FREE Feral Cat Trap-Neuter-Return TrainingWorkshops returned this Spring

The Companion Animal Trust 2012 schedule of the Neighborhood Feral Cat Initiative’s free monthly feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) training workshops starts March 3 and continues April 14 • May 12 • June 9 • July 14 • August 11 • September 8 • October 13 • November 10.

All workshop attendees learn the steps in setting up a managed cat colony including establishing good community relations, feeding, building and placing shelters, arranging vet care, safely handling feral cats, and trapping.  All attendees become TNR certified and Hudson County residents gain access to low cost spay/neuter and trap rentals.

"In 2010 we made great progress in gaining the community’s help in reducing the number of feral cats living on the streets,” said Carol McNichol, President of Companion Animal Trust.  “The low cost spay neuter funding is secured and in place for 2012 so we anticipate repeating the success of 2009, 2010 and 2011” McNichol said. 

Feral cats are free-roaming cats that are untamed and unsuitable for adoption. If left alone, they keep reproducing, creating a crisis on many levels. They can also become a neighborhood nuisance or can prompt well-meaning community members to call animal control to take care of them. However, this just means that the cats are removed and killed, allowing new cats to come in and take over the vacated territory'

In the process of Trap-Neuter-Return the cat is humanely trapped, then transported to a vet where it is spayed or neutered, ear tipped and rabies vaccinated.  Then the cat is released back to its original outdoor location and managed by a caregiver. 

The benefits of TNR to the community are many: 

• A caregiver manages the colony and maintains a clean environment through controlled feeding.  • TNR will permanently reduce the colony size through attrition.   • Dramatically reduced nuisance behaviors (such as male spraying and fighting) resulting in less calls to Animal Control. • Less cats and kittens are brought to an overburdened shelter resulting in reduced costs associated with housing and euthanasia. • Download the official Handbook - just click on the cat image at right. It's a large file (12 MB) so be patient!

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Companion Animal Trust, Inc. is a 501c3 non profit animal welfare
organization located in Jersey City.