TNR—short for Trap–Neuter–Return—is a humane way to help feral and stray cats. You safely trap them, get them spayed or neutered (often vaccinated), and return them to the spot they know. It prevents endless litters and lets healthy cats live out their lives.
This story starts with a little black street cat we called Limp. Limp had been on my radar for a while. He had a bad foot, was constantly getting into fights, and seemed to be wearing down from the constant struggle. The other cats hissed and growled at him when he tried to eat, leaving him hungry and alone more often than not. Limp recently started showing up in the mornings when my friend and neighbor Jennika (pronounced Yennika) stopped by his colony (across the street from my house) with her little bag of food and treats. She stops at several colonies in our neighborhood, spoiling the cats with food and attention while also keeping an eye out for injuries or signs they’re not feeling well.
A couple of days ago, I was outside with my morning coffee, feeding a few strays that come to my porch for food and water, when Jennika showed up on her bicycle. I pointed him out to her, explaining that his bad foot needed to be checked and he needed to be neutered too. Jennika didn’t waste a second—she grabbed the trap we had on my porch, set it up, and before I knew it, Limp walked right in.
Zira — My First TNR Experience
Our shelter here participates in the TNR program. My first experience with it was with “Mama Cat,” now Zira. She was barely a year old and had already had a litter of kittens. The babies were maybe four to five months old, and the toms in the neighborhood were already trying to get to her again. There were constant fights, and every morning, she’d be at my door, trying to slip inside, desperate for safety.
I’d feed her on the porch and shoo away any other cats that came near so she could eat in peace. She trusted me — which is why I was able to trap her — and it broke my heart to do it. Dropping her off at animal services, seeing her tiny frame in that big cage, I cried the entire time we were there and all the way home.
A week later, they called to ask where to drop her off, and I gave them my address. She bolted the second they opened the cage, and I didn’t see her for weeks. Jennika told me she was back across the street with her colony, looking healthy and content. Just in the last few days, Zira has started coming back to my house again. She’ll get close now, but she’s not quite ready to let me pet her.
“TNR is necessary. It works. But it’s not always easy—especially when the process is broken.”
When the Shelter Couldn’t Take Him
The shelter doesn’t open for intakes until 11 a.m., so Limp sat in the trap on my porch until about 10:30, with a towel over the cage to keep him calm. We called the shelter to let them know we had a cat to bring in and they told us to go ahead.
When we arrived, animal services met us outside. She said there was an illness going around in the cat room, and they couldn’t take any cats until it was under control, which would be at least a week, maybe longer. That left us with a scared feral in a trap, out of luck at the shelter, and little chance we’d be able to catch him again.
So, we decided to take him to PALs (Prevent A Litter). It’s not free like the shelter’s program, and they don’t return the cats — you have to pick them up, but it would be worth it to help this guy. On the drive there, we decided he needed a proper name, and there seemed to be a ‘Z’ theme happening so that’s when “Zorro” was born. He was neutered and given a rabies shot for $96. The vet checked his toe and said it looked like it had been broken at some point but healed on its own, just a little crooked. I’m glad he didn’t need surgery, but I’m sad he has a bad toe.
On the way home, a massive thunderstorm hit. Sheets of rain made it hard to see, cars were pulling over with their hazards on, and I kept thinking about poor Zorro, stressed out in a cage in the backseat of my car.
I brought him inside to my spare bathroom, stacking boxes against the door so my three shadows wouldn’t line up outside hissing at him. He stayed curled up in the cage most of the night, sleeping off the anesthesia, the occasional soft sound of him shifting letting me know he was still there. When he did eat, it was slow and deliberate — like he knew he should, but the lingering fog of the anesthesia made each bite take extra effort. Part of me wanted to keep him right there, safe. But I can’t take in another cat.
Release Day
The next morning, I made sure he had a full belly before I released him back to the streets. That would be one less thing for him to worry about for at least a few hours. Then I carried the cage outside and opened the door. He didn’t explode out like I expected. Instead, he trotted just far enough to slide under my car and then stopped, looking back at me. Maybe that tiny bathroom, with its odd smells and soft towel, had felt like the safest place he’d ever known. Maybe he was confused. Or maybe, in his own way, he was saying goodbye.
Later, I caught him on my security camera — slow steps across the street, disappearing under a parked truck. Probably heading for one of his hidden corners where he could curl up until the heat faded.
That was two days ago. I haven’t seen him since. I hope he comes back around like Zira did, so I can see how he’s doing — and how the other cats take to him now.
Hard Goodbyes
This week was hard—on him, on me, and even on my own cats. Zazu and Zephyr got into a spat, Zuri became more skittish, and my house smelled like “stranger cat” for a full day. I scrubbed, bleached, and Lysol’d the bathroom and turned all my wax burners on before things calmed down.
TNR is necessary. It works. But it’s not always easy—especially when the process is broken. When the shelter handles it, they take the emotional burden of holding and releasing the cat. When I’m the one holding them overnight, it’s harder to let go. Harder not to imagine them living safely indoors.
But Zorro has his freedom. And now, he has a better chance at survival.
A Stitchin’ Hot Mess 