In Portugal, TNR projects are increasingly recognised as the most effective way to control the stray cat population. Causas de Caudas’ TNR project has established cooperation agreements with several municipalities, namely Gondomar, Porto and Matosinhos; enabling them to offer stray feral cat sterilisation services to colony caretakers for free. However, this has also led to an increase in the number of captures, thus requiring more equipment.

Cats waiting to be released after having been spayed/neutered

The donation of trapping equipment has helped the association to increase their work with feral and injured cats, and their report demonstrates how TNR activities were developed after SNIPi’s donation.

This cat is ready to be released after having been ear-tipped and neutered

From June 2022 to January 2023, a total of 544 cats were sterilised, including 226 males and 248 females. In addition, 90 cat colonies were controlled, and 30 animals were treated in the nursery.

The arrival of new materials allowed the association to perform TNR in colonies with a larger number of animals, assist feral cats requiring special treatment, perform TNR in two colonies at the same day, and safely separate automatic traps from animal feeding points.