TNR saves lives.

What is TNR?

  • Trap

    Trapping is the first step in the TNR process and involves using a humane, baited trap to safely contain the cat. Never set a trap overnight or when you aren’t present to respond and remove the trap once the cat is safely caught.

  • Spay/Neuter

    Sterilization surgery is the cornerstone of TNR because it prevents future litters and helps stabilize or reduce community cat populations over time. It also improves cats’ health and reduces nuisance behaviors like yowling, spraying, and fighting.

  • Vaccinate (& ear tip)

    Vaccinating for rabies protects both the cats and the community from the spread of disease, which is especially important for outdoor populations. Ear-tipping — the painless removal of a small portion of the left ear — is the universal sign that a cat has been sterilized and vaccinated, preventing unnecessary retrapping.

  • Return

    Returning the cat to the location where it was originally trapped is important because that’s the area they know as home — where they find food, shelter, and safety. Relocating cats can cause disorientation, stress, and territorial conflicts with other animals.

Become a volunteer to get started.
A calico cat with black, orange, and white fur inside a black wire pet carrier, looking out through the bars with half-closed green eyes.

Need Help With a Community Cat?

  • There are several locations where you can take TNRs for surgery. Cabarrus Spay & Neuter Clinic accepts feral/community cats Monday–Wednesday at 7 a.m. without an appointment, with a limit of two cats per person per day. Surgery and required services (eartip, rabies vaccine) are approximately $85–$90 per cat. If you already have a humane trap, you can handle the trapping, transportation, and return.

    Anyone with a garage/mudroom/spare bathroom and a little time can do TNR on their own!

  • Windsor Kittens can loan humane traps to community members who are able to handle the trapping, transportation, and return themselves. A suggested $10 trap rental donation is required when you pick up the trap. The trap rental donation is separate from any suggested donation for TNR assistance.

    If the equipment is not brought back clean, in working order, and within the agreed-upon loan period (no more than two weeks), you will be responsible for full replacement cost of each trap, up to $150/item.

  • When funding is available, Windsor Kittens can help subsidize the cost of TNR. We ask for a $50 donation per cat toward the surgery, and Windsor Kittens may cover the remaining eligible cost. Financial assistance is limited and subject to available funding.

  • We may be able to provide additional resources or consider your colony for a Windsor Kittens TNR project, depending on our current capacity and priorities. Submit the TNR Colony Request Form with as much detail as possible for your project to be considered.