04/19/2026
Please note that the outdoor community cat numbers are currently increasing in our target area (Aurora) and currently being the only TNR group in the Kane County section of Aurora we will not be able to get to all of the locations we have received calls on this year (and there will be more calls throughout the year). We are currently adding locations to a list and are handling them by priority (number of cats at the location being the priority). Kittens should be captured by residents at 7 to 8 weeks old and brought to your local animal control before they turn feral, which is VERY soon after 8 weeks old and then it becomes difficult to tame them resulting in them and needing to remain outdoors as feral cats that will need TNR. As a TNR group, we do not have the capacity to take in all of the kittens that are being born. Our effort needs to be 100% on fixing and vaccinated community, feral cats to prevent birth of new cats, who then will have more kittens and cats. You can reach out to shelters and rescues to ask for help taking kittens born in a colony in your care. You will have to make many calls because they are often helping many areas. However, bringing kittens to your animal control will allow shelters and rescues who only pull from animal control environment to pull them from there. Capturing and placing kittens will stop the growth of the cat populations at your location until TNR can take place.
You can also do TNR yourself if you are able to, Fox Valley Animal Welfare League, A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter’s Clinic 630-355-2299 ext. 201, Paws For a Cause Vet Care 630-961-8000 and Fox Valley Animal Welfare League 630-800-2254 all do low cost feral cat, spay/neuter and vaccinations for the public. **IMPORTANT: You MUST make appointments PRIOR to trapping a feral cat(s). Trapping and releasing an unfixed feral cat will make it VERY difficult to re-trap the cat so trapping must take place with an appointment already set up.
There are many videos online providing instructions on how to trap and hold a cat in a trap for a day or two while waiting for a spay/neuter appointment. When transporting a cat in a trap put down plastic (i.e. a garbage bag) with layers of newspaper on top of the plastic) underneath the trap. Be sure to cover the trap after the cat has gone in it with a towel to keep the cat calm. Do not try to open the trap to buy the cat any food or water - the cat will escape, they are escape artists! It will be fine without food/water for a short time. Do not release the cat into a bathroom or room it will be very difficult and potentially dangerous to you to try to catch it and put it back in the trap.
Thank you to everyone providing support and humane care to the outdoor community feral cats in Aurora and helping us do what we do. We hope that somehow the outdoor community cat numbers which as mentioned are now going in the wrong direction can somehow have hope to start heading in the right direction again
Please note, our non-profit organization has worked in Aurora and the surrounding Fox Valley area for 28 years providing TNR and we advocate for community cats to remain within the cities in the territories they are familiar with and connected to, being provided food, water and shelter per the humane tenants of TNR programs. We are 100% against relocating community cats to barns or other places unless cats are in immediate danger in the location they were born in. This is because they will often will not stay at a barn or other location as they will try to find their way back to their home territory due to cats being territorial by nature, and as a result become victim to predators or starvation. Every large city has community cats, trapping and removal or euthanasia is not a humane or effective way to maintain community cat populations. Every large city or county MUST have an Animal Ordinance that supports and embraces TNR, like Cook County and other large municipalities across the United States. TNR programs have a well established track record effective for maintaining community cat populations.
