Community Programs

The Toronto Humane Society Feral Cat Awareness Program

What is a feral cat???

What is TNR (Trap/ Neuter/ Return)??

TNR is the only humane and effective way to reduce homeless cat overpopulation. TNR involves trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating, ear tipping  and returning cats to their colony – kittens and socialized cats are adopted and a caretaker feeds and monitors the colony daily.

TRN is proven to be the only humane and effective way to manage the feral cat overpopulation crisis.

TNR has been practiced for over 20 years in the UK, South Africa and Denmark.  After 1-3 years of TNR colony sizes decrease by 16-32% (Natoli 2006). TNR is an effective long term strategy to stabilize or modestly reduce the size of feral cat colonies as well as improve the health of these cats (Levy, 2003)

TNR is supported by:

American Animal Hospital Association
American Association of Feline Practitioners
Humane Society of the United States
American Veterinary Medical Association
American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Association of Shelter Veterinarians
(and almost all other major animal welfare organizations)

Why is TNR so important?

Euthanasia due to homelessness is the largest cause of death in cats. There are an estimated 20,000 and 100,000 homeless cats in Toronto and approximately 400 kittens are born on our streets everyday during the spring and summer.

Cats are very efficient reproducers!

Kittens as young as 5 months can become pregnant. Cats can have 2.2 litters/year (about 15 kittens). Queens can become pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth.

TNR is more cost-effective than trap and euthanise (Hughes 2002):

Consider that:

-Impounding and holding feral cats prior to euthanasia is more expensive than sterilizing.

-Volunteers can usually be found to trap for spay/neuter, but not to trap for euthanasia


The TNR movement in Toronto

This spring Toronto Animal Services announced the opening of a new spay/neuter clinic and that they would sterilize feral cats for free six days a month. This amazing breakthrough was the catalyst that formed the Toronto Feral Cat TNR Coalition – a group of local cat rescues, volunteers and Toronto Animal Services working collectively to improve the lives of feral cats through strategic TNR programs.

The Toronto Feral Cat coalition includes:

•Toronto Animal Services
•Toronto Feral Cat Project
•Toronto Cat Rescue
•Annex Cat Rescue
•Toronto Humane Society
•Action Volunteers for Animals
•Animal Alliance
•Urban Cat Rescue


What is the THS doing?


-We have initiated volunteer vet driven TNR spay clinic. We held our first clinic on Sept 26th and sterilized 22 feral cats! The THS TNR taskforce is busy
(made up of staff, volunteers and board members)

-We have established a THS TNR taskforce (made up of staff, volunteers and board members) and we are busy:

• Building over wintering shelters for homeless cats
  
  
• Assisting to transport cats to clinics for S/N services
  
  
• Assisting with socialization and adoption of feral kittens
  
  
• Organizing public events to raise awareness about TNR and the plight of homeless cats

Feral Cat Winter Shelters

We built several winter shelters for feral cats. Below you can find information on how to build a shelter for the feral cats in your area.

Click here for information on how to build a feral cat winter shelter

Donate today!

• A trap ($102) or a trap divider ($15) - (ordering information at front desk)
  
  
• Donate large plastic storage bins to build over wintering cat shelters
  
  
• Donate to our TNR fund - just $10 can help cover the costs of the vaccines, suture, and anesthetics involved in the TNR of a feral cat.
  
  
• Donate to the TAS Spay/Neuter clinic to ensure they will have the funding to continue their free feral spay program
  
  
• Click here for donation information for Traps and Trap and Release Programs