Honestly, every season is kitten season, but there is definitely an influx of kittens born in spring.

I do my best to prevent the stray cat population from growing, with most focus on cats in the Baltimore area. I have assisted others with finding homes for former-feral cats and cats who have lost their homes or their owners through many situations. The neighborhood strays are no stranger to my front porch and have learned that I put out food for them each evening. Having a porch camera is extra helpful and has made it much easier to keep tabs on the local cats (along with some raccoons and foxes) to observe their general health and status.

The past few months of winter have been a bit busier for my front porch with more strays in the area seeking food and shelter, which was a good start to my being able to help them. Costs have increased for everyone, so I contacted my local spay/neuter clinic to see their current pricing for TNR (trap - neuter - return) services for feral cats. (And just for clarification, when I say “trap” I mean with a humane animal trap that allows the animal to move around inside and not be injured.) At many spay clinics, there is usually a discounted and specific package for feral cats, and typically includes the spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, FVRCP vaccination, and ear tipping (removal of just the tip of an ear, which shows the cat has been “fixed” and is likely under someone’s care). The ear tipping prevents community cats from being trapped needlessly and is an easy to recognize indicator if they do end up in a trap by accident. When a feral cat is less aggressive and has a chance to be rehabilitated and then adopted, you can opt for additional services to be done while the cat is already under anesthesia for the surgery, like a microchip, FeLV / FIV testing, or other vaccinations.

The process of TNR is overall a helpful, humane, and unfortunately necessary one. Some domestic cats might be able to survive outside, but their lives are often much shorter and more difficult, as well as potentially dangerous. The fact that TNR includes the return part is also important to keep in mind. This means the cat returns to its usual environment and community after a brief recovery from surgery / treatment. The cat resumes their usual routine and life with little change other than now lacking the ability to multiply and contribute to overpopulation. This is also effective for reducing aggression and the hormone-driven fights that often happen between feral cats, as well as lowering their risk for some hormone-related illnesses. I’m proud to provide this assistance to the cats of my community and help them live better lives.