Seventy million. Let that number sink in. That is the number of community cats animal welfare experts estimate live in the United States alone. Seventy million living, breathing, and thriving cats in our urban, suburban, and rural communities, with an estimated 70,000 new kittens being born every year to unspayed community cats. What does this all mean? It means the Pets Alive TNR (trap neuter return) Team is a VITAL part of our humane community!
Our TNR Team is now facing what might be our largest and most challenging colony to date. A thriving unspayed and unneutered colony at a now-closed horse facility with five barns, multiple outer buildings, and what one could describe as a community cat nirvana — numerous freshwater sources and fantastic protection from the elements.
An estimated 75-100 unaltered cats need to be humanely trapped, spayed, neutered, and vaccinated just at this location! Think about that: 75-100 cats who will continue to reproduce if not spayed and neutered, which could result in a population explosion of 200-300 kittens in just ONE YEAR!
Our team has hit the ground running! Thirty-eight cats have been humanely trapped, spayed, neutered, and vaccinated. They are now at Pets Alive recovering from their surgeries. Those who are candidates will go up for adoption, and those who are not will be returned to their old stomping grounds to live out their days, with their kitten-making days behind them.
Since 2013 our all-volunteer TNR Team has humanely trapped, neutered, and vaccinated almost 1,200 local community cats! Out of those 1,200, more than 650 cats have come into our adoption program and have gone on to find loving families of their own.
Pets Alive is more than a great place to adopt from or to volunteer at. Pets Alive is and strives to be a part of and a resource for our local community, but we can’t do it alone! We need YOU, our community’s support, to continue.
Every community cat we provide TNR services for costs an average of $55-$75. This includes spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, food during the recovery period, microchips for any cat we take into our adoption program, staff time, and in some cases, additional medical expenses for any cat that is injured or requires medical attention.
We are facing a colony of what could be 100 cats — these are cats in OUR community, and together as a community, we ALL need to do our part.
This effort could cost us upwards of $7,500 – or more. As we were planning for this mass rescue, we applied for and received a generous $2,700 grant from the Cleopatra Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley to help fund the effort. We are incredibly thankful for this aid which will save many cats!
We still need to raise at least another $5,000. Won’t you help us be part of our humane solution and make a donation now?
Prefer to send a check? Mail it to us at Pets Alive, 363 Derby Road, Middletown, NY 10940. Please write “TNR” on the check.
Prefer to send supplies directly to our TNR Team? They have their very own wish list: https://amzn.to/3t8GyDH
Want to learn more about TNR or join our TNR Volunteer Team email us at tnr@petsalive.org.