I care for 4 & one actually was hit by a car a cpl years ago & since he trusted me to take care of him, he became an indoor/outdoor baby after that traumatic experience. Love them all. 😻
Thanks for this important discussion. I have done some TNR in my day - and once had to rehouse 5 cats who had already been TNR'd. They lived, for a very long time, at a house that had been sold and the new owners were super nasty and wanted these cats GONE. I was so afraid they would poison them. I worked with a nothing-short-of-saintly network of professional TNR/cat ladies in the neighborhood and we eventually caught and rehoused them to a safe, permanent space. No less than 1 month later the cat-free house with the nasty owners became infested with -- you guessed it - a family of mice! 😆
@@ShannaM1 He was someone's pet had human interaction when he was young before he lived on the streets. No real feral cat will EVER let a human touch them.
Did TNR 35 years. Managed many colonies. I got very tired and old and stopped until a bunch of stray feral starving kittens landed on my doorstep. I TNRed 16 cats and kittens last year.
Another obstacle is the need for more agencies to help care for colonies. Waiting months for an appointment for spay/neuter is discouraging and I can’t afford to see a regular vet for each feral. 😢
My house came with a community. In the last 7 years I have TNR'd a lot of cats. I have been able to tame and find homes for quite a few of the kittens, and I currently have 9 indoor feral failures that have become mine and are quite loving. The TNR venture has cost me thousands of dollars. There are 2 females that know how to climb over the trip bar, but the number of new kittens is starting to decrease. The TNRs out back are very visible and some tame enough to pet.
I got the feral/stray kitties that live in/around my yard fixed using our town's TNR services. The last baby (about 6 months old) came back sick, so I took her in, nursed her back to health, and now she's part of our household
We've also gotten the ferals in my area fixed with a local TNR service! And at least a dozen babies off the street and into homes thanks to a local vet. We're even working on slowly socializing two of the friendlier (sterilized) adult ferals we look after outside; The hope is that one day we'll be able to bring them inside. It's slow going but one lets me pet her when eating now, so there's definitely progress!
I'm so glad your baby got well, and learned to love and trust you! Two of my three cats were feral, but somehow they came to my remote 20 acre property in the mountains, needing help. One had a recently severed tail, the other just wanted inside because a wild predator was chasing him. They both were wild and crazy when we got them inside, but both chose one human they trusted. My son's cat is the little black female with the chopped-off tail, and she's either on his lap or within 2 feet of wherever he is. Mine is an adorable tuxedo male who I named "Houdini" because at first he made himself invisible by hiding in impossibly small spaces. Now he's very attached to me, sleeps next to me, and wants to play every waking moment. I love him so much! Good thing, because the black stubby tailed cat hates him, but loves our big border collie who protects her while she sleeps. Some feral cats can become wonderful, affectionate pets! It takes patience, though.
@@LazyIRanch Turtle (she has a tortoiseshell coat) needed to be fed by hand because she had no interest in eating on her own, and she didn't feel well enough to be spicy, so she just accepted me holding her, and then she must have realized being petted felt nice :D She bonded with me so hard, she sleeps by my side most of every night. Even my old kitty who passed last year, who I had from 5 weeks old, didn't sleep with me like that.
@@howling_starr 2 of the kitties I got fixed have stuck around, the others have since dispersed. The mama cat won't let anyone get close enough to touch, the male is friendly. He must have had a home at some point, or positive human interactions, cause he loves being petted. My bf doesn't like him coming inside though cause the 2 times we've let him in, he immediately went and peed in one of the cat beds :/ Maybe once our oldest cat passes, we can think about integrating him in.
I have 9 feral failures requiring medical interventions. Have had to use regular vets for care and neutering. Local APL is over capacity for TNR. All 9 are healthy now, save one with special needs, and very loving. My problem is that I am allergic. But I won't give them up.
I’m with OC Community Cats and we manage about 350 cats in the Anaheim area. Our local shelter no longer offers TNR services and it is almost impossible to get appointments for spay and neuter in Orange County so we go to neighboring counties. We have seen a huge amount of cats and kittens being dumped in our managed colonies because our shelter won’t take them. We keep working out there with the help of our volunteers and donors but it is so frustrating. Thank you Jackson for the help educating!
That is so sad! I wonder if a lot of the cats who are being dumped in Anaheim were abandoned there because people know that Disneyland does TNR. Or at least they used to. My ex has worked at Disneyland for over 32 years and talked about the cats often. His favorite was a huge ginger boy who was very friendly, "Tigger" (of course!). The cats helped Disneyland by eradicating rodents, they didn't want to use poison in a park with children. I always liked the restaurant near the Pirates of the Caribbean because there were lots of friendly cats hanging around. That was 20 years ago, so I'm not sure if that's still happening. Disneyland has become cold and heartless to newer employees, and may have stopped doing TNR too. All it takes is one Karen mom who sues Disneyland because their precious child got scratched after tormenting a cat.
We have a vet who once a year holds "The Last Tango for Tom". He will neuter any male cat for free. One day a year. Usually does 40 - 50 cats each year.
I wonder if that is what happened to my two new cats rescued from a colony outside Palm Springs? a TNR rescuer found them to be so friendly that they re-homed them after fixing them which is how I got them. They are model citizens. I hate to think that someone just dropped these guys off in a feral colony in the middle of the highway median, which is where they were found.
My mother was always big on putting food out for the neighborhood cats. After a few years, the Landlord of her development started to come down on her for feeding the cats. She was talking to some people at work about this and found out about TNR as well as about farmers in a rural neighboring county that wanted all the "fixed" feral cats we could round up. So, we started trapping as many as we could, taking them to get Fixed and then driving them to the farms and helping to acclimate them to barn living. Problem was solved within 6 months!!!
I am a volunteer at a cat shelter in Spain, and we have a TNR. We actually manage 6 cat colonies, and we are waiting to have more, since the cat population here is huge. We recently have recently "abandoned" one of them, since there were only two cats in that colony, a male tabby called Neo and a male Siamese names Luke. Neo recently fell ill, and one volunteer kept him home. Unfortunately, Neo has FeLV, and after some tests, we found that Luke is clean of FeLV and FIV. So now I am keeping Neo, since I don't have any other cats home, and let me tell you, he's an amazing house cat. He's shy and likes being alone, but from time to time he will climb into my lap, purr and make biscuits on my legs, and just lick me and give me headbumps. Luke is now in quarantine with the same volunteer that first had Neo (they couldn't keep him since they have two other cats) and we will soon get adopted. We are now keeping an eye into their old colony, so we can see if other cats come, and to check where Neo got it, since, again, there were only two cats and that colony it's pretty far from the town. TNR saves lives, people, because who knows how many other cats could have got FeLV from Neo, and we also got to discover two amazing cats that (I hope) will live long lives in a place where they are loved ant taken care of. PD: Neo is wating for his forever home, and I am seriously thinking about adopting him, even if that doesn't allow me to foster any other cats, and even with his health issues, since I fell in love with him from day 1.
Two of our cats are also originally from a feral colony. They took to a home environment readily and turned out to be good housecats. The only thing is, they don't like being held for an extended period of time. It just goes to show that feral cats are not an either-or situation. Some of them can be domesticated and socialized, as others have said.
@@crains8087 I would love that, but I really hope he's the only one in that case that can be fostered. I will contatct with other shelters on my new city to see if they need it, but yes, I am not closed to that option. I would love to help those little guys, even if my home is the last they have
We just started TNR with 1 cat after a Momma cat came back so sick we had to have her put down. I rescued her baby and he is mine now. One other we took in, neutered vetted and he disappeared about 6 weeks later bc he wanted to be out at night. Finally trapped a young female and did TNR. At least she won't have babies. She is cared for in the neighborhood. I will continue bc it is important. Thanks Jackson!
TNR along with a strong public spay/neuter campaign in my area has led to a large enough drop in animals on the street they now fly them in from places like Tenessee and Arizona to meet adoption demand, we just don't have enough locally. It really does work.
Obviously the cops in this town have very little to do. The town could save on it's budget by eliminating one car and police who ride in it. There was no need to handcuff those ladies. They were not dangerous. Just cops being aggressive.
I’m a shelter vet tech and we work closely with a community cat rescue in our area. I’m proud to help with TNR. Last year we altered over 500 cats for them. That’s countless less cats and healthier colonies!
Props to you and your shelter! Our shelter in Orange County used to have TNR program. Unfortunately the new shelter staff shut it down. For no good reason. So now we have a huge cat over population problem and people dumping friendly cats because they can't place them anywhere
@@justinelord95 you’re so sweet! I’m just one aspect. The amazing trappers do so much for these cats. Their love and care is something we should all aspire to.
@@occommunitycats7616 that’s so heartbreaking. We have some of the same issues up here too. We work with so many rescue groups because it’s so difficult for them to get high quality/high volume spay/neuter services. I truly hope something changes soon in your area.
I got my cat through a barn cat placement program- transplanting members of feral colonies to control rodent populations after TNR, if they can't be returned to their colony. I was lucky enough to be able to socialize her and today she's a wonderful house cat!
My second cat was from a barn colony a vet's mom had. She TNR'ed the colony and placed the kittens with homes with free shots and neutering. Mikko was more scared of humans than he had the right to be, considering she started socializing him a bit when he was about 4 weeks old, and in the end only bonded to me and at age 13 to my mom after she petsat for a week, but he was a bubbly, silly, happy little boy.
Mine was a barn cat too and he’s the sweetest little guy! He has some health complication and generally isn’t very intelligent so I’m sure he wouldn’t have survived too long living in the barn community
My friends live in Sacramento. They found a cat hanging out in their yard that was obviously a new mom. So they trapped her and her kittens. All were feral cuz the kittens were several weeks old. So they had them all spayed and neutered. The cats now basically live in their yard and is basically a twenty year commitment. But it’s such a service to the community
It is not a twenty year commitment. Outdoor cats do not live very long lives in most cases. Also, if the kittens were only several weeks old they were young enough to socialize with humans and potentially be adoptable.
@@r2db This is sooo TRUE. The oldest TNRs in my colony that hasn't succumbed to disease, cars, predators, unscrupulous trapping, etc. are a little over 10y/o & that is a miracle within itself!
My local Humane Society does this! I was really excited when I found out about it. One perk that makes me happy is that it reduces the likelihood that a rogue housecat will mistakenly be picked up as a feral, never to come back home.
My kitty was TNR'ed, she has the ear tip cut. She spent a little while feral after the big fires in northern Cal last year, but she must have had a loving home before that because she really likes people and having a home. Very well socialized and even the vet says she is so calm and tolerant. She still likes to have some outdoor time, but she never goes very far, she stays in my yard because I think she never wants to be on her own again. She's got that cushy life now!
did she show any problems after her ear was snipped, my concern is how much it hurts them?? that being said THANK YOU for looking after this kitty. you are AWESOME
@@janealdworth4341 Ear snips are usually done when the cat is under for their surgery, so they don't feel it, and when they wake up they don't usually notice because there aren't too many nerves there.
@@janealdworth4341 I also have an ear tipped cat that was supposed to be a barn cat. We ended up bring her into our house and she is now an indoor kitty. She loves to have her insides of her ears rubber. There are times when she really doesn't like to have her tipped ear rubbed. It is almost like a phantom pain with her but who knows.
@@janealdworth4341 It was all healed up months before I met her or adopted her. They have to anesthetize her to spay her so I assume the ear snip happens under anesthesia too. She doesn't have any scar tissue on her ear so it must have healed up quickly.
