Trap Neuter (Spay) Vaccinate Release
TNVR (also known as TNR) is a national program in most places designed to reduce the feral, semi feral and barn cat populations. Cats that are non adoptable (fear of humans, signs of aggression to humans, etc) are generally canidates for TNVR. If you need to sign up for a spay day, please click here
For more TNVR resources, click here
Volunteers known as Colony Caretakers provide food, water and shelter to TNR colonies and monitor them for injury or disease. They also help in trapping cats for their procedure.
Here is how a typical TNR colony works:
Colony Caretaker signs up for a spay day listing the estimated amount of cats that need to be TNVR. A date is then set for the procedure and if comfortable, the colony caretaker can set live traps the night before. Animal control or CART may be available to assist with trapping if requested by caretaker.
The cats are then brought to the clinic on spay day, given ID for both the cat and the trap and are then weighed. When staff is ready, the cat is put under injectable general anesthesia while in the trap. Once the cat is asleep, it is safety removed from the trap, prepped for surgery, vaccinated for rabies and distemper, given surgical meds (pain medication and antibiotics) and dewormed. During this time, the trap the cat came in is disinfected and cleaned for safety before being brought to recovery.
The cat is then brought into surgery where it is quickly examined, it is spayed/neutered and a portion of the left ear removed for identifcation.
The cat is then placed back in the trap and reversal medication (to wake up the cat) is injected. Volunteers monitor the cats as they recover and once they are awake, they are fed. Once the cat finishes the food and is fully recovered, the colony caretaker is called and the cat is brought back to the colony location.
Colony Caretakers then place the trap in a warm spot for 24 hours to ensure the cat fully recovers from the procedure and ensure there were no complications. The cat is then released and monitored by the colony caretaker.