Ferals are the offspring of abandoned pets or unaltered strays that previously lived in human homes, but now are forced to live on the street. Raised without human contact in their formative months, they are neither pets nor fully wildlife. Feral cats live somewhere in the gray zone. They live on the streets, in parks, parking lots and in the shadows of human civilization. They colonize anywhere they find food, water and shelter.

 

Our Trap, Neuter, Return Program (TNR) is designed to reduce feral populations. Homes are found for young kittens, which can be tamed. Adults are trapped, sterilized and returned to their familiar habitats outdoors. Then, volunteer caregivers feed and look after them for the remainder of their lives.

 

An established colony will defend its territory to protect the food source, limiting the addition of new cats to the group. For this reason, leaving spayed and neutered cats in a colony is the best deterrent to population growth.

**AniMeals selects one Trap, Neuter, Return project on a yearly basis. In 2022, we rescued, fixed, and found homes for 70 cats living among a homeless camp under the Reserve Street Bridge. In 2023, we trapped, fixed, and returned cats to a colony in Florence, Montana. **