Whether you live in a private neighbourhood or public housing, you will probably notice a handful of stray/feral cats around on a daily basis. Often, these cats are not sterilized. The male cats will fight noisily for territory while the females will caterwaul incessantly. Both will search for a mate when they are on a heat. A few months down the road, the pregnant female cat will give birth to kittens to four to six kittens each time. When the litter grows older, they mature and are ready to mate and the cycle repeats. The cycle can repeat at least three times for each cat. By now you can imagine the population of the stray cats in your neighbourhood.

There is a simple solution to these problems.

Animal welfare groups around the world practice the Trap-Neuter-Release ("TNR") programme. Unsterilised cats are trapped with a humane trap, neutered, and released back where they were found. The population is thus stabilised at the number of adult cats that were sterilised. If there is no abandonment, the number gradually decreases as cats live out their natural lives.

TNR is not difficult. The first step is getting the humane cat trap - either engage a professional trapper or loan the trap. Note that a humane trap does not have any exposed hooks or sharp bits, but is big enough for the cat to enter and has rounded edges. You need to trap the cat the night before. Place food in the trap to lure the non-neutered cats in. Once the cat steps toward the end of the trap, the trap door is triggered to shut. Often the cat may panic and struggle. Cover the trap with a piece of cloth to calm the cat down.

The cat that you have caught must fast without food and water for at least 10 hours before sending it to the vet for neuter or spay (sterilization). After the cat is sent in, it's over to the vet; your job is done for now, give yourself a pat on the back. The vet will complete the surgery in the day and the cat can be picked up that afternoon or evening.

Sterilised stray/feral cats will have the left side of their ear clipped. This is to tell everyone else doing TNR that the cat is sterilised and they will not trap it again. After surgery, you can see for yourself that the cat is feeling very weak. The cat should be fed half a normal portion of food and kept enclosed for 24 hours for male cats, and 48 hours for females. This is to make sure no infection sets in or the stitches do not break. Feed the cat food and water before releasing it to where you trapped it.

As the cat runs off, give yourself even more pats on the back. Well done! You have done your part to managing the stray population. Without this one sterilisation, at least 15 years of kittens could be born to this world as stray/feral cats left to fight the elements and one another for food, for mates, for territory. Sterilised cats do not have to compete as much for food and territory, they will no longer fight or caterwaul and importantly they will protect that area from other possibly non-neutered cats from entering and disrupting the balance. Repeat TNR as long as there is an unsterilized cat. Every sterilisation counts.