Mission:  To end the overpopulation of cats in the Knoxville TN area  and Surrounding Counties  through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), public education, and empowering the community to care for outside cats. Mission Statement:  Feral Feline Friends of East TN was founded in 2004 and became a 501c3 non-profit in 2009. We are funded solely from donations and fund raisers with 100% of money raised, going directly to controlling and maintaining the feral cat population in the Knoxville TN area and Surrounding Counties .   Feral Feline Friends of East TN is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to humanely reducing the outside cat population in the Knoxville TN area and Surrounding Counties  through Trap-Neuter-Return. With TNR, feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, given any other critical care needed, and returned to their original location. The breeding stops and the behaviors associated with mating stops (spraying, fighting, and yowling).  We DO NOT remove feral cats from your neighborhood, place of business, or loan traps for you to take cats to any animal service to be euthanized. TNR is the only effective, humane, and long term solution in controlling feral cat populations. Our mission is also to protect the welfare of cats, and to promote the humane treatment and well-being of these animals by providing: •A humane/cost effective alternative to euthanasia through TNR, ongoing managed care of un-socialized cats, and the adoption of tame cats/ kittens, through our home based foster care program and PetSmart adoption fairs. This decreases the number of cats that are euthanized at our local Animal Shelters every year.  Why is this important?  Two feral cats that have not been spayed or neutered can produce around 420,000 kittens in 7 years.  Unless a caring person takes care of these cats, a staggering number of them will end up in the Knox County and Surrounding Counties Animal Shelters, where they will most likely be euthanized because they are considered unsuitable for adoption. •Mentoring on how to trap cats, loan traps to residents wishing to spay and neuter community cats. •Provide information on no-cost and low-cost spay/neuter agencies, making the cost affordable for the   public for feral, stray and owned pet cats.  Low cost spay/neuter agencies in this area •Promote community awareness of the responsible care and treatment of animals.  Educate the public regarding the plight of stray/feral cats and the need to spay/neuter and microchip pets. •Support feral cat caretakers and gain recognition of the beneficial role they perform