What is TNR?

TNR stands for "trap, neuter, return" and it is an extremely useful way to limit the community cat population. Community cats are comprised of stray and feral cats. Groupings of these cats are referred to as a colony of cats.

Trapping and sterilizing the cats keeps the feral cat numbers down. Kittens can reproduce as early as five months of age and reproduce at any time of the year.

TNR typically works like this: cats are trapped in humane animal traps, the cat is sterilized, given an ear tip to designate they have been fixed, and returned back to their colony after recovering from surgery.

We partner with local, low-cost spay and neuter services to sterilize the community cats. Since there is a cost associated with sterilizing the cats, we are constantly raising money to support our efforts. You can donate to our efforts here.

Not only does TNR limit the cat population, but it also helps the lives of the cats. Intact males are prone to aggressiveness and spraying. Once a male is fixed they are less likely to be confrontational with other cats and no longer need to mark their territory. With an increase in sterilized cats, there is less fighting for food and turf. This benefits the colony as a whole. Sterilized females benefit from no longer having litter after litter of kittens. Fewer pregnancies for the female cat increases her overall health as having multiple litters negatively affects her system. Kittens born in colonies have a 25% chance of survival at best. They are typically born to unhealthy mothers, full of parasites, and fighting for food. The situation is quite grim for the kittens born into this life. When we find viable kittens, we trap them, vet them, and socialize them for adoption. The majority of our adoptables come from our TNR missions!

Our goal is to give every cat a better life.

If you'd like more information on TNR, please contact us! We can provide you with more information and resources on how to get involved with TNR in your area. Contact us here.

If you'd like to submit a request for CTC to help you TNR, click here. Please note that we primarily service the North Hills of Pittsburgh and are often unable to help outside of that radius.

If you have found cats, kittens, or are looking to surrender, please do so by using this form.