TNR stands for TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN. It is implemented in community cats and feral cat colonies to help maintain their population. Without sterilization, a female cat and her following litters could produce up to 2,000,000 cats in a 10 year time frame. That seems like an unobtainable number, but it is actually quite plausible. By spaying and neutering feral cats in New Braunfels, we are preventing unwanted kittens and helping limit the spread of feline diseases.
TNRing in a city like New Braunfels benefits both the community and the cats. Instead of cats wandering for mates, cats are more likely to stay in their designated routes where they are used to being fed. Also, now that the cats have been sterilized, there is no worry for businesses about finding homes for unwanted kittens. Instead, cats can be put full force into doing what they do best – hunting!
Cats are great for minimizing rodent populations around restaurants and communities. Many restaurants support community cats because of the great job the cats do with maintaining rodents outside of the building, thus keeping mice, snakes, and rats out of the kitchen. Rodents can also cause expensive damage to indoor and outdoor electric lines. Having a community cat, or several, can help with keeping rodents in check.
We are so excited to be bringing TNVR to New Braunfels through a free spay and neuter clinic for feral cats! Did you know that in previous years, when the Humane Society of the New Braunfels area received feral cats from the community or animal control they were euthanized? New Braunfels Community Cat Coalition was created in 2016 to combat this. Now, through efforts of both HSNBA and NBCCC, TNR is now solely under the roof of the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area. This is a great victory and something we have been working towards since the beginning of the creation of TNR in New Braunfels. Our community support has made this possible.
Each feral cat that goes through TNR clinic in New Braunfels is sterilized and vaccinated through our program. For those feral cats in New Braunfels that are unable to be returned to their original location, they are analyzed to see if they would fit into our working cat program.
The HSNBA TNR program is for FERAL CATS ONLY, and there is no charge for the spay/neuter and vaccination services. There is a large need within Comal and Guadalupe counties for a solution to our feral cat problem in New Braunfels. It is our goal to completely dedicate our time and resources to the New Braunfels feral cat communities. Volunteer services and donations are greatly appreciated in order to keep the HSNBA feral cat sterilization and vaccination program free to Comal and Guadalupe counties. New Braunfels Community Cat Coalition is now merged with HSNBA and run collaboratively with the Comal County Veterinary Medical Association.
YES! Cats are more active at night, especially if they live around a busy area like a shopping center. During the day, many of these cats will be in hiding. However, when night comes around, businesses close, and traffic begins to slow down, the cats will begin to come out of hiding. This isn’t true for all feral cats, but for a majority. Our community cat feeders in New Braunfels take special care to feed in many locations, at night, to keep cats from the danger of traffic.
The clipped left ear is a sign that the cat has already been Trapped, Neutered, Vaccinated, and Returned. Most feral cats are very skittish, and it is difficult to get close enough to see if a male has been neutered or look for a tattoo or spay scar on a female. This way, our colony caregivers can immediately tell who has already been TNRed based on the clipped left ear.
There may be some soreness following surgery, but the ear clipping procedure is completed under anesthesia during the spay or neuter. The thin flesh of the ear tip heals very quickly, and a special cauterizing machine is used to stop any bleeding. With this procedure in place, the ear stops bleeding very quickly. It is also more humane to clip the left ear for easy recognition instead of re-trapping, sedating, checking for spay/neuter, and then returning the feral cat back to its location. All of this stress can be detrimental for the cat, and we want to minimize this process as much as possible! Less stress means happier kitties!