What the Heck is TNR?

 When I lived in an apartment complex in Texas, there were so many feral cats there.  They were not friendly, not pets.  They roamed the complex and made messes when plants were set outside.  It was obvious that this was their home, even though they belonged to no person.  I used to sit on my porch and watch them; soon you get to know each one by their personality.  

When spring came around, there would always be a huge number of kittens roaming with the adult cats.  Unfortunately, they did not understand about living with humans and many of the babies met terrible fates.  About half of them would live to adulthood and go on to have babies of their own.

I was saddened by their plight.  They were not very healthy, they were always hungry, and they fought incessantly over food and territory.  One day, while sitting on my porch, I decided to see what I could do for them because, although I am a dog person, I do love cats as well.

What is TNR?

I researched rescues in the area and was told that feral cats cannot be adopted and are summarily euthanized in shelters.  I was appalled.  These cats should not meet such a terrible fate.  I then found out about TNR at a cat rescue.  

Trap-neuter-return, or TNR, is a humane and effective approach to managing community cat populations. It involves trapping cats, having them spayed or neutered and vaccinated, and then returning them to their outdoor homes. By sterilizing the cats, TNR helps to reduce the number of kittens born and stabilizes the size of the cat colony over time.

I agreed that this was a great solution to the population problem at my apartment complex. I borrowed a trap from my neighbor and set it with a can of sardines that I punched holes into the top. I placed the trap about 15 feet away from my door and went inside.  In less than 10 minutes, I had trapped my first cat.

How to TNR:

When you are following this program, once you trap your cat, you make an appointment at the SPCA through TNR for a free spay/neuter and exam of the cat.  They also receive a rabies vaccine while under anesthesia.  Another thing that happens while the cat is out is the clipping of one ear tip. Once all this is done, you go pick the cat back up and take it home to recover in a safe, quiet, dark place.  I used a dog crate with a cover in the corner of my living room to recover my cat.  Once I saw the cat up and eating, I took the crate outside and let it go.  

Over the course of the next few months, I probably trapped 60 cats.  I followed the protocol of the TNR and once they were taken care of, I returned them to their homes.  There were fewer and fewer babies roaming the neighborhood, and I was so glad I would not be picking up dead kittens everywhere because people would run over them.

Benefits of TNR

• Reduces cat overpopulation: By preventing cats from reproducing, TNR reduces the number of kittens born each year, which helps to control the size of the cat population.
• Improves cat health: Cats that are spayed or neutered are less likely to roam and fight, which reduces their risk of injury and disease. Vaccinating cats also helps to prevent the spread of diseases.
  
• Saves taxpayer money: TNR is more cost-effective than traditional animal control methods, such as trapping and euthanizing cats. TNR programs rely on volunteers and donations, which helps to keep costs low.
• Supports a healthier ecosystem: Cats are natural predators and can help to control the population of rodents and other pests. By managing the cat population through TNR, we can maintain a healthy balance in the ecosystem.

Why TNR?

While TNR has been criticized by some who believe that cats should not be allowed to roam outdoors, it is important to note that community cats are often too wild to be adopted into homes. TNR provides a humane solution that allows cats to live out their lives in their outdoor homes while also managing their population.

Support TNR in your Community:

If you're interested in supporting TNR efforts in your community, there are many ways to get involved. You can volunteer with a local TNR organization, donate to support their efforts, or advocate for TNR policies with your local government. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of community cats and create healthier, more humane communities for all animals.

Monday's Mood -- Pensive

My little Man!

Today, I sit and look at my little man and I have to realize that he is not quite as spry as he once was.  He no longer can jump up on the bed at night, so I carefully pick him up and tuck him under the covers.  He has trouble getting up in the recliner with me when I watch TV, so I have to lower the foot rest part way down and he uses it like a ramp to get up in my lap.  I am starting to believe that his sight is going and I frequently see "floaters" in his eyes when he looks up at me.



More and more, his mood is irritable and cranky, so I have to believe that he is hurting with his joints.  I give him Ultram from the vet when he appears extremely irritable, but I think he may need the medication more often now.  He does not have the energy he once had and he seems to frighten easily.  I worry about him.  He is my little man and I don't want to lose him.

KT on the stoop

On another note, the cats outside are doing well.  I still never could catch the female, Ditto. She is now having her second set of babies.  She had them on Saturday, I think because she was really big in the morning when I left for work and that evening she was very thin.  I am making sure she is getting plenty of food and water so she and her brood can be healthy.  The male, KT, is quite happy since his trip to the vet.  He lazes on the front stoop and goes for walks with me and the dogs.  He has even come in the house to visit for brief periods and now has his own box to sleep in by the front door, complete with blankets and towels for comfort and warmth.



I will again try to capture Ditto when I am sure she is finished nursing.  I really want her to get shots and be spayed so we have no more babies.

Things have gotten rather busy around here

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but it really got busy at my home.  Austen was sick last weekend with fever, diarrhea and lethargy.  He was sick most of the weekend and I was ready to take him to the vet when I got off work Sunday, but he perked up and got an appetite.  Must have been the Pepto Bismol!  Anyway, he was back to his old self by Monday morning, so I was pleased. 

Then this week, Satchmo got sick with pretty much the same symptoms.  I didn't wait around with him because he is 12 and because he dehydrates really fast with diarrhea.  So, off to the vet Thursday.  He is now on a bland diet with probiotic powder on top of it.  He also is taking Flagyl which makes me shudder, but he seems to have no ill effects from it.  Today, he seems to be almost himself again, so I guess it is working.

The outside cats are doing well, and I have wormed them in the canned food I feed at night.  They eat just about anything I put out there, so that has not been hard.  They look better and are really shiny black.  The female, Ditto, had kittens and I managed to catch them only to discover that the kids around here had broken the front leg of the little black one, so I had it put to sleep.  The other one is a black and white female and she is a pistol.  She has been in the house in a cage for a week and she still hisses and spits, but I don't have to wear gloves to pick her up.  She has recently begun purring when I take her out to hold her, so I think she will come around.  I got her wormed and her shots started and next week I will take her back for a repeat.  When she is old enough I will get her spay and then I will find her a really good home.

So, I have been up to my eyeballs in animals for a while now, but I wouldn't change that at all.  I'm glad that the dogs feel better and I hope this kitten finds a great home when she is ready.  I plan to talk to my neighbor about helping me trap the two cats to get them shots and fixed soon.

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Austen still needs a haircut!

I have tried and tried to clip this foster dog's face and feet.  All to no avail.  He is more adept than I and he squirms out of my grasp and runs off to hide.  All I have really done is to make his situation worse.  I finally broke down and asked my neighbor, who clips his own dog, if he would help me.  I'll let you know how that goes, but I have some reservations.  I think this dog will outwit both of us.

About the cats--both are still alive and well.  They show up every morning to eat and get fresh water.  The largest one, I call it KT, is very curious about us and he/she has started to let me scratch his/her head.  I even got to pick that one up very, very briefly.  These little kittens hardly weigh a pound.  I have simply got to get them caught and taken to the vet.  With summer coming, I need to get them immunized and neutered/spayed.  I also want to have something done to help them with fleas.  Since they hang out on my porch, I don't want the little jumping bugs to decide to jump on into my house.

I'll just have to continue to be patient and if I can get the one to let me hold him/her, maybe I can get the other into a trap and then take them both together.  More to follow.......