Grove Community Cat Coalition

TNR is short for Trap-Neuter-Return, a process in which community cats are trapped in a live trap (no it does not cause any injury to the cat) before being taken to a veterinary clinic to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated,  and treated for any additional wounds or ailments. Once the cat has been vetted, they spend time recovering, before being released back to where they were trapped. TNR is the only humane and effective approach to community cats, or unowned cats who live outdoors.

Scientific studies show that TNR effectively addresses the community cat population by ending the breeding cycle, meaning no new kittens are born to a community cat colony. As sound public policy, TNR addresses community concerns, reduces shelter intake and euthanasia, and reduces calls to animal services, all of which save cats’ lives and taxpayer dollars.

When cats are free from the burdens of mating and reproducing, their relationships improve with the people who live near them (think: no more kittens outdoors or yowling, roaming, fighting, or spraying). Additionally, many diseases associated with reproduction are prevented.

The goal is to upend the relentless, ineffective, and pointless cycle of catching and killing cats in animal shelters that has been standard procedure for decades. 

Thousands of communities across the U.S. and around the world have embraced TNR at the grassroots level or as official government policy. In rural and urban settings, cold and warm climates, and everywhere in between, TNR works for cats and communities.

 TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) works better than simply removing cats because when you remove cats from an area, new cats will quickly move in to fill the vacant territory, a phenomenon called the "vacuum effect," while TNR prevents new kittens from being born, effectively stabilizing the population over time by preventing further population growth; essentially, by sterilizing the existing cats, you eliminate the source of new cats entering the area.

Key points about why TNR is more effective:

• Territorial behavior: Feral cats are highly territorial, so when a sterilized cat is returned to their area, they actively defend their territory against newcomers, preventing new cats from establishing themselves. 
• Population control: By preventing reproduction, TNR directly addresses the root cause of population growth, leading to a gradual decline in the overall cat population within a colony. 
• No replacement cycle: Removing cats creates an open space that is quickly filled by new cats drawn to the available food and shelter, leading to a continuous cycle of removal and replacement. 
• Humane approach: TNR is considered a more humane method compared to removing cats, as it allows existing feral cats to live out their lives in their familiar environment. 

For information on volunteer opportunities, reach out to us by emailing GroveCats@gmail.com .