Looking for an Adventure? Help Us Catch Cats!

Are you looking for an adventure? Help us catch cats to save the lives of feral cats and kittens by volunteering with our Community Cats/Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, while also helping control the overpopulation of feral cats in Loudoun County. Be part of a team of committed volunteers, dedicated to improving the lives of feral and stray cats and kittens. TNR is the only proven method for improving the lives of Community Cats and stopping the problem of overpopulation due to the endless cycle of mating and kittens.

Trappers help Community (feral) Cats by trapping them in humane traps (which we provide), and helping to get them to our vet partners to be neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. On-the-job training and shadowing will be provided until new trappers are comfortable working on their own. Most trappers work in pairs or groups.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Work with TNR Coordinator when requests are received on sites to be trapped.
• Work with Coordinator and Caretakers to develop a trapping plan/schedule, transport, and overnight housing.
• Notify TNR Coordinator if kittens, sick, pregnant, or stray cats are found at site.
• Humanely trap the cats and kittens in conjunction with scheduled vet clinic appointments.
• Work with Coordinator, caretakers, and transporters to get cats to/from clinics and their overnight housing.
• Work with Coordinator to schedule and plan trapping in conjunction with monthly trips to mass TNR clinics.
• Work with transporters and caretakers on returning the cats to their colony/site once it’s medically safe to do so.

Location: Volunteers supporting the Community Cats / TNR Program work throughout the Loudoun County community.

Time Commitment: Flexible based on volunteer schedules. Days and times vary. Fully-involved volunteers devote approximately 10-15 hours a month. Because this team maintains community partnerships, we ask volunteers to commit to at least six months of service.

Qualifications:

• Completion of Volunteer Orientation
• Must be comfortable doing field work, including early morning, late night, heat, and cold
• Must have own vehicle for getting to sites
• Must be able to stay and monitor traps while trapping is in progress (cannot leave traps unattended while they are set for trapping)
• Willingness to positively represent HSLC and follow guidelines
• Ability to work in a collegial way with volunteers toward HSLC goals

Benefits of volunteering in this role include:

• Essential impact in saving more animals
• Invitation to volunteer appreciation events
• Opportunity to be highlighted in HSLC's Paw Prints Newsletter