Perhaps you’ve encountered a cat in your neighborhood with a clipped ear and wondered what might have happened to cause it. Chances are, that cat has been trapped, neutered (or spayed), vaccinated and released back into the neighborhood where it came from. TNR programs are in effect throughout Southern Nevada, including right here in Boulder City.
We recently spoke with Brendan Hanson, Animal Control Supervisor, to find out more about this important program. He told us that the program started around 2015 under previous Animal Control Supervisor, Ann Inabnitt, as a way of managing feral cats in several parts of the city. Feral cats are outdoor cats that do not have permanent homes. The program is modeled after other programs in the Las Vegas Valley, where feral cats are often considered a major nuisance.
The process is pretty straightforward. Residents call the Animal Shelter to report a possible feral cat and they are given a cat trap which they must monitor to ensure humane collection of the animal. Animal Control staff will retrieve the animal and check for a microchip to see if there’s an owner. If an owner is not located, the cat will be taken to a veterinarian where its health is assessed. If otherwise healthy, the cat will undergo a spay or neuter procedure, receive vaccines, and then have its ear clipped to denote which cats have been treated by the program and make them identifiable.
This program is important because prior to the implementation of the spay and neuter program, feral cats were having multiple litters of kittens that were destined to become targets of predators and also becoming feral cats themselves. With the advent of the TNR program in Boulder City, Brendan tells us that the number of litters delivered by feral cats has been drastically reduced. Should a feral cat have a litter of kittens, and the location of the kittens is known, Animal Control staff will also rescue the kittens and prepare them for adoption to local families looking to add a new pet. Breaking the cycle of breeding and overpopulation is necessary to keep both the feral cats, and domesticated animals they may come into contact with, healthier.
Support for the program comes in the form of a grant from the Community Cat Coalition of Clark County aka C5 and private donations from Boulder City residents.
For more information about the program, to request a cat trap, or to provide donations to the program and the Animal Shelter, generally, call (702) 293-9283, during normal business hours.
