San Saba County Friends of Animals (SSCFOA) offers two programs to assist the community in the spaying and neutering of animals. One program, TNR, which stands for Trap, Neuter, and Release, saves hundreds of lives each year. TNR helps to control the population of feral cats and allows them to live a healthier life.
According to the National Feline Research Council, two unsterilized cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years. They also state that cats can begin reproducing at six months of age.
With the TNR program, Feral cats are trapped and then taken to be neutered or spayed, vaccinated, and then returned their original home. The tip of one ear is usually removed during the process to identify cats that have been through the program.
The TNR Program requires a lot of time. Volunteers start by driving to San Saba, Richland Springs, and Cherokee homes to hand out traps, canned food, and trap covers.
Once the cats are in the trap (which sometimes take multiple efforts) the Volunteer drives back to the homes to pick up the cats. The Volunteer then takes the animals to a Volunteer’s home where the felines' cages are cleaned, and they are fed, watered, and settled in for the night.
Bright and early the next morning, the cats (which includes about 15) are cleaned again and then loaded into a Volunteer’s vehicle and transported to a clinic to be spayed or neutered. The clinics vary in location, but this often includes a trip to Austin or San Angelo.
Once the surgery is complete, the animals are then returned to the Volunteer's home where they are again cleaned, fed, and watered and settled in for the night.
The next day, the Volunteers drive back to the homes where the cats are then released.
We are in desperate need of Volunteers to help split some of the duties. We are also in desperate need of funds to help with the spay and neuter cost.
To volunteer for TNR, please email tnr@sansabaanimals.com. To donate or for more information about TNR or our other programs, please visit www. sansabaanimals.com.
To get your cat on the TNR list, please go to www.sansabaanimals. com and fill out the TNR form under the TNR tab.
With your help, we can help control the population of feral cats in San Saba County and provide care for those already present.