What are community cats?
Community cats are otherwise known as feral, wild, or outdoor cats. These cats have different needs than the ones we seek to help through adoption. They are essentially wild animals that are self-sufficient and live long, healthy lives. They are happy outdoors and most would not enjoy the lifestyle that domesticated house cats lead.
Through our partnership with the Humane Society of Greater Dayton's Community Cat Initiative and as a member of the Feral Friends Network through Alley Cat Allies, we seek to stabilize the community cat population through TNR [Trap, Neuter, Return], prevent euthanasia of healthy animals, and help Daytonians learn the best ways to live alongside these members of our community. |
WHAT IS TNR
TRAP, NEUTER, RETURN
In a Trap-Neuter-Return program, community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (the universal sign that a cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.
-Alley Cat Allies
-Alley Cat Allies
WHY TNR
For more than a century, the American shelter and animal control system has been relying on catching and killing outdoor cats to control their population. This approach continues to fail, and the number of outdoor cats increases despite the fact that millions of vibrant, healthy outdoor cats are killed each year. Taxpayer money that funds shelters and animal control agencies is wasted on an endless cycle of trapping and killing. Increasingly, the public believes that the money spent on killing could and should be re-allocated to programs that help animals.
With catch and kill policies, vaccinated and neutered cats are removed from an area. But that only creates a vacuum in the environment, where new cats move in to take advantage of available resources. The new cats breed and the cat population grows. Catch and kill policies aren’t just cruel and ineffective, they go against what the public really wants: humane approaches to cats.
-Alley Cat Allies
With catch and kill policies, vaccinated and neutered cats are removed from an area. But that only creates a vacuum in the environment, where new cats move in to take advantage of available resources. The new cats breed and the cat population grows. Catch and kill policies aren’t just cruel and ineffective, they go against what the public really wants: humane approaches to cats.
-Alley Cat Allies
HOW YOU CAN HELP
VOLUNTEERHands-on help! We're here to get you started from a free TNR Certification Workshop to free Trap Rentals.
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ADVOCATEBe a voice for the voiceless. Educate those around you and help us enact change in our community.
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DONATEWe need financial support to fund programs like TNR and community education.
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LEARN MORE
GET INVOLVED
Attend our free, hands-on TNR Certification Workshop to learn more. Once you're TNR Certified, receive discounted trap rental deposits and free spay or neuter surgeries.
The workshop will be roughly 2-3 hours and will cover the following: • Introduction • Feral Cat Overview • How to Perform TNR [Practice Traps on Site] • Local Resources • Colony Care Best Practices • Community Relations • Q & A Classes are held monthly! Click the button below to see the events calendar. |