What if there are no Resources in my area?
If you want to help cats in your community through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), but you don’t have the financial resources or the ability to do it yourself, you can still help community cats. You might not be able to perform TNR on your own, but you can still lead the charge for TNR by connecting with local TNR groups, spay/neuter clinics, veterinarians, and even your neighbors!
First, try reaching out to members of our Feral Friends Network, who typically provide advice and guidance on community cats, TNR, and sometimes loan out humane traps. While they may not be available to directly help with TNR, you can explain your situation and the type of assistance you’re looking for and they might know of someone whom they can refer you to. You can also contact the veterinarians listed in the Feral Friends Network to see what resources they can provide you with directly or if they have any recommendations for with whom to work.
You should also contact your local veterinarian or spay/neuter clinic. Explain that you want to help community cats through TNR. If they are inexperienced with TNR and working directly with community cats, share our Veterinary Resource Center for helpful information specifically for veterinarians. Talk with your local veterinarian or clinic to see if they’d be willing to lower the cost of spay/neuter surgeries as part of TNR. Some veterinarians are happy to help when they find out you are doing something that will positively impact the community.
Finally, work with friends, family, and your community to invite them to assist with TNR. Educate them on the benefits of Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNR): helps to stabilize and reduce the community cat population and eliminates common behaviors that are typically associated with mating (ie, yowling, fighting, and new litters of kittens under porches). TNR is a great way to bring your community together for a single, positive goal. If you get enough people on board, you can even take the next step of forming an organization for helping cats. Use our How to Start an Organization guide for everything you need to unite fellow cat lovers, spread the word on TNR and community cats, effectively pull your resources together, and save cats’ lives!