TNR

 
A TNR trap room

TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Return. It is the process used by the Hello Street Cat company in order to neuter stray cats, helping to control the stray cat population. Cats are sometimes captured using TNR to treat injuries, rather than neutering. The method is also used for vulnerable cats, such as very young kittens.

Hello Street Cat have released various reports on their TNR statistics, showing how TNR has been effective in neutering stray cats. On the other hand, the process isn't perfect, with cats sometimes managing to escape at various stages. Hello Street Cat are still working to improve the procedure.

Trap

This is the first step of TNR. Usually, a Mechanical Trap Room is attached to the feeder in order to catch the cat. It includes a sack extension, which allowed the cats to be captured and handled.

 
A cat with a straight ear clipping[1]

Neuter

Neutering is an operation that removes the cat's ability to reproduce. During this step, the cat is taken to a veterinary clinic in order to undergo the operation. They usually remain at the clinic until they have fully recovered. However, there have been some instances of cats escaping pre-emptively, such as Mr. Grandpa and Ms. Toast.

Return

After their time at the clinic, there are two options for the cat. Typically, they are either adopted into a home, or released back into the wild. Sometimes, cats who have been taken for TNR later return to their feeder, such as Big Faced Brother.

 
A cat with a circular ear clipping[2]

TNR Ear Clip

Cats who undergo TNR usually have one of their ears clipped, leaving a small but visible marking. This is to keep track of which stray cats have been neutered. If a cat is seen with an ear clip, we can assume that they have been neutered.

The cat's ear is clipped during the neutering operation. It heals very quickly, and causes no harm to the cat.[3]

Ear clippings usually take two forms - a straight line or a circular dent.

References