Feral Cats: Trap, Neuter and Return Program

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Prior to October 2008, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter offered no solutions for residents dealing with healthy feral cats. With the establishment of a trap, neuter and return program using resident volunteers, a humane solution was developed in which the cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and returned to their original outdoor colonies. Each cat would also have its left ear notched to signify that it has been altered and vaccinated. The cats’ sterilization would halt the continued reproduction of these animals to create “kitten free zones” and “rabies buffer zones” in which vaccinated animals provide public health protection. In the three years since the Fairfax County Animal Shelter implemented its trap, neuter and return (TNR) program for feral cats, the shelter has trained a “resident army” of 330 trappers, which has resulted in more than 1,800 cats being spayed or neutered. Up to an estimated 10,000 births have been prevented. The program has generated support from residents, many of whom had been dealing with feral cats on their own for decades.