TNR/Community Cats Program
Wilkes County Community and Feral Cat Program
The Humane Society of Wilkes is working to end euthanasia as a means to control the pet overpopulation crisis. This philosophy applies to feral cats, also referred to as community cats. The Humane Society of Wilkes believes that community cats should be able to live out their lives in their habitat and that controlling their population is crucial to their health and welfare.
A feral cat is defined as an un-owned domestic cat that lives outdoors and avoids human contact. It does not allow itself to be handled or touched and usually remains hidden from humans. Some feral cats may become more comfortable with people who regularly feed them, but even with long-term attempts at socialization, they usually remain aloof and are most active after dusk.
Trap, neuter, return (TNR) is a universally recognized means of managing community cat populations. The Humane Society of Wilkes can loan a trap and provide trapping instructions to Wilkes County residents who would like to maintain their colony. If you are willing to trap and manage a community cat colony, please fill out the application below. A representative from our program will contact you after reviewing your application.
For large colonies, our TNR volunteers can work with you to trap and send them to a spay/neuter clinic. We will request a donation to the Humane Society of Wilkes to cover the cost of the surgery. You may also be asked if you are able to transport the animals to the clinic.
**Please note this program is for Wilkes County, NC, residents only. All applications may not be approved due to financial limitations, and applications must meet definition of feral/community cat to be approved. If the cat does not meet the definition of feral/community cat, the applicant will be referred to the SNAP program to determine eligibility for low cost spay/neuter voucher.