TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook 7. Preparations for Trapping – the Sequence 1) Establish a feeding pattern When you’re ready to trap, it will be much easier if the cats come to you at a time and place of your choosing, then if you spread traps throughout their territory, wait all day or night and hope they show up. At least two weeks before the trapping, put out the cats’ food at the same time and place on a daily basis. Cats are very habitual creatures and will quickly learn the routine. If you can’t do this everyday, stick to the pattern as closely as you can. Remove excess food after the feeding or come back after a couple of hours and take away the leftovers. Don’t leave food out all day if you can help it. Your efforts to establish a pattern might be thwarted if the cats know they can come any time they want and find food. If for some reason you have to leave food out all the time, perhaps because otherwise some cats won’t get to eat, then establish a pattern of arriving at the site at the same time and place everyday and putting out something tasty like a can of tuna. The cats will learn that when you show up, so does the good stuff. In choosing the time of day for the feeding, anticipate making it easier for yourself when the time comes to trap. Pick a time when the site will be quiet and less trafficked. Also take into account that when the trapping takes place, you’ll need time to set up the equipment, transport the cats to their holding space, provide them with food and water, etc. If the cats are already used to showing up at a certain hour that would be inconvenient for the project, then gradually shift the feeding time to one that’s better. For example, if the cats are used to being fed at midnight, then start putting the food out at 11 p.m. Then when they come for that, next time put it out at 10 p.m., etc. Re-training cats in this manner may require you to begin establishing a feeding pattern sooner than two weeks before the trapping. If you don’t have that luxury, then just put the food out at the time you want them to come. Before long, they’ll probably figure out things have changed and adapt their feeding pattern accordingly. 2) Count and assess the cats While you’re establishing the feeding pattern, get an accurate count of the number of cats in the colony. If necessary, take notes or photos to log and record the cats and help you tell them apart. Knowing the correct number, or at least getting close, is important for scheduling spay/neuter surgery and borrowing the right amount of equipment. There’s nothing worse for a clinic (and your reputation with them) if you say you’ll be 33
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook trapping a colony of 20 cats, then it turns out there are only 10 and half the clinic’s day goes to waste. Getting a reasonably accurate count avoids this. Unless it’s a colony that you are personally familiar with or the caretaker has already gone through this process of carefully counting, don’t take anyone’s word for how many are there. Most people are not used to seeing more than a few cats at a time. When they see ten cats at once, they’re liable to believe there are far more. Most untrained people overestimate the numbers, though sometimes they’ll undercount. A reliable figure can be arrived at only by carefully observing the colony over a period of a week or two. In addition to counting the cats in the colony, assess if any are adoptable, either because they’re kittens young enough to be quickly socialized or abandoned adults who are still friendly. If adoptable cats are present, try to line up suitable foster homes before the trapping. Whenever good foster resources exist, these cats should be removed from the colony. Observe whether any of the cats appear sick, whether it’s from being too thin, having runny eyes or nose, coughing or having an unkempt appearance. Make arrangements beforehand for extra-veterinary care. Be prepared for the possibility that a sick cat may need extra recuperation time, especially if they need a course of antibiotics, and arrange for the necessary holding space. Often, when a colony in general appears sickly and many of the cats have upper respiratory infections or even ringworm, improving the quality of their food and adding Vitamin C will have a profound impact. Ensuring they have warm, dry shelter in cold weather will also help. The better nutrition and shelter should be started as far before the spay/neuter date as possible, giving the cats a chance to regain their health prior to being operated upon. 3) Secure a holding space During the course of the trapping, which usually lasts two or three days, and for 48 hours after the spay/neuter surgery, the cats are kept confined. As described in Chapter 10, their traps double as cages and the cats never leave them except for the surgery. A space is needed to hold the cats while they’re in the traps during this typically four to six day period. An adequate holding space is one that is warm, dry and secure. “Warm” means at least 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. While confined, the cats can’t move around, huddle together or sleep in insulated shelters, so if the space is cold, they can get sick. In addition, during the spay/neuter surgery, the cat’s body temperature drops and does not return to normal until they have fully recovered from the anesthesia. If the cat is placed inside a cold space before the anesthesia has worn off, he could die. A “dry” space is protected from the elements, whether rain, snow or direct sunlight. For their well being, obviously the cats can’t get wet. A “secure” holding space is only accessible by people associated with the project and not by strangers or by other animals. Examples of adequate holding spaces may include a garage, basement, ventilated shed, empty trailer, empty room in an apartment, empty retail or office space, part of a warehouse, bathroom if there’s only a couple of cats, terrace, unused adoption van, cargo van parked in a driveway and a canopy in the backyard during warm weather. 34
Page 1 and 2: The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Page 3 and 4: Contents The Neighborhood Cats TNR
Page 7 and 8: Foreword The Neighborhood Cats TNR
Page 35 and 36: 6. Winter Shelter The Neighborhood
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Page 45 and 46: 8. Trapping The Neighborhood Cats T
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Page 63 and 64: • Hard-to-catch cats The Neighbor
Page 69 and 70: • Directions for use by Laura Bur
Page 73 and 74: 10. Caring for Cats in Traps The Ne
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13. Return to the Colony The Neighb
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14. Relocation & Sanctuaries • Re
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16. Feral Cat Resources Neighborhoo
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TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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