@@janealdworth4341 All of my current pets are eartipped bc they were former TNR's of mine & I have never seen so much as a reaction to it from them, thank God. I used to be antsy about it too esp. when I've seen some clinics clip shorter or more crooked than others before (bound to happen). Unfortunately though, that's the only thing they've come up with to be able to discern them from afar outside so what can you do?
we are 24 hours into our adopted fur'boy. He had been adopted then returned after 5 days! We were told he is very reclusive and shy...HA within a few hours he had checked the place out (we are a retired couple, live in a small, cozy condo) had some dinner, used his litter box and played with us and his new toys. By later evening he curled up on the sofa by me and is now sleeping in my lap. A KEEPER! Thanks for all the excellent info...I've moved a couple dreamcatchers w/feathers of course now we're waiting on inspiration for a name!!
THANK YOU, JG, FOR CALLING THIS OUT! Have been doing this @ 15y (in my CURRENT community, then 8y prior in others), been ostracized by neighbors for it & persecuted by Animal Control too (along with other Good Samaritan neighbors), managed to rescue some & give them good homes til they passed & lost many more to unscrupulous landlady, neighbors, & Animal control who were trapping to EUTHANIZE. We TNR PPL are paying OUT OF POCKET to do this & with OUR time & energy, but have to fight EVIL ppl who think ERADICATION is the solution, but science (& MORALITY!) proves IT IS NOT!
OMGOODNESS! What can I say apart from a HUGE THANK YOU! You said it all, my friend! Money, time and energy invested in TNR and unconditionally loving and parenting them has never been the problem! It's about managing EVIL on a daily basis! The irony is that those monsters intentionally forget they're RESPONSIBLE for cats and dogs since they were our ancestors creation, sort of, in the first place... Thank you for existing! 💙
Thank you all & everyone who TNR's as well! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
@@mariebella26 Thank you so much! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
@@martynraveybracey7202 Thank you so much! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
TNR has given me purpose. It's hard, it's heartbreaking, it's wonderful... every cat deserves love and respect. Thank you for spreading awareness on TNR, Jackson Galaxy. You are my hero.
Today I got a new cat. It has been a quest for about two months. He is adorable, he follows me along the house, and he is very playful. A nice little friend for many years to come.
TNR has worked in Santa Fe. There used to be a ton of ferals and five showed up in my yard. I got most of them TNRed (the mom vanished, I’m guessing a coyote) and they became great pest control in my garden. I never had a more, crickets, or grasshopper issue when they were around. They did get an occasional songbird but mostly they lounged around waiting for food. When they were rehomed or passed away I assumed more would just show up but none did. It’s five years later and I finally saw one.
I live in AL in a rural community with no animal control to address stray, abused and neglected animals. I have a number of feral cats living in my neighborhood and it’s heartbreaking to see them freezing in the winter and hungry. I gained the trust of one young female in heat, made some calls to different vets and the cheapest option cost me $400 for her spay and vaccines. I can’t possibly afford to trap, spay and neuter the others. It’s a hopeless situation that so many simply don’t care about.
My county has a TNR group that does so much good!! They also find homes for the ones that is possible for and I am the proud adopter of one and he’s the sweetest boy ever!
I live on a very remote island in Scotland called Shetland, we TNR multiple colonies across our islands. A lot of the colonies are due to barn cats growing out of control with very little to no care or socialised. A massive issue here is the effect on bird populations because we are a remote island in the middle of the north sea, very important for mitigation. We've actually got people complaining there aren't enough cats to adopt because we've been so effective here. There is no rescue centre on the island for dogs or cats so any cats or kittens that are able to be rehomed rely on foster homes like myself to allow that process. I usually get kittens or very young cats that are able to be socialised, especially with my dog as it's really difficult to get cats here that can go to homes with dogs in, and from their time with me I can then recommend the type of home that they can be placed in. We have a waiting list that's multiple years long so now work alongside a rescue on another remote island so cats are their centre can be rehomed here
I’m so glad this is being discussed! I have a colony of cats in my neighborhood and some years back I began using our local TNR program and managed to catch all the 7 cats I was feeding and adopted 5 of the babies already born. Our pet community center offers free service for anyone in our county and have free winter shelters to put out for them and information support. Only 3 are still alive after all these years but they’ve been safe and fed and that’s been a genuine reward. 2 more have come my way in 2022 and now the TNR has a 3 month waiting list which although is frustrating for me personally when I know these new cats are making babies also mean more people are using these services. So that’s great. If anyone has TNR program in their area, please consider donating money, carriers or supplies to them so they can expand services and help more strays and feral cats in their area. TNR saves cat lives 🐈 ❤
I've found similar problems in central Utah. I drive TNRs 4 hours to get them spayed/neutered. When researching I did find that you can add Wild Carrot Seed Tincture to feral cat's food as a form of birth control if you can't get them to TNR fast enough. I used it last year and it worked. You can look up a small study that was done on the tincture if you're interested.
I am one of those that has a cat colony, AND I TNR "ALL" of them that I trap here, and other places. I've been doing it for 10 years now, the time of covid made it really hard on the colony, because I got other cats from other places, and there wasn't any TNR at that time, so for about 2 years I was unable to TNR, no one was doing it, which made me nervous because that meant more kittens. In my city we don't have any problems with law enforcement though, thank God for that, even the ASPCA help us in that by doing free spay/neuter, which I'm thankful for, because it's hard to afford TNR on our own, it's not at all easy in this economy!
I’m here to tell some stories about how TNR has been working at my university in Miami Florida which also has a similar feral cat overpopulation problem to LA in that there’s no winter and it’s always kitten season as you call it. I have been attending University of Miami for years and now for the past few years they have their own student club/organization called UPurr that feeds the cat colonies on campus and does TNR. They have been successful in many ways because I have been feeding one of their colony for 2 semesters and that colony has not increased in population at all. UPurr has even been able to get some of the cats in that colony who are more social to humans and walk right up to them and let them pet them ADOPTED into homes. One of the students who was the founder and is on the executive board of UPurr said that it was no easy task to get their student organization approved and incorporated by the university. They had to push hard for it. One time I was feeding them, a grounds worker for the university approached me about feeding the cats and in his sentiment was clearly that he was not a fan of their presence on campus at all. I had to explain to him that all these cats have ear tips, have gone through TNR and can’t reproduce, and that I have been feeding this same particular colony for MONTHs and it’s has not been growing and therefore this colony was stabilized. I told him I understand your concerns but this method of TNR is the most humane way to address them and that UPurr, a student organization, was approved and incorporated by the university to do just that. After listening to what I explained he expressed that he felt assured that the problem was being addressed and then left to move on to continue going about his job without any demands that I needed to stop feeding them. I then proceeded to keep feeding them and giving them catnip.
Gainesville, Fl here. UF vet school has hosted Operation Catnip for decades but UF still doesn't officially allow TNR on campus. It's ridiculous, considering O.C. was pretty early to the TNR table. Kudos to UofM!
@@sammygirl6910 it’s WILD to me that not all of Florida allows TNR. I thought when I first got down to Miami it happened everywhere because I helped an organization called THE CAT NETWORK that a basically a group of people that do TNR and foster homes for the cats that approach humans and let them pet them, ie humans aren’t a threat to them, and that’s when I first really learned about TNR. Maybe I can speak to the executive board members of UPurr at UM and see if they are willing to talk to other students interested in TNR from other FL universities and give them some tips for how they can try and push it through to get approved. I forgot to mention that UPurr works with vets as well, so that if one of the TNR cats has some medical problem it can be addressed and treated. Especially if UPurr can specifically speak to those who want TNR from the UF vet school, it may draw more people enrolled there interested than just UF in general which is a huge school with only a small percentage of students who would be pursuing veterinary studies. UF student activists board would also probably be more receptive to TNR being considered if the arguments for it were coming from those specifically in the vet school where for many helping cats would be their desired field of expertise. I’ll talk to them and see if maybe they would be interested and being in touch. Operation Catnip sounds like a great organization, I’m sending much appreciation for your compassion and continued advocacy and help for these TNR cats. ❤️🐈🙏
@@nenapr5162 I’m Just trying to help and to be a part the voice of those cats who can’t advocate for the humane treatment for themselves that they inherently deserve! 🙏❤️🐈
Point out I mean and not pick. I mean I to say I will reach out to them first and ask them if they would be okay with speaking to you or the UF vet school. If and when I get an answer of yes from them after I ask them, I will report back to you and let you know. 😊
I failed at TNR. I kept the striped feral kitten I caught instead as I had been looking for a tabby cat anyway. I did help make sure his mom was TNRed though as people were feeding her.
I've trapped four adult cats and six kittens in my back yard since August; all have since been spayed/neutered. The shelter kept one kitten to adopt out, and I have foster-failed two of the six kittens. The momcat, her other three kittens and three tomcats are now back in the neighborhood. There are a couple of intact tomcat visitors that I would like to TNR, but getting the "free" vet appointments at the local shelter is *extremely* tough, due to a shortage of veterinarians. Out local TNR group made "spare" appointments available to me for ALL of them!
I got a feral cat from a feeding station that had been trapped and neutered, kept him in my barn for 6 weeks, he was getting nice and friendly, following me about... But the 2nd day I let him out free, he never came back. There's a lady less than a mile away as the cat roams with a colony on her place (that were there when she moved in). So I guessed he'd gone there for some company. This Sept, a little skinny black and white boy about 8-9 weeks old turned up in my hedge crying for food. I fed him, took him in, got him to the vet, dewormed, chipped and this week he gets neutered. He is utterly utterly sweet :-). I've taken him out on the lead so he knows the garden already. He will probably be an indoor/outdoor cat like all of them out here in the country (Germany). My neighbour has 5 cats (had 1 but she got pregnant young, and one black one just turned up) so company isn't far away if he wants it. One tabby comes round here I think, too.
A momma cat with her roughly 6 week old kittens showed up on our cul de sac in November 2023. We were able to trap 2 kittens the first night and they went to be fostered through a local group, we also trapped Momma and got her TNVRd. I began feeding to keep them close until we could coordinate TNR of the rest. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than I expected to coordinate trapping the remaining cats. Of course, we drew a few extra cats beyond that first group. April 17, 2024, I was finally able to find a trapper who loaned me 4 traps, I got 4 cats TNVR’d in 48 hours! Two of the young cats had kittens. I connected with a kitten rescue and we were able to trap one litter of kittens, a mom & kittens (now in a foster) and the last young momma had her kittens on my porch, but then she moved them before we could trap/foster them. There was one other injured older intact male. Took him to the regular vet, he’s fixed, vaccinated and working towards integrating in to our home (it’s a process). So all in all, I got 5 cats fixed in 1 week and 1 cat & 6 kittens in foster care. It’s a lot of work, but necessary 😻
The only factor you forgot to mention is that feral cats help keep the pest population down. My neighborhood had a rodent issue ten years ago and when a feral colony popped up, the rodent population disappeared. Rodent-control is worth mentioning to the cat-haters, because they hate having rats eat the wiring in their houses even more. So TNR helps even the cat-haters, because those cats can live out their lives and help reduce the rodent population just by virtue of living in the community amongst us humans. Thanks for this video. Well-done, as always!
