Trap. Neuter. Return.

The Humane Alternative

The Hornell Area Humane Society is dedicated to reducing cat overpopulation and improving the lives of feral, outdoor, free roaming community cats through the practice of trap, neuter, return.


Trap, neuter, return, or "TNR," is the most humane and effective method known for managing feral and stray cats and reducing their numbers. The cats, who typically live together in a group called a colony, are trapped and come through a clinic, where they're then spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies and ear tipped. After they've recovered from their surgeries, the cats are returned back to their original territory where their caretaker continues to provides regular food and shelter.

Managing Community Cat Colonies

TNR programs can greatly reduce the number of community cats in a colony over time, thus improving quality of life by reducing illness, preventing unwanted litters, and reducing nuisance behaviors like spraying, fighting, howling, and roaming.


If you have a cat colony in your neighborhood that you care for, we can help you do the best thing for your neighborhood and the cats who live there through our TNR efforts.

How it works

TNR services are by appointment only. Cats must be in humane live traps for TNR services – absolutely no crates or carriers will be accepted. You must make an appointment BEFORE trapping cats. HAHS will work with all trappers to determine a convenient surgery date for the trapper based on our surgery availability. Cats must also be at least 3 months old and weight 3 pounds to be spayed/neutered and rabies vaccinated.



Before utilizing our trap-neuter-return (TNR) program, please fully review the program guidelines below:

TNR guidelines

If you have a feral, free roaming, or community cat(s), and would like to set up an appointment for our TNR program, please email us at hahstnvr@gmail.com to discuss our available programs, pricing, and payment options. Drop off times and location will be provided to you when your appointment is scheduled.


Please note:

An appointment is required. We do not accept any walk-ins for surgery. If you happen to trap more cats than expected, you MUST call us before bringing any additional cats. Availability for each day is limited and we may not have the ability to fit additional cats on the schedule for the day.

Your live trap(s) will need to be set the night before your scheduled appointment.


If possible, we advise not feeding the cat(s) for 24 hours prior to the trap being set, as hungry cats are less apprehensive about 

entering a trap. A full list of our TNR guidelines/tips can be found here: HAHS TNR guidelines/Tips


Please note:

For the safety of the cat(s), yourself, and our staff, all TNR cats MUST come in a humane live trap. The humane trap allows staff to sedate the cat through the bars of the trap and safely handle the cat once it is sedated. Cats that arrive in carriers or anything other than a humane live trap WILL be turned away.

The cats are brought to our shelter, or a partnering veterinary clinic for their surgery. The veterinary team will sedate and examine each cat for identification, health, age, and spay/neuter status prior to preforming surgery.


If deemed healthy and of age/ weight, the cat will be rabies vaccinated, flea treated, dewormed, spayed/neutered, and have their ear tipped for future spay/neuter identification purposes.

TNR cats will be available for pickup the same day as surgery. Pick up times will be provided to you when your appointment is scheduled.


The cat(s) should not be released until the following morning after surgery. 

Feral cat TNR application

Please note: You will need access to a computer to complete the application as it is a fillable pdf and is not compatible with mobile devices. Hard copies of the application can be filled out at the shelter or you can request a hard copy be mailed to you if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the difference between a stray/community cat and a feral cat?

    In general, the difference in appearance and behavior include:


    Stray/community cats

    May approach you.

    May approach food right away.

    May be vocal.

    May look disheveled.

    May be seen at all hours of the day.


    Feral cats

    Will not approach you.

    Will wait until you move away before approaching food.

    Will be silent.

    Will appear groomed.

    Usually nocturnal.

  • What is an ear tip, and does it need to be done??

    An ear tip is when the ¼-inch tip is removed from the cat’s left ear during surgery. Ear tipping is a universal sign that a community cat has been spayed or neutered. All cats that come through our TNR programs will have their ear tipped. It helps others identify this animal in the community, and if it ever gets trapped again, it can be released immediately.

  • Why do you return trapped cats back to the community after you spay or neuter them?

    Attempts to permanently remove cats from an area always fail because of a natural and scientifically-documented phenomenon known as the vacuum effect. In basic terms, whenever cats are removed, new cats move in, or the unfixed surviving cats left behind, breed to capacity. Learn more about the science behind the vacuum effect.


    When you remove a cat from the community, you are not eliminating the nuisance it can bring. The cat population (like other outdoor animal populations) rises to the level of a food source. That means that if there is more than enough food outside (mice, rats, birds, people feeding outdoor cats, etc.), cats increase their numbers. If there is not enough food, then the population decreases. The cat population, seeks a balance with the amount of food available.


    Many have tried other methods to fix the cat overpopulation problem, such as through adoption or euthanasia.  However, there is an “unclaimed” food source that still remains available. This is called the “vacuum effect.” With so many cats able to reproduce quickly (two litters per year, with four to six kittens per litter), their population number rebounds every breeding season. The only effective way to decrease the outdoor cat population responsibly is through sterilization (spays or neuters) of outdoor cats so these community cats can not reproduce and add to the overpopulation problem.

  • What about the cold winters? Won’t these cats be in danger?

    It is hard for any of us to imagine an animal out in the cold, bitter temperatures of winter. However, we know that cats have adapted and managed to survive in our community year-round. Similar programs to our Trap-Neuter-Return have been implemented in all types of climates across the U.S. and Canada. To help battle some of the cold weather, consider making some cat shelters to distribute to cat colonies throughout the community.

  • How can I help?

    Volunteer! Cat overpopulation is not an organizational issue. It is a community-wide issue. Please consider volunteering your time and help us expand our TNR efforts.  If you can’t give your time, please consider donating to our SpayThat Stray program, or making a monitery donation to help with our program’s supplies and resources. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your generosity helps fund 100 percent of our programs and services. You can also donate in-kind items to the program, including:


    Canned cat food/tuna

    Havahart live animal traps

    Gently used large towels

    Tarps