Trap-Neuter-Return or TNR is a time proven program that humanely controls community cat populations.
“Community Cats” are stray homeless cats living on the streets in neighborhoods and everywhere. These cats may be friendly towards people, they might be skittish or scared of people or they could even be “feral”, which means they are wild and typically want nothing to do with people at all.
TNR consists of humanely trapping cats, taking them to be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and ear tipped. 24 hours after surgery, they are released right back where they were trapped.
Ear tipping is done while the cats are under anesthesia and consists of clipping about 1/2” off the tip of one ear. The ear tip easily identifies cats in the area as having been fixed. It does not hurt the cats.
A managed cat colony in which all the cats have been through the TNR process, fed and given access to clean water, hold down the population of rats, mice, gophers and snakes within their territory. Cats are territorial by nature, so only a specific number will be in one area.
Community Cats that are not spayed/neutered can have several litters of kittens every year, the males will fight and injure each other and in other ways can become a nuisance to people. Very often the kittens can get sick, die or be eaten. The lucky ones will often get turned into the local animal shelters and be at risk of euthanasia. Some people think that killing the cats is an easier solution. Because cats are territorial by nature, eliminating the cats in a area will only cause new ones to move in.
A successful TNR program stops this vicious cycle and stabilizes the population of cats within a community.
Bastrop C.A.T.S. Anonymous TNR Society is a non profit group of volunteers working within Bastrop County to end this cycle. In 2022 we spayed/neutered and released back to their outdoor homes a total of 1073 Community Cats.