Trap-Neuter-Return in Detroit
Volunteers humanely trap community cats, get them spayed or neutered and vaccinated, and return them to the colonies where they live.
By the numbers
- Cats fixed
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- Colonies helped
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- Trappings completed
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- Days of holding care
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- Volunteers active in this year
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- Spent on vet care
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What is TNR?
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the humane way to help community cats (outdoor cats who live in colonies, often looked after by a neighbor who feeds them). Volunteers:
- Trap the cats in humane box or drop traps, usually on a day agreed with the caretaker.
- Transport them to our partner vet clinic, where each cat is spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies, and ear-tipped so everyone can see it has been fixed.
- Hold the cats for a short recovery, indoors and in their traps, while volunteers feed them and keep them clean.
- Return each cat to the colony it came from.
Fixed cats can't have kittens, so over time a colony gets smaller and healthier, with less fighting, yowling and spraying.
Who we are
Detroit Alley Cats is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of feral and community cats in our city. Our TNR program serves Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Every trapping, ride to the vet, day of holding care and return is done by volunteers.
Know a colony that needs help?
Visit detroitalleycats.org or our links page to ask for help, volunteer, foster or donate.
Accomplishments
- Every cat on record. Each cat our volunteers trap gets its own record: when it was trapped, its vet care and where it went afterwards. The cats page shows them all.
- A scheduling app built by volunteers. In October 2026 we moved our trapping schedule from a spreadsheet to our own volunteer app, with calendar invites, reminders and safety information for every job.
- Neighborhoods across the city. See the map of the Detroit neighborhoods, plus Highland Park and Hamtramck, where we've fixed cats.