After hearing from citizens and municipal office holders from Bendersville, Carroll Valley, and Gettysburg describe the effectiveness of the program, the Gettysburg Borough Council will move forward on a trap neuter and return/release (TNR) program to stabilize its feral cat population.
The speakers, all of whom had experience with the program said the program is easy, humane, and effective in creating a stable cat community. Advantages of limiting the number of feral cats include a population that does not increase, reduced danger to humans, fewer cat fights, and better health of the cats.
The programs uses various techniques to find where the cats are after which volunteers trap the cats who are then held and cared for in a staging area for a day or two until their appointment with a veterinarian.
The vet will neuter, deworm, and provide rabies and distemper vaccinations for the animals before they are released back to their community.
Each cat’s left ear is clipped during the procedure to show it has been neutered.
The speakers said there are a variety of organizations that can help with the trapping and that the cost per cat can be as little as $15 per animal.
Gettysburg will provide startup money to get the program going as well as a staging area. Costs for the program are expected to decrease over time as the program reduces feline populations.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.
Actually it’s a question. I live in lake heritage and now have 12 feral cats on my property, with four of them being kittens probably 8-9 weeks old. It started with 3 and grew by 3 with each litter. Will you spay and neuter them even though I’m not in the borough? Please contact me at email listed below. Thank you
What about community rats or pigs or cockroaches or python? They’re all horribly destructive alien a animals like cats.
It’s encouraging to see Gettysburg supporting a trap-neuter-return program. Done well, these programs can be very effective at reducing community cat populations—a vast improvement over the “traditional” method, which often meant a one-way trip to the local shelter.
https://www.felineresearch.org/post/issue-brief-what-to-do-with-feral-cats-examining-tnr