Per city ordinance, cats legally have the right to roam, so we do not pick up loose cats. The national standard for controlling community cat populations is through Trap-Neuter Return (TNR).
Trap-Neuter-Return:
-Improves the lives of cats
-Addresses community concerns
-Reduces complaints about cats
-Stops the breeding cycle
-Balances the needs and concerns of the human communities in which many feral cats live
People don’t want cats rounded up and killed. They want to see cat populations stabilized and appreciate when the mating behaviors of cats are brought into check through spaying and neutering. With TNR, adult cats—spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped—are returned to the colony to live out their lives in their outdoor home. (Source: Alley Cat Allies)
We have a number of TNR resources in Memphis, all of which are funded by generous donors and grants:
Spay Memphis
Citizens can bring feral cats in a live, humane trap to Spay Memphis for surgery Tuesday through Thursday between 7:30-8:30 a.m. Maximum 5 feral cats per client per day. They also rent feral cat traps for a refundable deposit of $75. See more about their feral cat policies here.
Memphis Pets Alive!
Memphis Pets Alive! helps cats in the MidSouth in many ways, including their TNR program spaying and neutering community cats. Learn more about MPA! here.
Bluff City Feral Friends
Bluff City Feral Friends advocates for the humane care and treatment of community cats, also known as feral cats, within the city limits of Memphis, Tenn. They provide information, education, and training on TNR (trap, neuter, and return); community cat care; and referral to spay/neuter and other community cat resources. Learn more on their Facebook page.