Convincing Friend to TNR

Hi! my co-worker and friend has at least 5 (that's what I counted) feral cats in her neighborhood. I've posted about these cats before and said I was going to try to catch them and have them fixed and returned. Well, I went on vacation. She went on vacation and now she is getting ready for a huge bday party for her husband this Saturday.

I can get two traps and spay/neuter certificates (3 for $50) from my friend at The Cat Network. Problem is that now my friend is having second thoughts.

She is having trouble getting the money, especially with the party coming up. But I'll figure that out...a small fundraiser or asking neighbors. And my friend is worried that more cats will enter the neighborhood because her neighbors feed them. So she'll fix these 5 and then what? Keep fixing the new ones?

Her husband wants to trap them and either take them to the local animal shelter (where they will undoubtedly be PTS) or to his job...he works for a fish importer and says that there are always fish scraps and water around. I don't see how either of those suggestions are good.

She knows my stand on the issue, but it's not my house and it's hard for me to tell someone else what to do. I state the facts and offer advice and that's about it. I'll help her in every way possible.

Please...if you have any good suggestions or advice, that would be great. Thanks!

Research shows that wildlife will fill a gap in the neighborhood and if you remove the wildlife, more will come to fill it.

So if your neighbor TNRs them, the neighborhood should stabilize with the existing colony as opposed to more cats showing up.

If the cats are removed more will come to fill the gaps.

If the cats stay there and are not fixed, the existing colony will grow.

It really depends on just how feral these kitties are, whether to have them fixed and taken to a shelter or whether to return them to the outside.

If they are not able to be handled they should be trapped, fixed, etc. and returned to the outside.

In her husband's area there are probably already colonies of animals living off the scraps and they will not likely welcome newly fixed kitties.

I forgot to mention, of course if other cats live there and she has not TNR'd them, the colony will still grow. But definitely it is worth it for her and the neighborhood to TNR all of them. I think your discussion about a local effort would be most successful. It takes a lot of networking but pays off.

The bottom line is that anything short of TNR for the feral colony will mean the neighborhood will always have increasingly large numbers of feral cats, whereas if the existing one is TNR'd it should stabilize.

It is perhaps possible to use the birthday-party itself for raising funds for the TNR?

The neighbours seems rather cat-friendly, as they do feeds the cats.
The party may be just the right occasion, you dont even need to persuade them.
(but do have the arguments ready just in case. perhaps in a little booklet/leaflet. There will surely be discussions afterwards. )

Thanks for the replies.

BarbB thanks for the "research shows." That really convinced her! She's like, "That makes sense." I also found this:

Facts about "stray" cats:Cats are territorial, and resident cats will typically discourage other cats from entering the property. Once spayed/neutered, the number of animals will be contained and will reduce over time through natural attrition. In maintained sterilized colony, rodent population is controlled. Eliminating cats requires ongoing removal since new cats will enter the territory. If animals are removed, all involved parties (professional trappers, management associations, residents) who are involved in the removal may be subject to animal cruelty investigation; therefore, obtaining and retaining documentation verifying legal disposition of the animals is strongly recommended (Animal Services and/or your local vet may provide records upon request for all animals that are turned over to them).

As far as using the party to raise money...don't think that'll work. But we are going to go around to the neighbors and ask for financial help. So wish us luck! And thanks for the advice.