General Information

Stress in Feral Cats

Feral Kittens

FeLV Testing

Sick Cats/Euthanasia

Trapping Instructions

TRAP/NEUTER/RETURN PROGRAM

Information for Feral Cat Caretakers

Stress in Feral Cats:

Stress is very common in feral cats coming in to the TNR program. A trapped cat loses control over their environment and loses their ability to flee from perceived or real threats. This can produce intense stress that can affect a cat’s health, prolong their recovery from surgery, and compromise their return to their outdoor home.

Cats’ conduits to the world are sight, sound and smell. Assess what they can see, hear and smell, and remove anything that might be a threat.  Accept that no matter what your normal relationship with the cat is, a trapped cat will not be consoled by your talking to them. The best thing you can do is keep the trap covered and leave the cat alone. Avoid holding trapped cats around loud or vibrating machinery, or in too hot or cold an area. Cats react to vibration as well as to excess noise. Do not play a radio. Quiet is the best environment for the cats.

Arrange to use a safe, fully enclosed vehicle to move the traps. Never move trapped cats in an open bed of a pickup truck or in the trunk of a car - this is unsafe and it terrifies the cats. Secure the traps with bungee cords or other restraints. If an unsecured trap tips sideways or upside down (from the cat’s or the vehicle’s motion), it can open and release the cat.