This My cat is not TNR, but is indoor/outdoor (but only access to a couple small backyards within a city block /no street access and no access from predators outside of raccoons that leave her alone). She is our rodent control as we have fruit trees that attract lot of rodents. I find she doesn't touch the birds as far as I can tell, as there's so much rodents to feast on. While she does get regular cat food, her eating rodents reduces use of factory farmed food and transportation (rodents are "locally sources" food). Outside of the TNR itself, I feel like that aspect is ignored in debate around whether cats should be allowed outdoors in regards to birds -- it's contextual/situation dependent, cats that are mostly eating rodents isn't an issue (though rodents can be delightful creatures themselves) -- and arguments that negate that tend to be ignoring classism issues (considering those with cats as rodent control like farms tend to be low income [though that's not me XD]). I also think while cats effect on environment is important to negate (particular ferals in areas with sensitive populations) , it sorta pales in comparison toward how many birds aren;'t being born /thriving due to other human activity, and they're sorta being scape goated in a way that justifies the calls for mass culling all ferals that I've been seeing a lot :/ -- when it's a multi prong issue that can be tackled via a combination of TNR, sterilization and vet care access to low income folk's pets, education, re-habitation like replacing lawns with local plants (who's pests feeds birds/etc), less use of pesticides (again for bird food)... buying less so we take less from environment (which as a shopping addict, is damn hard but personally working on it, and also is something we mostly all contribute to, so harder for internet warriors to warrior against XD!) Outdoor cats can also provide emotional services to humans. It's a complicated issue, sorry for ramble.
@@hefoxed Low-income people in the city also look to get cats for rodent control. A good friend of mine grew up on the South side of Chicago, and she's always amazed at how much I pamper my house kitties because in her world people mostly got cats for rodent control and just let them do their thing.
@@kukui79 yep, and there's efforts to pair stray and feral cats with farmwrs for rodent control. There's a farmer on here that has some good content about importance of barn cats for him (goldshare farm?? Maybe. I suck at names). I really really think the debate needs more inclusive of class needs, I rarely see consideration of it in many of this discussion. Like there is this otherwise great cat rescue that I followed for a bit that does do tnr and rehoming, but unfollowed due to the guy who is kept saying fairly classist things around the rescues he was doing (basically equating cats not being indoors or being rodentors as abuse). 😳 I'm middle class, but I try to pay attention to class and my biases. I find it very useful to watch cat content from outside the US (as well as various parts of us) to try and have varying perspective (Anyhow, back to today's research into how hormonal-changing sterilization is actually probably really bad and increasing physical and mental issues (at least for many dogs) and yet the US vets ignore the research on this and don't learn/offer hormone sparing sterilization techniques, that would probably be less expansive 😳😳 -- but Norway and such actually bans it as cruel).
I love the fact that the shelters around here only adopt out cats after they have been fixed. We just got a new cat from a shelter and he came from a home that had 50 cats. All of those cats were surrendered, fixed, and hopefully adopted out. The lady started with 3 cats and in just a few years, had 50 cats.
I think another benefit of TNR is that not all unsocialized cats stay that way. My friend has a reasonable sized feral cat colony around her yard and neighborhood. She does TNR with them (I think some of her neighbors help sometimes) and (unlike in Alabama!) our city supports her so it works out. One of the cats decided to move into her house instead of going back to the colony. She's a very sweet little tortoiseshell who jumps into my lap every time I come over.
I adopted two kitties from the same colony. They are almost 2 yrs old. They were apart of TNR but were too ‘friendly” to be released back, so they were sent to a shelter. They’re the sweetest boys.
Once again, another great video!! I do TNR in my community and educate my neighbors. My HOA supports my work and we’ve changed our bylaws to protect the TNR’d cats here.
There are 10 different places in town where I TNR & manage the colonies. Many of these cats are friendly, but they have been left behind by caretakers or owners who moved away & couldn't take their cats. It is very sad & overwhelming.
So very true, but also while others are abandoned by irresponsible owners who put them out like my neighbors bc they don't want the responsibility anymore, think it's normal to late cats roam free, a behavior issue they couldn't deal with, etc. Then these are the same ppl who turn you in when you try to TNR THEIR animals they've tossed out! So, ppl, watch ur backs. The irony is repulsive.
I am so lucky I live in a city with a supported TNR office at the local humane society, supported by a variety of TNR volunteers. When the feral cats I was feeding (who I thought had been neutered already) had kittens, I immediately called the TNR office. They connected me with a volunteer who dropped off all the cages, blankets (to cover the cages, to keep the cats calm), and the food and paper bowls that I needed to trap the cats. It helped they I had been feeding them for a while; I caught the dad cat the first night, then I caught the last surviving kitten (long, sad story) the next day, then the TNR volunteer told me how to use the trapped kitten to trap the mom, who was wary of the cages. Within 48 hours of contacting the volunteer, all three cats were safely delivered to the Humane Society. Two days later, mom and dad were returned, neutered and fully vaccinated, and I was able to keep feeding them. The kitten was returned some days later, neutered, vaccinated, and deemed "feral". However, as I continued to feed the little family, the kitten became friendly with me and she eventually got adopted! 🥰 TNR is effective and humane. Shame on the Alabama police office that arrested these women for doing this selfless service for the community!
Thank you Jackson for talking about this all important topic of TNR. Our neighbors all are together to ensure the small colony that roams our street is well cared for. From TNR effort to feeding and more we assure that our 4-8 community kitties are safe. In winter there are warming blankets , warming houses and water sources that won't freeze It is gratifying and humbling to see how these cats know who they can count on and where to come when they need us. A few even allow pets now.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This video needs to be shared and shared. I volunteer for a small but dedicated cat rescue in Connecticut and I care for their largest colony. This colony has gone from over 25 cats now down to around 13. This is due to TNR and having some cats that became adoptable, I have one of those cats. These cats deserve everything that our indoor cats get, love and good care. Again, thank you for this awesome video!
If you live in a suburban/urban area, or a university town with a veterinary college, there may be help you can access to defray the costs. Happy trapping! I suggest you do some research on how to trap successfully. It's not hard, but there are a few tricks that are really helpful.
It is a shame that our society is so messed up that they do things like this that does not make sense, instead of helping people to do the right thing in doing TNR for these poor animals that are multiplying, dying in the cold winters and been euthanized for existing. I feed two cats that were TNR and have been able to stay in their own colony and my neighbor feeds them as well, in addition a shelter has been provided in our backyard for them to use during extreme weather. It is only humane that these colonies be kept through programs like TNR for the reduction of their colonies. Thank you Jackson for your videos and your knowledge. ❤❤❤
Our local human societies here in Florida do the TNR. And it's also done in places in San Antonio. It's wonderful and helps everyone. Especially our fluffy friends.
We've saved so many strays...and we have 5 living permanently with us, two of them just moved in on their own. Many strays that find their way to us are too sick to save and its heartbreaking. Because people living here will say "oh that cat, we've seen him around here for 2 years" yet they did nothing...? Makes my blood boil.
I am here because we just took in a tnr cat who decided to adopt us. I live in Ontario Canada and our local humane society has helped caregivers tnr their colonies for years now. A huge thank you to all who participate in tnr!!!
Spreading information about TNR is great. Executing it is an entirely other battle. I have a cat colony in my back yard. I’m not proud about it. The first year that it happened, we tried to TNR them. Initially, everyone is excited and wants to help and they give you “lots of resources.” When you contact those resources, there is very little help. Our ASPCA shelters are so full and understaffed that they won’t help you. At most you can rent one trap cage from them for $50. If in the event you pay the fee and catch a cat, the burden of fixing them is on you. They will not do it. They will give you places to call that will do it “cheaper” but they’re not much cheaper, and that’s if you can get in to them and their mondo exclusive hours for “reduced rates.” I didn’t mind doing the work to catch all the cats and transport them all in and transport them all back to be released. I didn’t even mind the fee for the cage and all that. But I could not afford a massive bill plus taking time off work to meet their insistent schedule. It wasn’t possible and felt like it had been made intentionally as difficult as possible ☹️ like, I just wanted to help some cats, man ☹️🐈⬛
Been there. Have TNR'ed on/off over 20y. Persistence& patience is key. Sometimes it took me many SEASONS to get all the current cats in a colony TNR'ed (saving up the $, trapping, buying traps, scheduling appts, time off, locating more low cost clinics, etc.) Don't give up, its possible! Keep your eyes on the goal!
I volunteer and care for a TNR colony. Thank you for bringing attention to this, thank you!!! Most of the cats I never get close to or interact with, just watch them from afar but watching the colony stay healthy and not seeing little kittens get into “accidents” anymore is one of the most rewarding things. I also got my cat from the colony (she became overly friendly) and she is the absolute love of my life. We TNR’d about 500 cats in my town last year and have been seeing huge impacts from it. Please please please help however you can and support TNR in your communities to save the kitties!
I adopted a TNR cat 13 years ago. She was tame and fits in with 2 other cats adopted at the same time. I also have 3 dogs. I know she has a good life with me!!!😍
I have always wanted to get into TNR on LI - my feral population is much smaller now, but there are still some cats. Do you have any suggestions on how I can ger involved?
So glad you mentioned San Jose! The Human Society of Silicon Valley also has a working cat adoption program for cats that aren't appropriate to keep indoors as pets. My friend's warehouse adopted three great ratters from the program. All they need is a warm sheltered place to sleep and a little bit of food. They have been neutered and vaccinated. Once a year he traps them and brings them to the shelter for veterinary care. Every weekday morning the cats proudly line up their kills next to where he parks to show him what a good job they've done. He then gives them a treat. Then everyone goes about their day at work.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to educating humans on the well-being of our beloved cat communities. I have learned SO much from your videos. My cats thank you, too. 😸💕😸Mr. Jackson, YOU ROCK 💛
An online friend Jennifer Vaughan & her kiddos did this in 2020 I believe when the schools were shut down & they had downtime. She did an amazing job & some of the kittens she tamed them & got them homes. She still has 2 at her house that she decided to keep. They were in a park & WILD!!!
I've been doing TNR for four years in my area. I've trapped many cats, neutered, returned or got them to foster homes or got them adopted. The arrest of these women angers me to no end!!!!
Understand WHY they were arrested. They were not arrested for TNR or for feeding cats. They were arrested for trespassing on county property. I wish Jackson would have covered this better. TNR is a great program and should be implemented but that does not mean that someone can just go anywhere they want to it. I have a couple of neighbors across the street from me who participate in TNR as we have a colony near me. Another neighbor has a garage where he lets the cats take cover when they need to. I also leave some food out so it will be available to them if they need it. If you are going to participate in something like this, even if it is not in an official capacity, your compassion does not give you the right to break the law to do it. That is what this was.
@@claytoncourtney1309 I understood that from what he said. I just hoped that someone could have had some compassion for what they were doing on the property.
I assisted my aunt with TNR while working at her clinic in 1998 in Walton county Florida. This was a fantastic program then and I’m really glad that we’re talking about it now.
Jackson I just love that you're working so hard to help these poor ladies who all they were trying to do was help! ❤️❤️❤️ I really hope to see a happy ending for them and for the city & park they were servicing!! (Edit: fixed a typo)
As a cat shelter volunteer for almost 20 years, I have so much to say. TNR works. Feral cats that wind up in municipal shelters die a horrible death at the hands of the shelter staff (not all of whom are humane about it either... and even when it's humanely done, the cats die in complete terror and the staff is emotionally affected). In some cases, cats that are TNR'd wind up being adopted because sometimes they can become tame or if they are kittens, they can be turned around, but if not, they are best off being in a managed colony. Those two women are heroes and I hope something is done about situations like that where law enforcement make horrible, ridiculous decisions (and bad laws need to be removed from the books).
