Okay, so you have a colony of cats and you've either asked for help trapping or you want to do this on your own. What is involved? There's a lot of information out there on how to do this, here is just one source.
Have you established a feeding schedule? This is important because the cats will come around at expected times. It makes trapping so much easier, so if you have not established a schedule, do that first. A question I get a lot from people who don't want cats to stick around is "will this make them stick around??" The answer is, stop feeding after the TNR and they'll go back to what they were doing before if they were just passing by.
How many cats do you need to trap? Consider making a list of all the cats you have in the colony with descriptions of what they look like. Example: Tom - male - domestic short hair (DSH), orange tabby with white feet and white on tip of tail. Alley Cat Allies has a pretty nice colony tracking sheet.
What resources are available to you? Here in Berks County, PA the resources are actually really vast if you know where to look in comparison to many areas. There is No Nonsense Neutering, Berks ARL, and Fairchild Feral Friends for low-cost clinics for feral cats. Berks Community Cats is a 501c3 that helps specifically feral or community cats. Berks Cats in Crisis helps those in desperate need. You can rent traps at the clinics or purchase locally or online. Financial assistance may be available through some of these groups as well. Of course, some vets may also offer TNR but it will probably cost you more than at a clinic.
Make a plan: You need to have a plan for the cat/s you're going to trap. That means they need to have an appointment set up before they're trapped. You need to do some "trap training" work so set up a few days to a week prior to this appointment. Think about where you see the cats, where you feed them, and how many you're able to catch at one time with the appointments available to you.
Trap Training: Set up the traps where the cats normally eat if that locale has the space and is safe. Plan ahead for inclement weather. Something I have done is place traps up on low wood or bricks then cover with a blanket followed by a garbage bag. Leave the entrance uncovered as well as the very back of the trap so that it looks more like a tunnel. Weight down the blanket/bag or whatever you cover the trap with so it doesn't blow away. Now day 1 feed like normal. Day 2 move closer to the traps. Day 3 feed just outside the trap. Day 4 feed just inside the trap. Day 5 feed in the back of the trap. Of course, you don't set the traps for real during this training period so make sure they don't close. I use carabiners to keep the doors open with no chance of failing.
Trap day: You're in the home-stretch here. You can feed their breakfast in the traps and set them for real now. Place newspaper in the bottom of the traps if you haven't already. If you catch the intended kitties, great! If no one goes in the traps, you play the waiting game. Check on your traps every few hours. Maybe you have a large colony and you don't get the intended kitty. Release unintended or replace trap with an empty one and hang onto the kitty for now. If you need to wait until dinner time to trap for real, do not feed breakfast. Kitties must be hungry to go into the traps.
For a large colony or a cat who just won't go into a box trap, you may need a drop trap. These allow you to be more selective. The process is the same. However, the mechanics differ. You may or may not cover this trap. Trap training may require an extra day to get kitties used to going under the trap. Make sure the "stick" is secure for this process by placing heavy objects around it. When you're setting for real, remove those objects and be ready with your string to manually catch the intended cat/s. You'll still need a box trap for transfer. A trap fork and poker stick are helpful.
So now you have your cats. They really need to be covered to lessen their stress levels. You could spray some Feliway on the outer fabric or area, just not on the cats themselves. Place the cats in a quiet and protected space until their appointment. This space needs to not get too hot or too cold. Never leave cats in a vehicle unattended. If you have an insulated garage or shed, this is a good space. A basement may do as well. Your bathroom could be an option. Low traffic areas are preferable.
Spay Day: Transport your felines to their appointments. Different clinics have different options so be aware of what is available to you and the acceptable methods of payment. At No Nonsense Neutering, you can add a distemper shot for $15. It might be included if under a year old or a nursing mother. ARL does not offer distemper shots to ferals. The reasoning is these shots really should have another booster. However, some protection is better than none in my opinion. Note what time you pick up and make sure they have an email or print you a rabies certificate for your records. Your feral friend will come back with an ear tip. This is really helpful so people don't trap them in the future unless necessary.
Aftercare: Follow whatever aftercare instructions you're given. When I get a feral cat back from the clinic, I put them back in their safe place. I will give them dinner in the late evening. Trap forks are really helpful for this. You place the fork in and then you can fully open the trap to change out food or newspaper without risk escape. Males generally stay in the trap for 24 hours after surgery. They won't have stiches. Females stay in the trap for 48 hours after surgery. I do not give a separate water dish. I add extra water to their wet food that it is nearly a soup, but not quite so runny. This reduces the mess and chance of getting the surgical site wet. If it is really hot out, give more frequently or offer a small water dish. I personally never transfer cats into crates. I have joined two traps together to offer more space but I don't like to risk transfers. A single exception to this was a cat who was being socialized for adoption as he had lived in a home and had to no where else to go because he never lived outside.
Release: The special part here is watching them zoom out of the traps. There's nothing special to be done. Release where you found them by standing behind the trap and leaving a free opening. Cats are not to be relocated! Relocation requires so much more so do not simply release a cat into a random area.
Congratulations! You just managed to save a whole bunch of lives by fixing one+ cat/s!
More information Check out this video by the Kitten Lady, Hannah Shaw for more information: here.
Here is another resource to check out by Neighborhood Cats: here. Animal Friends has some more information: here. Tricky cats: here.
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