That’s one of Cindy Strobel’s priorities for the Northeast Michigan Trap-Neuter-Return program, which seeks to humanely and effectively manage cat colonies and reduce free-roaming cat populations.

As president of the nonprofit TNR group in Northeast Michigan, Strobel said the program’s focus is on trapping adult feral or stray cats to be neutered and then put back into their neighborhoods. A feral cat is wild cat not necessarily suitable as a pet, while a stray could be a pet but is running without a home.

“We like to call it that we’re putting them into retirement,” Strobel said, referring to getting a cat fixed. “It’s humane, and these are also cats that should not be taken to a shelter because they’re used to living outside. They don’t want to be an indoor cat, and so it’s wrong to take these cats to a shelter.”

The group also works to educate people about that process

A stray cat is seen in a trap loaned out from Great North Pet Supply. The purple divider shaped like a hay fork is used to keep the cat away from caretakers when giving food or water.

“It’s like an increasing domino effect,” Strobel said. “For every person trained, they can help their neighbors, or tell them to take the class. Then they know where the traps are always available, the doctors are always available. It’s like stepping outside the shelter walls and trying to address the problems out in the field.”

By getting cats fixed, not only are there fewer kittens and a gradually shrinking cat population, but noxious odors are eliminated and rodent control is maintained.

The need is great in the Alpena area, said Niki Halleck, animal shelter manager with Alpena County Animal Control.

“We are severely overpopulated with cats, and there are so many running loose,” Halleck said. “People drop cats like they’re disposable animals, and people just don’t take care of them.”

START UP

A drop trap, like the one seen here, is used to capture cats when other traps do not work. Sometimes cats are wise enough not to enter the brown narrow traps normally used. TNR only has two drop traps available for use when people are having issues trapping.

The TNR group started in the winter of 2016, when all three veterinary clinics in Alpena, Animal Control, and shelters sat down to talk about how to reduce free-roaming cat populations. The vet clinics offered a lower fee for people who were willing to open their wallets to get feral or stray cats fixed.

From that point on, TNR has been able to get the word out about their group primarily through social media, its training course, and its awareness tables set up in front of stores and at community events. The group has seven active volunteers, and are always open to more helping hands, as their work is based solely on volunteer effort and donations.

“Seven people to go out and try to trap all these cats is not going to work,” Strobel said. “We do these classes so people can take care of their own situations. We make all the tools available to them.”

TNR trains residents how to communicate with neighbors on the TNR process and how to humanely trap and return a cat. Upon completion of the TNR class, people continue to trap at their own pace and receive a Cat Care Card to get the cats fixed at a discounted price.

Strobel has trained over 200 people since the start of the TNR program in 2016.

Diane Comerford, an employee at Great North Pet Supply, is seen with the store’s pet cat. People who complete the TNR class can visit the store to obtain trap cages of different sizes. Traps need to be returned three weeks from the loan date.

In 2017, 82 TNR cats were fixed, with the number jumping to 120 cats fixed the following year.

VOLUNTEERS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS

Arden Phillips, an Alpena resident who found out about TNR through Animal Control, said she’s caught more than 20 cats in the past two years at her home, which she said has stopped the influx of kittens and pregnant female cats in her neighborhood. She continues to care for the fixed cats in her area with a dog-house-turned-cat-shelter and makeshift feeding station in her back yard.

“I didn’t think I was going to like it, because we live on social security, so I didn’t want to catch too many in the same month, but I would recommend it to anybody that’s got a bunch of stray cats,” Phillips said.

Cat foster parents play an equally important role in the TNR process.

Switzer Veterinary Clinic, whose staff is seen here, is one of three clinics in the Alpena area that participate in the TNR program.

Kerry Blaser, an active TNR volunteer and cat foster mom, takes in kittens that sometimes need rescuing from a trapping.

Blaser said participating with TNR and being a foster mom not only helps the strays, but can teach kids responsibility and how to take care of animals with love. As sad as it is to see the foster kittens adopted, she said it’s great to see them get forever homes with people who are going to love and take care of them just as much as she did.

Longtime cat lover and active TNR volunteer Edna Sorensen found volunteering with the group as a natural fit for her.

“We have a tremendous problem with stray cats and unwanted cats,” Sorensen said. “This way, there’s still probably going to be stray cats, but, if they’re trapped and they’re altered, they’re not going to be breeding — and it will eventually see positive influence on the number of strays.”

COMMUNITY HELP

TNR volunteers work with the Huron Humane Society and the Alpena County Animal Facility when they encounter stray cats that appear to be friendly. Although most cats will tend to be feral, the mixture of feral and strays can vary depending on the situation.

A left clipped ear is a visual identification that allows people to know that the cat has been fixed.

“Every single one of our cats that go through this program has their ear clipped, and if it’s a cat that’s sweet and can be put into a home, then we don’t want their ear clipped,” Strobel said.

Veterinary clinics participating with TNR in Alpena County include Alpena Veterinary Services, Sunrise Veterinary Services, and Switzer Veterinary Clinic. Veterinarians in town volunteer their time to try to provide a low-cost solution to the feral cat population.

“It’s a place where community members can take a role in reducing some of those really big feral cat populations that are found sort of in pockets of Alpena and the more rural communities,” said Ryan Knight, veterinarian at Switzer Veterinary Clinic. “Before Cindy came along, nobody was doing anything about it besides complaining. Now, she’s really singlehandedly set up this program and we can try to tackle it as a community.”

Meakalia Previch-Liu can be reached at mprevich-liu@thealpenanews.com.

Get involved

∫ The next Trap-Neuter-Return class happens at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 19 in the second-floor conference room at the Alpena County Library. The price is $7, which covers the cost of materials.

∫ Donations are always needed to help pay for trapped cat necessities such as surgeries, shelters, and other supplies. The group is also in need of homes for barn cats that would come fixed and free.

∫ Visit facebook.com/northeasternmichigantnr or northeastmichigantnr.shutterfly.com or email nemtnr@gmail.com for more information.