Testimonials Describing the Advantages of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for Feral Cats

Animal Shelters and Animal Care and Control

"If cats are the second class citizens of our pet community, feral cats are the third world. They are not just a problem that is all too often ignored; they are of our own making and our responsibility. As our shelter wrestles with the abundance of owned and stray cats in our community we can not help but be aware of the needs and impact of our local feral cats. The unaltered feral cats in our community are responsible for countless feral and semi-feral kittens that come to our shelter each year, further taxing our staff, our foster homes and our budget. Though collaboration with the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society and the hosting of their Sunday Feral Cat Spay Neuter events we are able, in our own small way, to acknowledge and contribute to the only effective and humane solution to these problems: TNR. "

David Betournay, Shelter Manager
Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire

Lt. Jerry Bippus, Operations Manager
Indianapolis Animal Care and Control

"Feral cats do not belong in animal shelters. They are not candidates for adoption since they are not socialized to humans. Ferals are like wildlife, and most are content living outside. TNR provides a more humane existence for ferals while reducing the behaviors that make them unwelcome neighbors. TNR is a positive step forward for a community that cares about all its animals."

Martha Boden, CEO
Humane Society of Indianapolis

"While we don't have the capability to quantify the actual numbers, volunteers who work with feral cat populations have absolutely reduced the number of cats entering our shelter. If it weren't for the intervention of their efforts the numbers of cats entering our shelters would be catastrophic. As it is we are all trying everything conceivable to place the plethora of cats that we are receiving. For example, we are offering cats at reduced adoption rates, offering the second cat for free if one is adopted, rescuing, fostering, etc. The necessary resolution to the feral cat problem involves a community-wide effort and we are very fortunate in the Sacramento region to have so many giving people to help us with the growing numbers of cats.

The feral cat volunteers are saving shelters potentially thousands of dollars over a short period of time. I firmly believe that investing in the success of feral cat volunteers will save taxpayer money and feline lives exponentially. The reality is that they are volunteering to do our work—in advance. Common sense dictates that public shelters support them however possible. Public shelters couldn't possibly handle the workload they so selflessly commit to.

I'd like to state that as the manager of the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services I can't possibly thank all the caring and giving folks that manage and care for the feral cats in our community. I believe that it is imperative for government and feral cat volunteers to work together to address the feral cat crisis created by humans. It is my hope that in the near future we will be able to form coalitions providing greater support in the way of spaying/neutering, medical, and nutritional assistance. Working with and supporting feral cat efforts is a sound investment that will save thousands of feline lives."

Hector R. Cázares, Manager
Animal Care Services, City of Sacramento

"TNR reduces the number of free-roaming cats and the volume of nuisance complaints associated with them. Further, it enables Animal Care and Control officers to focus on more serious public safety and animal welfare issues; thus, enhancing our overall services to the community." 

Leslie Fatum, Former Administrator
Indianapolis Animal Care and Control

"The feral cat population in a community not actively participating in a TNR program contributes to a rise in the intake numbers for Animal Care and Control divisions. Additionally, there is a negative impact on staff and resources while caring for and euthanizing these feral cats, as well as in the eyes of the community.

Jody Jones, Program Manager
Richmond Animal Care & Control 

"Here at ARF, we see it as one of our responsibilities to provide a humane, community-based solution to the feral cat cycle. Our TNR program continues to grow with hundreds of volunteers participating. By offering TNR to the community, the number of complaints have declined as well as the number of feral cats on eastern Long Island. In addition to TNR, we focus on removing kittens and tame adults from feral cat colonies for adoption."
 

Sara Davison, Executive Director
The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc. (ARF)
 

Health Departments

"TNR helps by protecting public health. Studies show feral and owned cats share similar health status. Vaccinating, sterilizing and returning healthy cats to managed colonies are the best ways to protect the public from spread of disease."

Dr. Sandra Norman, DVM, Director
Companion Animal and Equine, Indiana State Board of Animal Health

Policy Makers

"As far as nuisance complaints go, since we had a TNR program enacted six months ago, we've noticed that the number of phone calls we receive
has drastically dropped."

