It's Hip to Be Tipped

In honor of National Feral Cat Day Animal Friends will be hosting It's Hip to Be Tipped, an educational event for colony caregivers and those who want to learn more about community cats.

Animal Friends' Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Department is working to help the community manage community cat populations (can include feral, stray and barn cats) by practicing Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return (TNVR).

We know we can peacefully coexist with community cats so we wanted to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about them.

Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return FAQs

What is an ear tip?

Ear tips are a means for identifying spayed/neutered community cat from a distance. During surgery, the top o one ear is tipped (commonly the left ear, but sometimes the right instead).

What is the difference between feral and stray cats?

Feral cats are the same species as your average house cat, but they have been raised without human contact. These cats still rely on human caretakers to offer proper food and shelter, but do not want to interact with people. Feral cats cannot be made into house cats and are happiest outside. Stray cats are typically cats that belonged to someone, but were either lost or abandoned. These cats may be very friendly or warm up to people slowly, and in some cases can be brought into the home as a pet.

What is TNVR?

TNVR stands for Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return. It is a means of humanely controlling cat populations. Community cats are trapped using humane box traps, spayed/neutered and ear-tipped by a vet, then returned to where they were caught for continued care by a colony caretaker.

Why TNVR?

Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return is the most humane way to deal with the problem of cat overpopulation. Euthanizing feral cat populations is not only inhumane but also ineffective.

Come to It's Hip to Be Tipped on Fri., Oct. 14 to learn how to make a feral cat house, speak with an expert, learn about Animal Friends’ services for community cats and have the first opportunity to make an appointment for our free spay/neuter clinic! You’ll also meet some adoptable kitties that were once part of a community cat colony. And, you won’t want to miss the launch of a new program for colony caregivers. A limited supply of free cat food and straw will be available.

Please RSVP to MLippert@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

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