CATsnip, a nonprofit organization, was formed in 2005 with help from Alley Cat Allies, a national group practicing trap, neuter, and return (TNR). Whether in feral colonies or as outdoor pets, unspayed female cats will give birth to as many as three litters a year, with surviving kittens able to reproduce at age six to seven months.
That’s just too many cats, and until CATsnip started its TNR program, the only humane solution was livetrapping as many as possible and taking them to the Jefferson County Humane Society for euthanasia. Because feral cats have never been around people, being tamed into housepets is considered (by the cats) an outrage to their dignity and they respond to friendly overtures with bared claws and fangs. They are proud, loud, and wild, and they’ll thank even well-meaning humans to remember it!