Philadoptables

Support for TNR

Philadoptables is committed to helping community cats in the Philadelphia area. Through this commitment, we have sponsored many TNR surgeries.

TNR stands for Trap, Neuter, Return. Community cats are cared for by feeders who are residents of the community but with over 400,000 stray cats in Philadelphia, it is important that these cats are spayed and neutered. Once a community cat is spayed or neutered, they will have an ear tip that shows this so if they are trapped again, it is already known that they are fixed.

By assisting with funding for these surgeries, Philadoptables is supporting our mission of helping to reduce the number of cats and kittens being brought into the city’s open intake shelter, ACCT Philly.

Help a Community Cat in need and sponsor a TNR surgery here

 

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR): A Humane Solution Community Cats

There’s no question about it — Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is one of the most humane and effective ways to manage community cat populations. While debates about outdoor cats continue, one fact remains clear: TNR works.

Recently, Philadoptables was featured in Human Animal Support Services’ (HASS) blog, Streetwise Solutions: The Lifesaving Power of TNR and Community Support, which highlighted our work and the lifesaving impact of community collaboration in Philadelphia. It’s an honor to be recognized among organizations across the country leading the way in humane, sustainable cat care.

Philadoptables’ Commitment to Community Cats

With an estimated 400,000 stray cats in Philadelphia, Philadoptables is dedicated to building a safer, healthier future for both cats and people. Through partnerships with local rescues, veterinarians, and volunteers, we help prevent unwanted litters, reduce shelter burdens, and support those caring for outdoor cats every day.

Our team provides funding for medical care, supplies for caretakers, and resources for responsible pet ownership — all to ensure that every animal has the opportunity to live safely and humanely within our community. Learn more

Why TNR Works

TNR is simple but powerful: cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor homes. This interrupts the breeding cycle, improves health, and reduces nuisance behaviors such as fighting and spraying — creating calmer, more compassionate neighborhoods.

As Diana Bauer, Vice President of Philadoptables, explains:

“Addressing all concerns during cat trapping is essential, as it may be the only opportunity for these cats to receive veterinary care.”

This hands-on approach ensures even the most vulnerable cats get the care they need — sometimes for the first and only time in their lives.

Supporting Caretakers

Behind every managed colony are devoted caretakers who feed, monitor, and protect community cats year-round. Philadoptables proudly supports these local heroes by providing food, traps, shelters, and medical funding to keep colonies healthy and stable.

When caretakers have what they need, cats are less stressed, better nourished, and easier to monitor — creating a lasting positive impact on both the cats and their neighborhoods.

How You Can Help

  • Donate: Support the cost of spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and medical care.
  • Volunteer: Assist with trapping, transportation, or post-surgery recovery.
  • Foster: Offer kittens or injured cats a safe space to heal.
  • Advocate: Share the importance of TNR and humane community-cat management.

The Bigger Picture

Supporting TNR saves lives, reduces suffering, and strengthens neighborhoods. Each cat fixed, each volunteer hour given, and each donation made helps Philadelphia move toward a more compassionate, sustainable future for animals and people alike.

Sweet Athena on the Road to Recovery

Introducing Athena ❤️ A precious sweet girl that we are honored to donate $300 toward her care! Read about her lifesaving journey from our friends at PURR below. To support their work, learn more here.

“Athena is a roughly 4 year old calico girl who once had a home of her own until just over 2 years ago when her former family moved and left her behind outside to figure the world out on her own 💔

An elderly, disabled neighbor quickly adopted her into his small colony, but he saw her decline, and didn’t know where to turn for help. And then, on Sunday, one of our TCC trappers spotted her – a dirty, desperate cat. She slowly walked right up and into the trap with the door held open. Sadly, in the last couple of years, this sweet, sad girl, who once knew indoor love and comfort, has been destroyed by the harsh reality of adapting to life on the street. Athena is FIV+/FeLV+ and heartworm +

She also has pododermatitis (pillow paw) so her back paws are very raw and a bit bloody. We noticed a small chunk of her tongue missing, and it’s possible she may need some dental work. She’s also absolutely filthy (though now that she’s a few days out from her spay we are going to start attempting small baths to get her clean). She’ll be at our facility for the next 30 days getting meds for her pillow paw while we try to navigate what’s next for her.

Despite everything she has been dealt, she has remained sweet as ever and purrs if you even just walk up to talk to her. She absolutely loves affection & attention. We are grateful she has an amazing appetite and has started using the litterbox!

We don’t know exactly what’s next for her, but she is already so loved by everyone that’s met her and has an army of people rooting for her. Please consider making a donation for her as we do anticipate some additional expenses for her care. Athena couldn’t be more appreciative of your kindness.”

Mama Marnie and Her Four Kittens

In a heartwarming display of compassion and community support, a dedicated cat advocate, Allison, rescued a family of sweet cats that were abandoned at a local community cat colony she manages.

Mama Marnie, a beautiful calico, and her four precious kittens found themselves without a home until Allison stepped in to provide them with love, care, and a promising future.

Allison was determined to give them the chance they deserved and we were pleased to donate toward their care. The entire family was provided essential vaccinations, thorough health checks, and tests to ensure they were free from any underlying health issues. They were also dewormed, guaranteeing that they would have a clean bill of health before beginning their search for forever homes.

Mama and her sweet babies, once abandoned and alone, now have a bright future and are searching for rescue placement—all thanks to, Allison, and the kind-hearted community that rallied to support them.

Supporting Our Community During Kitten Season

The term “kitten season” may sound like a magical season filled with cute and cuddly baby felines. While baby cats are unbelievably cute, thousands of them can enter shelters within weeks, making kitten season the most challenging time of the year in rescues and shelters nationwide.

Here in Philly, since we experienced a warmer winter than usual, kitten season began early and animal welfare warriors felt the pressure sooner than expected.

With a warmer season and influx of new kittens, local resources were sparse and organizations had to provide even more care than usual.

We remain dedicated to supporting cats and kittens in our community and through kitten season outreach, we’re pleased to provide over $8,000+ to local organizations! To help our local rescue friends provide life-saving and critical care to breeding cats and kittens in need, we set out to support as many organizations as possible.

Thank you to our rescue friends listed below for their service and dedication to kitten season and our cat friends who need us most.

Interested in helping cats and kittens? You can help too! Donations and foster parents are needed now more than ever. By opening your heart and home up to a kitten (or a litter and maybe mama!) you not only save fragile lives, you also free up valuable resources in the sheltering community.

Become a Foster Parent

Volunteer – It Feels Great!

Donate Now

Helping Community Cats One Feline Friend at a Time

Recently we were contacted by our friend Pat M who was helping a community cat caretaker who found one of their feral cats in distress with an injured tail that was severely damaged and required a tail amputation.

With the help of Forgotten Cats, the cat had the tail amputation completed and after recovering, he will be released back to his colony.

Helping community cats is a big part of our mission and we are thankful to be able to pay for the tail amputation for this cat to make him more comfortable after sustaining this injury.