Trap Neuter Return (TNR)

Helping Community Cats, One Trap at a Time.
Affordable, High-Quality TNR Services in Alpharetta, GA

What Is TNR — and Why Does It Matter?

Trap-Neuter-Return — or TNR — is the most humane, effective, and financially sustainable strategy for managing community cat populations. At Spay Neuter Vets, we believe every community cat deserves a chance to live a healthy life, and every neighborhood deserves a compassionate, science-backed solution to free-roaming cat populations.

TNR works by humanely trapping community cats, sterilizing and vaccinating them, ear-tipping them as a universal identification marker, and returning them to their original outdoor home. Unlike lethal removal methods — which trigger a natural "vacuum effect" that causes new cats to move in and repopulate the area — TNR stabilizes and gradually reduces cat colonies over time. Nuisance behaviors like spraying, yowling, roaming, and fighting are also significantly reduced after sterilization.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) endorses TNR as "the most humane, effective and financially sustainable strategy controlling free-roaming cat populations" and "the only proven humane and effective method to manage feral cat colonies."

Our Commitment to Community Cats

Spay Neuter Vets is proud to be an active partner in community cat efforts across the greater Alpharetta area, as well as Atlanta and its surrounding cities in Georgia. As a High-Quality, High-Volume Spay and Neuter (HQHVSN) clinic, we bring surgical expertise, compassionate care, and accessible pricing together — so that more cats can be helped, and more neighborhoods can thrive in harmony with their feline communities.

By choosing our TNR services, you're not just booking an appointment — you're joining a broader movement to humanely reduce the homeless cat population, one colony at a time.

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A note about TNR vs. TNVR: You may also see the term TNVR

(Trap‑Neuter‑Vaccinate‑Return) used by national organizations like Best Friends Animal Society and others to emphasize that vaccination (especially against rabies) is a core part of modern community cat programs. At Spay Neuter Vets, our TNR packages already include rabies vaccination, so while we still use the familiar term TNR on this page, our services follow the same Trap‑Neuter‑Vaccinate‑Return best practices promoted in current community cat guidelines.

Before You Schedule Your TNR Appointment

What You Need to Know Before You Book

Booking a TNR appointment isn't just picking a date. It requires preparation, the right equipment, and a clear plan — for the cats' safety and yours. Please read through everything in this section before submitting your appointment request.

1. You Must Have a Plan Before You Trap

Trapping a cat without having a clinic appointment ready is not just stressful for the cat — it can be dangerous. A trapped community cat should spend the minimum amount of time in a trap, and that means having your surgery date confirmed before you set the trap. Here's what your pre-trapping checklist should include:

✅ Your TNR appointment at Spay Neuter Vets is confirmed

✅ You know your drop-off time (clients drop off at 7:00 AM)

✅ You have the correct equipment (see trap requirements below)

✅ You have a plan to safely hold the cat overnight if trapping the evening before your appointment

✅ You have an estimate of how many cats you plan to bring (we understand you may not successfully trap a cat and we are happy to reschedule your appointment).

2. The Cat MUST Come in a Humane Cat Trap

This is non-negotiable. All TNR cats must be brought in a covered, humane cat trap — not a regular pet carrier, not a dog crate, not a cardboard box.

A humane cat trap (also called a box trap or live trap) is a metal cage designed specifically for safely capturing free-roaming and feral cats without causing them injury or panic. The trap has a trip plate the cat steps on to trigger the door to close, a back door for safe handling, and a handle for carrying with minimal contact.

Examples of Humane Traps

Why does this matter so much?

• Community cats are not socialized like domestic pets. Being placed in a regular carrier causes extreme stress and increases the risk of injury to both the cat and the handler.

• A humane trap keeps the cat contained and as calm as possible — especially when fully covered with a towel or blanket.

• Proper traps allow our veterinary team to safely handle the animal during intake.

What a humane cat trap looks like vs. what it does NOT look like:

The trap must be lined (with newspaper, cardboard, or similar material) to protect the cat's paws and provide comfort during transport.

