Community Cats
What We Do For Our Community Cats aka Unowned
Our organization can help you with TNR. We can provide you with educational resources on how to trap, neuter, and return community cats as well as lend equipment. We can also help with spay/neuter appointments. Reach out for more information Info@AmericanCanyonCommunityCats.org.
Unowned cats are outdoor cats that live in groups called colonies. They are often feral, meaning they are not socialized to humans and cannot be adopted as pets. However, they can be cared for by humans through a process called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
What is TNR?
TNR is a humane and effective way to manage community cat populations. It involves trapping the cats, spaying or neutering them, vaccinating them, and returning them to their colony.
Through a TNR program, community cats are humanely trapped, brought to the clinic to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (the universal sign that a cat is part of a TNR program), and then returned to their outdoor homes/colonies. Kittens less than 8 weeks old can be socialized and then adopted. Adult cats who are socialized can be adopted, but they can also be returned outdoors, where they will continue to thrive.
Benefits of TNR
- Stabilizes feral cat colonies: TNR quickly stabilizes feral cat populations by instantly ending reproduction and by removing socialized cats from the colony.
- Improves cats’ lives: TNR relieves cats of the constant stresses of mating and pregnancy. Mating behaviors cease, like roaming, yowling, spraying, and fighting. Cats’ physical health improves, and they are vaccinated against rabies.
- Answers the needs of the community: TNR reduces nuisance complaints and creates opportunities for outreach, education, and cooperation.
- Protects cats’ lives: TNR is an essential and valuable component of shelter reform to save cats’ lives.
Sick or Injured Community Cats
Did you know that our local Animal Shelter can treat sick or injured cats? If an adult community cat is sick or injured, he/she is assessed to determine potential treatment and returned to community if it is safe for the cat. When sick or injured cats require more extensive medical care and are not eligible for return outdoors, they are admitted to the Shelter and appropriately cared for.
Recommended Resources
One of our proud colony kitties :)