TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

13. Return to the Colony
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Length of recovery period
Practices vary widely among
TNR groups and programs on how
long the cats should be confined
post-neutering before being returned
to their territory. On one extreme,
there is at least one large program
that releases the cats as soon as they
have fully withdrawn from the
anesthesia, within hours of the
surgery. On the other extreme, other
groups recommend recovery periods
of up to five to seven days. Then
there is everything inbetween – 24
hours for all cats, 24 hours just for
males, 48 hours for all cats, etc. Further complicating the matter, every TNR program
will in good faith claim their protocol works and is safe.
There are a few reasons for the competing guidelines. Providing recovery time
requires a holding space, which does make the TNR process more difficult. If the cats
are let go right away, then a trapper can catch them the day before surgery, keep them in
the back of the van overnight, bring them to the clinic in the morning and let them go in
the afternoon. Streamlining the TNR process in this way probably means more cats get
neutered, but probably also means more cats die from post-surgical complications that go
undetected.
On the other hand, being overly cautious and confining the cats for too long also has
its down sides. First, for the cat, confinement is stressful. Once their wounds are fairly
well healed and they’re alert, it’s healthier for them to be back in their own environment
than stuck in a trap or cage. Second, requiring caretakers to find holding spaces for a
week post-neutering can be too much of a deterrent to performing TNR.
At Neighborhood Cats, we balance the need for a reasonable post-surgery recovery
period to ensure the cats’ health and the need to keep the TNR process simplified to
ensure caretaker participation by recommending 48 hours recovery time for both males
and females. If circumstances require, male cats can be released after only 24 hours, but
48 is preferred. With female cats, because the surgery is more invasive, 72 hours is
acceptable if the caretaker is willing to hold them the extra day. Beyond 72 hours, we
hold cats only if their condition requires, either because they’re ill or for some reason still
not fully recovered. It can be a tough call sometimes whether a cat should be held longer.
Often caretakers wait until the cats are eating well, but some cats are so stressed by
captivity that they’re fine but won’t eat and sometimes won’t even defecate. If the cat
appears otherwise fully alert, but is not eating, it could be better to let them go.
No cat should be released without veterinary consultation if there are any serious
lingering health issues. The need to consult a veterinarian can also be a matter of
judgment. For example, if a cat develops a mild cold while confined, as evidenced by a
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