Community Cats are either cats that were born and raised in the wild (Feral), or domestic cats that have been abandoned or lost and turned feral in order to survive.

Trap Neuter Vaccinate and Return – T N V R

APN’s approach to TNVR is different from most rescues and shelters. We focus on helping homeless cats through a community-based approach to care. Rather than sporadic trapping of cats and kittens and random feeding schedules, we enlist a compassionate individual, or group of neighbors, who are committed to bettering the lives of neighborhood-embedded homeless kitties. In turn, APN invests time in training, lending traps, providing transport, donating food, and sharing the cost of sterilization, vaccination and needed medical care to ensure that community cats are supported now and in the future.

That means APN goes to the locations in Central Ohio where homeless cat colonies have been identified. These colonies may or may not have the support of the community for their care and well-being. We assess their condition and their existing support structure to determine what is needed to ensure healthy conditions. Our goal is to identify a caretaker or group of caretakers who are already involved in ongoing care of these cats – typically through daily feeding – or are willing to help provide ongoing support.

With a support person or group identified, we begin to plan and organize an effort to trap, neuter, vaccinate and then return the now-spayed or now-neutered cats back to their “home.” This involves hands-on training of one or more trappers within the community. These individuals become the information conduit for the future, in effect our teachers. In turn, they train other trappers in adjoining neighborhoods,

providing each area with its own knowledge base and with a high degree of self-sufficiency with respect to the well-being of their community cats. End result – healthier kitties, less stressed, longer-lived, and a protective nutured environment where they can live and thrive.

APN strongly espouses this commuity-based approach and is actively leading the way in Central Ohio in improving the lot of homeless cats and kittens. Please consider partnering with us through your donation. Every dollar is applied 100% to our direct costs. Thank you so much for caring.

Winter shelter is critical for feral and stray cats living in frigid climates and can help them thrive despite the low temperatures.  It is fairly easy and inexpensive to build cat shelters to help community cats survive even the coldest Winter nights.  Here are some common winter shelters that you can build for the community cats in your neighborhood.

Click the “Learn More” button below for several Community Cats Winter Shelter Construction ideas.