This document provides information about trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs for feral and community cats. It discusses key principles of TNR including trapping cats, neutering them, and returning them to their original location. It also covers important considerations for TNR such as safety, working with stakeholders, selecting the right equipment, and planning for unexpected issues that may arise. The document outlines desired outcomes of TNR programs at both the individual cat and colony level and discusses challenges that may be faced when implementing TNR programs for cats.

1. Dogs Trust International Training Programme,
March 2013
Cat Population Management
Ian MacFarlaine RVN
Head of Operations – (Welfare Projects)
ian@fabcats.org

2. Who are International Cat Care?
www.icatcare.org
Facebook: Feline Advisory Bureau
•Specialist charity dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding
of cats and their care, established in 1958 when expertise in the UK
(including within the veterinary profession) was low or non-existent.
•We were formerly called the Feline Advisory Bureau (Fabcats). Mid
name change.
•We incorporate ISFM – International Society of Feline Medicine. This is
our veterinary division, national partner veterinary associations in 13
countries.
•Welfare division promoting the welfare of stray and feral cats. Written
materials, small projects, and three main training and development
projects in:
Capacity buiding of NGO in Sudan
European Feline TNR training centre
Contributing to courses at India ITC

3. Apology 1
• 20 hours ago:
• 4 hours ago:

4. Apology 2
• Committed to full programme for next 2
years.
• We cannot offer visits, grants or funding
• We can offer training at our residential TNR
centre in Portugal from next year.
• Focusing on doing a thorough job in a few
places.

5. TNR
•Principles of Trap Neuter & Return
(not Release)
•Generally use “catch” for dogs and
“trap” for cats
•Process of trapping feral and
community cats, neutering and
returning them to the same spot
where caught.
•Where resources allow, selecting
suitable socialised cats for rehoming
in the process

6. Considerations
1. Welfare & safety of cats & people
2. Neuter whole colonies/focus on
districts
3. Work with all stakeholders –
municipalities, vets, feeders, residents
and landowners. Communicate
4. Select/use the right equipment,
5. Being prepared for the work.
6. Planning for the unexpected
7. Hygiene
8. Legality
9. Measure effectiveness (pre/post)
10. TNR is only one tool in the CPM kit.
11. Must be planned, measured and holistic.
12. TNR benefits each cat, but should only
portrayed as macro population control if
it actually does that!

7. Outcomes – (1)
• What do we want to achieve?
• Can we afford everything we want?
• Therefore, what do we promise?
• When are we going to promise it by?
• How are we going to engage with the
community and all stakeholders?

8. Outcomes (2) - Micro
Outcomes we want:
• Stabilise & reduce colonies at both
site and district level.
• Prevent injury, stress & trauma.
• Maintain our organisational
reputation and that of TNR.
Principles:
• Get cats in & out of TNR as fast as
SAFELY possible - release next day
except for pregnant spays.
• Surgery with minimal
complications.
• Clear policies and procedures

9. • Stakeholder workshops?
• Brainstorming?

10. Cat and Dog TNR Differences
Attitudes
•Return-To-Site more tolerated in cats
•Cats often more tolerated
•Cats viewed less as a key rabies species.
Dogs seen as a priority.
• BUT municipal authorities with good dog
control are more likely to be interested in
developing cat control. Those with no animal
control tend to be dog-biased as this is the
priority.

11. Cat and Dog TNR Differences
Executing:
•Vehicles – larger, specialist
vehicles / equipment for dogs
•Capture method (Traps for cats vs.
Traps / Net for dogs)
•Recovery more significant for dogs
•Pre/post-op facility & housing
more significant for dogs
•Capacity - (3 cats = 1 dogs in terms
of resources, cost, time and space)

12. Obstacles to cat TNR
• Legal to trap?
• Legal to feed?
• Legal to return?
• Removal favoured?
• Money!
• Vet capacity / skills /
cost

13. Neuter more females first to achieve initial results
Let ’ s imagine each female produces 3
kittens
So, after 3 months….

14. Males first?

15. Males first? Result:

16. Females first?

17. Females first: Result

18. Females first: Result
We’ll show you how to trap girls first, in a minute

19. Wide ranging male
number 2 Wide ranging male # 1 Praia da Vagueira, Portugal, W/B 9 th Nov 2008
Fishing maintenance
huts, 7 cats, 10 cat colony,
Wide ranging male # 2 wide ranging 1 cat,
male# 1 territorial
queen 13 cats,
6 cats
2 males
5 cats,
3 cats.
1 wide
1wide
ranging
rangin
queen 6 cats, no male
g
seen
queen
,
1
2 male
cats
,
Total cats – 76; Caught 72; uncaught 3 males, 1 female

20. Trapping
• One chance
• First intervention should
always be neutering
• Do not trap to vaccinate
before you neuter –
unlikely to catch again
• Always plan ahead,
organise, have the right
equipment
• Works best when
feeders are on-side

21. Equipment
• Don’t try TNR without
having the right
equipment.
• Costs to ship – collect
from conferences, ask
holidaying friends /
relatives to bring back
with them. Crush cage
3.7kg, traps around
6kg.
• SNIP International
• Learn how to use it
properly

22. Automatic traps
Great for:
- 1 or 2 cats
- Wary cats
- Last of colony while others at surgery

23. • Label Traps
• Monitor and supervise if on
public-accessible land (whether
legal or illegal)
• Do not leave unsupervised if on
accessible land
• If on enclosed, private, access-
controlled land, check every 3-4
hours (no more than) or get
householder to monitor.
• Someone out there needs to
invent a texting trap!

