Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) Program for Feral Cats

Toronto Animal Services is a proud member of the Toronto Feral Cat Coalition.

We offer free sterilization for feral and community cats in Toronto, by appointment, at our stationary clinics.

  • Complete this form to book an appointment with our clinic.
  • Our clinic criteria and practices are located below.
  • Post-operative recovery information is located below.
  • To connect with one of our clinic staff by emailing feralcats@toronto.ca or calling 416-338-6281.

If you are new to TNR and need resources to get started (for example: training, trap rental or recovery space) click here.

    Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective long-term approach to managing feral and community cat populations.

    This process involves:

    • Humanely trapping feral cats.
    • Spaying or neutering and vaccinating them.
    • Returning them to their outdoor home.

    Benefits of Trap-Neuter-Return

    • Stops the cycle of overpopulation and reduces shelter and kitten intake.
    • Reduces the spread of disease through vaccination.
    • Decreases disruptive behaviours such as fighting, yowling, and spraying.
    • Creates healthier and stabilized colonies.

    “Community cats” are free-roaming, unowned cats living outdoors. They may be feral or socialized cats that are lost or abandoned. Community cats often live together in colonies and ideally have a colony caretaker who provides daily food, shelter, and ongoing monitoring of the colony’s health.

    Complete this form to book an appointment with our clinic. To connect with one of our clinic staff, email feralcats@toronto.ca or call 416-338-6281.

    Note: Appointments must be confirmed before trapping cats. Please notify us as soon as possible if you need to cancel your appointment or were unsuccessful in trapping.

    Clinic Criteria

    • TNR clinics are intended for feral/community cats that will be returned to their colony. Owned cats, or cats intended for adoption, are not eligible for this clinic. All cats admitted through this program will be ear-tipped.
    • Prior to registration, caretakers must complete a TNR training course to ensure cats are trapped and recovered as safely as possible. Training courses are 2.5 hours and offered online through Community Cats Toronto.
    • Cats should appear to be in good health. Do not bring cats with obvious signs of infectious disease (e.g., sneezing, nasal discharge). Cats in poor health that are not appropriate surgical candidates will be returned to the caretaker unaltered.
    • All cats must arrive at the clinic in a two-door trap (rear access opposite the trapping door). This ensures staff safety when anesthetizing the cats. Traps must be clearly labelled with the caretaker’s name and phone number, colony location, and a description of the cat.
    • Caretakers are required to recover cats after surgery in a warm, dry, and secure location:
      • Male cats: minimum of 24 hours
      • Female cats: minimum of 48 hours

    Clinic Instructions

    • Adult cats should be fasted (no food) for a minimum of four hours, when possible. If cats were trapped that morning and had access to food, please advise clinic staff. Kittens under three months do not require fasting.
    • Drop-off is at 8:30 a.m. at either 821 Progress Ave or 1300 Sheppard Ave West, by the caretaker who booked the appointment or a previously designated volunteer. A signed surgical consent waiver must be completed.
    • Caretakers must be reachable by phone throughout the clinic day. If any medical concerns arise, we must be able to contact you immediately. If you are unreachable, our veterinarians will proceed with treatment as they deem appropriate. This may include euthanasia if the animal is suffering or has an untreatable condition.
    • Cats must be picked up the same day of surgery at the designated time (no later than 5:30 p.m.). Animals not picked up will be considered abandoned and will be managed according to Toronto Animal Services policies and procedures.

    Clinic Practices

    • All cats are scanned for microchips. If a microchip is found, we will attempt to contact the registered owner. If the registrant cannot be located, the cat will be returned to the caretaker unaltered.
    • While at the clinic, each cat will receive:
      • Physical exam and age estimate
      • Core vaccinations (Rabies and FVRCP)
      • Revolution topical treatment (flea/tick prevention and deworming)
      • Left ear tip
      • Spay or neuter surgery
      • Green tattoo beside the spay incision
      • Microchip
      • Pain medication
    • Cats will be microchipped, and their details (description, estimated age, colony location) will be entered into the City’s Shelter database and the 24PetWatch database under the name of the colony caretaker.
    • Due to the nature of community cat clinics, we are unable to provide treatments beyond what can be administered during surgery under anesthesia (e.g., SQ fluids, long-acting antibiotics or pain medication, treatment of minor wounds).
    • Euthanasia of feral cats presented for sterilization may be considered if the examining veterinarian determines that the cat is suffering or in such poor health that returning it to a free-roaming lifestyle would be inhumane. We will attempt to contact the caretaker before proceeding with euthanasia unless the cat is in severe distress.

    Note: Toronto Animal Services reserves the right to refuse future services to any individual who engages in inappropriate treatment of staff, property or animals, or to anyone who knowingly registers a cat that does not meet the above criteria.

    Please follow these post-operative care instructions, in addition to the guidelines provided during your TNR training course (required for access to our TNR clinics). If you have any questions about recovery, please speak with clinic staff at drop-off or pick-up.

    General Instructions

    • Keep feral cats in their traps for 24 to 72 hours after surgery for monitoring.
      • Male cats can usually be released after 24 hours, provided they are alert and eating.
      • Female cats require 48 to 72 hours of recovery time.
      • Nursing mothers are the exception and may be released once they are fully awake and stable so they can return to their kittens.
    • Place traps in a warm, quiet, dry, and temperature-controlled space, away from loud noises and disturbances.
    • Monitor the cat for any complications such as excessive bleeding, laboured breathing, prolonged lethargy or vomiting.
    • Feeding: Once the cat is awake, offer a small amount of food and water. If there are no concerns/vomiting, resume normal feeding.
    • Female cats receive slow-release buprenorphine for pain control, which lasts approximately 72 hours. A rare side effect of this medication is temporary dysphoric behaviour (sudden bizarre and restless behaviour). If you suspect this, please contact us. It is not dangerous and will resolve once the medication wears off.
    • No litter box is needed. Cats will urinate and defecate on the newspaper or pee pad lining the trap.

    Incision Site Monitoring

    • Monitor the incision site (safely through the trap) for swelling, redness, or excessive discharge.
    • A small amount of dried blood is normal.
    • Mature males may experience some scrotal bleeding post-operatively. Contact us only if there is a significant amount of blood (not just small spots).

    Releasing the Cat

    • Always release the cat at the exact location where it was trapped.
    • Provide food, water, and shelter at the trapping site, and continue to monitor the colony’s health.

    Contact Us or Seek Veterinary Care If You Notice:

    • Excessive bleeding from the incision.
    • Difficulty breathing or extreme lethargy.
    • Vomiting, diarrhea, or refusal to eat after 24 hours.
    • Swollen, oozing or infected incision.

    The Toronto Feral Cat Coalition works to strategically sterilize feral cat colonies in Toronto to improve the health and well-being of community cats, while reducing overpopulation, the spread of infectious diseases, and nuisance behaviours. We strive to provide the resources and services needed to support the public in their efforts to practice Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats.

    The Coalition was established in 2010 and includes Toronto Animal Services, Toronto Humane Society (THS), Toronto Cat Rescue, Toronto Street Cats, Community Cats Toronto, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), Annex Cat Rescue, and Animal Alliance of Canada. The mandate of the coalition is to strategically implement all of the services required to promote a sustainable community TNR program.

    As a coalition we offer a number of additional services to assist registered feral colony caretakers with their TNR efforts:

    For more information please visit:
    Date modified: July 3, 2026