Vaccinations are one way Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) protects community cats.
Rabies and FVRCP vaccinations are considered a standard and valuable element of TNR–a program that is extremely successful at stabilizing populations of community cats, also referred to as feral or outdoor cats. The program is also called Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR). Vaccinating community cats for rabies as part of TNVR offers the best chance of protection from contracting and transmitting rabies.
Rabies prevention efforts are a public health victory.
Thanks to widespread vaccinations, human rabies cases are now an extremely rare occurrence in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been no confirmed cat-to-human rabies transmission in over 45 years.
Trap-Neuter-Return helps prevent rabies.
TNR boosts community rabies prevention. In many communities, TNR programs are the largest provider of rabies vaccinations. Even a single dose of a rabies vaccine can provide multiple years of protection. The immunity that develops after a cat receives a rabies vaccination can last up to seven years. For more information visit alleycat.org/Rabies.
Vaccinating as many cats as possible better protects an entire colony from disease.
Herd immunity demonstrates how important it is to vaccinate as many members of a community cat colony as possible. Vaccinating community cats creates a barrier to rabies. When a large number of the members of a colony are vaccinated, the risk of infection for the cats who aren’t vaccinated substantially decreases. Once a significant proportion of the cats in a colony are immune, the likelihood is small that an infected animal will encounter a susceptible cat. As a result, the entire colony is better protected from disease.
Vaccinations should be accessible in communities everywhere.
Access to high-quality, high-volume, low-cost clinics is vital in every community. Anyone should be able to have cats spayed or neutered and vaccinated, regardless of income. This not only stabilizes cat populations, it also helps cats live better lives by improving their health. Therefore, it is crucial for communities to have low-cost options for their cats. The goal is to vaccinate as many cats as possible, and provide all cats with high-quality care.
Access to low-cost veterinary care is good for cats and the community. Find veterinarians with community cat experience at alleycat.org/FeralFriends.