Trap,Neuter,Return

At Cat’s Cradle, one of our most prominent programs is our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program. This program is especially impactful to our brand because it reaffirms our stance that all cats deserve to live in a safe and humane community. The purpose of TNR is to help reduce the overpopulation, disease, and problem behaviors of outdoor cats so that both cats and humans can coexist in the Harrisonburg community.

Trapping

The first step in our TNR program is trapping. Trapping is where Cat’s Cradle’s employees and volunteers will go into the field and set traps to capture cats. The purpose of these traps is to transport them to local veterinary associations so that they can be neutered. The ideal location to set traps is near the normal feeding areas of cats, while also using canned food to entice them.

Another useful tactic utilized by Cat’s Cradle is to use sheets to make cages seem less frightening. Cat’s Cradle is committed to safely capturing feral cats, so we use these methods to make this as painless as possible for these cats. Using these methods, Cat’s Cradle can trap upwards of 1,000 cats every year. If you’d like more information on trapping or would like to report a stray cat, then please call 540-440-1135.

Neuter

The second step in our TNR program is spaying and neutering. Cat’s Cradle works with partner vets such as the Anicira Veterinary Center in the Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Valley area, to offer reduced prices for spay and neuter surgeries. These surgeries prevent the cats from being able to reproduce, drastically decreasing the number of cats who would end up in shelters or even euthanized.

Return

The third step in our TNR program is returning. Once the cats have recovered from their sterilization surgery, they are good to be returned to their original location. It is crucial to return the cats to the same location where they were found and to avoid dangerous areas such as busy roads. A surgical procedure called “ear-tipping” is performed by qualified veterinarians to prevent an already spayed or neutered animal from being trapped again. Ear-tipping is a safe surgery where the top quarter inch of the cat's left ear is removed to create a physical marker that the cat has been sterilized and does not need to have surgery again.

Cat’s Cradle is happy to give information and resources to those interested in trapping cats; we will even provide the necessary equipment to do so. TNR is a team effort and the more cats we can sterilize and protect, the better.