I seem to be singlehandedly managing/caring for a colony of "yard cats" (as I call them). Ten, fifteen cats or so. My county (Kern county, California) has a TNVR program, which saved my financial butt. A couple of the tamer kittens who had gotten sick were brought inside, doctored, fostered, and adopted to close friends. But no more yard kittens for the past 9 months, so we're making progress!
two of my cats are feral to friendly, and they are the sweetest, most cuddly cats now, it's like they're now realizing what they were missing all those years. i live in a neighborhood where there are dozens of feral cats, and so many of my neighbors have had misconceptions about what im doing when i tnr, but when i explain it to them, they are very supportive.
I have been doing TNR of our neighborhood cats with my wife for the past 2 years and our TNR kitties are as part of our family as our indoors cats. One of the TNR kitties even ended up as an indoor cat. And not having to see dead kittens by the road is definitely a positive.
Our ginger beige cat was abandoned by a neighbour in our complex and was easily convinced with some food, he decided the next day to come inside and that evening he was snuggled up in my lap. He's now neutered, chipped and fully vaccinated. That was nearly 5 years ago.
May I also suggest that people send POLITE comments to the city of Wetumpka, explaining the importance of TNR and the work of those ladies? They have an online contact form on their website, under the “Contact Us” section.
I live in Minnesota and our harsh winters are not conducive to outdoor cats, but I volunteer at a cat shelter that brings in cats from all over the state and into foster homes before eventual adoption. They do great work and I’m happy to be a part of it!
We do TNR surgeries everyday at the spay/neuter clinic I work for. I live in a rural area & we do thousands of surgeries a year for trap cats. The amount of street kitties is insane & you wouldn’t even realize it
Salute to the TNR heroes out there! Thanks to you all ,and to Jackson Galaxy for showing me what an ear clip signifies. Weeks after watching a video that mentiond how to recognize a TNR cat , a kitty with a clipped ear showed up on my lawn trying her best to get my attention. I named her Missy, and she's gradually learning to live as a house cat. It 's taking a period of months to get her used to life indoors. She loves sleeping with me .
Thanks for this video. Almost three years ago (right before the pandemic fully hit), we noticed a trio of cats that would hang out around the wooded area near our house. We eventually were able to identify 7 different cats that called our street home. I noticed most of them were missing the tip of their ear, and finally learned about TNR when looking up why they all had had a piece missing from the same ear. Over the course of that time, we set up homemade shelters and were feeding them to keep them close and in a safe area. The amazing thing is, two of those cats have now become indoor lap cats, a third has become indoor/outdoor, and a fourth has taken up residence underneath the deck of our sunroom. They have been the sweetest, most loving companions we could ask for. So you never know how things can turn out with these colonies. Not only is it satisfying to know that we have made their lives better, but the love they have returned has made the last few years a little less painful.
Thank you so much for explaining TNR...I so appreciate all the information! So grateful for you Jackson & all you & so many do for our cat communities😻
I actually watched this video with my former feral cat. She was one of the community cats that we TNRed that lived in my neighborhood and she actually came back and decided to live inside with us a few months later and has been living the good life since.
Bless you Jackson! If only more folks would get on board! I have TNR'ed 21 cats and take care of 14 at my country home. Please keep spreading the word!
My boy was meant to be a TNR (he has the clipped ear). He'd bonded with another cat in the colony who must have been a pet previously because she's a TOTAL mojito cat (she does NOT have the clipped ear because they knew she'd be adoptable) and the rescue figured out that if they kept these two together he might be socializable. One assessment home and two longer term foster homes (poor thing is terrified of dogs), he's now comfortably a house cat even though I suspect he'll never be a lap cat. Boy loves belly rubs once he knows you're safe though! The rescue we got them from has managed to close several colonies locally through a combo of TNR and socializing the socializable cats.
I have rescued 3 outdoor cats in the last 2 years. We finally trapped the mom cat after she had 2 litters of kittens. And found out she was pregnant with 4 baby’s. We found homes for all the babies. We are trying to make her friendly but she really wants to go back outside. So I’m battling that issue. We live in a busy area and I’m scared she will get hurt. I thank all the people who help these community of cats!
In Turkey we have stray cats everywhere and all animal carers support adoption of these animals. A big part of these cats could and would love to be a part of your family. My cat was a stray cat once; as well as my sister’s. These cats can become a pet. That’s why we as animal lovers support banning reproducing animals so the stray dogs and cats have bigger chance to find home.
A TNR volunteer here. Thank you for making this video. Dealing with a feral situation right now. Half of the battle is to have the right people skills to acquire info and ask for assistance (keeping an eye out or refilling the bowl) animal lovers will come together in the end
I perform TNR in my community. Our rescue group sponsors the spay neuter. I have 2 live traps so I trap them and drive them to the clinic. Last year we fixed 17 cats and rescued around 20 kittens young enough to be socialized and adopted. This year we have about 3 or 4 cats left that need fixed and 2 colonies will be completely sterile. It's a great feeling to see these cats have a better life. Especially the old females that kept reproducing. They look fantastic now.
I follow the Flatbushcats channel and have known about TNR since 2018. It is impossible not to be moved by the passionate involvement of the staff and how much they have helped to relocate thousands of stray cats in dire situations.
I really lucked out. My city works with our local animal shelter to do TNR. Before they did that I was feeding them and trying to socialize and get homes for them. I have found homes for 4 of them. We currently have 14 cats in our home, 10 of which were rescued from our back patio. I always recommend TNR to anyone who asks me or tells me about too many feral cats in their neighborhood.
In my neighbourhood in Germany we used to have a lot of stray cats but at some point they all got tnr and since then (over 15 years or so?) there have been only a few cats on the streets, whoch all have owners and just take a walk sometimes on their own
Yes starting in the 90's a TNR programm was deployed by the biggest Animal Weelfare Organisations, and cofunded by the governments. Since then stray cats and feral cats have gotten so rate that most shelters can afford to give even the ferals a home, knowing they will never be adopted.
We still have new kittens happening out here in the country in MV. Mine came to me this year on his own in September. He's very sweet and gets neutered this week. I think it's hard to trap in the country. The local ladies took 6 weeks to trap and get "my" previous cat neutered. (He was 6 weeks in my barn, getting friendly - but ran off on the 2nd day I let him out. There's a lady with many cats nearby, I think he went there).
Thank you as always. Our community did 1,000 last year and is working hard at even more this year. Our humane society finally started their own program too!
Vet student here! I attend Midwestern University in Arizona and every other weekend, our school's Shelter Club folks run a TNR for our surrounding communities. Can confirm that everything Jackson said in this video is 100% accurate. These folks that care for the different colonies really care about these cats and, whenever they come in for their TNR, we vaccinate them and ear tip them and take all precaution so we don't get bit by them and they're as comfortable as they can be while in our care. I've participated in a few of them and they were not only great learning opportunities for us vet students but it's an amazing feeling knowing you're helping out the community :).
I have got to say to everybody on here who help any animals that you are amazing people and I bless you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 Shouldn't the bloody police catch humans who hurt humans not that poor lady who probably really loves cats and can't help them any other way.
My cat Rosie, very sadly now gone, was a rescue and her ear was tipped. I knew nothing about her history when she came to me but she was the most affectionate cat I have ever known. I miss her every day.
The same thing happened to my friend who runs his own non-profit organization here in South Africa. He had to spend the night in jail for “trespassing.” 😔
I love this! Why? Because I love cats. A suffering cat makes me blue. 😿 I happy cat makes me happy! Cats are, I think, one the most beautiful and precious things imaginable. Thank you SO much for this, Jackson.
I had a stray kitten hiding in my garden in 2003. As she grew she got use to me feeding her and after a year i was finally able to pet her. i got so use to her being around i built her a house on stilts and she loved it. when it was cold she had a heated bed. Then in 2005 she had a litter of kittens on April 15. I did not know what to do with the kittens and didn`t want to be the house with 30 some cats running around. I kept one of them and called him Oscar. The rest of them went to the humane society where they found homes for all of them. After that there was a catch and release for feral cats called the Cinder fund in East Detroit. She is now fixed and back with me . This coming April she will be 20 years old and still a outside cat. Her house is now a 2 story condo with a stairway. She is slowing down a lot now but still healthy and happy. Still have Oscar, he is strictly an inside cat but just found out he has mouth cancer on his jaw and a Tumor under his tongue. Will have to put him down soon. Hardest thing i have ever had to do is to put down something you love.😢
TNR has been an absolute game changer for me after having discovered a colony of cats living in my yard a few years ago. A local program, Metro Denver Cat, came out and helped trap all of them, and we've fed and keep an eye on them since. After about a year, the colony was mostly stabilized and we just put new cats (a now rare occurrence) through TNR. We've grown to really enjoy our little colony, and it's sad when a cat stops showing up for food, gets sick or injured, but the fighting, the yowling, the marking, it's pretty much all stopped after TNR, and I feel confident the humans and the cats are all living much better lives for it.
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So glad you all watched and commented on this topic. SO important that we show up for these cats!
Change is in the Air!
I care for 4 & one actually was hit by a car a cpl years ago & since he trusted me to take care of him, he became an indoor/outdoor baby after that traumatic experience. Love them all. 😻
Thanks for this important discussion. I have done some TNR in my day - and once had to rehouse 5 cats who had already been TNR'd. They lived, for a very long time, at a house that had been sold and the new owners were super nasty and wanted these cats GONE. I was so afraid they would poison them. I worked with a nothing-short-of-saintly network of professional TNR/cat ladies in the neighborhood and we eventually caught and rehoused them to a safe, permanent space.
No less than 1 month later the cat-free house with the nasty owners became infested with -- you guessed it - a family of mice! 😆
@@ShannaM1 He was someone's pet had human interaction when he was young before he lived on the streets. No real feral cat will EVER let a human touch them.
@@belmum1689 not true. Feral cats can become pets. Just takes awhile for them to trust humans. Sometimes a long while
Did TNR 35 years. Managed many colonies. I got very tired and old and stopped until a bunch of stray feral starving kittens landed on my doorstep. I TNRed 16 cats and kittens last year.
Curious question since you do it for a long time; did you observe a decrease in feral cat population?
Thank you for doing that❤
Another obstacle is the need for more agencies to help care for colonies. Waiting months for an appointment for spay/neuter is discouraging and I can’t afford to see a regular vet for each feral. 😢
Invest in your TNR project and update all friends with photos and precisions plus let them know you need financial help.
Investez dans TNR et tenez au courant vos amis par photos avec précisions et un lien pour dons.
My vet provides an earlier spay appointment when I tell her its a feral cat involved.
My house came with a community. In the last 7 years I have TNR'd a lot of cats. I have been able to tame and find homes for quite a few of the kittens, and I currently have 9 indoor feral failures that have become mine and are quite loving. The TNR venture has cost me thousands of dollars. There are 2 females that know how to climb over the trip bar, but the number of new kittens is starting to decrease. The TNRs out back are very visible and some tame enough to pet.
Yes!
I got the feral/stray kitties that live in/around my yard fixed using our town's TNR services. The last baby (about 6 months old) came back sick, so I took her in, nursed her back to health, and now she's part of our household
We've also gotten the ferals in my area fixed with a local TNR service! And at least a dozen babies off the street and into homes thanks to a local vet. We're even working on slowly socializing two of the friendlier (sterilized) adult ferals we look after outside; The hope is that one day we'll be able to bring them inside. It's slow going but one lets me pet her when eating now, so there's definitely progress!
I'm so glad your baby got well, and learned to love and trust you!
Two of my three cats were feral, but somehow they came to my remote 20 acre property in the mountains, needing help.
One had a recently severed tail, the other just wanted inside because a wild predator was chasing him. They both were wild and crazy when we got them inside, but both chose one human they trusted.
