Local volunteers lead TNR efforts, offering food, shelter and second chances to the city’s strays.

By Sydnie Schaffer

schaffers@findlay.edu

Five bowls sit on a porch in Findlay’s south end, each already half empty by the time Findlay resident Calvin Stewart steps outside his home. Tiny paws scurry across the concrete as cats of every shape, age and color claim their breakfast.

Stewart, who moved to the neighborhood in February, has come to recognize every one of them. Some are nervous, while others are loving, but all are part of a growing number of stray and feral cats quietly overpopulating Findlay’s streets.

“I would say multiple times a day I see them,” Stewart said. “They’re never too far.”

Across Findlay, clusters of free-roaming cats have become a familiar sight behind businesses, in residential neighborhoods and even near the University of Findlay campus. While many residents leave food out of compassion, experts say feeding alone can worsen the issue.

The real solution, they say, lies in TNR (“trap, neuter and return”) a humane practice that prevents cats from reproducing while allowing them to live safely outdoors.

According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), “a single unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce more than 400,000 kittens over seven years if left unchecked.” Experts say that’s why local TNR efforts are crucial for managing stray populations humanely.

That mission drives Jenny Jones, a retired veterinary technician with 30 years of experience who runs a small TNR operation out of her Findlay home with help from her daughter, Haley. Together, they trap and transport cats before returning them to their colonies; or finding them homes when possible.

“Every week, we’re either driving to Humane Ohio or setting traps around town,” Jones said. “If a cat comes back in rough shape or was pregnant when caught, we give them time to heal and adjust before releasing them.”

Jenny Jones began her volunteer work about a year ago after watching the number of strays multiply in her neighborhood. What started as feeding a few hungry cats has grown into a structured effort supported by donations.

“People mean well when they feed,” Jones said. “But without fixing them, you’re really just growing the problem.”

Stewart said he’s seen the challenge firsthand. “It can take months to get an appointment because demand is so high, and even at reduced rates, the costs add up,” he said.

Haley Jones said she’s learned to balance compassion with practicality.

“It’s hard to see kittens born outside when they don’t survive the winter,” she said. “That’s what keeps us doing it; it’s not just about helping cats but also about preventing suffering.”

Findlay officials are also working to address the issue citywide according to Jaclynn Hohman, project manager for the Findlay Mayor’s office

“We Initially appropriated $5,000 for 2025 during the budget process for the TNR program and realized around June that in order to keep the program running for the rest of the year we would need an additional $5,000 to keep it going through the year end (total of $10,000 in 2025),” Hohman said in an email. The TNR program is a collaboration between the city, the Humane Society & SPCA of Hancock County, VCA Findlay Animal Hospital and other local veterinarians.

Through the program, unowned, free-roaming cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-tipped which is a small clip made to the ear under anesthesia to signal they’ve been fixed. After recovery, they’re returned to where they were found.

“There are about 150 cats that have been spayed or neutered so far and we should be over 200 cats by year end,” Hohman said.

City officials said in the press release that “the program helps prevent future litter, reduces nuisance behaviors such as fighting and yowling, and allows colony numbers to decline over time.” Residents can report sightings of unowned cats without ear tips on the city’s website, where officials coordinate with trappers to manage colonies humanely.

Nationally, community cat populations are estimated between 30 million and 80 million, according to the ASPCA, which also reports that TNR programs reduce colony size and nuisance behaviors over time.

“It takes the whole neighborhood working together,” said Jenny Jones.

For now, the feeding bowls stay out each morning and Findlay’s quiet effort to care for its unseen residents continues, one cat at a time.