TulsaPets Magazine January 2021

34 TulsaPets • January/February 2021 friendly is not a glamorous task. “It’s not cute and cuddly. You are out there in the middle of nowhere, no cell service, and you are trapping in the heat and the cold and various conditions, trying to catch these cats that aren’t socialized so you can get them fixed,” Hines elaborated. “But it’s not this really easy thing that’s just one and done. You are out there repeatedly trying to close out these colonies.” Closing out the colony means no cat in the colony is left unfixed. “You don’t want to leave one female cat out there, you know? That would negate what we did,” Hines explained. “The bigger the project, the harder it is. You are going to need a lot of appointments, a lot of equipment, a lot of manpower.” The group uses the most humane protocols, meaning traps are never left unattended. “A lot of people think we just put these traps out overnight and come back in the morning, but we would never do that—that’s very reck- less,” Hines continued. “It could lead to wildlife getting injured in the traps. Cats, when they are trapped and the trap isn’t covered, they are still trying to get out and thrashing around in it, and that could cause injuries.” Once cats are trapped, they are immediately transported to be fixed and vaccinated. Cats are then overnighted to allow for healing and are returned to their homes the next day. If there are other serious health issues, those are addressed at the same time. “It’s really making these cats lives better,” Hines said. “We are very proud to do that work. It isn’t easy, but it’s going to make a huge difference.” Cats returned by Outsiders TNR also have their left ear tipped, a straight edge cut across the top of the ear. This is to signify to others that the cat has been fixed, has a feeder and can be left alone. An ear tip is the most universal signal for a TNR’d cat, but some vets will cut a V-shaped notch into the ear. While the group has assisted colonies that have 30- and 40-plus cats, the ultimate goal is to be able to address colonies before they get to that size. “Cats out in the country, there aren’t homes for miles, and so it’s usually an older person who decides ‘I’m going to feed this one stray that wandered up,’ and then that one stray turns into 40,” said Jackson, who previously worked as an animal control officer in Sapulpa. Cats can have kittens as early as 6 months old; therefore, one or two stray cats can quickly become many. “If one male impregnates three of those kittens, that’s typically how these problems get out of control; somebody with a good heart is feeding one or two cats, and then kittens start happening. It’s just an ongoing thing,” Jackson said. However, once the cats have been fixed, they can actually be beneficial. “As long as the cats are fixed, the problem is never going to get out of control,” Jackson said. “It helps keep rodents down, snakes away. It’s very beneficial to keep these cats as long as it is not an overpopulation in one area.” Hines added that the group is just getting started. “It’s really exciting to think about all the people we have helped to this point and what we can do with more funding and volunteers,” Hines said. “We know that need is there, and we want to address it.” Follow @OutsidersTNR on Facebook for updates and information on donating or volunteering. Enclosure for a barncat Overnighting cats before going back to be returned Kittens in the colony