MEREDITH WEISS, NEIGHBORHOOD CATS elemental chlorine free, withsoy-basedink. elemental chlorinefree, and acidfree paper, Printed onrecycled ©2007 TheHSUS.Allrightsreserved. by BryanKortis Trap-Neuter-Return Program Trap-Neuter-Return Implementing aCommunity S T A C D O O H R O B Table of H G I E N , S S I E W H T I D E R E Contents M Introduction . .1 Chapter 1: The Need for Collaboration . .5 TNR as a Cooperative Effort . 5 Forms of Collaboration. 6 Working with Municipal Officials . 7 Working with Wildlife Officials and Agencies . 8 Chapter 2: Defining the Program’s Mission . .11 The Mission . .11 Steps Toward Accomplishing the Mission . .13 Chapter 3: Local Laws and Policies . .15 Unfavorable Municipal Laws and Policies. 16 A State and Federal Laws . 17 V , E L L I V S E T Abandonment Laws . 18 T O L R A H C , Legally Neutral Environments . 19 S L A M I N A R TNR Ordinances . 19 O F S E C I O V : Y H P A R G O T O H P R E V O C Chapter 4: Administration . .21 Lead Agency . 21 Separating TNR from Rescue . 22 Liability Concerns . 24 Funding . 27 Chapter 5: Forming a Strategic Plan . .29 Expert and Grassroots Models . 29 Protocols . 31 Allocating Resources Effectively . 32 Selecting Initial Projects. 33 Chapter 6: Fieldwork . .35 Training Workshops . 35 Free or Subsidized Spay/Neuter Services . 36 Veterinary Protocol . 38 Equipment. 39 Trap Banks . 41 Holding Space . 41 Postsurgery Recovery Time . 42 Trappers . 42 Transport. 43 Food Drives and Giveaways . 43 Animal Control Policies. 44 Releasing Ferals from Shelters . 44 Chapter 7: Data Collection and Public Outreach . .47 Colony Registration . 48 Caretaker Network . 49 Website . 50 Telephone/Voice Mail . 51 Conclusion . .53 Feral Cat Resources . .55 Appendices . .59 F variety of reasons. Primarily, anyefforttocontrolferalpopulations variety ofreasons.Primarily, attempts toeradicateferalsarerarelyeffectivefor a However, environment mayseemsimple atfirstglance—nocats,noproblems. the unwanted intrusion of the cats on private and public property. the unwantedintrusionofcatsonprivateand publicproperty. of sickanddyingcats,predationonbirdsother wildlife,and the disturbingpresence males sprayingurinetomarktheirterritory, from catsfightingandmating,thepungentodor of unneutered of lifestandpoint,complaintsfromresidentsinclude theloudnoise subsequent increasesinanimalcontrolcosts.From aquality and kittenscrowdinglocalshelters,thetrapping of adults,and Unchecked reproductioncanresultintheeuthanasia ofcats to theanimalwelfaresystemandcommunity atlarge. find shelteramonghumanhabitationsandstructures. they continuetorelyonpeoplefortheirfoodsourceandusually groups knownascolonies.Theyarenotcompletelywildbecause Left ontheirown,thecatsandoffspringtendtolivein from lostorabandonedpetcatswhohavenotbeensterilized. and animalwelfareorganizations.Feralcatsoriginateprimarily T Left unaddressed,feralcatscancreatesignificantchallenges become achallengeforgrowingnumberofmunicipalities rying toresolvetheseproblems byremovingthecatsfrom community inNorthAmerica,andmanagingthemhas AREPRESENT INALMOSTERAL CATS EVERY Introduction MEREDITH WEISS, NEIGHBORHOOD CATS requires the cooperation of the people who and kittens who can be readily socialized are feed and care for them. The cats’ caretakers removed from the colonies and evaluated for will most likely not support, and will often adoption. Animals whose suffering cannot try to thwart, a program that almost certainly be alleviated are euthanized. means euthanasia for the cats under their Neutering a sufficient percentage of the care. Another reason weighing against cats breaks the reproductive cycle, and the eradication is the sheer number of feral cats combination of sterilization, adoption, and in any given community. Animal control attrition can gradually lead to a reduced resources needed to capture a meaningful population. In addition, nuisance behaviors percentage of cats rarely exist. decrease substantially with TNR. Noise from Removal efforts are also hindered by feral cats, including yowling and fighting, feral cat population dynamics. Feral cats is largely attributable to mating behavior. are present at a given location because the Mating behavior is obviously eliminated habitat provides sufficient food and shelter with sterilization. The strong odor associated for their subsistence. Removing one colony with feral cats comes from testosterone in of cats creates an opportunity for neighboring the urine of unaltered male cats. Neutering colonies to move into the vacated territory eliminates that odor. Altered cats also roam and take advantage of the now unutilized much less, causing them to be less visible. food and shelter. In addition, if all the cats in With TNR, these gains are protected by the a colony are not trapped, the ones left behind