My son's cat is the little black female with the chopped-off tail, and she's either on his lap or within 2 feet of wherever he is. Mine is an adorable tuxedo male who I named "Houdini" because at first he made himself invisible by hiding in impossibly small spaces. Now he's very attached to me, sleeps next to me, and wants to play every waking moment.
I love him so much! Good thing, because the black stubby tailed cat hates him, but loves our big border collie who protects her while she sleeps.
Some feral cats can become wonderful, affectionate pets! It takes patience, though.
@@LazyIRanch Turtle (she has a tortoiseshell coat) needed to be fed by hand because she had no interest in eating on her own, and she didn't feel well enough to be spicy, so she just accepted me holding her, and then she must have realized being petted felt nice :D She bonded with me so hard, she sleeps by my side most of every night. Even my old kitty who passed last year, who I had from 5 weeks old, didn't sleep with me like that.
@@howling_starr 2 of the kitties I got fixed have stuck around, the others have since dispersed. The mama cat won't let anyone get close enough to touch, the male is friendly. He must have had a home at some point, or positive human interactions, cause he loves being petted. My bf doesn't like him coming inside though cause the 2 times we've let him in, he immediately went and peed in one of the cat beds :/ Maybe once our oldest cat passes, we can think about integrating him in.
I have 9 feral failures requiring medical interventions. Have had to use regular vets for care and neutering. Local APL is over capacity for TNR. All 9 are healthy now, save one with special needs, and very loving. My problem is that I am allergic. But I won't give them up.
I’m with OC Community Cats and we manage about 350 cats in the Anaheim area. Our local shelter no longer offers TNR services and it is almost impossible to get appointments for spay and neuter in Orange County so we go to neighboring counties. We have seen a huge amount of cats and kittens being dumped in our managed colonies because our shelter won’t take them. We keep working out there with the help of our volunteers and donors but it is so frustrating. Thank you Jackson for the help educating!
That is so sad! I wonder if a lot of the cats who are being dumped in Anaheim were abandoned there because people know that Disneyland does TNR. Or at least they used to.
My ex has worked at Disneyland for over 32 years and talked about the cats often. His favorite was a huge ginger boy who was very friendly, "Tigger" (of course!). The cats helped Disneyland by eradicating rodents, they didn't want to use poison in a park with children.
I always liked the restaurant near the Pirates of the Caribbean because there were lots of friendly cats hanging around. That was 20 years ago, so I'm not sure if that's still happening. Disneyland has become cold and heartless to newer employees, and may have stopped doing TNR too. All it takes is one Karen mom who sues Disneyland because their precious child got scratched after tormenting a cat.
We have a vet who once a year holds "The Last Tango for Tom".
He will neuter any male cat for free.
One day a year.
Usually does 40 - 50 cats each year.
Thank you for your services!! You are so important to the cause and you have a huge heart to do what you are doing!!
I wonder if that is what happened to my two new cats rescued from a colony outside Palm Springs? a TNR rescuer found them to be so friendly that they re-homed them after fixing them which is how I got them. They are model citizens. I hate to think that someone just dropped these guys off in a feral colony in the middle of the highway median, which is where they were found.
I live in San Francisco and I donate to you guys. Found you on Facebook
My mother was always big on putting food out for the neighborhood cats. After a few years, the Landlord of her development started to come down on her for feeding the cats. She was talking to some people at work about this and found out about TNR as well as about farmers in a rural neighboring county that wanted all the "fixed" feral cats we could round up.
So, we started trapping as many as we could, taking them to get Fixed and then driving them to the farms and helping to acclimate them to barn living. Problem was solved within 6 months!!!
My city has a program for feral cats being turned into barn cats. They're probably happier with fresh air and more mice.
There’s a demand for barn cats in my area too. I TNRed two kittens and gave them to a couple for their barn.
I am a volunteer at a cat shelter in Spain, and we have a TNR. We actually manage 6 cat colonies, and we are waiting to have more, since the cat population here is huge. We recently have recently "abandoned" one of them, since there were only two cats in that colony, a male tabby called Neo and a male Siamese names Luke. Neo recently fell ill, and one volunteer kept him home. Unfortunately, Neo has FeLV, and after some tests, we found that Luke is clean of FeLV and FIV. So now I am keeping Neo, since I don't have any other cats home, and let me tell you, he's an amazing house cat. He's shy and likes being alone, but from time to time he will climb into my lap, purr and make biscuits on my legs, and just lick me and give me headbumps. Luke is now in quarantine with the same volunteer that first had Neo (they couldn't keep him since they have two other cats) and we will soon get adopted. We are now keeping an eye into their old colony, so we can see if other cats come, and to check where Neo got it, since, again, there were only two cats and that colony it's pretty far from the town. TNR saves lives, people, because who knows how many other cats could have got FeLV from Neo, and we also got to discover two amazing cats that (I hope) will live long lives in a place where they are loved ant taken care of.
PD: Neo is wating for his forever home, and I am seriously thinking about adopting him, even if that doesn't allow me to foster any other cats, and even with his health issues, since I fell in love with him from day 1.
Yes, I agree that some of the cats born feral can actually be domesticated as adults.
If you adopt Neo, then you could also foster other FeLv+ cats.
Oh, please do adopt him!😸
Two of our cats are also originally from a feral colony. They took to a home environment readily and turned out to be good housecats. The only thing is, they don't like being held for an extended period of time. It just goes to show that feral cats are not an either-or situation. Some of them can be domesticated and socialized, as others have said.
@@crains8087 I would love that, but I really hope he's the only one in that case that can be fostered. I will contatct with other shelters on my new city to see if they need it, but yes, I am not closed to that option. I would love to help those little guys, even if my home is the last they have
We just started TNR with 1 cat after a Momma cat came back so sick we had to have her put down. I rescued her baby and he is mine now. One other we took in, neutered vetted and he disappeared about 6 weeks later bc he wanted to be out at night. Finally trapped a young female and did TNR. At least she won't have babies. She is cared for in the neighborhood. I will continue bc it is important. Thanks Jackson!
TNR along with a strong public spay/neuter campaign in my area has led to a large enough drop in animals on the street they now fly them in from places like Tenessee and Arizona to meet adoption demand, we just don't have enough locally. It really does work.
yes, and ideally one day no cat is born that does not allready have a place to go.
It hurts me so deeply to see these wonderful ladies being arrested for doing what's right. Thank you for supporting TNR and educating. 🐾💜🐾💜🐾
Obviously the cops in this town have very little to do. The town could save on it's budget by eliminating one car and police who ride in it.
There was no need to handcuff those ladies. They were not dangerous. Just cops being aggressive.
Just more proof that what's ethical and what's legal sometimes has very little overlap
She took a swing on the cop, that's probably why she had to slap iron.
American police mor foolish than animal
The police could be arresting those that really need to be arrested, not this sweet lady who is just trying to help. Sheesh!
I’m a shelter vet tech and we work closely with a community cat rescue in our area. I’m proud to help with TNR. Last year we altered over 500 cats for them. That’s countless less cats and healthier colonies!
Props to you and your shelter! Our shelter in Orange County used to have TNR program. Unfortunately the new shelter staff shut it down. For no good reason. So now we have a huge cat over population problem and people dumping friendly cats because they can't place them anywhere
Thankyou for your service you’re a hero 🙏👏
@@justinelord95 you’re so sweet! I’m just one aspect. The amazing trappers do so much for these cats. Their love and care is something we should all aspire to.
@@occommunitycats7616 that’s so heartbreaking. We have some of the same issues up here too. We work with so many rescue groups because it’s so difficult for them to get high quality/high volume spay/neuter services. I truly hope something changes soon in your area.
@@Jamiesayla keep up your awesome job everyone it takes a village
I just started doing TNR, I’m on my fifth successful TNR. It is very rewarding to try and get these under control. Thank you so much .
I got my cat through a barn cat placement program- transplanting members of feral colonies to control rodent populations after TNR, if they can't be returned to their colony. I was lucky enough to be able to socialize her and today she's a wonderful house cat!
Same here. Love my former barn cat!
My second cat was from a barn colony a vet's mom had. She TNR'ed the colony and placed the kittens with homes with free shots and neutering. Mikko was more scared of humans than he had the right to be, considering she started socializing him a bit when he was about 4 weeks old, and in the end only bonded to me and at age 13 to my mom after she petsat for a week, but he was a bubbly, silly, happy little boy.
Mine was a barn cat too and he’s the sweetest little guy! He has some health complication and generally isn’t very intelligent so I’m sure he wouldn’t have survived too long living in the barn community
Definitely more Free services are so desperately needed
My friends live in Sacramento. They found a cat hanging out in their yard that was obviously a new mom. So they trapped her and her kittens. All were feral cuz the kittens were several weeks old. So they had them all spayed and neutered. The cats now basically live in their yard and is basically a twenty year commitment. But it’s such a service to the community
I am sure they had to keep the babies until old enough to be neutered.
It is not a twenty year commitment. Outdoor cats do not live very long lives in most cases. Also, if the kittens were only several weeks old they were young enough to socialize with humans and potentially be adoptable.
@@r2db This is sooo TRUE. The oldest TNRs in my colony that hasn't succumbed to disease, cars, predators, unscrupulous trapping, etc. are a little over 10y/o & that is a miracle within itself!
@@RadAngelDMVare you sure you’re not just feeding new cats that look like the older cats
My local Humane Society does this! I was really excited when I found out about it. One perk that makes me happy is that it reduces the likelihood that a rogue housecat will mistakenly be picked up as a feral, never to come back home.
this is exactly my question! how exactly do they know if they've picked up a housecat instead of a feral?
My kitty was TNR'ed, she has the ear tip cut. She spent a little while feral after the big fires in northern Cal last year, but she must have had a loving home before that because she really likes people and having a home. Very well socialized and even the vet says she is so calm and tolerant. She still likes to have some outdoor time, but she never goes very far, she stays in my yard because I think she never wants to be on her own again. She's got that cushy life now!
did she show any problems after her ear was snipped, my concern is how much it hurts them?? that being said THANK YOU for looking after this kitty. you are AWESOME
@@janealdworth4341 Ear snips are usually done when the cat is under for their surgery, so they don't feel it, and when they wake up they don't usually notice because there aren't too many nerves there.
@@janealdworth4341 I also have an ear tipped cat that was supposed to be a barn cat. We ended up bring her into our house and she is now an indoor kitty. She loves to have her insides of her ears rubber. There are times when she really doesn't like to have her tipped ear rubbed. It is almost like a phantom pain with her but who knows.
@@janealdworth4341 It was all healed up months before I met her or adopted her. They have to anesthetize her to spay her so I assume the ear snip happens under anesthesia too. She doesn't have any scar tissue on her ear so it must have healed up quickly.
@@janealdworth4341 All of my current pets are eartipped bc they were former TNR's of mine & I have never seen so much as a reaction to it from them, thank God. I used to be antsy about it too esp. when I've seen some clinics clip shorter or more crooked than others before (bound to happen). Unfortunately though, that's the only thing they've come up with to be able to discern them from afar outside so what can you do?
we are 24 hours into our adopted fur'boy. He had been adopted then returned after 5 days! We were told he is very reclusive and shy...HA within a few hours he had checked the place out (we are a retired couple, live in a small, cozy condo) had some dinner, used his litter box and played with us and his new toys. By later evening he curled up on the sofa by me and is now sleeping in my lap. A KEEPER! Thanks for all the excellent info...I've moved a couple dreamcatchers w/feathers of course now we're waiting on inspiration for a name!!
Boomer - short for boomerang (cause he came back)
How about “Lucky”😊 Lucky to have you.
