How it all started

In the Spring of 2004 I accidentally discovered the TNR method of community cat colony management. My daughter brought a kitten home and wanted to keep it. After finding out that she got it from a friend who had a whole colony of cats living in her neighborhood, I felt like we had to do something. We started calling around and found that there were merely a handful of people that were trying to help cats and those few were overwhelmed and could not take on a big project like this. My daughter and I, working with several local vets managed to alter and return most of the cats in the colony and place all of the kittens. It was an eye opening experience. My daughter moved away and I continued fostering kittens for a local cat rescue. I realized early on that taking in cats and finding them homes, though very necessary, was not putting a dent in the homeless cat population. There was only one answer and that was to reduce the number of cats born until every cat had a home. TNR was the best solution.

The TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) method of controlling the free roaming cat population is successful in situations where there is a caretaker that will continue to care for the cats once they have been trapped, altered, vaccinated and returned. The cats will then be healthier, no longer reproducing, fighting, or spreading disease. They will stay very close to their colony home and perform an important function as a part of our urban and rural landscapes. These colonies rarely attract outsiders because of their sterile status, but if they do, they will be easily distinguished, as all cats will have their left ear tipped. Any new cat can be quickly caught and processed in the same manner, thus keeping the colony sterile. The tipped ear will also alert animal control officers that this cat is part of a managed colony and should not be disturbed. Cats that live in feral colonies do not live long lives, and eventually the colony will die out. This is in contrast to what happens when a colony is trapped and removed. A phenomenon called the vacuum effect occurs where new strays come in and take their place. The most humane and economical solution is obvious.

In 2006 we started having small TNR clinics and with the help of local veterinarians, who volunteered their valuable time, we altered over 200 cats from colonies in Soddy Daisy, Hixson, Redbank, Cleveland, Chattanooga, and other surrounding areas. Some of these cats were adopted, some were returned to their colony and some were relocated. We decided that even though we were proud of this accomplishment, we could do so much more. We needed to organize. With the encouragement of cat advocates all over the area we decided to form a nonprofit organization and in January of 2010 it became a reality.