We are so excited to be bringing TNVR to New Braunfels through a free spay and neuter clinic for feral cats! Did you know that in previous years, when the Humane Society of the New Braunfels area received feral cats from the community or animal control they were euthanized? New Braunfels Community Cat Coalition was created in 2016 to combat this. Now, through efforts of both HSNBA and NBCCC, TNR is now solely under the roof of the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area. This is a great victory and something we have been working towards since the beginning of the creation of TNR in New Braunfels. Our community support has made this possible.

Each feral cat that goes through TNR clinic in New Braunfels is sterilized and vaccinated through our program. For those feral cats in New Braunfels that are unable to be returned to their original location, they are analyzed to see if they would fit into our working cat program.

Working Cats

HSNBA offers adoptions of feral cats who cannot be returned to their former location because it is unsafe. Therefore, our solution has been to adopt them out as “working cats”. These cats are perfect for hunting mice, spiders, snakes, and rats in locations such as:

• Barns
• Breweries
• Wineries
• Warehouses

You can give these feral cats a second chance at life.

HOW OUR RESERVATION SYSTEM WORKS

IMPORTANT! YOU MUST ALREADY HAVE THE CAT TRAPPED BEFORE RESERVING A SPOT!!!

1. Registration is available 2 days out from drop off day (Mondays, with the exception of Monday holidays, then dropoff is on Tuesdays) with a maximum of 2 cats.
2. As a reminder, our updated reservation system is for those that already have a feral cat in a trap (in their possession). If you have not already trapped the cat, then we strongly advise that you delete your reservation and re-reserve a slot after the cat is trapped.
3. If you bring a cat in anything other than a trap or transfer cage, it will not be accepted and you will get a strike/warning onto your profile (read more under drop off times)
4. If you are trapping anywhere other than property you own or manage, you must have written permission from the property owner or manager that cats may be trapped AND returned to the location, and provide said papers when filling out your intake paperwork at the shelter. If the cat cannot be returned, it must be brought in by animal control.

It is our goal to reduce the euthanasia of feral cats in our community by providing a more humane and effective method to control the FERAL CAT population in our area. This is a unique and collaborative effort between HSNBA and the Comal County Veterinary Medical Association. Our veterinary support is tied to altering FERAL cats, not friendly pets. If we lose our veterinary support by altering owned and friendly cats, everyone loses, especially the cats.

WHAT IS FERAL?

Feral is a behavior – feral cats are poorly socialized with humans and prefer not to be touched and handled, fleeing from unfamiliar humans, or striking out if threatened. Simply being born outside or living outside does NOT make a cat feral.

DROP OFF TIMES

All feral cats must arrive to HSNBA in a trap. We accept feral cats for clinic on MONDAYS (Tuesdays if Monday is a holiday) from 10am to 4pm. Check in at the front desk of the Humane Society. For the safety of our staff and volunteers, we will not accept cats in anything but traps and/or transfer cages. One cat per trap/transfer cage please. HSNBA will contact you when the cats are ready to be picked up. All cats must be picked up by the end of the business day Friday.

Transfer cage example: Top Loading Cat Carrier from TruCatch | ACES (animal-care.com)

Live animal trap example: Tru Catch Small Live Animal Traps | ACES (animal-care.com)

INELIGIBLE CATS

If it is determined that the cat(s) you bring to our clinic are NOT feral, they are not eligible for this program. They will instead be put through our adoption program where they may have to wait 2-3 weeks before getting fixed during which time, they may become ill, (especially if they have never been vaccinated). After they have been fixed, you will be called to adopt them back out for an adoption fee of $100. Other charges for care may apply as well.

If you are unsure if your trapped cat(s) is too friendly for our program, please consider using a low-cost spay and neuter program. (Spay and Neuter Programs – Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (hsnba.org))

NO SHOW POLICY

If you end up making a reservation and do not show up, then we have created a system. You will get:

• One strike/warning (i.e. no cat, no reservation! It’s pretty simple.)
• After 2 no shows, you will be under suspension for 30 days from using the TNR program
• After the suspension period, if there is one more no show for a reservation (which shouldn’t happen because the cat is already trapped, right?), then this is considered the third strike and you will not be able to use the HSNBA TNR program anymore.

Together we can end the euthanasia of cats in Central Texas!