24. Automatic Traps….

25. 1. Wrong Cat

26. 2. Not actually a cat

27. 3. Food gone, no cat

28. Manual traps

35. ….are great because…
• Trap only the cats you need
• Prioritise – females / preg / injuries etc
• No repeat trappings of already neutered
cats
• Doesn’t require pedal activation
• More than one cat/catch: reduced no. of
cycles
• No mechanism
• Quick clearance (record being 27
minutes for 13 cats)
• (Cats which enter a trap together will be
safe to remain together. Can easily split)

36. Drop traps

37. Drop Cages
Drop
Cages
www.metalcote.co.uk – “Dropper basket”
www.MDCexports.co.uk – “Nurse’s Best Friend with
end door”

42. Cover!

43. Transferring
•Prop against
wall, solid object
– car wheel or
bumper and
steady other end
with your foot
•Cover cage you
want the cat to
go into
•Blow on cat to
get it to move
across
www.mdcexports.com –
“Trap Transfer Restrainer”

44. “Trap divider” – ACES www.animalcare.com
“Restraining Comb” – MDC www.mdcexports.co.uk

48. CAT LOGSHEET
About the cat: It’s from
Stray/Feral Owned A shelter
Location Details
Name of Name of site Address: Street, Date & Time
feeder or where the cat Lane etc Caught
volunteer was caught
Cat Details
Colour of Cat Coat length Sex (know for Can the cat be
definite?) handled?
• Short
hair • Male • Yes
• Long • Female • No
hair
• Don’t Know • Don’t know
Box and Carrier Details
The cat was brought in After the op
• Its own cage or box needs to go back in the same box /
trap
• A trap
)--- needs to be recovered in a
• Our Cage different box|: details:
Any comments for the vet team
EAR TIP: Yes: Straight cut ; No: do not tip
Veterinary Details
Time of Male or Any Type of suture
surgery female Problems?

50. Working with vets – 1 skills
• Vets who can safely neuter cats
– issue in less developed
countries especially where small
animal practice is limited.
• Where cat neutering isn’t done
widely, skill levels may have
fallen – therefore no demand for
service - cycles
• Look at local options to develop
skill base and support training

51. Working with vets – 2:
•
Incentives
Charity TNR work brings work into practice
• Volume of work – knock on effect
• Keeps skills up
• Discount, or negotiate e.g. every 4th cat free
• Communicate and allow clinicians input.
• Send thank you cards etc
• Pay bills on time
• If you have an issue with your veterinary
practice, try to deal with it….rather than go
elsewhere

52. Help your vets by...
• Ferals cannot get a pre-op exam, but
volunteers can still communicate
observations and concerns – use
forms!
• Weigh cats – vets will appreciate
• How long since ate and drank – fluids
– tell vet. Hydration is significant
during TNR
• Surgeon and their staff needs to know
how to handle ferals. This is rarely
taught at vet schools. Refer if
unsure…

53. Can we fix it?
• Apply wildlife rehabilitation principles -
• Can the cat survive after return to colony?
• What is the context to which it is going back?
• Even if a full(ish) recovery is of high probability, is the
treatment to achieve this fair and humane?
• What does the volunteer think based on their first hand
knowledge of the environment from which the cat domes?
• Organisational resources – do we want to treat one cat to full
work-up, or neuter a hundred?

54. Can we fix it?
• Find those ferals
• Trap those ferals
• Neuter those ferals

55. Can we fix it?
• Find those ferals
• Trap those ferals
• Neuter those ferals
4th Generation feral.
Took extended
attempts to capture.
RF No function - PTS

56. Lets talk pussy....
• No nose

57. Lets talk pussy....
?SCC
No nose –
• No nose
unable to
eat /
thrive -
PTS

59. Friendly male outdoor cat. Feeder able to
feed individually hence oral dose ABX.
Neutered, debrided, cleaned and
returned. Did fine!

61. Recent non-traumatic eye condition. Flu, debilitated
1.8kg. PTS. (If simple recent injury trauma to eye,
would enucleate, hosp and release)

62. Minimal dentals!

63. Minimal dentals!
• Avoid procedures which
will cause extended oral
pain. Cats able to eat on
return.
• Avoid scaling (aerosol)
at time of surgery
• (invasive dental work is
a means to introduce
systemic infection which
could compromise
neutering surgery).

64. Ear tipping
x

65. Other identification
• Tattoos: useful to ID specific cat
– if studying populations long
term. But cannot be read from a
distance – so must use ear-
tipping as well.
• Microchips are of no use to mark
neuter status in ferals, and of
little use to monitor individual
(usually only read again when cat
is dead).

67. Releasing
• Check weather conditions (cats will cope fine – but
public perceptions important)
• Release exactly to the same spot where caught
• Put food down at site. Cats may not eat then and
there but will come back later.
• Males and flank spay females : Morning following
surgery is fine
• Extended midline spays, pyometras, spay/abort –
late on following day or second morning after
• Dependent on vet’s skill, technique
• Minimise captivity – welfare / disease / stress /
anorexia / hygiene if kept in

68. Thank you!