TNVR: What It Takes

Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return, also referred to as TNVR, takes a big commitment in time and financial resources. It's hard to appreciate the enormous effort involved in helping homeless feral cats have a better life if you haven't actually done the work.

Pulling back the curtain on our TNVR efforts, here's what it looks like from preparing to trap to releasing the cat back to its known environment:

• Preparation. We make an appointment for TNVR care at an area clinic. We cut up Chewy boxes for cardboard to line the trap so that the cat doesn't have its paws resting on the metal floor. Lining the trap is especially important for kittens. It's easy for their paws to get smashed when they slip through the trap floor. Bait is purchased, such as tuna or fried chicken. Then, the trap is lined with the cardboard, a little cup for the bait is placed in the trap, a trap cover and pee pad accompanies each trap. We're ready.

• Trapping cats. We experience the most success when trapping early in the morning, many times at 5:30 a.m. When we know the area we are trapping, it doesn't take long to trap a cat--maybe 30 to 40 minutes. The trap is set with the bait with a line of it leading to the cup at the back of the trap just beyond the trip plate that shuts the door. Trapping is pretty much over in the area once a cat is trapped, because the other area cats have scattered.

• Holding the cats until surgery. We transfer the trapped cat to a large kennel until he (in this case, Maverick who is pictured with the post) can go in for his neuter surgery and vaccinations. In the kennel he has a tub for a bed, a litterbox, water and food (wet and dry). A sheet covers the kennel so he can rest comfortably and to reduce anxiety.

• Transporting cats for surgery. This is the most time-consuming part of our work. We usually leave our home before 6 a.m. to transport the cat to the spay-neuter clinic where we have an appointment. Then, we return later in the day to pick him up. In total, it takes about three hours out of our day and a fair amount of gas.

• Recovery. We return the cat to his kennel for recovery, provide canned food and check on him multiple times during the evening. In the morning, we make sure he passes the test for release: no signs of blood in the kennel, he ate and drank over night as well as used the litterbox.

• Release. Almost always the cat is ready to be released early in the morning, which we typically do by 7 a.m.

• Disinfect and get ready for next trapping. Once the cat is released, we disinfect the trap, the kennel, the litter and sleeping boxes and wash all of the linens.

Not everyone who actively does TNVR does it the way we do. Many, who trap many more cats than we have, hold and recover cats in their traps. If you're trapping six and eight cats at a time it's not practical to do it the way we do.

So how many hours does it take us to TNVR one or more cats? My best guess is about five hours.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. It's worth every minute so that the homeless feral cat can live it's best life without suffering. We've done this over 100 times and we will continue to do so.