Pollinator gardens are beneficial for birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals too. However, increased residential development and the continual pressure to have a manicured, uniform lawn puts all of those creatures at risk. Some homes are pushing back against societal expectations around landscaping to create safe corridors for native species, but in more than one case, the resulting fight has gotten ugly.
A few months ago I wrote a post about the feral kitties in our neighborhood. We’ve been feeding them and providing shelters for them, but have been unsuccessful in trapping them – until now. All of the research for my last post did not prepare me for the actual experience of trapping a feral animal, and this process involved some learning on my feet.
I’ve you’ve ever seen a stray cat missing an ear tip, you’ve seen a participant of a Trap, Neuter, Release/Return program. TNR kitties are usually fed, sheltered, and sometimes even vaccinated – and you can identify them by the missing ear tip, the universal symbol for the program. This week we’ll look at the pros and cons of TNR and how to get involved.
Winter has arrived in Pittsburgh, in temperature if not officially. We have a family of kitties in our neighborhood that were just kittens last year, but are now adults. I intend to start a Trap Neuter Release program before we get any more kittens showing up, but first things first: I want to get them a safe place to stay during the cold months.