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Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

One of the most critical services provided by South County Cats is the trap, neuter, and return of feral community cats.  If you live in South King County and you encounter an outdoor cat, first try to determine if the cat is feral or stray.  If you're not sure how to tell the difference, here is a great article by Alley Cat Allies that can help... 

Feral and Stray Cats -- an Important Difference

If the cat is stray and tame enough to get into a carrier, you can take them to any vet and get them checked for a microchip.  Another option is to put a paper collar on the cat with your contact information or you can post a photo of the cat on social media sites like Facebook and Nextdoor asking your neighbors if the cat belongs to them.  

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If however, you determine the cat is indeed feral, or they are simply too skittish to approach, that's where South County Cats can help!  Contact us at southcountycats@comcast.net for expert advice on how best to proceed.  It is especially important to contact us as soon as possible if you see young kittens, a female cat that appears pregnant, or a male cat that is obviously unneutered. 

Check out this fun and entertaining video from Scooter the Neutered Cat, courtesy of The TEN Movement.  

 

Trap-Neuter-Return is the only responsible, humane method of care for feral cats.  Feral cats do not make good pets, and because they are not suitable for adoption they are typically euthanized upon surrender to a shelter.  TNR stabilizes feral cat populations. The cats are humanely trapped, vaccinated, and neutered, so no more kittens will be born. They are then returned to their original location to live out their lives in their outdoor home. TNR also improves cats’ lives by relieving them of the stresses of mating and pregnancy.

Sometimes home or business owners simply want the cats removed, however this is only done as a last resort, in cases where it is clearly not safe to return the cats.  Science indicates that removing feral cat populations only opens up the habitat to an influx of new cats, and each time cats are removed, the population will rebound through a natural phenomenon known as the “vacuum effect,” drawing the community into an endless cycle of trapping and removing.

Missing Cats

Whether your cat is indoor-only, or has access to the outdoors, the number one thing you can do to keep your beloved pet from going missing is to ensure they are spayed or neutered! 

Unneutered male tom-cats may disappear for several days, or even weeks, and they will travel for literally miles in pursuit of a female cat in heat.  While it is not as common for female cats to travel so far and wide looking for a mate, unspayed cats may go in search of a tom-cat if given the opportunity. 

One easy way to prevent this from happening is to make sure you get your cats either neutered or spayed as soon as possible, this also helps prevent the growth of the feral cat population too, as all feral cats are descendants of a pet cat that was at one time lost or abandoned.

If, despite your best intentions your cat has gone missing, you may be understandably upset and devastated, but don't panic!  The best action to take differs depending on whether your cat is indoor only, or an indoor/outdoor cat.  The below chart from Community Cat Coalition provides some great advice on how to proceed in either case.  Another great resource is the Missing Animal Response Network.  

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Spay/Neuter

First and foremost, South County Cats is a Spay/Neuter assistance organization. A common misconception is that you should wait until your pet cat is six months old before spaying or neutering.  In truth, it is not only safe to spay or neuter a healthy kitten at two pounds, or around eight weeks old, they recover much more quickly at that age.  A cat is old enough to reproduce at 4-5 months old and spaying a female cat prior to her first heat is the best way to prevent several types of cancer.  

 

Microchips

A common myth is that indoor-only cats don't need to be microchipped.  So often we hear people say there's no reason to microchip a cat that "never goes outdoors".  Unfortunately, accidents happen, and sometimes an indoor cat finds her way outdoors and found cats are 20 times more likely to be returned to their owners if they are microchipped!  Here is a link to a great article on the importance of microchipping indoor cats.  

Although the primary focus of South County Cats is Spay/Neuter assistance, microchipping is also one of our passions.  There are many jurisdictions in the Puget Sound area that offer free or low-cost microchipping.  For more information about microchip programs in your area, please contact us at 

southcountycats@comcast.net.