THANK YOU, JG, FOR CALLING THIS OUT! Have been doing this @ 15y (in my CURRENT community, then 8y prior in others), been ostracized by neighbors for it & persecuted by Animal Control too (along with other Good Samaritan neighbors), managed to rescue some & give them good homes til they passed & lost many more to unscrupulous landlady, neighbors, & Animal control who were trapping to EUTHANIZE. We TNR PPL are paying OUT OF POCKET to do this & with OUR time & energy, but have to fight EVIL ppl who think ERADICATION is the solution, but science (& MORALITY!) proves IT IS NOT!
OMGOODNESS! What can I say apart from a HUGE THANK YOU! You said it all, my friend! Money, time and energy invested in TNR and unconditionally loving and parenting them has never been the problem! It's about managing EVIL on a daily basis! The irony is that those monsters intentionally forget they're RESPONSIBLE for cats and dogs since they were our ancestors creation, sort of, in the first place... Thank you for existing! 💙
I bet you've saved hundreds, if not thousands, Thank you, Great job!
Thank you all & everyone who TNR's as well! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
@@mariebella26 Thank you so much! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
@@martynraveybracey7202 Thank you so much! The irony is I discover/ed many of the cats I've TNR'ed were/are ABANDONED house pets that IRRESPONSIBLE neighbors put or let out for good or just to roam free as pets (ILLEGAL, here at least), UNSPAYED therefore increasing the unwanted population AND a DEATH SENTENCE due to: diseases, predators, cars, starvation, exposure, etc.) So, ppl, PLEASE 🙏 be RESPONSIBLE if you're going to get a pet for God's sakes!
I had a TNR orange girl break into my house and stay shortly after I lost my 21yo tuxedo boy. I think he sent her to me. She's amazing.
TNR has given me purpose. It's hard, it's heartbreaking, it's wonderful... every cat deserves love and respect. Thank you for spreading awareness on TNR, Jackson Galaxy. You are my hero.
Yeah, "There are no tears in TNR", said nobody, ever...
Wow I love both of you!
Today I got a new cat. It has been a quest for about two months. He is adorable, he follows me along the house, and he is very playful. A nice little friend for many years to come.
Congratulations 🙂
I know this subject well because I do it for the colony of feral where I live, but I am always ready to learn something new!
Same here
I only have one and since I discovered her, she’s not missed one meal. She was already tipped so I didn’t have to do that, but was prepared to.
TNR has worked in Santa Fe. There used to be a ton of ferals and five showed up in my yard. I got most of them TNRed (the mom vanished, I’m guessing a coyote) and they became great pest control in my garden. I never had a more, crickets, or grasshopper issue when they were around. They did get an occasional songbird but mostly they lounged around waiting for food.
When they were rehomed or passed away I assumed more would just show up but none did. It’s five years later and I finally saw one.
I live in AL in a rural community with no animal control to address stray, abused and neglected animals. I have a number of feral cats living in my neighborhood and it’s heartbreaking to see them freezing in the winter and hungry. I gained the trust of one young female in heat, made some calls to different vets and the cheapest option cost me $400 for her spay and vaccines. I can’t possibly afford to trap, spay and neuter the others. It’s a hopeless situation that so many simply don’t care about.
My county has a TNR group that does so much good!! They also find homes for the ones that is possible for and I am the proud adopter of one and he’s the sweetest boy ever!
I live on a very remote island in Scotland called Shetland, we TNR multiple colonies across our islands. A lot of the colonies are due to barn cats growing out of control with very little to no care or socialised. A massive issue here is the effect on bird populations because we are a remote island in the middle of the north sea, very important for mitigation. We've actually got people complaining there aren't enough cats to adopt because we've been so effective here. There is no rescue centre on the island for dogs or cats so any cats or kittens that are able to be rehomed rely on foster homes like myself to allow that process. I usually get kittens or very young cats that are able to be socialised, especially with my dog as it's really difficult to get cats here that can go to homes with dogs in, and from their time with me I can then recommend the type of home that they can be placed in. We have a waiting list that's multiple years long so now work alongside a rescue on another remote island so cats are their centre can be rehomed here
I’m so glad this is being discussed! I have a colony of cats in my neighborhood and some years back I began using our local TNR program and managed to catch all the 7 cats I was feeding and adopted 5 of the babies already born. Our pet community center offers free service for anyone in our county and have free winter shelters to put out for them and information support. Only 3 are still alive after all these years but they’ve been safe and fed and that’s been a genuine reward. 2 more have come my way in 2022 and now the TNR has a 3 month waiting list which although is frustrating for me personally when I know these new cats are making babies also mean more people are using these services. So that’s great. If anyone has TNR program in their area, please consider donating money, carriers or supplies to them so they can expand services and help more strays and feral cats in their area. TNR saves cat lives 🐈 ❤
I've found similar problems in central Utah. I drive TNRs 4 hours to get them spayed/neutered. When researching I did find that you can add Wild Carrot Seed Tincture to feral cat's food as a form of birth control if you can't get them to TNR fast enough. I used it last year and it worked. You can look up a small study that was done on the tincture if you're interested.
@@samb3913 thanks! 👍
I am one of those that has a cat colony, AND I TNR "ALL" of them that I trap here, and other places. I've been doing it for 10 years now, the time of covid made it really hard on the colony, because I got other cats from other places, and there wasn't any TNR at that time, so for about 2 years I was unable to TNR, no one was doing it, which made me nervous because that meant more kittens. In my city we don't have any problems with law enforcement though, thank God for that, even the ASPCA help us in that by doing free spay/neuter, which I'm thankful for, because it's hard to afford TNR on our own, it's not at all easy in this economy!
I’m here to tell some stories about how TNR has been working at my university in Miami Florida which also has a similar feral cat overpopulation problem to LA in that there’s no winter and it’s always kitten season as you call it.
I have been attending University of Miami for years and now for the past few years they have their own student club/organization called UPurr that feeds the cat colonies on campus and does TNR. They have been successful in many ways because I have been feeding one of their colony for 2 semesters and that colony has not increased in population at all. UPurr has even been able to get some of the cats in that colony who are more social to humans and walk right up to them and let them pet them ADOPTED into homes.
One of the students who was the founder and is on the executive board of UPurr said that it was no easy task to get their student organization approved and incorporated by the university. They had to push hard for it.
One time I was feeding them, a grounds worker for the university approached me about feeding the cats and in his sentiment was clearly that he was not a fan of their presence on campus at all. I had to explain to him that all these cats have ear tips, have gone through TNR and can’t reproduce, and that I have been feeding this same particular colony for MONTHs and it’s has not been growing and therefore this colony was stabilized. I told him I understand your concerns but this method of TNR is the most humane way to address them and that UPurr, a student organization, was approved and incorporated by the university to do just that. After listening to what I explained he expressed that he felt assured that the problem was being addressed and then left to move on to continue going about his job without any demands that I needed to stop feeding them. I then proceeded to keep feeding them and giving them catnip.
God bless you!
Gainesville, Fl here. UF vet school has hosted Operation Catnip for decades but UF still doesn't officially allow TNR on campus. It's ridiculous, considering O.C. was pretty early to the TNR table. Kudos to UofM!
@@sammygirl6910 it’s WILD to me that not all of Florida allows TNR. I thought when I first got down to Miami it happened everywhere because I helped an organization called THE CAT NETWORK that a basically a group of people that do TNR and foster homes for the cats that approach humans and let them pet them, ie humans aren’t a threat to them, and that’s when I first really learned about TNR.
Maybe I can speak to the executive board members of UPurr at UM and see if they are willing to talk to other students interested in TNR from other FL universities and give them some tips for how they can try and push it through to get approved. I forgot to mention that UPurr works with vets as well, so that if one of the TNR cats has some medical problem it can be addressed and treated.
Especially if UPurr can specifically speak to those who want TNR from the UF vet school, it may draw more people enrolled there interested than just UF in general which is a huge school with only a small percentage of students who would be pursuing veterinary studies. UF student activists board would also probably be more receptive to TNR being considered if the arguments for it were coming from those specifically in the vet school where for many helping cats would be their desired field of expertise. I’ll talk to them and see if maybe they would be interested and being in touch.
Operation Catnip sounds like a great organization, I’m sending much appreciation for your compassion and continued advocacy and help for these TNR cats. ❤️🐈🙏
@@nenapr5162 I’m Just trying to help and to be a part the voice of those cats who can’t advocate for the humane treatment for themselves that they inherently deserve! 🙏❤️🐈
Point out I mean and not pick. I mean I to say I will reach out to them first and ask them if they would be okay with speaking to you or the UF vet school. If and when I get an answer of yes from them after I ask them, I will report back to you and let you know. 😊
I failed at TNR. I kept the striped feral kitten I caught instead as I had been looking for a tabby cat anyway. I did help make sure his mom was TNRed though as people were feeding her.
Sounds like a win!
I've trapped four adult cats and six kittens in my back yard since August; all have since been spayed/neutered. The shelter kept one kitten to adopt out, and I have foster-failed two of the six kittens. The momcat, her other three kittens and three tomcats are now back in the neighborhood. There are a couple of intact tomcat visitors that I would like to TNR, but getting the "free" vet appointments at the local shelter is *extremely* tough, due to a shortage of veterinarians. Out local TNR group made "spare" appointments available to me for ALL of them!
I got a feral cat from a feeding station that had been trapped and neutered, kept him in my barn for 6 weeks, he was getting nice and friendly, following me about... But the 2nd day I let him out free, he never came back. There's a lady less than a mile away as the cat roams with a colony on her place (that were there when she moved in). So I guessed he'd gone there for some company. This Sept, a little skinny black and white boy about 8-9 weeks old turned up in my hedge crying for food. I fed him, took him in, got him to the vet, dewormed, chipped and this week he gets neutered. He is utterly utterly sweet :-). I've taken him out on the lead so he knows the garden already. He will probably be an indoor/outdoor cat like all of them out here in the country (Germany). My neighbour has 5 cats (had 1 but she got pregnant young, and one black one just turned up) so company isn't far away if he wants it. One tabby comes round here I think, too.
A momma cat with her roughly 6 week old kittens showed up on our cul de sac in November 2023. We were able to trap 2 kittens the first night and they went to be fostered through a local group, we also trapped Momma and got her TNVRd. I began feeding to keep them close until we could coordinate TNR of the rest. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than I expected to coordinate trapping the remaining cats. Of course, we drew a few extra cats beyond that first group. April 17, 2024, I was finally able to find a trapper who loaned me 4 traps, I got 4 cats TNVR’d in 48 hours! Two of the young cats had kittens. I connected with a kitten rescue and we were able to trap one litter of kittens, a mom & kittens (now in a foster) and the last young momma had her kittens on my porch, but then she moved them before we could trap/foster them. There was one other injured older intact male. Took him to the regular vet, he’s fixed, vaccinated and working towards integrating in to our home (it’s a process). So all in all, I got 5 cats fixed in 1 week and 1 cat & 6 kittens in foster care. It’s a lot of work, but necessary 😻
The only factor you forgot to mention is that feral cats help keep the pest population down. My neighborhood had a rodent issue ten years ago and when a feral colony popped up, the rodent population disappeared.
Rodent-control is worth mentioning to the cat-haters, because they hate having rats eat the wiring in their houses even more. So TNR helps even the cat-haters, because those cats can live out their lives and help reduce the rodent population just by virtue of living in the community amongst us humans.
Thanks for this video. Well-done, as always!
A very good point thanks
Just wish the bird-lovers understood that ultimately TNR helps them too. They go nuts on this subject.
