Trapping Through the Snow

Trapping can be easy when you have a dedicated caretaker feeding multiple times a day. In this case, the cats just line up on the banister for their food. All we needed to do was withhold their meals for 24 hours, and it took just 20 minutes to trap four cats. All four were recovered an extra day or two due to cold temperatures and have safely returned to the group. These cats obviously stick together and now they also have three feral shelters to cozy up in under a porch. We'll be back to round up the rest.

Heated Water Bowls

It's important to provide the outdoor cats with water year-round. The winter cold makes that tricky as temperatures drop below freezing. There are lots of good tips out there to keep the water from freezing, such as using bowls that are wide and deep, or insulated. Adding a pinch of sugar to the water slows the freezing as well, or you can add more water to wet food. We set up an electric heated water bowl and it's been working really well - the water is not frozen yet still cool to the touch. The cat tracks around it show that the cats seem to enjoy having such an easy source of hydration for them to use.

When TNR turns into TNA

Feral cat colony caretakers will often try to pull kittens from a colony to be socialized and adopted into forever homes. The window of time to easily socialize a kitten is brief, and sometimes the job is not fully done in time. Then socialization becomes a bit more time-consuming, but the results can be enormously gratifying and worth the effort in the long run. Our Feral Friends TNR Program is currently fostering a few of those cases. Isadora, Josephine, Scarlet and Pablo were brought into a foster home to be fully socialized after being TNR'ed as kittens by a caretaker, who along with her neighbor, would let them in and out of their apartments as their living situation outside was not safe. They are now almost 8 months old. As you can see from the photos below, they are rapidly getting used to the food, comfort and toys that a forever home would bring them. Their progress would be even faster if they could be separated more from each other, and exposed to more people. If you are interested in helping to socialize these cats and others like them, whether it would be to bring them temporarily into your home, or to visit them at another foster home, please contact us through this blog, email us at tnr@treehouseanimals.org, or call us at 773-784-5488, ext. 234.

Three Friendly Cats Need HelpWatch the video!

King TNR Project Trap Rehearsal a huge success!

Huge is definitely the word - for the number of cats we saw this morning! We saw 22 cats this morning in six different nearby locations. Most did go and eat all the way in the back of the trap, which helps guarantee trapping on our King trapping days, tomorrow Sunday 6/8/08 and Thursday 6/12/08. Even one male we trapped, neutered, and released in February 2008 went into the trap and had himself a big meal today. He didn't have to though. We would have fed him after the rehearsal. Here is a photo of the trap rehearsal we did back in February. The only difference between that one and today is about 70 degrees in temperature! Last February it was freezing and today was much more pleasant, but pretty hot and humid.

We had a photographer with us for a while from a major Chicago newspaper because they will be doing a 150 word article soon which will include some info on this trapping!

Of the 22 cats that we saw today, only four were eartipped and spayed/neutered. They were the ones we did in February 2008. They are all doing very well, which just goes to show that a TNR'd cat will forgive and forget as long as you keep feeding. The fifth we spayed in February 2008 has her own famous happy story. Watch for the post about Laila, formerly SissyBoots, who we will feature on this blog.

So stay tuned for more trapping news, and wish us luck tomorrow!

Two New TNR Volunteers Curtis and Meghan Leading the Nick A. TNR Project

We hit the volunteer jackpot when Susan Robinson, the Community Outreach Director from PAWS Chicago referred to us two people who wanted to help us do TNR! Curtis and Meghan had attended one of the community informational meetings on TNR and not only did they want to learn more by doing their first project, they volunteered to lead and coordinate the project as well! We have given them some training and loaned them traps, and they've been on a roll ever since! Their project is the Nick A. TNR project, located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Stay tuned for updates and photos! You too could step up and do what Curtis and Meghan did! We can find just the right size experience for you, and of course provide training.