I manage a successful TNVR organization in Tulsa, OK. It will always be hard for some people to return friendly cats. But if they follow-up on these cats after their return, they will see that they are happy, healthy and thriving in most instances. By the same token, not all friendly cats will do well in inside-only homes, plus we cannot trust that new owners will keep the cats inside. If they get outside at their new homes, they will not know the territory and can become disoriented and quick prey. I try to talk this through with our trappers and they begin to see the reasoning as they see the results. Why remove cats from a good life (for them) when there is no guarantee that the next home will be better?
Also, as we all know, many times people are watching out for these cats daily and will miss them if they are no longer around and would take care of them if they were injured or hurt.
I have maintained a small colony in my neighborhood for over 12 years. I still have 6 of the original group of 8. A few have come and gone, which is sad because I may never know what happened to them (I always trap and steriize them), a few appeared to be displaced (scruffy, confused, friendly and not part of the group of cats and not accepted by them) and they have been rehomed.
Last August, I lost the alpha of my colony and the whole dynamic changed. For years when he and his traveling buddy came into the back yard at feeding time, all of his buddies would come in and butt heads with their little tails in the air. For months and months, they didn't come eat at the same time any more and didn't hang out after meals to "visit". I was broken-hearted. All this to say that when a cat is pulled from a colony, it affects the entire colony and not necessarily in a good way. Trappers need to also keep in mind that the friendly cat may be making the way for others to be fed by the caregivers. If he/she is gone, the caregiver(s) may not be as interested in feeding.
One of the most important things to remember is that many people have outdoor pets (regardless of city ordinances) and if that pet is taken and re-homed before the owner can track it down, that can be traumatic on both the owners and the cat.
We have to help those wanting to give every cat an indoor home that the cat may have a better life outside with its cat and human friends and family. The best thing we can do for that cat is to sterilize and vaccinate it (microchip even better) and let them go back to the "home" they know.
I think when trappers have worked with a group of cats and the caregivers long enough, they will realize that the cat is friendly for a reason and is healthy in the environment it knows. I do want to say that if the friendly cat is a "displaced/abandoned/lost" cat and that should be apparent in its appearance, that cat should never be returned. Every effort should be made to find its owner and if not, then the cat should be placed in an indoor home. It is very obvious when a cat does not know its territory and should not be returned.
A little about my history. I worked in cat adoption for over 20 years. I firmly believe that indoor cats need to stay indoors. However, I used to suffer every single time I saw a cat living outside, wanting that cat to have a sofa to lie on and a bed to sleep with its human companion. When I began doing TNVR work, I realized that that would never be possible. There are too many cats out there, which is why I left the adoption work to do TNVR full time and advocate for community cats. I now truly believe that the cats that are sterilized and living outside have good lives...INCLUDING the friendlies. And they live much longer than I was ever led to believe back in the day. If they are sterilized, they do live better lives. By the same token, I do not advocate for trying to "tame" unsocialized cats. They are much safer if they are not trusting of humans.
Thanks for reading my essay! I love these cats and I know you all do too. We all want the best for them. I completely feel the pain of your trappers who hate to return the friendlies. Encourage them to check back in. We do this regularly. Often, it makes the trapper feel better about the decision to return the cat. ;)
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Samantha Polen
Executive Director
T-Town TNR, Inc.
Tulsa OK
https://www.ttowntnr.com/------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 08-12-2024 12:49 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Coping Strategies for TNR/TNVR Volunteers
This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
What it mostly says on the subject line-- Does anyone have coping strategies for volunteers who have to RTF friendly community cats?
We've recently had a bunch of them, and our little unit is TNR only-- no fostering. We've tried to approach shelters and rescues in the area about forming pathway partnerships for a very very small volume of friendly community cats (and to be clear-- there are cats that we can often pick up and put in carriers or transfer cages. FRIENDLY.) but unfortunately across the board everyone is full and thoroughly disinterested in even entertaining a discussion on the subject. I've even offered for us to hold them for a few days to de-flea, de-worm, and quarantine on our own dime to sweeten the deal, and that hasn't sparked interest either.
It's really starting to take a toll on the few folks that volunteer with me, and myself. We're just not in a position to branch out into fostering/adopting/etc, and having community caretakers question us on why overly friendly cats can't go into adoption programs just adds onto the emotional pile.
#CommunityCatManagement