TNR and Lifetime care workshops
Learn everything about how to trap, care for and protect your colony for the rest of their lives. Each workshop requires a $10 participation fee. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Please click on the appropriate donate button below to pay and register. Contact Sandra with any questions.
JACKSON AREA
Saturday, September 25
9:30am - 12:30pm
95 West Veterans Highway, Jackson, NJ
POINT PLEASANT/BRICK AREA
Sunday, September 26
10am - 1pm
Point Pleasant Moose Lodge
706 River Avenue, Point Pleasant Boro, NJ
PROJECT TNR
New Jersey’s central resource for
feral cat and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) information
Advocating for feral cats and feral cat caregivers
through education and policy initiatives
THANK YOU! Please accept our gratitude for visiting this site! By doing so you have shown your compassion for stray and feral cats and your concern for their well-being. When so many turn a blind eye to their plight, it's good to know there is one more person looking out for them.
MOST TOWNS in New Jersey, unfortunately are not interested in taking a proactive position regarding feral cat populations. They offer limited to no support and funding and their general modus operandi is trap, remove and kill. Project TNR is working to change that, but until such time as TNR is the default method of controlling feral cat populations, the work of managing cat colonies falls to nonprofit organization or private individuals just trying to do the right thing by the cats.
GETTING STARTED to help the cats may seem overwhelming, but you can do it! By reading the materials below, preparing yourself for the task at hand and methodically following through, you will see that this IS something you can do. And what a great feeling and sense of accomplishment to know you have saved their lives. If you are absolutely unable to perform TNR yourself, we will attempt to find a volunteer to assist you, but that is not always possible. The best way to get things done is to just roll up your sleeves and dive right in.
PROJECT TNR PROVIDES SUPPORT and guidance. While we cannot come out to do the actual trapping, we are here to give you the tools to best care for the cats. Whether you are a novice or experienced in the ways of feral cats and TNR, this site will help you as you endeavor to help them.
NOTE:
Due to the extremely high volume of calls and emails we receive daily, please read the sections below to find the assistance you need. It will be the fastest way to help the cats you care about. If the answer is not below, please email the appropriate person (Sandra Obi or Michelle Lerner, as listed below). We will make every effort to respond to inquiries in a timely fashion. And don't forget to check our website frequently as we are always adding more resources.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Project TNR
seeks to make New Jersey a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) friendly state by providing assistance to caregivers and municipalities alike. Through this program we:
- Support feral cat caregivers through advocacy, networking, education and access to funding when available by:
- maintaining an email listserv of caregivers for sharing of resources and experiences
- making educational materials available
- distributing our Nexus News newsletter for networking purposes and to keep abreast of the latest news on TNR in New Jersey
- working with veterinarians to provide low cost spay/neuter options
- holding training workshops
- connecting caregivers with local experienced TNR advocates and organizations who can assist in implementing a TNR program
To learn more about Project TNR’s services for caregivers, contact Sandra Obi, Project TNR Director at 732-446-6808 or via email.
- Provide New Jersey municipalities with the information and tools needed to embrace TNR as the only effective, humane and cost effective method of controlling feral cat populations. For municipal officials Project TNR will:
- deliver presentations to health and animal control officers, mayors and council members on the benefits of implementing a TNR program
- help devise and implement a TNR program
- advocate on the state level for funding and support of TNR
- work with municipal officials to explore funding and low cost spay/neuter options
- draft ordinances and policies with relation to a TNR program
- provide support, knowledge and advice
- assist with management of feral cat populations in apartment or high volume housing areas
- support and provide public education opportunities emphasizing the benefits of spaying and neutering
Nexus
They say it takes a village to raise a child – we say it takes a Nexus to create a successful TNR program. The Project TNR Nexus connects caregivers across NJ. It is the CENTER of our strength–the connection between all of the individual caregivers and how we pool our resources, knowledge and experiences.
Through the Nexus we are able to respond to the hundreds of phone calls and emails we get weekly from people looking for advice and support.
Being a part of the Nexus makes caregivers an important link in our chain of TNR supporters across New Jersey. If you would like to join the Nexus to get and give information and help, email Sandra.
We are an extremely busy office and while we make every effort to respond to inquiries in a timely fashion, it is not always possible. Please read the below information carefully before contacting us. It may contain the information you are looking for, enabling you to act quicker to help the cats and enabling us to work with other more complicated issues.
Project TNR - New Jersey's Humane Solution
- What We Do - the goals of Project TNR
- TNR and Communities - making the case for TNR with compelling arguments for municipal officials
- Who Supports TNR - a list of groups and agencies endorsing TNR
- NJ Department of Health - describes TNR as an integral component of feral cat management
- National Animal Control Officers Association - once opposed TNR, but now supports it
- Humane Society of the US - endorses TNR as the only effective and humane method of reducing feral cat numbers
Educate Yourself And Others
- Who is a Feral Cat? - not tame, but not quite wild, who exactly is a feral cat?
- What is TNR? - Trap-Neuter-Return in a nutshell
- TNR Brochure - general information on TNR, good educational tool to hand out to others
- Trap-Neuter-Return, not Trap-Neuter-Adopt - why TNA does not advance TNR
- Feral Cat/TNR Terms - learn the lingo of Trap-Neuter-Return
- Feeding a Stray? - perfect for the person feeding cats, but not spaying or neutering
- Educational Materials - books, DVDs and videos about feral cats and TNR, a wealth of information
TNR Instructions, Tips, Etc.
- Best Practices - synopsis of proper colony management
- Managing a Feral Cat Colony - in depth outline on the steps to take to properly manage a colony
- Humane Trapping Instructions - lists all that is needed to properly trap
- Eartipping - the universal sign that a cat has been TNRed
- FeLV/FIV Testing - why it is not recommended
- More on FeLV/FIV Testing
- Hard to Catch Cats - tips for getting those elusive felines
- Mass Trapping - sounds daunting, but you CAN do it
New Jersey Resources
- Low Cost Spay/Neuter Options in New Jersey
- Need to Borrow a Trap? - email us for a list of trap depots
- Rescue Groups for Kittens and Friendly Adults - form a relationship with local adoption groups. Contact organizations in advance of trapping to have something in place once the kittens and cats are caught.
- Adoption Packet - when placing kittens or adults yourself: Questions to Ask before Adopting, Adoption Application and Adoption Contract.
Caring For Your Feral Cat Colony
- Feeding Stations - sample stations to keep your colony area clean and neat
- Preventing Water from Freezing - great tips to help your ferals in winter
- Feral Cat Shelter - basic, but effective, do-it-yourself inexpensive shelter
- Feral Cat Shelters - more elaborate shelters
Feral Cat Relocation
NOTE: Feral cats should ONLY be relocated in extreme situations (construction or demolition near their colony, cats are in danger of being abused or killed, etc.). If the cats simply cannot remain where they are, steps must be taken to ensure a successful relocation. Feral cats should never be released in a new area without following relocation procedures--they are very territorial and will try and find their way home, often meeting an unfortunate end. Please refer to the links below to learn more. NJARA has a packet for finding Outdoor Homes that is full of information about finding a safe new home for your colony. This packet does not list available homes. It tells you how to go about finding a new home for the cats and making sure that the new caregiver has the cats' best interests in mind.
- Feral Cat Relocation - how to relocate safely and wisely
- Finding Outdoor Homes - partner with Project TNR's Operation Barn SNIP
- More Ways to Find Outdoor Homes
Feral Cat / TNR Links
Project TNR is a program of Animal Protection League of NJ. To learn more about our other animal advocacy campaigns and programs, click here.