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.

Pet owner Mistakes and how to Fix them

 You get a pet and have the best of intentions.  You want to love and care for your pet, but maybe sometimes you forget that dogs and cats (as well as other pets) are very different from humans.  They do not speak your language and must be taught what things mean. Here are some of the mistakes we all make at times with our pets:

Not making sure your pet is properly socialized-

When left with their mothers, most dogs and cats are exposed to others of their breed, whether their litter mates, or just others around them.  They learn the rules of being the kind of animal they are from this experience.  When they are removed from their mothers early, as most are, they miss this experience.  They then are confused about who they are and what they are supposed to do.

You don't know enough about what your pet needs for health-

Dogs are omnivores and can eat both meat and plant based food.  There are, however, many things that are toxic for dogs like onions, chocolate and more.  It is your responsibility to learn about what your dog can and cannot eat.  You also should talk with your vet about what the optimal weight is for your dog and learn the proper proportions to feed. Feeding table scraps, while it seems okay, can cause your dog upset stomach due to the seasonings, fat content, and any sauces added.  Dogs need food plain, not drenched in sauce.

Cats are carnivores.  They eat meat.  This is the type of diet they are genetically predisposed to eat.  Feeding your cat vegetables seems normal, but actually cats cannot digest any plant based food, so it may cause upset stomach and diarrhea. As a cat owner, you should talk with your vet about optimal weight for your pet and proper amounts to feed.  Cats fed too much or fed incorrectly have a predisposition to develop diabetes and they also can develop kidney stones due to lack of running water.  Cats much prefer moving water to drink, so a bowl of stale water is unappealing to them and they may not take in enough fluid.

You don't spay or neuter your pet-

There is some type of mind-set in our society that removing reproductive abilities for pets is harmful or cruel.  Actually, the opposite is true.  Spaying or neutering your pet causes no long term harm and research shows that doing this can extend the life of your pet. It is not cruel to prevent a dog or cat from having one litter after another, which causes the female animal a great deal of distress and diminishes her ability to stay healthy.  Not to mention the overpopulation problem we are faced with today.  Contrary to popular thought, pets don't have to have at least one litter to be happy.  So, please spay or neuter your pet.

You don't give your pet enough attention-

You get a pet and enjoy spending time with it until you have other things more important to do.  Unfortunately, to your pet, you are their world and they do not have more important things to do.  Pets require attention on a regular basis, whether grooming, feeding, playing with them, or walking them; they deserve your attention and your time.  When you ignore them and leave them to their own devices, you invite trouble.  This is when they become destructive or they become very needy.  You are their whole world and they expect you to spend some of your time focused solely on them.  One of the problems with lack of time is lack of exercise for them.  As I covered earlier, weight management is as important for your pets as it is for yourself.  If you don't give your pet enough exercise, they become lazy and fat which leads to major health issues.

You don't learn how to read your pet's body language-

Your pets speak and it is up to us to learn their language just as we expect them to understand some of ours.  Dogs give cues to how they feel and what they are thinking.  Unfortunately, we don't always listen or pay attention to what they are trying to tell us.  Therefore, there are sometimes unfortunate but preventable accidents. People get bit every day by "friendly" dogs simply because they cannot distinguish between a tail wag and a tail flag. Take the time to learn what your pet is telling you because your pet is having to learn what you are saying, too.

You don't have a disaster plan for your pets-

No one wants to think about being in a disaster, but the truth is that there is always the possibility that you may experience one.  I live in Oklahoma, so we are all watching the skies for signs of tornadoes.  People all over experience traumatic events like mud slides, sink holes, flooding, fires, and other emergency situations. When making your family's disaster plan, don't forget to include your pets.  They will not be able to fend for themselves without you.  Make a plan and make sure everyone knows what it is.

These are just a few of the mistakes we often make when we get a pet.  All of us are guilty of one or more of these.  Our pets expect us to take the lead and keep them safe and healthy.  Don't let them down.

You can read more about this issue here.