Kimberly A. Brown, Mayor
Tabernacle Township, New Jersey

"TNR enables people to be part of the solution. It gives people the tools and resources they need to improve the lives of feral cats in ways they can't do otherwise. TNR acts as a safety net for the cats and offers a long term solution that benefits communities for years to come. The success we are seeing in Indianapolis is due to the dedication of the Indyferal volunteers working together with the veterinarian community, city officials and neighborhoods. Clearly a need is being met through Indyferal. I would encourage other municipalities to adopt a TNR program as an additional resource to help humanely combat the free-roaming cat overpopulation crisis."

Angela L. Mansfield, Councilor
Indianapolis City-County Council

Veterinarians

"Perhaps the single greatest value of TNR is in the message that it sends to communities: TNR engages the entire community and teaches them that cats deserve and require responsible care, including sterilization (spay/neuter), vaccination, identification (in the form of an ear tip) and regular caretaking including the provision of food, water and shelter. TNR helps shape a societal ethic that cats are not disposable. I envision a day when the obvious societal ethic becomes: see the cat, feed the cat, spay/neuter the cat—not see the cat and ignore the situation, or catch the cat and euthanize him."

Brenda Griffin, DVM, Director of Clinical Programs
College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

"Methods such as trap and kill or trying to adopt our way out of the stray and feral cat overpopulation crisis has not worked. TNR stops the unchecked breeding of the cats without harming them and improves their quality of life. Feral cats are not socialized to humans and are more content to live outside, but that doesn't mean their lives should be valued any less than domestic cats. Feral cats just need a different kind of care. Veterinarians have a unique opportunity to lead the way in ensuring that these homeless cats have a better quality of life by participating in a TNR program."

Dr. Marcie Short, DVM, Veterinarian
Indyferal

"Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) of managed colonies represents a win-win for feral cats, their caregivers, local animal shelters and citizen/tax payers. Caregivers (and their cats) immediately benefit from TNR by stemming the population explosion of unvaccinated, non-neutered cats by neutering and vaccinating the colony cats, thus converting an out-of-control situation to one that is controlled and managed. 

Managed feral colonies do not present a risk of cat overpopulation nor a disease risk to the public and thus there is no need for such cats to be trapped, sheltered and euthanized, as has been the previous modus operandi for feral cat control by municipal authorities. Keeping feral cats from managed colonies out of the shelters, allows shelters to use their scarce resources for more productive purposes and to help animals in need.

Properly managed colonies unburden taxpayers from excessive animal control costs otherwise needed for feral cat control, reduces feral cat-related nuisance issues and protects the public health."

Gordon B. Stull, V.M.D., Director
Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative (BCCI)

"A strategy of doing nothing doesn't solve public health and predation concerns because it doesn't decrease the numbers of feral cats. It doesn't solve the problem of animal welfare both for feral cats and the other animals with which they interact. Finally, doing nothing doesn't decrease nuisance complaints which can be the major driving force for some of the government agencies."

Margaret Slater, DVM, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology
College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University

"I am a local veterinarian that has worked with the Merrimac River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) for 2 years. Once monthly we meet at a designated location to receive feral cats for spay/neuter, vaccinations, and ear tipping. There are many benefits to local communities from these services: sterilized feral cats will not breed, roam or fight as readily; transmission of feline infectious diseases is hampered; and vaccinating feral cats against rabies is an important and effective way of reducing potential rabies vectors in the environment for both humans and pets. I am thrilled to be associated with the MRFRS and its volunteers and raising community awareness on feral cats."

Pam Wilmot, DVM, Veterinarian
Private Practice

Wildlife Advocates

"Feral cats have an impact on native North American wildlife: as a predator on wildlife and as a competitor with native medium-sized mammals for a limited food supply. The range of that impact varies across the nation. Therefore, cat and wildlife advocates in each community need to work together to find effective solutions that protect wildlife and humanely reduce the numbers of feral and stray cats. In addition, for the welfare of cats and wildlife, pet cats should be kept indoors or safely confined on their property."

Eric Stiles, Vice President of Conservation and Stewardship
New Jersey Audubon Society

Other

"As an organization committed to advancing new technologies to control pet populations, the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) is a proponent of trap/neuter/return programs. TNR has been shown to reduce feral cat populations, improve the health and welfare of the cats, and decrease nuisance behavior. TNR is the only humane and effective way to manage feral and free-roaming cat populations. We look forward to developing new resources for TNR programs in the form of non-surgical methods of sterilization." 

Joyce Briggs, President
Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs