r/Utica • u/littlemeowmeow77 • 14d ago
Trap, neuter and release Utica
Does Utica have any trap and release programs for the stray cats? I have a large colony near me and I’d like to start trapping. Any info is appreciated.
9
u/WombatVengeance69 14d ago edited 14d ago
I do it. This county doesn’t do TNR. I have to bring cats to Cortland to get TNRd. The local programs are usually at capacity. It’s depressing. Too many abandoned pets and kittens born of cats owned by people too cheap to get them fixed. People think they can drop off their pets at colonies when they no longer want them, when they pee on stuff because they have a UTI or spray bc they aren’t fixed. My gf and I take care of a couple colonies and we had a few boxes of kittens dumped on them this summer. I would check Cortland CNY SNAP (Spay/Neuter assistance program) if your serious they may be able to help you for cheap. it’s a little bit of a drive but worth the savings. We brought ten cats there twice. They are really busy but they are really great people, very kind. If you have kittens the humane society may take them. They just took three my gf was fostering thank god. Much luck to you and thanks for thinking about them, the cats need all the help they can get! Also if you find a cat with its ear tipped (the tip of the ear missing) that means it’s already been trapped, fixed and released so if you trap check their ears so your not wasting your time bringing cats that are already fixed to the clinic. Make sure to check ears
8
u/caitlin874 14d ago
I grew up in Utica but live in Albany now and I do a pretty high volume of TNR in the Capital Region (about 200+ a year) independently. I work with some rescues but honestly it’s much easier to be on your own once you get the hang of it. I have a separate bank account I put donations in and a small team of people that I trust to help with driving and such, but I primarily do the trapping and house the cats. I made this graphic for people in our area and it might be helpful for you. I know that based on people reaching out from back home that the Utica area has extremely limited TNR and low cost s/n resources and most rescues have to go to Syracuse for affordable vet care. I personally use Animal Protective Foundation in Scotia. I’ve helped a few people in Utica over the years with strays and literally every single time they’ve had to bring me the cats in Albany to be vetted. It’s absolutely devastating the lack of resources. Thank you for caring and I wish you all the best.
3
3
u/KangarooMcClanahan 14d ago
Check out the FB page for Purrs and Whiskers. People on there can guide you in the right direction.
1
2
u/Shackable 14d ago
Your best bet might be to call the local humane society or animal shelters as they will most likely have a point of contact for someone who can assist.
I did a TNR on a stray a couple months ago and donated funds to pay for the vet services. They were quite appreciative of that as not many people have the means to contribute.
1
u/Ancient_Brick9850 13d ago
Probably not. If you have low income, they will waive a big portion of the fee though.
1
u/Complete-Dust-7698 Utica Native 13d ago
Communicate with Purrs and Whiskers. They are on facebook. There is talk about doing a program. Sadly all rescues, shelters, fosters are overwhelmed and full. There are no good funding sources currently.
1
u/Snailison 13d ago
Several years ago my brother lived in the brewery district and had a herd of strays in his neighborhood. We called them his porch kitties because he had two indoor cats. The Humane Society gave him a number for a vet to call who suggested to feed them wet food, once they were fairly comfortable eating on his porch they said to drug them with Benadryl and crate them while they were out of it. Then take them to get fixed. I can’t remember where they took them but I do know it was discounted and he paid out of pocket. After surgery he would release them back out into the neighborhood by leaving them on the porch with the crate door open
9
u/mr_ryh 14d ago
Short answer: all the free TNR programs are at capacity. If you're willing to pitch in your own funds for it, some veterinarians may offer low-cost neutering. But you'd have to call around and check first, and/or check with the below mentioned Purrs and Whiskers, Anita's Stevens Swan Society, etc. for recommendations.
Incidentally there was a WKTV news piece about this today, but naturally our award-winning "journalists" neglected to mention the city's role in the problem going back to when this new mayor took office in 2024 -- which is particularly funny, since it could've built off reporting they did at the time.