This
My cat is not TNR, but is indoor/outdoor (but only access to a couple small backyards within a city block /no street access and no access from predators outside of raccoons that leave her alone). She is our rodent control as we have fruit trees that attract lot of rodents. I find she doesn't touch the birds as far as I can tell, as there's so much rodents to feast on.
While she does get regular cat food, her eating rodents reduces use of factory farmed food and transportation (rodents are "locally sources" food). Outside of the TNR itself, I feel like that aspect is ignored in debate around whether cats should be allowed outdoors in regards to birds -- it's contextual/situation dependent, cats that are mostly eating rodents isn't an issue (though rodents can be delightful creatures themselves) -- and arguments that negate that tend to be ignoring classism issues (considering those with cats as rodent control like farms tend to be low income [though that's not me XD]).
I also think while cats effect on environment is important to negate (particular ferals in areas with sensitive populations) , it sorta pales in comparison toward how many birds aren;'t being born /thriving due to other human activity, and they're sorta being scape goated in a way that justifies the calls for mass culling all ferals that I've been seeing a lot :/ -- when it's a multi prong issue that can be tackled via a combination of TNR, sterilization and vet care access to low income folk's pets, education, re-habitation like replacing lawns with local plants (who's pests feeds birds/etc), less use of pesticides (again for bird food)... buying less so we take less from environment (which as a shopping addict, is damn hard but personally working on it, and also is something we mostly all contribute to, so harder for internet warriors to warrior against XD!)
Outdoor cats can also provide emotional services to humans. It's a complicated issue, sorry for ramble.
@@hefoxed Low-income people in the city also look to get cats for rodent control. A good friend of mine grew up on the South side of Chicago, and she's always amazed at how much I pamper my house kitties because in her world people mostly got cats for rodent control and just let them do their thing.
@@kukui79 yep, and there's efforts to pair stray and feral cats with farmwrs for rodent control. There's a farmer on here that has some good content about importance of barn cats for him (goldshare farm?? Maybe. I suck at names).
I really really think the debate needs more inclusive of class needs, I rarely see consideration of it in many of this discussion. Like there is this otherwise great cat rescue that I followed for a bit that does do tnr and rehoming, but unfollowed due to the guy who is kept saying fairly classist things around the rescues he was doing (basically equating cats not being indoors or being rodentors as abuse). 😳
I'm middle class, but I try to pay attention to class and my biases. I find it very useful to watch cat content from outside the US (as well as various parts of us) to try and have varying perspective
(Anyhow, back to today's research into how hormonal-changing sterilization is actually probably really bad and increasing physical and mental issues (at least for many dogs) and yet the US vets ignore the research on this and don't learn/offer hormone sparing sterilization techniques, that would probably be less expansive 😳😳 -- but Norway and such actually bans it as cruel).
I love the fact that the shelters around here only adopt out cats after they have been fixed. We just got a new cat from a shelter and he came from a home that had 50 cats. All of those cats were surrendered, fixed, and hopefully adopted out. The lady started with 3 cats and in just a few years, had 50 cats.
I think another benefit of TNR is that not all unsocialized cats stay that way. My friend has a reasonable sized feral cat colony around her yard and neighborhood. She does TNR with them (I think some of her neighbors help sometimes) and (unlike in Alabama!) our city supports her so it works out. One of the cats decided to move into her house instead of going back to the colony. She's a very sweet little tortoiseshell who jumps into my lap every time I come over.
I adopted two kitties from the same colony. They are almost 2 yrs old. They were apart of TNR but were too ‘friendly” to be released back, so they were sent to a shelter. They’re the sweetest boys.
Once again, another great video!! I do TNR in my community and educate my neighbors. My HOA supports my work and we’ve changed our bylaws to protect the TNR’d cats here.
That's amazing!
Awesome news Thankyou for what you’re doing 🙏👏
❤️ Thank-you🐱for Covering this Growing Issue!🐈Bless your dear Heart!💋
There are 10 different places in town where I TNR & manage the colonies. Many of these cats are friendly, but they have been left behind by caretakers or owners who moved away & couldn't take their cats. It is very sad & overwhelming.
So very true, but also while others are abandoned by irresponsible owners who put them out like my neighbors bc they don't want the responsibility anymore, think it's normal to late cats roam free, a behavior issue they couldn't deal with, etc. Then these are the same ppl who turn you in when you try to TNR THEIR animals they've tossed out! So, ppl, watch ur backs. The irony is repulsive.
I am so lucky I live in a city with a supported TNR office at the local humane society, supported by a variety of TNR volunteers. When the feral cats I was feeding (who I thought had been neutered already) had kittens, I immediately called the TNR office. They connected me with a volunteer who dropped off all the cages, blankets (to cover the cages, to keep the cats calm), and the food and paper bowls that I needed to trap the cats. It helped they I had been feeding them for a while; I caught the dad cat the first night, then I caught the last surviving kitten (long, sad story) the next day, then the TNR volunteer told me how to use the trapped kitten to trap the mom, who was wary of the cages. Within 48 hours of contacting the volunteer, all three cats were safely delivered to the Humane Society. Two days later, mom and dad were returned, neutered and fully vaccinated, and I was able to keep feeding them. The kitten was returned some days later, neutered, vaccinated, and deemed "feral". However, as I continued to feed the little family, the kitten became friendly with me and she eventually got adopted! 🥰 TNR is effective and humane. Shame on the Alabama police office that arrested these women for doing this selfless service for the community!
Thank you Jackson for talking about this all important topic of TNR. Our neighbors all are together to ensure the small colony that roams our street is well cared for. From TNR effort to feeding and more we assure that our 4-8 community kitties are safe. In winter there are warming blankets , warming houses and water sources that won't freeze
It is gratifying and humbling to see how these cats know who they can count on and where to come when they need us. A few even allow pets now.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This video needs to be shared and shared. I volunteer for a small but dedicated cat rescue in Connecticut and I care for their largest colony. This colony has gone from over 25 cats now down to around 13. This is due to TNR and having some cats that became adoptable, I have one of those cats. These cats deserve everything that our indoor cats get, love and good care. Again, thank you for this awesome video!
Gonna take this step at my new place, lots of kitties outside that I feed and they deserve the best ❤️
If you live in a suburban/urban area, or a university town with a veterinary college, there may be help you can access to defray the costs. Happy trapping! I suggest you do some research on how to trap successfully. It's not hard, but there are a few tricks that are really helpful.
@@sammygirl6910 I have done it before, luckily there are a lot of places to help where I live:)
It is a shame that our society is so messed up that they do things like this that does not make sense, instead of helping people to do the right thing in doing TNR for these poor animals that are multiplying, dying in the cold winters and been euthanized for existing. I feed two cats that were TNR and have been able to stay in their own colony and my neighbor feeds them as well, in addition a shelter has been provided in our backyard for them to use during extreme weather. It is only humane that these colonies be kept through programs like TNR for the reduction of their colonies. Thank you Jackson for your videos and your knowledge. ❤❤❤
Our local human societies here in Florida do the TNR. And it's also done in places in San Antonio. It's wonderful and helps everyone. Especially our fluffy friends.
Major props to communities such as Flatbush Cats, spreading awareness and trying to get affordable spay / neuter services.
Great fan 👍
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use the above name to acknowledge your prize 💎💎💎
We've saved so many strays...and we have 5 living permanently with us, two of them just moved in on their own. Many strays that find their way to us are too sick to save and its heartbreaking. Because people living here will say "oh that cat, we've seen him around here for 2 years" yet they did nothing...? Makes my blood boil.
I am here because we just took in a tnr cat who decided to adopt us. I live in Ontario Canada and our local humane society has helped caregivers tnr their colonies for years now. A huge thank you to all who participate in tnr!!!
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Great fan,🎖💫
Thanks for watching and commenting Use the name above to massage me on telegram and Acknowledge your prize 🎁🎁
Spreading information about TNR is great. Executing it is an entirely other battle. I have a cat colony in my back yard. I’m not proud about it. The first year that it happened, we tried to TNR them. Initially, everyone is excited and wants to help and they give you “lots of resources.” When you contact those resources, there is very little help. Our ASPCA shelters are so full and understaffed that they won’t help you. At most you can rent one trap cage from them for $50. If in the event you pay the fee and catch a cat, the burden of fixing them is on you. They will not do it. They will give you places to call that will do it “cheaper” but they’re not much cheaper, and that’s if you can get in to them and their mondo exclusive hours for “reduced rates.” I didn’t mind doing the work to catch all the cats and transport them all in and transport them all back to be released. I didn’t even mind the fee for the cage and all that. But I could not afford a massive bill plus taking time off work to meet their insistent schedule. It wasn’t possible and felt like it had been made intentionally as difficult as possible ☹️ like, I just wanted to help some cats, man ☹️🐈⬛
Been there. Have TNR'ed on/off over 20y. Persistence& patience is key. Sometimes it took me many SEASONS to get all the current cats in a colony TNR'ed (saving up the $, trapping, buying traps, scheduling appts, time off, locating more low cost clinics, etc.) Don't give up, its possible! Keep your eyes on the goal!
@@RadAngelDMV Thank you, I needed to hear that.
I volunteer and care for a TNR colony. Thank you for bringing attention to this, thank you!!! Most of the cats I never get close to or interact with, just watch them from afar but watching the colony stay healthy and not seeing little kittens get into “accidents” anymore is one of the most rewarding things. I also got my cat from the colony (she became overly friendly) and she is the absolute love of my life. We TNR’d about 500 cats in my town last year and have been seeing huge impacts from it. Please please please help however you can and support TNR in your communities to save the kitties!
🙏👍🌎✊😽 Me too & THANK YOU****!!! KEEP UP THIS PHENOMENAL WORK!!!
Thank you, Jackson, for talking to us about TNR and it's positive outcomes for cats and humans.
I adopted a TNR cat 13 years ago. She was tame and fits in with 2 other cats adopted at the same time. I also have 3 dogs. I know she has a good life with me!!!😍
Longtime rescuer and TNR advocate here on Long Island (NY) - thank you so much for making this video. We need to educate more people about TNR!
I have always wanted to get into TNR on LI - my feral population is much smaller now, but there are still some cats. Do you have any suggestions on how I can ger involved?
So glad you mentioned San Jose! The Human Society of Silicon Valley also has a working cat adoption program for cats that aren't appropriate to keep indoors as pets. My friend's warehouse adopted three great ratters from the program. All they need is a warm sheltered place to sleep and a little bit of food. They have been neutered and vaccinated. Once a year he traps them and brings them to the shelter for veterinary care. Every weekday morning the cats proudly line up their kills next to where he parks to show him what a good job they've done. He then gives them a treat. Then everyone goes about their day at work.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to educating humans on the well-being of our beloved cat communities. I have learned SO much from your videos. My cats thank you, too. 😸💕😸Mr. Jackson, YOU ROCK 💛
An online friend Jennifer Vaughan & her kiddos did this in 2020 I believe when the schools were shut down & they had downtime. She did an amazing job & some of the kittens she tamed them & got them homes. She still has 2 at her house that she decided to keep. They were in a park & WILD!!!
The adult cats & untamed kittens were sterilized & returned to the place they were trapped.
I've been doing TNR for four years in my area. I've trapped many cats, neutered, returned or got them to foster homes or got them adopted. The arrest of these women angers me to no end!!!!
Understand WHY they were arrested. They were not arrested for TNR or for feeding cats. They were arrested for trespassing on county property. I wish Jackson would have covered this better. TNR is a great program and should be implemented but that does not mean that someone can just go anywhere they want to it.
I have a couple of neighbors across the street from me who participate in TNR as we have a colony near me.
