We do TNVR exclusively in Tulsa, OK. We are different from most TNR programs in the US because we do most of the trapping and manage all of the clinic appointments for the cats that are trapped by our team or the property owner that we work with. We do not have our own clinic so scheduling and coordination of cats, colonies and equipment require quite a bit of data management. We have averaged 1,500 cats a year for the last three years.
The most important tip I can give you is to
practice "targetted trapping"...
aiming for the entire group of cats (colony) ... and if at all possible, focus on the cats in a given neighborhood or area. Otherwise, you will never make a noticeable impact on your community as far as reducing the unowned cat population. While it is true that every cat spayed or neutered is a win and the life of that cat will be immeasurably better, it will do little for the group of cats that cat lives and eats with and there will continue to be more and more reproduction that will make your group and your supporters feel like you are on the proverbial treadmill.
I'm not entirely sure how you will do that if the public is trapping on its own... but I will tell you that our group was born because another local organization was selling spay/neuter vouchers for stray cats and those cat caregivers (or feeders) who were taking care of a group of cats (which is much more the norm than just one or two cats) could not get all the cats in the group in a timely manner because the feeder could only get two vouchers per month. We saw a need and T-Town TNR was started to address groups of cats vs. the occasional stray or displaced cat (though we will certainly help with those too... they are just not our priority.)
Feel free to contact me if I can be of any further assistance. We would have never been as successful as we are without the help of others that had experience to share with us!
Good luck and thank you for caring about the community cats in South Chicagoland!
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Samantha Polen
Executive Director
T-Town TNR, Inc.
Tulsa OK
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-30-2022 09:08 AM
From: Dawn Isenhart
Subject: Supporting the community with TNVR
Hi,
My name is Dawn Isenhart with Lulu's Locker Rescue. We are a small rescue in the South Chicagoland area. In our county (Will County) there isn't an organized TNR group that works this area. We would like to start helping more. We want to put together a plan as to not get overwhelmed. We have thought about announcing that we can sponsor X number of spay/neuter packages per month. I was just wondering if anyone recently started a similar program and would have any advice?
Thank you,
Dawn
#CommunityCatManagement
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Dawn Isenhart
President
Lulu's Locker Rescue
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