ongoing presence of a caretaker who can face less competition for the food and shelter watch for new cats and maintain the health offered by the habitat and survival rates may and well-being of the existing colony to the rise. Trap-and-remove efforts rarely include best degree possible. Long-term monitoring postremoval monitoring to prevent a resurgence by a caretaker is one of TNR’s key advantages. in the cat population—another reason for the The caretaker can also help resolve community method’s failure. issues, such as by keeping cats out of certain With eradication attempts, the original areas. cause for the situation—lost or abandoned When TNR is practiced throughout a cats—continues unabated and provides a community, the benefits can be dramatic. constant supply of future ferals. In addition, In 2002, Neighborhood Cats and a coalition free-roaming and unaltered pet cats are not of local animal organizations implemented addressed by removal efforts and may continue TNR on Rikers Island in Queens, New to be a source for more feral cats. York—the largest jail in the country with In response to the historical failure of more than 400 acres of land. Nearly 300 cats eradication policies, a promising new approach in approximately 20 colonies were trapped to managing feral cat populations—Trap- over the course of several months, and a Neuter-Return (TNR)—gained popularity long-term monitoring and feeding system was in the United States in the 1990s. At a put in place. Adoption led to an immediate minimum, TNR entails that feral cats 20-percent drop in the number of cats. in a colony are trapped, spayed or neutered, Thereafter, no more than a handful of litters vaccinated for rabies, eartipped to mark them have been found each year, and attrition has as altered, and then returned to their original lowered the overall numbers to approximately territory, provided they do not face imminent half of the original population. In Newburyport, risks. Following their release, a caretaker Massachusetts, a TNR project led by the provides food and shelter and monitors for Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society began new arrivals. Whenever possible, tame adults in 1992 with 300 cats living on the waterfront 2 Implementing a Community Trap-Neuter-Return Program of the coastal town. Twelve years later, only as effective collaboration, creating and sustaining 17 cats remained. In West Valley, Utah, a municipal relationships, allocating limited community TNR program led by No More resources, fund-raising, data collection, Homeless Pets in Utah was implemented training, equipment, liability concerns, between March 2004 and February 2005, and more. resulting in the TNR of more than 500 cats. The purpose of this guide is to address During this period, the West Valley City these issues and offer practical suggestions Shelter experienced a 27-percent drop in for resolving them. Because every community cat intake rates and a 34-percent drop in is unique and faces its own challenges, there cat euthanasias (compared to statewide is no “one size fits all” plan. But there are decreases of three percent in cat intakes certain policies and procedures that will and five percent in cat euthanasias) greatly help a communitywide TNR program (see Appendix A of this manual). reach its goals. As your program moves The key to success on the community forward and you discover what works best level is proper implementation. When faced for you, you will undoubtedly find ways with large numbers of cats spread out over a to adapt and adjust the advice given here. wide area, it is not enough to urge caretakers Ultimately, the goal is to get the cats sterilized to trap the cats, take them to a veterinarian, and properly cared for in the most expeditious and have them altered. Operating on a and cost-effective manner possible. large scale requires attention to issues such Introduction 3 F For thecats’long-termsecurity A required tofacilitatethetrappingandprovidelong-termoversight. TNR asaCooperativeEffort do notresistorresentthe process. Community residentsshould beeducatedandconsultedsothey council membersorthemayor—needs tobeapartnerintheeffort. control officers,publichealth officials,andelectedofficialssuchas work tobelegalandsustained, themunicipality—includinganimal perform theactualtrappingandsurgeries.Inaddition, forthe veterinarians, andcolonycaretakers,mustwork together to local animalwelfarecommunity or individualwillbecapableofdoingitalone.Members ofthe manage hundredsorpossiblythousandsofferalcats, noorganization on acommunitywidescale.Whenthegoalistosterilize and be permitted. also playaroleindeterminingwhethermanaged colonywill understand andacceptwhatisbeingdone.Themunicipalitymay the catsresidemustagreetoprojectandneighborsneed veterinarian