Furthermore, to help your cat stay comfortable while in the trap, keep these points in mind:

1. Drape a large towel or blanket loosely over the wire trap to help reduce the cat’s stress and anxiety. This can calm cats who may thrash in the cage by helping them feel more secure and protected.

2. Place newspaper, puppy pads, or a similar soft layer inside the trap, since most cats dislike lying directly on hard wire.

3. Confirm that the trap you’re using is sized appropriately for a medium-sized animal. Traps designed for squirrels, rabbits, or other small rodents are far too small for a cat to rest in comfortably, especially during the 48-hour post-surgery recovery period.

3. One Trap Per Cat — No Exceptions

Each trap may only carry one cat. Do not place two cats in the same trap under any circumstances, as this will cause injury and extreme stress.

4. Age and Weight Requirements

Community cats brought in for TNR must meet the following minimum requirements:

• At least 2 months old (approximately 8 weeks of age)

• Weigh at least 2 lbs

If you have trapped a litter of very young kittens, please contact us before your appointment to discuss next steps. Lactating females also require special consideration — they must be released promptly after recovery so they can return to nursing their young.

5. What Is an Ear Tip — and Why Does My Cat Have/Need One?

An ear tip is the universally recognized marker that a community cat has already been spayed or neutered. It involves the safe, surgical removal of approximately one-quarter inch of the tip of one ear — performed by our veterinarian while the cat is already under anesthesia for their spay/neuter surgery.

Why is ear-tipping so important?

• It allows caregivers, animal control officers, and veterinary teams to identify a fixed cat at a distance — without needing to trap and re-examine the cat.

• It prevents an already-sterilized cat from being re-trapped, re-anesthetized, and subjected to an unnecessary surgery.

• A tipped ear is a signal to the entire community that someone has already invested care and resources in that cat's wellbeing.

The procedure is extremely safe, involves minimal or no bleeding, and causes no lasting discomfort. An ear tip is included in both of our TNR packages.

6. A Note on Walk-Ins

We kindly ask that you do not bring a community cat to our clinic without a confirmed appointment. We want to provide the highest quality care to every animal — and that requires knowing how many cats to expect. Unplanned walk-ins may result in us being unable to accommodate your cat, and we never want that to happen after you've already gone through the effort of trapping.

Plan ahead, book early, and let's work together to do this right.

Our TNR Packages

Choose the Right Plan for Your Community Cat

We currently offer two TNR packages, designed to serve a range of needs — from essential care to enhanced or expanded or extended protection.

🐾 TNR Core — $115/cat

Everything your community cat needs for a safe, successful TNR experience.

Includes:

1. Spay or neuter surgery

2. Ear tip (universal TNR identification marker)

3. Tattoo (universal identification marker for altered animals)

4. Rabies vaccine (1-year)

5. Pain medication

The TNR Core package provides complete surgical care and vaccination — ensuring the cat is sterilized, identified, and protected against rabies before returning to their colony.

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🐾 TNR Plus — $140/cat

All the benefits of TNR Core, plus enhanced health protection for cats living in outdoor environments.

Includes everything in TNR Core, plus:

1. FVRCP Vaccine (protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia — the "distemper" combo vaccine)

2. Selamectin treatment (topical prevention and treatment for fleas, ear mites, roundworms, and heartworms)

The TNR Plus package is ideal for caregivers who want to give their colony cats better protection against the common parasites and infectious diseases they face in an outdoor environment.

TNR Package Comparison

Drop-Off Information

• Drop-off time: 7:00 AM on your appointment date

• Location: Spay Neuter Vets, 195 Creamer Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30004

• Questions? Email us at care@spayneutervets.com or text us at 678-834-0777

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Ready to Help Your Community Cats?

Once you've read through all the requirements above and have your humane cat trap ready — it's time to schedule.

If you have questions about which package is right for your situation, or if you need to accommodate more appointments for a larger colony, please reach out to us:

📧 Email: care@spayneutervets.com

📱 Text: (678) 834-0777

We understand that the number of cats you trap may not be exact — an estimate is completely fine. We'll do our best to accommodate you based on our schedule.