TNR

TNR is short for trap, neuter, return. It is the practice of trapping a cat in a humane trap, taking the cat to get spayed/neutered, and then returning the cat to the area it was trapped in. TNR ensures that a cat cannot impregnate or get pregnant, which helps reduce the number of unwanted cats. All cats that will be returned to the community will have one ear tipped, which means the tip of one ear will be removed during spay/neuter surgery by the veterinarian that conducts the surgery. This tipped ear signifies that the cat has been sterilized.

"Feral cat, sterilized through a Trap-Neuter-Return program" by FelineAvenger is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

How to Conduct TNR

• The first step to conduct TNR is to get any community cats you will be trapping on a feeding schedule. Feed them at the same time every day, and wait until the cats are coming around on schedule. The feeding area should be quiet, with little foot traffic, and it should be in a place that other people can't disturb.
• The next step is to get a humane trap, sometimes called a live trap. These traps can be borrowed from local low-cost spay neuter clinics for a deposit that will be returned once the trap is returned. Contact UCAN spay & neuter clinic or Ohio Alleycat Resource, commonly known as OAR, for information on borrowing traps. When you go to pick up the trap, ask someone to show you how the trap works. There are different types of live traps. They don't all work the same way.
• The next step is to make an appointment for the cat's spay/neuter surgery. Schedule it on a day when you can stay in the area until you have secured the trapped cats. Traps should never be left unattended. UCAN and OAR have different policies on TNR, so be sure to check out their websites or contact them for more information. In Hamilton County, UCAN and OAR offer spay/neuter surgery for community cats in live traps for free.
• Plan to trap the cats the day before the surgery and to keep them secure overnight.
• Two days before the spay/neuter surgery, do not feed the cats. You want to be sure they are hungry enough to go into the trap. Also, set up a holding area inside for the cats to stay once you have them trapped. This area must be quiet, warm, and dry. You can lay down newspaper, pee pads, and/or an old sheet you don't mind throwing away to catch any mess that the cats make.
• Gather up enough sheets or large towels to cover the trap once a cat is trapped in it. The trap must be covered once the cat triggers it. This calms the cat down so that it doesn't thrash around inside the trap and possibly injure itself.
• Buy cans of wet cat food or tuna to use in the trap. You want something with a strong smell to attract the cat.
• Get some newspaper to use in the traps.
• On the day before the surgery, set up the traps in the area you usually feed the cats. Fold a sheet of newspaper and place it inside the trap, covering the plate that trips the trap and the back half of the trap. Place the wet food or tuna in the very back of the trap. You want to make sure the cat steps on the plate that trips the trap. Place a few dabs of wet food or tuna in the trap, leading to food in the back. Place a towel or sheet over the back half of the top of the trap. This towel or sheet is what you will use to cover the trap once the cat has triggered it.
• Stay somewhere close so that you can keep an eye on the traps, but not close enough for the cats to know you're there. Once a cat has tripped a trap, quickly cover the trap and move it to the holding area you set up. Do this for every trap.
• If you do not catch all the cats you wanted, remove any unused traps, and plan to try another day. You will have to go through all the steps again, but it is worth it to help community cats!
• On the morning of the surgery, transport the cats to the clinic you made an appointment with. It's a good idea to lay down a tarp or blanket in your vehicle in case the cats leave something behind. Keep the traps covered!
• Upon entering the clinic, you will likely have to fill out a form for each cat. Follow any instructions you are given by clinic staff.
• Cats are held overnight after surgery. You will pick them up the next morning. Follow any instructions the clinic staff gives you, and be prepared to house the cats overnight in your holding area, if necessary.
• Release the cats from the traps. You did it! Thank you for helping community cats!

The video below from the Cole and Marmalade YouTube channel walks viewers through TNR with two different kinds of traps.