fbpx

TNRM PROGRAM

Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain Program

It’s a known fact that cats reproduce at a rapid rate. If left unspayed, a female cat can give birth to at least four kittens twice a year. The Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain (TNRM) method is an effective way to curb overpopulation among street cats. It involves trapping and neutering cats living in outdoor colonies and, if necessary, getting them vaccinated and dewormed. These cats, either feral or semi-feral, are then reintegrated into their environment where their numbers gradually go down as a result of reduced reproduction. Furthermore, disruptive behaviours such as scent marking, excessive noise (meowing) and fighting are largely eliminated.

Our municipal partners

Launched in 2010, the TNRM program stems from a partnership between the Montreal SPCA and the citizens of various cities and boroughs who have seen the positive effects this method has produced over the years. The proof speaks for itself: since the program’s implementation, nearly 13,500 alley cats have been spayed or neutered, which accounts for thousands fewer homeless kittens in urban areas.

Our municipal partners
  • Ahuntsic-Cartierville
  • Anjou
  • Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
  • Lachine
  • LaSalle
  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
  • Le Sud-Ouest
  • Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
  • Montréal-Nord
  • Outremont
  • Pierrefonds-Roxboro
  • Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie
  • Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
  • Saint-Laurent
  • Saint-Léonard
  • Verdun
  • Ville-Marie
  • Ville de Mont-Royal
  • Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension

The General Public’s Contribution Is Essential

The Montreal SPCA wants to work with people who are concerned about street cats’ living conditions and who care for them. By working closely with them, we can ensure that once the cats are spayed or neutered and returned to their colonies, they will be fed on a regular basis and have a warm, dry place to go.

Take Part in the TNRM Program

If you live in one of the boroughs or cities in which the Montreal SPCA operates (see above list) and would like to look after a colony of street cats, please follow the steps listed below.

If you live in a municipality or city with homeless cats that hasn’t yet implemented a TNRM program, contact your city council (or city hall) and ask them to contact the Montreal SPCA. To find out how to contact Montreal’s elected officials, call 311 or visit montreal.ca/en/elected-officials.

Steps

1. Get a permit from the City of Montreal
2. Rent the equipment
3. Apply to make an appointment
4. Create a routine
5. Trap
6. Neuter
7. Release
8. Maintain

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the TNRM program for? 
How can you tell if a cat is an alley cat?
Why aren't alley cats put up for adoption?  
Why do these cats need to be released outdoors? 
Do alley cats suffer once they’re released?  
At what time of the year is spaying/neutering done in the TNRM program?