TNR Chicago | Trap Neuter Return Information & Education

Why TNR

For more than 35 years Tree House has been caring exclusively for sick, injured and abused stray cats – cats that often had no other chance at a good life – but despite our best efforts and those of other shelters and animal welfare agencies around the country, the number of stray and feral cats is still not steadily decreasing as it should. Many animal welfare agencies estimate the number of feral cats in this country to be in the tens of millions. Because feral cats breed at a much faster rate than we can socialize them, getting ahead of the overpopulation problem through adoption alone is not a realistic solution. Trying to socialize a feral cat is not always possible, and not usually in the best interest of the cat. Therefore, admission into the shelter environment may not result in a better quality of life for the cat. Truly feral cats have lived their entire lives without direct human contact, other than feeding and monitoring from afar by a human caregiver. Feral cats’ survival instincts tell them to be wary of people and of confinement, so being caged in an effort to socialize them can often harm a cat’s physical and mental health despite the best intentions of the rescuer. Of course, trap and kill is never an acceptable answer either. Feral cats have a right to live. Aside from this fundamental point, statistics have proven that it costs more to trap and euthanize cats than it does to trap and sterilize them.

Therefore, the best way to promote the well-being of feral cats is to help prevent the behaviors associated with mating and giving birth to endless litters of kittens. This cycle of reproduction is the most harmful element affecting homeless cats in our communities, and this is why after many years of hard work, shelters like Tree House are still overcrowded and cannot accommodate all of the animals who need our help.