Don’t worry — we are helping the cats!
You may see cats being humanely trapped in this area. We know seeing a cat in a trap can be concerning, but these cats are being trapped as part of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) effort to help improve the lives of community cats and reduce the number of unwanted kittens.
Traps are either being routinely monitored by a person, a trap sensor, or video camera. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH TRAPS or release cats.
What is TNR?
Trap-Neuter-Return is a humane, proven approach to managing community cat populations. Cats are:
TRAPPED: Humanely and safely using live traps.
NEUTERED: Taken to a veterinary clinic where they are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and receive any other necessary care such as treatment for fleas, ear mites, or upper respiratory infections.
RETURNED: Returned to the same area where they were found, typically about 24 hours of surgery.
You may notice that a cat has a tipped ear after returning. An ear tip is the universal sign that a community cat has already been spayed or neutered, so they don’t need to be trapped and undergo surgery again. The ear tip is done while under anesthesia and does not hurt them.
Why are the cats in traps?
The traps allow us to safely transport the cats to and from surgery. The cats are not being removed from their colonies – they will be returned after surgery!
Community cats are often cared for by people in the neighborhood and have established territories. Returning them to their familiar area allows them to continue living where they are comfortable while preventing them from producing more kittens.
Please DO NOT feed cats while these signs are up
If you normally feed cats in this area, please temporarily remove food before and during trapping efforts. We will remove the “humane trapping in progress” signs once we are done trapping, so you know when to resume feeding.
A well-fed cat may simply ignore the trap, making it much harder to catch them and get them to surgery. We promise the cats will be absolutely fine without food for a day or two!
We appreciate your concern for the cats
We know it can be alarming to see a cat in a trap, especially if you don’t know what’s happening. These cats are being trapped because someone is working to help them.
TNR helps reduce the number of kittens born outdoors, decreases the number of cats entering shelters and rescues, and helps stabilize community cat populations over time. It can also reduce fighting among male cats, which can lead to serious injuries, abscesses, and the spread of disease. Neutering can also reduce behaviors like roaming and marking, making life better for both the cats and the people who live around them.
Thank you for caring about the cats in our community!
Questions or concerns?
If you have questions about the trapping taking place in your neighborhood, please contact us (including trapping location): cattrapdepot@gmail.com
Note: Trapping is either being done directly by our organization, or by a community member who has borrowed a trap from our rental program.
For more info, visit our website: www.cattrapdepot.org
Cat Trap Depot 