TNR Protocol

You found a kitten/cat - Now what?

First, decipher if it is a friendly stray, or a feral cat.

People often refer to “outside cats” as “feral”, when that is not always the case. A feral cat is terrified of humans, and likely won’t approach one under any circumstances. A cat who is semi-feral, or even friendly may approach a person, but one should always be careful before touching an unfamiliar animal.

OK, the cat is friendly!

If the cat is friendly and approachable, placing them in a carrier and taking them to your local veterinarian, rescue or shelter to have them scanned for a microchip is the second thing you should do. Now-a-days, microchips containing an owner’s data are implanted in most cats who are adopted or bought from pet stores, so if the kitty is fixed, it is likely chipped. Having a cat scanned for a microchip is a free service that any local veterinarian or shelter should be able to provide.

Posting photos of the found cat on Facebook, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and other social media sites to try and locate its owner should be your third step. If somebody claims that the cat belongs to them, you should insist that they show proof of ownership by providing photos, vet records, or through verified microchip data.

If the cat remains unclaimed, your fourth step should be to contact your local animal shelter or rescue organization for placement. An animal shelter may place you on a waiting list to surrender a cat into their care. Often rescues and shelters are more able to help if the finder is willing to foster the cat until they have space, or until it is medically cleared for adoption. (Please be patient with any organization you reach out to - and remember that we ALL want to help, but space is limited ESPECIALLY during kitten season!)

But what if the cat is feral?

If the cat is feral, you would need to capture it in a humane trap. However, you should first observe whether or not the feral cat has already been spayed or neutered.

How do we do that?

If the cat is ear-tipped (left ear will be cut flat), it means that they have already previously been trapped, neutered, and returned to the wild (TNR). Ear-tipping is a universally recognized sign that a feral cat has already received care, so the only reason you would want to re-trap is if it needed medical care or if it needed properly relocated.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re on our team and you want what’s best for these street kitties.

But what is best?

Spaying, neutering and vaccinating any and every cat you come across is the best gift you can give to a kitty living on the streets. It cuts down on feline diseases spreading, unwanted kittens being born into suffering, females developing pyometra, and it makes them less likely to mark on your cranky neighbor’s porch. (We hate cranky neighbors.)

Alright, you want to help, but you’ve never trapped before!

Believe it or not, there was once a time where we had never trapped before, either!

We have made plenty of mistakes, but have asked many questions, watched many videos and have learned a LOT along the way.

Bottom line is - anyone can do it! You just have to have the desire to do so. The video below can help get you started!