I don't consider myself as a cat person. I have never owned a cat and don't know much about cats. Yet, I have become a guardian for the community cats in my neighborhood.
I took action because the growing street cat colony in my neighborhood is concerning. Although the cats help control the rodent population, they should not become a nuisance to the neighborhood. Overpopulation of cats creates an unsanitary and unhealthy environment as well.
Neighbors complained but no one took action. So, I started looking into how I can be part of the solution. Through research, I found that the most effective way to combat feral cat overpopulation is by performing TNR (trap-neuter-return). But how do I go about it? How do I trap a cat? Where do I bring them for neutering? What do I do with the cats afterward?
Working with Homeless Cats Network, a non-profit cat rescuing organization, I learned to trap and care for the cats. A wonderful cat rescuer showed up on Day 1 with 5 traps. We trapped 8 the first weekend. The next week 7, then 5 then 3, etc... in all in the past 6 months, we have trapped and neutered 23 cats.
In addition to being neutered, these lucky cats also received shots, checkup and were micro-chipped. The cat lady brought them back to the neighborhood and. They officially became managed cats.
It is such an rewarding experience. I am still feeding and trapping the cats because I have to make sure the cycle is broken. It will be a ongoing thing.
For now, these feral cats and the neighbors are coexisting peacefully. I don't think I can ask for anything more.