Getting Started
Everyone has to start somewhere, no matter what it is that they’re doing. Let’s discuss how and where to start fostering and helping kittens.
Different Options
There are several things you can do to get started in the rescue community.
One way to start is to volunteer at an animal shelter. This will help you get used to being around animals and how to treat them. It’s also a great alternative to fostering if you are too young or still in school. You’ll learn that every animal has their own personality and how to treat those different personalities. Another way to actively be involved in the rescue community is to contribute to TNR, or Trap, Neuter, Return. TNR is when you trap an outdoor cat, take it to a vet to be spayed or neutered, and then return them back to their outdoor home with their community. It’s a very fun process and it’s not much work either. One more way to get involved is to foster. Fostering is much like babysitting for a week or two until your kitten is two pounds and ready for adoption. Its very easy to foster while still working or attending school. It only takes a few feedings a day, a few litter box changes, and some love and playtime once you’re home. Who doesn’t want to come home to a bunch of cute kittens running around?
Being involved in the rescue community has changed my life for the better. Feel free to join me in this wonderful community by contributing in TNR, doing volunteer work, or fostering.
One way to start is to volunteer at an animal shelter. This will help you get used to being around animals and how to treat them. It’s also a great alternative to fostering if you are too young or still in school. You’ll learn that every animal has their own personality and how to treat those different personalities. Another way to actively be involved in the rescue community is to contribute to TNR, or Trap, Neuter, Return. TNR is when you trap an outdoor cat, take it to a vet to be spayed or neutered, and then return them back to their outdoor home with their community. It’s a very fun process and it’s not much work either. One more way to get involved is to foster. Fostering is much like babysitting for a week or two until your kitten is two pounds and ready for adoption. Its very easy to foster while still working or attending school. It only takes a few feedings a day, a few litter box changes, and some love and playtime once you’re home. Who doesn’t want to come home to a bunch of cute kittens running around?
Being involved in the rescue community has changed my life for the better. Feel free to join me in this wonderful community by contributing in TNR, doing volunteer work, or fostering.
TNR Explained
The acronym TNR stands for ”Trap, Neuter, Return”. TNR is the process of humanely trapping feral cat colonies, getting them altered, and releasing them back into their outdoor home. Let’s discuss the process of each letter in our acronym. The first letter is T, symbolizing “Trap”. The trapping of feral cats is a tedious process, but it is completely necessary in order to decrease the extreme feline overpopulation throughout the world. Trapping feral cats is often an activity practiced at night, when cats are known to come out from hiding. The trapping process is done through a humane feline trap, known as a collapseable trap. This means that there is a pressure plate inside of the trap that causes it to close completely once the cat enters the trap. Fish, cat food, and chicken are often used as bait inside of the trap. The bait is put at the back of the trap, in order to get the feline to step on the pressure plate. The trap should then be covered with a blanket or towel. The next letter in our acronym is N, standing for “Neuter”. As many may know, a neuter or spay surgery is done humanely in order to stop animals from having babies. A neuter procedure performed on a male cat involves the removal of the cat’s reproductive organs, which in this case, would be his testicles. A spay procedure performed on a female cat involves the removal of her reproductive organs, or her uterus and ovaries. Depending on the trapped feline’s gender, one of these surgeries is performed. After this surgery is performed, the veterinarian will humanely cut off the very tip of the cat’s left ear. This procedure will cause no harm to the feline, and their hearing will not be altered. This is called an eartip, and it helps animal rescuers and TNR advocates to recognize whether the cat has been fixed. The last letter in our acronym is R, symbolizing “Return”. The Return process includes taking the (now altered) feline back to where they were trapped. The back door to the trap will be opened and the cat will run out of the trap and into their colony.