What is TNR?
Community cats are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, sterilized, and marked by an identifying notch on the left ear, all administered by a veterinarian, and returned to the trap location. TNR is a proven method that is both humane and effective. The colony population size remains stable. When all cats are spayed, neutered, and returned to a colony or area where the animal was trapped, the population size will gradually decrease as offspring are no longer produced. Because of the gradual decrease, the vacuum effect will not occur.
Why is TNR Beneficial to the Lincoln County Community?
For a long time, “catch and kill” was a widely accepted method of managing community cat colonies or stray cats. The cats were trapped and removed from their established area to be euthanized. While this method causes an instant decrease in the overall numbers, it is not effective over time. Colonies subject to “catch and kill” typically end up increasing in number back to their original size as a result of what is known as the vacuum effect.
What is the vacuum effect? Community cat colonies, like other populations of animals in the wild, have a certain population size at which they are most stable. When the population size of a colony is drastically reduced in a short amount of time, the colony reacts by trying to return to the stable size. The remaining members of the colony increase mating activities in an effort to create more offspring and stabilize the colony population size. A reduction in size also opens the door for newcomers to the colony – other cats in the area may move in. Because of the vacuum effect, “catch and kill” has no lasting impact on the size of a community cat colony.
Once the community cats within a colony are spayed and neutered, not only will the population size gradually decrease, but the cats will also be healthier and coexist more peacefully within a neighborhood. Female cats, prevented from having any more litters, will be healthier. Male cats will gradually lose the urge to roam and fight, and will be less prone to injury. Behaviors associated with unaltered cats, such as yowling and marking territory with urine, will disappear.
What is Needed?
You will need to stop by our Shelter to obtain a Card from us. You will have to fill out an application first and let us know how many cats you will be trapping. The co-pay per cat is $30 per cat. After you have obtained your card that you will be presenting to your veterinarian you will FIRST CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO YOUR VET OF CHOICE and ask them when would be a time to start trapping or what days they accept TNR Cats at their Facility. We have traps available to rent, but the deposit is not refundable.
We need volunteers for neighborhood support groups to assist elderly and handicapped individuals to trap their feral cats.
You can get information about the TNR program at our Animal Shelter —
(575) 257-9841
To make a donation to the feral cat program, you can send your donation to
P.O. Box 2832, Ruidoso, New Mexico, 88355 or Donate through the button at the top of the page.
