
• Insufficient animal control resources
• Caretaker resistance

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Feeding bans fail because

• Bans are almost always unenforceable
• Cats remain in the territory
• Cats still reproduce even if deprived of food
• Sick cats lead to parasitic infestations
  disease

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Doing nothing fails because

• Habitat continues to support population
• Population control becomes natural disease,
  fighting, traffic, etc.
• Nuisance behavior continues unabated

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TNR is effective because

1. Takes habitat into account (not creating vacuums)
2. Eliminates reproductive capacity, leading to
   gradual attrition
3. Gains caretaker cooperation
4. Attracts volunteers resources (life affirming)
5. Provides long-term monitoring system

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Building the case for a new approach

• Local shelter intake and euthanasia rates (and
  spent),
• Complaint calls
• Anecdotal evidence letters, petitions, speakers
  at town meetings
• Reasonable estimate of numbers
• Use the Neighborhood Cats Sample TNR Policy
  Presentation free download at
• www.aspca.org/tnrkit (scroll down page)

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Mass Trapping effectively using TNR on the
colony level

• What is it?
• The TNR of an entire feral cat colony at once.
• Why use it?
• Immediate population control
• Rapid reduction of nuisance behavior
• More efficient and easier than one at a time

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Mass Trapping Preparatory Steps

1. Establish a feeding pattern count the cats
2. Secure a holding space if necessary (5-6 days)
3. Schedule spay/neuter
4. Secure needed equipment, volunteers
   transportation
5. Arrange emergency vet care (if possible)

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Mass Trapping Catching the Cats

1. Withhold food the entire day before (unless
   severe weather, then for 24 hrs.)
2. Leave at least two days for trapping
3. Prepare all the traps at once
4. Use more than one kind of bait

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Catching the Cats (contd)

1. Tape cardboard on the trip plates (right)
2. Tuck sheets under handles
3. Place all traps out at once
4. Cover and remove trapped cat only if upset
5. Replace trap that worked hot spots
6. Log by trap , description and colony

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Mass Trapping Caring for Trapped Cats

• Holding Space
• Warm, dry secure
• Line floor tables with plastic
• Keep cats covered
• Feeding Cleaning
• Use trap dividers aka isolators
• (Tru-catch model TD-2 )
• Line floor with newspaper
• Do one end, then the other (must have traps with
  rear doors)
• Twice a day

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Mass Trapping the Release

• 48 hours recovery time recommended
• 24 acceptable for males, 72 for females
• Lactating females can still nurse post-spay

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Mass Trapping - Resources

• How to Perform a Mass Trapping 32 minute VHS
  video produced by Neighborhood Cats
• The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook A Guide to
  Trap-Neuter-Return for the Feral Cat Caretaker
  109 page manual
• Available as a set for 24.95 www.aspca.org/tnrki
  t
• ASPCAs Imagine Humane Innovation Bank
  complete description of Neighborhood Cats mass
  trapping program
• Go to www.aspca.org, then do a search for
  Imagine Humane Neighborhood Cats

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Community TNR Program Essential Elements

• Administrative
• TNR group or organization, preferably 501(c)(3)
• Program Coordinator
• Municipal approval or at least benign
  indifference
• Funding (can be caretaker-financed to start)

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Funding model Long Beach, NY

• 1. Caretaker pays veterinary costs - 50
  per cat
• 2. Caretaker takes a training workshop and
  leads the trapping - 25 per cat
• 3. Caretaker reports colony and helps only re
  feeding info no cost (if and when funding is
  available)

Priority given to caretaker-financed projects
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Community TNR Program Essential Elements

• Field Work
• Low cost spay/neuter
• Traps and dividers
• Trappers (which may require workshops)
• Program Coordinator
• - authorizes projects, communicates with
  caretaker
• - arranges/authorizes vet appointments
• - arranges trappers, volunteers, holding space,
  transportation

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Community TNR Program Essential Elements

• Caretaker Incentives
• Protection of cats from seizure / return of
  eartipped cats
• Food drives
• Highly Recommended
• Colony registration database (but only if managed
  by the 501(c)(3) and locations and names are
  guaranteed confidentiality)
• Follow 70 Rule (preferably 90!)

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Community TNR Program Resources

• The Nuts Bolts of a Community-wide TNR
  Program transcribed lecture by Bryan Kortis,
  Neighborhood Cats
• Sample Training Workshop Outline
• Both can be downloaded for no cost at
  www.aspca.org/tnrkit

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National Feral Cat Summit

• Saturday, October 15, 2005
• Philadelphia, PA (Wyndham Hotel)
• Registration 40
• For complete program and registration info,
  please go to www.neighborhoodcats.org