Trap Neuter Return (TNR)
Offered at the Ozaukee Campus and West Allis Spay/Neuter Clinic
Looking to spay/neuter an outdoor feral or community cat? The Wisconsin Humane Society's TNR program provides spay/neuter and vaccination services to community/outdoor, feral cats for a nominal fee. Any person who wants to have a feral cat spayed or neutered, and who agrees to our guidelines, is welcome to participate.
Ozaukee Campus TNR services:
TNR services are offered by appointment at the WHS Ozaukee Campus on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You will select a drop-off time between 8-9am when booking your appointment, and pick up occurs the same day between 3-5pm. Please note: Cats must arrive in a trap.
Due to the unpredictability of trapping outdoor cats, we ask that you only make an appointment once you have already trapped a cat. For the same reason, we will only be opening up appointments for a week at a time (so on any given day, you'll be able to see the next 7 days' worth of appointments). TNR surgeries will occur on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we recommend attempting to trap early in the week.
Click here to book a TNR appointment at the WHS Ozaukee Campus
For more information, please give us a call at 262-377-7580.
West Allis Spay/Neuter Clinic TNR services:
Our West Allis clinic offers Trap Neuter Return (TNR) services by appointment only. For program guidelines and scheduling availability at our West Allis Clinic, participants must call 414-323-6163. Sorry, but walk-ins cannot be accepted as appointments are limited.
For more information on TNR services and discharge instructions, please click here.
What is a feral cat?
Feral cats cannot be picked up or handled by humans. They are the offspring of outdoor cats who roam free and are not sterilized. These outdoor cats are often many generations removed from human ownership and cannot be placed into a typical home situation. Please call the Ozaukee Campus at 262-377-7580 if you are interested in TNR for a cat that does not meet this criteria.
What is Trap-Neuter-Return?
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a method of humanely controlling community/feral cat populations. TNR involves several steps. First, the cats are humanely trapped. The cats are then sterilized and vaccinated and receive an ear-tip (a small notch in the cat’s left ear that confirms that he or she has been sterilized). Socialized cats are adopted into homes, and cats who are truly feral are returned to their original location.
What are the other options for dealing with community cat populations?
Community cat populations can be dealt with in one of four ways: trap and kill, whereby cats are caught and euthanized; trap and remove, whereby cats are trapped and relocated; trap and return (TNR); and doing nothing or withholding food from the cats.
What are the advantages of Trap-Neuter-Return?
There are many advantages of Trap-Neuter-Return. Besides ending the breeding of more unwanted cats, it also reduces the number of free-roaming cats. Additionally, TNR stops many nuisance cat behaviors like spraying, yowling and fighting. Through TNR, cats are vaccinated and sterilized, and unhealthy cats are removed.
What traps are best?
To utilize our TNR services, it is important that you use the appropriate equipment to trap a feral cat.
The 
most commonly used traps are Tomahawk and Tru Catch constructed of 16 gauge 1" x 1" galvanized wire mesh. We recommend models that have both front and back doors and are 30" or 36" long by 12" high since the cats will be spending both pre-surgery holding and post-surgery recovery time in the trap. Two-door traps of the right height make caring for the cats safer and easier for you as a caretaker and increase the safety of veterinary staff handling more fractious animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our Feral Cat FAQs for more detailed information!
