Training on Offer

The CATalyst Project, intends to provide training and information provision on Trap Neuter Return (TNR), a humane, efficient and cost-effective tool for controlling and reducing feral cat populations.

Training will include one day workshops for trappers with onsite follow-up training; local information evenings for communities where TNR is planned or ongoing; and afternoon or evening sessions, touring nationally, for trappers, vet workers, animal welfare volunteers & workers, cat caregivers and the general public.

Our information evenings and introductory workshops both address the basics for anyone, ensuring all are on the same page before progressing. This session also allows individuals to be made aware of the appropriate next step for them – TNR training? Colony care? Or simply spreading the TNR love?

Most people, particularly members of the public in a TNR project catchment, will go no further than the introductory session.

More detailed workshops are then available for different groups, where required, including: those wishing to go on to practice TNR; veterinary staff; colony caregivers; those involved in fundraising, marketing and publicity; and those who wish to carry out TNR training themselves.

Objectives

The main objectives of the introductory workshop are:

• To inform participants on the basics of TNR, its relevance, its necessity and, to an extent, its application.
• To enable attendees to decide if they want and/or need further training in TNR.
• To enable the local TNR group to assess potential volunteers for their TNR projects - and charm them into further training.

Additional objectives of this and other available workshops are:

• To inform participants on all aspects of TNR, its relevance, its necessity and its application.
• To enable participants to initiate and carry out TNR projects in their area humanely and efficiently.
• To inspire participants to spread the word about TNR in their local and online communities.
• To promote discussion amongst practising TNR volunteers and workers, enabling better practice and effective promotion of TNR in Ireland.

Why Attend?

Individuals in a community where TNR is planned or in progress attend the workshops for a variety of reasons:

• to learn more about TNR and any local projects
• to be reassured that TNR is the solution they need
• to learn where to go for more information
• to learn solutions to unpleasant cat behaviours
• to learn how to care for cats in their neighbourhood responsibly
• to learn how to participate in a TNR project immediately
• and, in the long term, to participate in setting up local TNR projects.

Why Host?

Hopefully, the reasons for hosting a TNR workshop session in your area are obvious. But in case not, here are a few ...

• The CATalyst Project aims to raise awareness of community cats in Ireland and to promote best practice and training in Trap Neuter Return (TNR) programmes throughout the country. Arranging a workshop in your area will inform, enable and inspire participation. The more workshops we can arrange around the country, the more impact we will have - with the maximum benefit for the Irish community cat population.
• If you're involved in a local TNR group, or would like to set one up, you'll need informed volunteers who can help you out. This is one way to find them.
• If you and/or your group wants to TNR a colony in your area, you'll need to get the local residents on your side, find the primary caregivers, raise funds and ... get more volunteers. Here's a great way to do all that.
• Similarly, if your TNR group is arranging Targetted Trapping in your area, you'll need to get the local residents on your side, assess colony numbers and locations, find the primary caregivers, raise funds and ... get more volunteers. Guess what? This is a great way to do all that too. Or at least to make a start.
• Even if you've been trapping for years, there is always more to learn. Our TNR workshops can help you learn more about Best Practice and networking with other groups - and enabling the CATalyst project to incorporate your experiences into our publicity.
• If you want to continue to raise awareness in your area, we can give you the tools to carry out the training yourself.

TNR Information Session

The Information Session is aimed at individuals in a community where a TNR project is planned and/or where TNR groups and individuals want to raise awareness about TNR generally. Depending on location, and your publicity, we can expect between ten and twenty individuals. We need these people not only to understand what TNR is all about, but also to like us and want to actively help us in our project.

Aims & Objectives

At the end of the session, participants will know what Trap Neuter Return (TNR) is and why it is useful. In particular, they'll know why it is useful to their community.

For our purposes, the intent is to inspire the community to support and participate in any local TNR project.

Venues & Equipment

Groups requiring the Information Session will usually need to arrange the venue, the publicity and the overhead projector. We'll need a comfortable, informal setting with facilities for the overhead projector, and space to set up the equipment where participants can clearly see it. A hotel venue with meeting rooms is perfect. The meeting room hosts the session while the pub setting allows discussion and getting-to-know better afterwards.

TNR Introductory Workshop

Aims & Objectives

The Introductory Workshop is aimed at volunteers interested in carrying out TNR projects. It's also relevant to colony care-givers who are willing to help with the trapping, or simply want to know more. And it's useful to veterinary staff, for a more holistic understanding of the concept. At the end of the workshop, participants will know what Trap Neuter Return (TNR) is, why it is useful and the basics of carrying out a TNR project. If they've not been involved in trapping before we'd recommend they participate in a project with experienced trappers before being set loose on their own.

For our purposes, the intent is to inspire potential volunteers to actively participate in any local TNR projects.

Venues & Equipment

As with the Introductory Session, groups requiring the workshop will usually need to arrange the venue, the publicity and the overhead projector. If the group is small, less than six or seven, an information workshop in someone's house would be fine - and we probably wouldn't need an overhead projector. A bigger group would require a venue similar to that detailed in the Introductory Session.

Information Provision

For any workshop we'll have copies of CATalyst's TNR Manual for Ireland - How to Help Community Cats - available for distribution (note the manual is available to download free here). We'll also have leaflets relevant to TNR. If you've any relevant literature, please do bring it along.

Costs

No fee is charged for attending the workshops - we want to encourage people to come along! But do keep in mind that the workshop itself is an opportunity to fundraise for your TNR work.

We need to cover our diesel and accommodation costs. We hope to have funding to cover these costs - but, if not, donations would be appreciated.

When arranging the venue and overhead projector, the group requesting the workshop is expected to organise payment of those costs themselves. However, again depending on funding, we may be able to provide for those costs also. We'll make the funding situation clear when discussing your workshop.

Relevant Links

• Trap Neuter Return (TNR)
• CATalyst project
• Targetted Trapping
• TNR Manual for Ireland (pdf)
• Alley Cat Allies
• Contact Us