🐾 Trap–Neuter–Return (TNR) at Cat Life Maine

Every cat deserves a place to belong — even the ones who live outside.

TNR

What Is TNR?

Trap–Neuter–Return (TNR) is the only humane and effective way to manage outdoor cat populations. Feral and stray cats, we refer to them as community cats, are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and returned to the location they know and call home. We monitor them, provide medical care and provide food for the colony as long as needed

This stops the cycle of endless litters and suffering while allowing these cats to live out their lives without contributing to overpopulation.

💜 What Makes Cat Life Maine's TNR Different?

Most organizations stop at the “R” — return. We don’t.
At Cat Life Maine, we invest in every cat we return by:

Feeding colonies daily, year-round
Providing medical care for illness or injury
Maintaining shelters to keep them safe through Maine’s harsh seasons
Monitoring and retrapping new, sick, or unfixed cats
Educating caretakers and communities on best practices
Building relationships with animal control officers to keep cats safe

This is more than TNR. It’s colony care. And it’s what sets us apart.

❝ Our colony cats are not forgotten. They’re fed, loved, and watched over — every single day. ❞

📈 Why TNR Matters

A single unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 cats in just 7 years
Feral kittens have a high mortality rate and suffer from disease, parasites, and predators
TNR reduces nuisance behaviors like yowling, spraying, and fighting
TNR saves taxpayer money by reducing shelter intake and euthanasia

TNR works — but only if it’s done with commitment.

🛠️ Need Help With Cats in Your Area?

If you’ve noticed outdoor cats where you live, we can help. Whether you're a concerned neighbor, business owner, or property manager, we’ll work with you to trap, fix, and support the cats.

👉 Request TNR Assistance

💪 How You Can Help

1. Volunteer

Become a trapper, transporter, or colony caretaker
Help build shelters or deliver food
👉 Join Our Volunteer Team

2. Donate Supplies

Dry cat food, shelters, traps, or gas cards
👉 View Our Wishlist

3. Sponsor a Colony

Help cover the monthly food and medical costs of one of our managed colonies.
👉 Sponsor a Colony

4. Give Monthly

Your recurring gift helps us say yes when a cat needs us most.
👉 Become a Monthly Supporter

🐾 Real Cats, Real Impact

📍Where We Work

We serve communities across Maine, with a special focus on underserved areas with limited access to low-cost veterinary care. We’re proud to work closely with animal control officers, caretakers, and landlords to create sustainable, humane solutions.

📞 Contact Us

Got cats on your property? Want to help?
Let’s talk.
📧 Email: catlifemaine@gmail.com
📍 Text/call 207-745-3604
📅 Request Help or Schedule a TNR Consultation

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🧭 What to Do About Community Cats in Your Area

Whether you love them or want them gone, there’s a humane way forward.

👀 Step 1: Observe

Before acting, take a moment to watch. Ask yourself:

Are the cats friendly or fearful of people?
Are you seeing kittens? That means breeding is happening.
Are the cats ear-tipped? That means they’re already fixed.

Take notes. The more info you can provide, the faster we can help.

📣 Step 2: Don’t Remove or Relocate

We know — it seems like “taking them away” would solve the problem.
But here’s the truth:

Removed cats = new cats. It’s called the vacuum effect: when cats are removed, others move in to take their place.
It's illegal in the state of Maine to trap cats that do not belong to you unless you are an ACO or LEO.
Killing doesn’t work. Studies and history show it only creates a never-ending cycle. (And it is illegal in Maine)
TNR works. Fixed cats keep new ones out and stop the population from growing.

🚫 Step 3: Try Humane Deterrents

Don’t want cats in your garden, under your porch, or on your car?

Use these proven, cat-safe deterrents:

Problem Solution
Cats in your yard Use motion-activated sprinklers (e.g., ScareCrow or Orbit Yard Enforcer)

Digging in garden beds Lay chicken wire under mulch or use natural deterrent sprays like citrus, vinegar, or coffee grounds

Pooping in flower beds Add pinecones, plastic forks, or rough mulch — cats avoid unpleasant textures

Hiding uder porches or sheds Block off spaces with hardware cloth or lattice; install one-way doors if needed

Spraying or marking Neuter the cat — this behavior often stops after fixing

💡 Bonus Tip: Clean up trash and feeding areas. Strong smells attract cats and wildlife alike.

🧠 Step 4: Educate Neighbors

TNR works best when the whole neighborhood is on the same page.
We’re happy to provide flyers, speak to HOAs, or help with community outreach.

🐾 Step 5: Call Us — We’ll Guide You

We’re not just here to trap cats — we’re here to support people who care (or don’t know what to do).

Whether you want them gone, want to help, or just want fewer kittens, we’ll help you figure it out — no judgment. (Note, removal is a LAST OPTION)
👉 Contact us about a colony
👉 Request deterrent tips or site visit

🙅 What Not to Do

Don’t poison, shoot, or harm them. It’s illegal and inhumane.
Don’t drop them off at a shelter. Feral cats aren’t adoptable — they’ll likely be euthanized.
Don’t feed without fixing. Feeding without sterilizing leads to population booms.