08/17/2026
THE REAL COST OF “FREE” TNR 🐾
We hear it constantly:
“Can someone come trap these cats?”
“Why should I have to pay? They aren’t mine.”
“I don't have the money.”
“I only feed them because I don’t want them to starve.”
We understand, and we’re glad you care enough to feed them.
But here is the truth:
Those cats aren’t ours either.
They don’t belong to the rescuers crawling under porches, sitting beside traps for hours, or loading frightened cats into their cars before sunrise.
Yet when someone asks for “free” TNR, they are asking another person to carry the entire cost of helping them.
Because TNR is never actually free.
Every trap costs money.
Every surgery appointment costs money.
Every can of bait, gallon of gas, dose of flea treatment, dewormer, vaccine, puppy pad, and cleaning supply costs money.
Then there is the work nobody sees:
⏰ Waking up before sunrise for appointments
🚗 Driving cats to surgery and returning them afterward
🪤 Spending hours—or sometimes days—trying to trap one cautious cat
🧼 Scrubbing urine and f***s from traps
🏠 Safely holding cats before and after surgery
💔 Losing sleep while worrying about whether every cat will be okay
“Free” simply means the person asking is not the one paying.
Someone else is paying with their money.
Their gas.
Their time.
Their sleep.
Their weekend.
And, far too often, their own exhausted heart.
Feeding community cats is an act of compassion—but food alone will not stop the cycle. Without spaying and neutering, a few cats can quickly become an entire colony, and the need soon becomes greater than any one rescuer or organization can handle.
If cats regularly eat on your property, you do not have to solve the problem alone, but you do need to be willing to participate in the solution. 🤝
If you can trap, help trap.
If you can transport, offer a ride.
If you can contribute toward surgery, contribute what you can.
If you can donate food, bait, or supplies, donate.
If you cannot do any of those things, share the need and help us find someone who can.
But please do not say, “They aren’t my cats,” and expect rescuers to make them entirely theirs.
They aren’t ours either.
They are community cats, and helping them requires a community. 🐈⬛❤️
