Feral Cats

[sfreeman8]

Now up to 6 of them and not getting any help at all from the rescue sites. I won't take them to the shelters because they'll be euthanized immediately. I've socialized the 2 adult males, 1 adult female, and one ? kitten. The kitten is so loving as are the males. The mom to the kittens and the other kitten are "miss Priss" and don't want anything to do with us. Alley Cat Allies gave me a bunch of emails and the local ones aren't valid. That's really nice of them so I emailed them and told them about it!

I've been trying since last spring to find a place for them or at least get some kind of information/help with them. We're on SS and after expenses, are left with $800 a month without groceries, gas, and it just doesn't stretch. No Nonsense Neutering charges $15 a female cat but  I forget what it is for male. Anyway, can't squeeze that money out of the budget. The kitty in my Avatar is one I had done two years ago and she got sick and died two weeks later.  She became our indoor house buddy.        

I tried looking for a farm for them with no luck either. Any other suggestions? I'm afraid "Valentine's Day" for cats is coming up and don't need any more kids. There is another feral hanging around and 3 possums that I have to fight to keep the food away from them.

[countrygirl12]

Now up to 6 of them and not getting any help at all from the rescue sites. I won't take them to the shelters because they'll be euthanized immediately. I've socialized the 2 adult males, 1 adult female, and one ? kitten. The kitten is so loving as are the males. The mom to the kittens and the other kitten are "miss Priss" and don't want anything to do with us. Alley Cat Allies gave me a bunch of emails and the local ones aren't valid. That's really nice of them so I emailed them and told them about it!

I've been trying since last spring to find a place for them or at least get some kind of information/help with them. We're on SS and after expenses, are left with $800 a month without groceries, gas, and it just doesn't stretch. No Nonsense Neutering charges $15 a female cat but  I forget what it is for male. Anyway, can't squeeze that money out of the budget. The kitty in my Avatar is one I had done two years ago and she got sick and died two weeks later.  She became our indoor house buddy.        

I tried looking for a farm for them with no luck either. Any other suggestions? I'm afraid "Valentine's Day" for cats is coming up and don't need any more kids. There is another feral hanging around and 3 possums that I have to fight to keep the food away from them.

After expenses you have $800 left and you say that doesn't stretch?  How can gas and groceries cost you over $800 a month?

Anyway, hard to say because it is going to have to be someone in your area.  Look online for no kill rescue organizations. Put your state in the search.  You may find some that will take them but they are not going to come get them.  And if they are wild that is another strike against them.  Maybe find who is responsible for not having them spayed or neutered and letting them run at large.

[sbenkoski]

I tried to help the cats in my back yard that were wild,  but stopped when they kept showing up with friends , got out of control.

[vickysue]

We  don't want  Feral cats running loose here in town. Have taken a couple out to the farm and my stepfather  feeds them and  lets them have babies. But as with all  wildlife , the owls, harks and such  get some of the babies also  they go over to a neighbors  place and their  dogs get some.  But  at least he tries. But  they are not allowed in the house, not trained.

[1imaginarygirl]

That seems pretty inexpensive for a spay, and a male neuter should be even less because the procedure is less invasive and much quicker. Although I completely understand that they're not "yours" and that obviously you can't neuter the whole feral cat community.

Are there any TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) services in your area? Maybe call local veterinarians for more info/resources, if the rescues aren't helping.

(On a side note, I had 2 hours to kill for lunch today during my veterinary conferences. I had 2 beers that cost $17 total - more than my food. So a $15 spay sounds like winning the lottery to me. Haha!)

[dsawan]

keep em in the wild

[plennis]

Find a no kill shelter and take them there.  It can get expensive, especially when they always seem to keep bringing friends.

[countrygirl12]

keep em in the wild

So they continue to breed and make more and more and it gets totally out of control?  I have a physco neighbor that at one time had over 40 cats (I do not live in the country). She refuses to get any of them fixed.  AC came and trapped about half of them. But she has just went and got more. The woman is crazy and needs to be charged with hoarding. And all the other neighbors do not want her multitude of cats on their property tearing stuff up.

Most cats will have at least 5 kittens at a time. Multiply that times 4 a year and you are talking an addition of 20 cats. When you have more than one having kittens - it doesn't take long to have a serious problem.  People want to cry about cats being put down because no one wants them.  What else are you suppose to do?  You have 700 cats that no one wants.

Take it a step further... you have the idiots protesting because animals are left outside in the cold.  Screaming how they need to be put in jail.  You have 700 wild cats that have no shelter or no real source of food.

Not to mention the cats end up being inbred because they are all there together and will mate with relatives which WILL cause problems.

So if you live in the country and have cats coming around if you do not feed them they will leave.  If you do feed them they will hang around.  If that happens then you need to get them fixed so they cannot reproduce.  I have seen first hand it does not take long to have a serious problem.

[nannycoe1]

Stop feeding them and maybe they will go away. BTW I wish I had $800. for gas and groceries a month.

[bretay]

we havea shelter here that is no kill..my daughter feeds feral cats..and they give her some food to help and have told her to bring in one a ta time when she can get them...they fix them for free as long as they are feral cats..

[bremer51]

My brother who lives in the country feeds all the wild cats that come around and he built them a shelter.  He tamed one of them, and she became a house cat. I guess he doesn't worry about cat populations.

[pectacon]

My sister's neighborhood has a major feral cat problem. They had to spend a bundle on cleaning up their landscaping to avoid giving mother cats a place to hole up and that seemed to help. They finally had a spring without a litter being born in their yard. We were sad to realize the shelters were totally overwhelmed here too when we called around about finding homes for the last batch.

[countrygirl12]

My sister's neighborhood has a major feral cat problem. They had to spend a bundle on cleaning up their landscaping to avoid giving mother cats a place to hole up and that seemed to help. They finally had a spring without a litter being born in their yard. We were sad to realize the shelters were totally overwhelmed here too when we called around about finding homes for the last batch.

Our shelter is also overwhelmed. But I don't know what to do since you can't take a ball bat to the head of the idiot causing the problem. Our shelter is suppose to be a no kill shelter. I am hoping there are not a bunch of kittens again this year. But I know she has males and females that are not fixed so I am sure there will be inbred kittens in no time.  Several of the cats are also covered in sores.  Something has got to be done.

[jkhanson]

We see some cats go through our backyard.  As long we don't feed them, they keep going which is fine with me.  If I want a pet, I will go the Humane Society and adopt one.  The ones running around outside are not on my list, nor are they my responsibility to feed and shelter.
Perhaps growing up on a farm gives me this perspective.  Outside cats are outside cats.  They hunt and they survive.
Our kids all have indoor pet cats whom they love dearly.  These cats get all the treatment.....vet visits, annual shots, food, shelter, love.

[miltonarmitage]

Keep trying, these kitties deserve a good home! most shelters won't put them down like they would back in the 80's. Contact the Humane Society, I'm sure they'll help or at the very least give you some helpful ideas. Good luck!