TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Fleas are sometimes a concern. If the cats are well fed and healthy, their immune
systems will be strong for fighting off parasites and it’s unlikely they will have severe
flea infestations. But they may still have some. In our experience, it’s rare for a flea
infestation to occur in the holding space as a result of the presence of the cats for a week.
If the traps are kept mostly covered with a light sheet and the space is cleaned or
vacuumed thoroughly after the project, there shouldn’t be a problem. If there is, flea
bombing the space afterwards might be necessary. Another way to cut down on the risk,
if you can afford it, is to have flea medication applied to the cats during the spay/neuter
procedure.
One trick, if the cat is staying in your bathroom, is to place the trap in your bathtub on
top of some bricks, raising the trap off the bottom of the tub by a few inches. Then fill
your bathtub with an inch or so of water. Between the trap being covered with a sheet
and the moat, it would be very hard for fleas to spread.
Another concern sometimes expressed is whether the cats will make a great deal of
noise. Simply put, they won’t. Feral cats are very quiet in captivity, trying to make
themselves as unnoticeable as possible. Once in a while, you might get a colony where
one cat meows softly and others join in for a couple of minutes, but even that is rare.
Most of the time, they remain still and silent. If you do get a cat who’s meowing a lot
and appears to be crying out for attention, this may mean the cat is actually an abandoned
domestic and not feral.
If you are going to hold the cats in part of your home, segregate your own cats to
minimize any risk of disease transmission.
During the project, the holding space can also act as your command center where you
keep the equipment, supplies and records, and meet up with volunteers. For how to set
up the holding space, see “Preparing the holding space” in Chapter 10.
4) Schedule the spay/neuter
Once you have an accurate count of the cats and have secured an adequate holding
space, then you can confidently schedule an appointment with your spay/neuter clinic or
veterinarian. Clinics usually take one of three forms: (1) a mobile spay/neuter van that
travels out into the community, (2) a fixed clinic housed in an agency’s building, or (3) a
Mass Spay Day held on a periodic basis which is designed to handle large volumes of
animals in one day. When you schedule your appointment, find out the unique
procedures for that clinic and be sure to follow them closely.
The availability of low cost or free spay/neuter is a significant issue in many
communities, especially for feral cats. It’s one of the most important factors in
determining how quickly TNR can advance in a given area. If there is no organized
clinic for ferals where you reside, then advocating for this may become part of your
work. Study the advantages of TNR discussed in Chapter 2 and meet with officials from
your local humane society, SPCA, Department of Health or animal control agency and
begin a dialogue. Especially in places with severe feral cat overpopulation, you might
find a willing audience. Propose a pilot project to start, one that will not demand many
resources but can demonstrate TNR’s effectiveness. Contact us at Neighborhood Cats for
further guidance and materials.
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