Behind the Trap: Big Blues in Big Blue: When 5-10 Cats Became 40

By Aaron Tobias

When we pulled up for a June TNR job, the homeowner told us there were probably 5-10 cats living in the backyard.

Jasper was driving our van, lovingly called Big Blue. Right away, we saw cats in the driveway and in the front yards of nearby homes. We had brought 20 traps. Within minutes, we knew it might not be enough.

After a few hours, we had already trapped 18 cats.

Then we found the kittens.

A few very skinny 5-week-olds were on a ripped-up couch on the back porch. The couch was hollowed out, with adult cats tucked inside, watching us from behind the wooden beams.

Behind it, we saw a small black lump on the cold concrete.

It was a tiny kitten, lying face down. Both eyes were sealed shut with crust. One side of her face had flattened against the ground. We rushed her to Chelsea, our incredible kitten expert. She got warmth, fluids, and dextrose, then stayed behind to rest while we went back to trapping.

When we moved the couch forward, we found two more kittens underneath. They had already passed.

We picked them up carefully so they would not have to stay there, and we left for the night.

This is how cat overpopulation can turn into something much worse.

In homes or yards with too many cats, food, space, sanitation, and medical care can fall apart fast. Kittens get sick. Adult cats keep breeding. Illness spreads. By the time people ask for help, the suffering has often been going on for months.

Day 2 brought more cats, more kittens, and more heartbreak.

Our traps filled fast. By the time we finished, we had pulled 40 cats from the site. Many were in the backyard. A few were inside the home. Then there was the garage.

On Day 1, we had set traps outside it because the door was only open wide enough for cats to slip in and out. On Day 2, the homeowner opened it for us.

Cats were tucked behind bins. Lethargic kittens were on the floor. Some kittens had already died. There were scattered bones throughout the garage.

We knew we had to get every living kitten out.

One little tuxedo boy, maybe 5 weeks old, was already too far gone. He was skin and bones. He crashed soon after we got him, even though we tried to bring him back.

Jasper held him in the van while we both cried.

Even though we had only just found him, we loved him.

I hope he knew that.

This job was rough. But it was also successful. We expected 5-10 cats. We trapped 40.

That means no more kittens suffering alone on a garage floor.

If you are struggling with outdoor cats,

please ask for help early. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and shut down. But the cats still need you to act.

The best time to trap was before it got this bad.

The second-best time is right now.

If this story stays with you, please consider making a donation to Street Cat Hub. Your gift helps us keep showing up for free-roaming cats and kittens who need trapping, surgery, vaccines, medical care, warmth, food, and safe placement when they cannot go back outside.

TNR saves lives. Your support helps make that possible.