“N” is for NEUTER, “R” for RETURN

Be sure you’ve made appointments with clinics or veterinarians for cat surgeries before you trap. Before taking the cat to the vet—ideally the next morning—keep it in that quiet holding area. A room where you can prevent children or other pets from bothering is good, or perhaps it’s a well-ventilated, covered car to which only you have access.

Be sure the cat is also well covered, with one cover per trap. Do not try to pet or handle the cat, as a scratch or bite can result in injury.

Whenever you transport your cat in a trap or carrier, you cannot be too careful to make sure the trap, the front and back doors are secured. We recommend zip ties for both ends. Please do NOT use the collapsible traps. They sometimes collapse on the cats, and they escape! We’ve seen examples of this and urge to realize collapsible traps are dangerous.

Check, and Check Again

When you pick up the cat from the veterinarian, PLEASE recheck both trap doors or carrier doors and zip tie them closed again. You cannot be too careful, really.

Once you retrieve your sterilized cat from the veterinarian or clinic, please keep him or her overnight for full recovery from anesthesia and to provide calm healing. Check on the cat frequently and if you’re worried something is amiss, call your veterinarian. The exception to keeping a just-fixed cat is if it a lactating mother, for as we’ve said, she must be released sooner in order to tend her kittens—unless you’re 100% certain you’ve also trapped every kitten in her litter—which you can never really be.

When it’s time, release cats back at the trapping site by opening the back trap door and slowly removing the cover. The cat should run right out to an ample supply of fresh water and food. After trapping, rinse traps and spray with a solution of one part bleach to 30 parts water. Also never store traps in the “set” position. Please return your trap to Stray Cat Alliance soon, and thank you.

Finally, if possible, release the cat at the same time of day that you trapped him or her

Read On:

Help is Here
If you’re new to colony care and trapping, Stray Cat Alliance can help. Please contact us through our contact page. We provide humane traps and training on all aspects of trapping for the purposes of TNR for people in southern California...

"T" is for TRAP
So you’ve assumed responsibility for a community cat colony. You want to get the cats vaccinated and fixed. Great! You’ll need these supplies first...

Surgery Prep
Before you embark on your trapping expedition, think about protection—the “what ifs” that could occur. Prepare the holding area in your home for pre- and post-surgery...

At the Site
Consider spraying the trapping area with a cat-safe insect spray to discourage ants. Please ask your veterinarian what he or she recommends and do this a couple of hours before you trap. Then, place a large spoonful of appetizing food bait...