TNRM is the most effective way to manage the homeless cat population. TNRM quickly stabilizes a neighborhood’s outdoor cat population and, over time, dramatically reduces the number of cats. It breaks the cycle of male cats fighting and spraying to mark territory, females going into noisy heat cycles, and kittens being born outdoors where they are subjected to disease, parasites, being hit by cars and other dangers.

Cats are captured in humane traps and taken to a veterinary clinic where they are spayed/neutered and vaccinated. While under anesthesia, the cat’s left ear is tipped — a universal sign that a cat has been “fixed”. Food, shelter and veterinary intervention, as needed, are provided by community caretakers for the rest of the cat’s natural life.

In contrast to TNRM, trapping and removing (which sadly means killing) cats is not only inhumane, but has been scientifically proven to not work. It only means that more cats will move in to replace them  — known as the “vacuum effect”.  

Many of the cats Project MEOW encounters are friendly former pets who have been abandoned. We try to place all these cats in foster care while they await adoption into their true forever home. Unfortunately, we are limited by the number of foster volunteers we have and sometimes we must return these cats outdoors to their community caretakers until a foster home becomes available.

Many people are happily “owned” by an ear-tipped Project MEOW assisted stray turned treasured family pet.  Many West Philly colony community cats are recognized, beloved fixtures in their neighborhoods.