Trap, Neuter, Return
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the humane approach to addressing community cat populations, works. It saves cats’ lives and is effective. TNR improves the lives of cats, addresses community concerns, reduces complaints about cats, and stops the breeding cycle. TNR improves the co-existence between outdoor cats and humans in our shared environment.
Community Cats in Nanton
Community cat populations can develop for many reasons, including unsterilized outdoor cats, lost or abandoned pets, and generations of cats born outdoors with little or no regular human contact.
Through our community cat programs, NAPS works to improve the health and well-being of these cats while helping reduce population growth through responsible spay/neuter and veterinary care.
Depending on the individual cat and circumstances, care may include spay/neuter surgery, identification, vaccinations, veterinary assessment and other necessary treatment.
NAPS assists as many community cats as our resources allow. Veterinary and care costs can average approximately $400–$600 per cat, making community support and funding an important part of keeping these programs operating.
Community Cat Feeding Stations
NAPS operates managed community cat feeding stations with support from the Town of Nanton, the MD of Willow Creek and community partners.
These stations provide established community cats with a consistent food source while allowing our volunteers to monitor colonies, identify cats requiring veterinary care, and support our ongoing Trap-Neuter-Return efforts.
Combined with TNR, managed feeding helps us work toward healthier, more stable community cat populations while keeping shelter space available for cats who need it most.
Goals of the Project
Goal 1 - Expand
Increase the number of managed community cat feeding stations in strategic locations throughout Nanton. These stations help NAPS monitor established cat populations, identify cats requiring assistance and support our ongoing TNR efforts.
Goal 2 - Care
Humanely trap community cats as needed so they can receive spay/neuter surgery, veterinary assessment and other appropriate care before returning to their established colony or moving to another suitable placement.
Goal 3 - Educate
Increase awareness of responsible pet ownership, the importance of spaying and neutering, and the resources NAPS may be able to provide to help prevent unwanted litters and abandonment.
Benefit to the Community
NAPS' community cat programs are designed to improve the well-being of outdoor cats while helping create healthier, more manageable cat populations throughout our community.
Managed feeding stations, when used alongside our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, allow NAPS to better monitor community cat populations and identify cats that may require veterinary care or spay/neuter services.
Providing designated feeding locations can also help reduce cats searching for food in garbage, around homes and businesses, while giving NAPS volunteers a more consistent way to monitor the health and activity of established community cats.
Most importantly, combining responsible feeding with spaying and neutering helps address population growth at its source. Over time, our goal is to reduce the number of unwanted kittens born outdoors and create healthier, more stable community cat populations.
Community Partners
NAPS is grateful for the support of organizations, municipalities, businesses and grant providers who help make our community cat programs possible.
From time to time, NAPS is fortunate to receive grants and other funding specifically intended to support initiatives such as Trap-Neuter-Return, spay/neuter services, veterinary care and community cat management.
These contributions help offset the significant costs associated with caring for community cats and allow us to continue providing services that might otherwise be beyond our available resources.
We sincerely thank every organization and community partner who has helped support this work.
Help Us Care for
Nanton’s Community Cats
Every contribution helps NAPS provide spay/neuter services, veterinary care, food and other resources for community cats in Nanton.