Free field guides
Field & Care Guides
Practical guides for caretakers, trappers and foster homes. Each one cites its sources, including Alley Cat Allies, Neighborhood Cats, the ASPCA, AAFP and New York State law, and comes as a printable PDF you can keep in the truck or by the feeding station.
TNR & colony care
- PDF: What Is TNR? A Caretaker’s Guide to Trap-Neuter-Return
What Is TNR? A Caretaker’s Guide to Trap-Neuter-Return
How Trap-Neuter-Return works, step by step, from feeding schedule to return, and what to have ready before trapping day.
- PDF: How to Build an Insulated Winter Shelter for Outdoor Cats
How to Build an Insulated Winter Shelter for Outdoor Cats
A small, raised, straw-filled shelter keeps a colony dry and warm through Cattaraugus County winters. Here is how to build and maintain one.
- PDF: Stray, Feral, or Someone’s Pet? How to Tell the Difference
Stray, Feral, or Someone’s Pet? How to Tell the Difference
What you see from a distance tells you whether a cat needs a home, a return to its owner, or TNR and its colony.
Health & safety
- PDF: Vaccines for Kittens and Community Cats: A Plain-Language Schedule
Vaccines for Kittens and Community Cats: A Plain-Language Schedule
The core vaccines, when kittens get them, and what New York law requires for rabies. Your veterinarian sets the final schedule.
- PDF: Is This Cat in Pain? Signs to Watch and When It’s an Emergency
Is This Cat in Pain? Signs to Watch and When It’s an Emergency
Cats hide pain well. The Feline Grimace Scale, the emergencies that cannot wait, and where to go after hours in our area.
- PDF: Lilies and Other Plants That Are Dangerous to Cats
Lilies and Other Plants That Are Dangerous to Cats
True lilies and daylilies cause kidney failure in cats, even from pollen. Which plants to remove, and what to do after an exposure.
Kittens
- PDF: Found Newborn Kittens? Warmth, Feeding and Care for the First Weeks
Found Newborn Kittens? Warmth, Feeding and Care for the First Weeks
Neonatal kittens cannot keep themselves warm or go to the bathroom alone. What to do first, and how to feed and care for them.
- PDF: Kitten Growth Week by Week: Weights and Milestones
Kitten Growth Week by Week: Weights and Milestones
Use a kitchen scale to estimate age and catch problems early. Normal weights from birth to eight weeks, and when to call a vet.
- PDF: Socializing Feral Kittens: The Window and How to Use It
Socializing Feral Kittens: The Window and How to Use It
Feral kittens can become friendly companions if socialized young. Ages, what to expect, and when TNR is the better choice.
Behavior
- PDF: Reading Cat Body Language: Stress, Fear and Trust
Reading Cat Body Language: Stress, Fear and Trust
Ears, tail, eyes and posture tell you how a cat feels, and how to approach a frightened community cat without causing harm.
- PDF: Introducing a New Cat to Your Cat, Step by Step
Introducing a New Cat to Your Cat, Step by Step
A slow introduction prevents most fights. Separate rooms, scent swapping, then short supervised visits over two to four weeks.
- PDF: Scratching: Why Cats Do It and How to Redirect It
Scratching: Why Cats Do It and How to Redirect It
Scratching is normal and necessary. Give cats the right surface in the right place, and furniture is usually left alone.
These guides are general information, not veterinary advice. For a sick or injured cat, contact a veterinarian.