Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)
It is estimated that 30 million to 80 million community cats live in the United States. Only 2% of these are spayed or neutered. This daunting number seems overwhelming to many people. Since the number of cats altered is so minuscule, the population grows and grows. One unspayed female can produce two to five kittens in a litter and can have a litter as quickly as every three or four months.
Merely removing cats from an area will not solve the problem.
Removal creates “The Vacuum Effect.” When cats are removed, other community cats take up residence in the now empty space. This is why the trap and euthanize or relocating methods will never result in fewer cats.
The best solution is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) thus stopping the continuous cat population growth. TNR is a world-wide program where cats are humanely trapped, brought to a clinic to be spayed/neutered, ear tipped, given vaccinations, and returned to their original location where they can no longer reproduce. The ear tip is a small cut on the tip of the cat’s left ear, which is a universal sign that a cat has been spayed or neutered.
All people and animals benefit from TNR, and most agree TNR is for the greater good. By lessening the number of community cats, more cat lives are saved. This allows shelters to give more attention and space to domestic animals, which saves even more lives! Ultimately, with TNR, a neighborhood will eventually be free of what is often seen as a nuisance.
If you know of any community cats in your area needing TNR or just want to learn more, email us at shelter@vvapl.org or call us at (760) 247-2102. We would love to guide you through the steps of TNR and help you save more kitty lives!