Trap-Neuter-Return Program Effective for Feral and Stray Cats

West Chicago, Illinois: November 9, 2012 – Homeowners facing the problem of unwanted or abandoned cats wandering the neighborhood in search of food and shelter may receive help from the not-for-profit group, Feral Fixers. The DuPage County organization is recognized for its dedication to the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, which is a humane and cost-effective way of reducing the population of feral (born in the wild) or stray cats.

Well-meaning residents who feed feral and stray cats without spaying or neutering them usually only compound the problem, since one female may have up to three litters of kittens each year. Trapping and euthanizing the cats is, at best, a costly and temporary solution.

Many area communities have endorsed TNR and Feral Fixers, and have seen dramatic declines in the homeless cat population and the number of cats and kittens at local shelters. Under TNR, both stray cats and feral cats are humanely trapped, vaccinated against rabies and other diseases and neutered by veterinarians. While the cat is under anesthesia, the tip of its left ear is painlessly trimmed off. This “ear-tipping” is the universal sign of a feral cat that has been spayed or neutered. Kittens and tame cats are then available for adoption. Healthy feral cats are returned to their familiar habitat to live out their lives. TNR breaks the otherwise endless cycle of over-population.

For more information, visit www.feralfixers.org, or call (630) 881-FXRS (3977).