Colony Cats
We feed roughly 30 to 35 cats a day just within Scranton. With permission of land owners and the use of feeding stations and shelters, we are able to keep track of our feral friends, check on their health and make sure any newcomers to the colony are ear tipped, signaling they have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Any without a tip are trapped as soon as possible.
Trapping
We use only humane live traps specifically made to trap community/feral cats. Trappers hide nearby and watch the trap to ensure no animal is left unattended within the trap. The cats are covered and calmed down before heading to the surgery staging area.
PREP AND SURGERY
Once our community cat is at the staging area it remains within the trap until it is time to release it back to its colony.
Cats are weighed, fed, given water, and fresh bedding within the traps. On the day of surgery they are vaccinated, ear-tipped, as well as spayed or neutered. All this is done while the cat is under anesthesia.
We have successfully TNR’d over 350 cats in Scranton and in Osage County. Estimations say that means over 1.4 million cats that will not be born in our area in the next 7 years. They will not be killed in traffic, starve, freeze, be abused, or die of sickness.
Two colony mates enjoying a meal in one of our feeding stations. We feed daily, the cats learn the routine and often are waiting for us.
Fostering and Socialization
While our first focus is TNR. On occasion, we will take in feral kittens if we know we have homes waiting for them. These kittens must be played with, socialized to humans and other pets. If we are not sure a home is waiting, the kittens are also TNR’d and then returned to their colonies where they will be fed, have shelter provided, and watched over.
