Meeting the needs of our community

Helping Colorado’s Community Cats

TNR and SNR services for Colorado’s unowned cats

Colorado is home to thousands of community cats – unowned cats that are more comfortable outdoors than inside of homes. To better meet the needs of our community, combat overpopulation and disease transfer, and protect local wildlife, Humane Colorado offers resources to cat colony caregivers, cat trappers, and Colorado residents looking to help unowned cats through trap-spay/neuter-return (TNR) and shelter-spay/neuter-return (SNR) services.

First, let’s explore the three types of community cats you may encounter

Community Cat Socialization Types

Feral cats

A feral cat lives outdoors and has never been socialized with humans. They are not aggressive when left alone but may act with aggression if too much contact is attempted by a human and the cat does not have a visible escape route.

Semi-feral cats

A semi-feral cat has had some contact and experience with humans and has developed a comfort level with humans due to feeding, receiving medical care or similar contacts, but is unsuitable as an indoor pet.

Social cats

While social cats are more likely to seek out attention from humans and may allow petting on their terms, behavior can vary between individuals, and not all cats tolerate handling. It should be noted that these cats may be owned, outdoor-dwelling cats. Check for a spay/neuter tattoo or ear tip, and a microchip before bringing a socialized cat in for TNR/SNR services.

What can I do to help community cats in my neighborhood?

There are a number of ways to help community cats in your area, including becoming a colony caregiver. The easiest way to help community cats is to ensure they receive preventative care through trap-neuter-return (TNR) or shelter-neuter-return (SNR) programs.

In an effort to support our community in high priority areas as well as throughout Colorado, Humane Colorado offers TNR and SNR services.

What is the difference between TNR and SNR?

TNR programs offer assistance in humanely trapping community cats to have them altered, vaccinated, and returned to their environments. These programs are often run by animal advocates, community members, or animal welfare organizations.

SNR services allow us to partner with residents, local area caregivers, and trappers to provide critical preventative care to unowned cats at our shelter locations.

Have any questions?

Fill out our contact us form and select Community Cats in the dropdown option. A member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Help make a more humane Colorado!

From community cats to working cats and the social cats in between, your donations fund life-saving programs and services for animal throughout Colorado

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