Another neighbor has a garage where he lets the cats take cover when they need to.
I also leave some food out so it will be available to them if they need it.
If you are going to participate in something like this, even if it is not in an official capacity, your compassion does not give you the right to break the law to do it. That is what this was.
@@claytoncourtney1309 I understood that from what he said. I just hoped that someone could have had some compassion for what they were doing on the property.
I assisted my aunt with TNR while working at her clinic in 1998 in Walton county Florida. This was a fantastic program then and I’m really glad that we’re talking about it now.
Jackson I just love that you're working so hard to help these poor ladies who all they were trying to do was help! ❤️❤️❤️ I really hope to see a happy ending for them and for the city & park they were servicing!!
(Edit: fixed a typo)
As a cat shelter volunteer for almost 20 years, I have so much to say. TNR works. Feral cats that wind up in municipal shelters die a horrible death at the hands of the shelter staff (not all of whom are humane about it either... and even when it's humanely done, the cats die in complete terror and the staff is emotionally affected). In some cases, cats that are TNR'd wind up being adopted because sometimes they can become tame or if they are kittens, they can be turned around, but if not, they are best off being in a managed colony. Those two women are heroes and I hope something is done about situations like that where law enforcement make horrible, ridiculous decisions (and bad laws need to be removed from the books).
I seem to be singlehandedly managing/caring for a colony of "yard cats" (as I call them). Ten, fifteen cats or so. My county (Kern county, California) has a TNVR program, which saved my financial butt. A couple of the tamer kittens who had gotten sick were brought inside, doctored, fostered, and adopted to close friends. But no more yard kittens for the past 9 months, so we're making progress!
two of my cats are feral to friendly, and they are the sweetest, most cuddly cats now, it's like they're now realizing what they were missing all those years. i live in a neighborhood where there are dozens of feral cats, and so many of my neighbors have had misconceptions about what im doing when i tnr, but when i explain it to them, they are very supportive.
I have been doing TNR of our neighborhood cats with my wife for the past 2 years and our TNR kitties are as part of our family as our indoors cats. One of the TNR kitties even ended up as an indoor cat. And not having to see dead kittens by the road is definitely a positive.
Our ginger beige cat was abandoned by a neighbour in our complex and was easily convinced with some food, he decided the next day to come inside and that evening he was snuggled up in my lap. He's now neutered, chipped and fully vaccinated. That was nearly 5 years ago.
May I also suggest that people send POLITE comments to the city of Wetumpka, explaining the importance of TNR and the work of those ladies? They have an online contact form on their website, under the “Contact Us” section.
Please do - the 84-year old is my mother. She is heartbroken that she can't continue her work with the cats.
I live in Minnesota and our harsh winters are not conducive to outdoor cats, but I volunteer at a cat shelter that brings in cats from all over the state and into foster homes before eventual adoption. They do great work and I’m happy to be a part of it!
This is sane, compassionate & makes so much sense! Thank you Jackson for spreading this information!
We do TNR surgeries everyday at the spay/neuter clinic I work for. I live in a rural area & we do thousands of surgeries a year for trap cats. The amount of street kitties is insane & you wouldn’t even realize it
Thank you, thank you, thank you Jackson for sharing this video.
In my area they last about two weeks, between mice having been poisoned, coyotes, and people that catch them and remove if not shoot.
Salute to the TNR heroes out there! Thanks to you all ,and to Jackson Galaxy for showing me what an ear clip signifies. Weeks after watching a video that mentiond how to recognize a TNR cat , a kitty with a clipped ear showed up on my lawn trying her best to get my attention. I named her Missy, and she's gradually learning to live as a house cat. It 's taking a period of months to get her used to life indoors. She loves sleeping with me .
Thanks for this video. Almost three years ago (right before the pandemic fully hit), we noticed a trio of cats that would hang out around the wooded area near our house. We eventually were able to identify 7 different cats that called our street home. I noticed most of them were missing the tip of their ear, and finally learned about TNR when looking up why they all had had a piece missing from the same ear. Over the course of that time, we set up homemade shelters and were feeding them to keep them close and in a safe area. The amazing thing is, two of those cats have now become indoor lap cats, a third has become indoor/outdoor, and a fourth has taken up residence underneath the deck of our sunroom. They have been the sweetest, most loving companions we could ask for. So you never know how things can turn out with these colonies. Not only is it satisfying to know that we have made their lives better, but the love they have returned has made the last few years a little less painful.
Thank you so much for explaining TNR...I so appreciate all the information! So grateful for you Jackson & all you & so many do for our cat communities😻
I actually watched this video with my former feral cat. She was one of the community cats that we TNRed that lived in my neighborhood and she actually came back and decided to live inside with us a few months later and has been living the good life since.
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Bless you Jackson! If only more folks would get on board! I have TNR'ed 21 cats and take care of 14 at my country home. Please keep spreading the word!
My boy was meant to be a TNR (he has the clipped ear). He'd bonded with another cat in the colony who must have been a pet previously because she's a TOTAL mojito cat (she does NOT have the clipped ear because they knew she'd be adoptable) and the rescue figured out that if they kept these two together he might be socializable. One assessment home and two longer term foster homes (poor thing is terrified of dogs), he's now comfortably a house cat even though I suspect he'll never be a lap cat. Boy loves belly rubs once he knows you're safe though!
The rescue we got them from has managed to close several colonies locally through a combo of TNR and socializing the socializable cats.
Fantastic! I really want to learn more about this.
We had the TNR come to our small village about 6 years ago. What a difference in our feral cat population. God Bless them
I have rescued 3 outdoor cats in the last 2 years. We finally trapped the mom cat after she had 2 litters of kittens. And found out she was pregnant with 4 baby’s. We found homes for all the babies. We are trying to make her friendly but she really wants to go back outside. So I’m battling that issue. We live in a busy area and I’m scared she will get hurt. I thank all the people who help these community of cats!
My 3, mamma and her two boys became TN and keep😻
This area of Wetumpka, AL has a high violent crime rate. So happy that the police department has focused on cats and their rescuers
In Turkey we have stray cats everywhere and all animal carers support adoption of these animals. A big part of these cats could and would love to be a part of your family. My cat was a stray cat once; as well as my sister’s. These cats can become a pet. That’s why we as animal lovers support banning reproducing animals so the stray dogs and cats have bigger chance to find home.
A TNR volunteer here. Thank you for making this video. Dealing with a feral situation right now. Half of the battle is to have the right people skills to acquire info and ask for assistance (keeping an eye out or refilling the bowl) animal lovers will come together in the end
Ps we need fosters for the babies that can potentially be adopted out as the fiesty ferals get returned
You're awesome Jackson ! Keep releasing this info. Great job Bro !
I perform TNR in my community. Our rescue group sponsors the spay neuter. I have 2 live traps so I trap them and drive them to the clinic. Last year we fixed 17 cats and rescued around 20 kittens young enough to be socialized and adopted. This year we have about 3 or 4 cats left that need fixed and 2 colonies will be completely sterile. It's a great feeling to see these cats have a better life. Especially the old females that kept reproducing. They look fantastic now.
I totally want to get involved in TNR. We've got an overpopulation of stray cats in our community.
I follow the Flatbushcats channel and have known about TNR since 2018. It is impossible not to be moved by the passionate involvement of the staff and how much they have helped to relocate thousands of stray cats in dire situations.
You make an incredible difference in the world, Jackson ❤🐈
I really lucked out. My city works with our local animal shelter to do TNR. Before they did that I was feeding them and trying to socialize and get homes for them. I have found homes for 4 of them. We currently have 14 cats in our home, 10 of which were rescued from our back patio. I always recommend TNR to anyone who asks me or tells me about too many feral cats in their neighborhood.
In my neighbourhood in Germany we used to have a lot of stray cats but at some point they all got tnr and since then (over 15 years or so?) there have been only a few cats on the streets, whoch all have owners and just take a walk sometimes on their own
Yes starting in the 90's a TNR programm was deployed by the biggest Animal Weelfare Organisations, and cofunded by the governments. Since then stray cats and feral cats have gotten so rate that most shelters can afford to give even the ferals a home, knowing they will never be adopted.
@@hannajung7512 amazing! That was in Germany!?
We still have new kittens happening out here in the country in MV. Mine came to me this year on his own in September. He's very sweet and gets neutered this week. I think it's hard to trap in the country. The local ladies took 6 weeks to trap and get "my" previous cat neutered. (He was 6 weeks in my barn, getting friendly - but ran off on the 2nd day I let him out. There's a lady with many cats nearby, I think he went there).
Thank you as always. Our community did 1,000 last year and is working hard at even more this year. Our humane society finally started their own program too!
I opted out for tipped ear, but I think my baby got separated from her mom/colony. She’s pretty young so she stayed with me
Vet student here! I attend Midwestern University in Arizona and every other weekend, our school's Shelter Club folks run a TNR for our surrounding communities. Can confirm that everything Jackson said in this video is 100% accurate. These folks that care for the different colonies really care about these cats and, whenever they come in for their TNR, we vaccinate them and ear tip them and take all precaution so we don't get bit by them and they're as comfortable as they can be while in our care. I've participated in a few of them and they were not only great learning opportunities for us vet students but it's an amazing feeling knowing you're helping out the community :).
I have got to say to everybody on here who help any animals that you are amazing people and I bless you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗
Shouldn't the bloody police catch humans who hurt humans not that poor lady who probably really loves cats and can't help them any other way.
My cat Rosie, very sadly now gone, was a rescue and her ear was tipped. I knew nothing about her history when she came to me but she was the most affectionate cat I have ever known. I miss her every day.
The same thing happened to my friend who runs his own non-profit organization here in South Africa. He had to spend the night in jail for “trespassing.” 😔
I’m thankful to my community’s TNR efforts - I have a formally feral cat with a snipped ear sleeping on my bed right now!
I love this! Why? Because I love cats. A suffering cat makes me blue. 😿 I happy cat makes me happy! Cats are, I think, one the most beautiful and precious things imaginable. Thank you SO much for this, Jackson.
I had a stray kitten hiding in my garden in 2003. As she grew she got use to me feeding her and after a year i was finally able to pet her. i got so use to her being around i built her a house on stilts and she loved it. when it was cold she had a heated bed. Then in 2005 she had a litter of kittens on April 15. I did not know what to do with the kittens and didn`t want to be the house with 30 some cats running around. I kept one of them and called him Oscar. The rest of them went to the humane society where they found homes for all of them. After that there was a catch and release for feral cats called the Cinder fund in East Detroit. She is now fixed and back with me . This coming April she will be 20 years old and still a outside cat. Her house is now a 2 story condo with a stairway. She is slowing down a lot now but still healthy and happy. Still have Oscar, he is strictly an inside cat but just found out he has mouth cancer on his jaw and a Tumor under his tongue. Will have to put him down soon. Hardest thing i have ever had to do is to put down something you love.😢
This reminds me of the cats left to roam on Japan's Cat Island. Have you ever been there?
I haven’t. I know from friends that have been that it’s pretty sad. Hopefully TNR will be embraced there!
TNR has been an absolute game changer for me after having discovered a colony of cats living in my yard a few years ago. A local program, Metro Denver Cat, came out and helped trap all of them, and we've fed and keep an eye on them since. After about a year, the colony was mostly stabilized and we just put new cats (a now rare occurrence) through TNR. We've grown to really enjoy our little colony, and it's sad when a cat stops showing up for food, gets sick or injured, but the fighting, the yowling, the marking, it's pretty much all stopped after TNR, and I feel confident the humans and the cats are all living much better lives for it.