Oshawa Animal Services Feral Cat Shelter build highlights
Photo Gallery: Feral Cat Workshop Photos will appear here on the public site.
Next Community Cats workshop at Oshawa Animal Services is Saturday, July 20.
Community partners & resources:
The Program - What is TNRM?
In a nutshell, Trap, Neuter, Return & Manage is a program that offers the most humane and socially acceptable means of eliminating or reducing, through attrition, feral cats in the community.
The program works by following a set of managed protocols that are learned and practiced by the caretaker in the Certified Caretaker Course that is an integral part of this program.
Feral cats are spayed or neutered to:
- Improve quality of life
- Reduce number of feral cats euthanized
- Reduce or eliminate feral cat colonies through attrition
Benefits of becoming a Certified Colony Caretaker
Oshawa caretakers who attend the certified workshop course will be eligible to access the new TNRM program that includes city paid spay/neuter surgery, trap loans, food bank & straw bedding (availability subject to donations), expert advice and more! In addition, one or more winter shelter build workshops per year are held at the Oshawa Animal Services building. These are offered ‘at cost’ to recover cost of materials.
Also, by registering with the City and becoming a part of the program, a feral cat caretaker is exempt from pet limits, running-at-large, and licensing provisions found in the Oshawa Responsible Animal Owner by-law.
Resources
| Questions and Answers |
| What is a feral cat? |
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Outdoors, a feral cat:
Will not approach and will likely seek hiding places to avoid people;
May belong to a colony;
Is unlikely to make eye contact;
Won't meow, beg, or purr;
Is more likely to be nocturnal; may occasionally be out during the day; and,
Will probably have a clean, well-kept coat potentially with scars from fighting.
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| A trapped feral cat |
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Cannot be touched, even by a caregiver;
Will likely stay in the back of the cage and retreat as far back as possible;
If jolted or frightened, may shake, rattle or climb the cage, and could become injured banging into the cage;
Will remain tense and unsocial;
Will likely ignore all people and toys, and possibly even food;
Will not show any familiarity or interest in household sounds; and,
Will be aggressive and lash out if threatened or cornered (signs of aggression include ears back and eyes dilated).
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| What is a stray cat? |
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Outdoors, a stray cat:
May approach people, houses, porches or cars;
Will likely live alone, not be part of a group;
Might walk and move like a house cat, such as walking with tail up - a sign of friendliness;
Will probably look at you, blink or make eye contact;
May be vocal, meow or "answer" your voice;
Will be visible primarily during the daytime; and,
Will probably be dirty or disheveled.
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| Trapped, a stray cat: |
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May let you touch it eventually or tolerate a small about of touching with an object;
May come to the front of the cage;
May eventually rub against the cage in a friendly way;
May relax over time;
May investigate toys or food placed near the edge of the cage;
May respond to household sounds like cat food cans or bags being opened; and,
May hiss or growl to show anxiety.
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| What is a T.N.R.M. program? |
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A T.N.R.M. Program is a volunteer program monitored by Oshawa Animal Services and Oshawa's Municipal Law Enforcement.
Under a cat colony management program, volunteers managing the colonies would:
- Humanely trap, spray/neuter and vaccinate free roaming cats returning them to where they were found or to other suitable locations;
- Provide basic food/shelter;
- Keep accurate records of treated/released feral cats;
- Maintain community relations;
- Remove social kittens/cats for adoption.
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| How does the T.N.R.M. program work? |
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Trap: after adequate preparations, including educating the public about the T.N.R.M. process, colony cats are trapped using humane traps.
Spay/Neuter: the captured cats are brought in their traps to a spay/neuter provider who will also provide vaccinations against certain diseases and are micro-chipped for identification.
Return: after recovery from surgery, feral cats are returned to where they were trapped and are supplied with ongoing access to food and fresh water.
Colony caretakers follow established protocols whereby they provide appropriate care to the colony and monitor and evaluate success of T.N.R.M. program.
Note: The proposed options that permit cat colonies in certain areas within the City also prohibit them in the City’s “Natural Heritage System” or designated ecologically sensitive areas where unique wildlife/endangered species and plants are found.
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