Stray Cats

[countrygirl12]

Don’t you think you should contact the pound about the mother cat and her kittens?

Why would you do that? If she can find homes for the kittens and the momma cat that would be a lot better. The "pound" will kill them.

[countrygirl12]

I have worked with stray cats for over 14 years.

Provide them with food and water although the babies may still be feeding on mama cat. If so, mama needs to keep up her strength. If you can elevate the bowls to keep out ants, that would be good. I would put out food around the time you usually see them. If you do it at night, other animals may get to the food, so watch from a distance or through a window.

If the kittens are really young, they are easily socialized but you may want to contact local animal groups to help you with this. If the cats get to know you, it's likely that they will get socialized naturally.

If you can call a local animal group, they may be able to come out and humanely trap all of them (this will not not harm them). The mama can then be spayed to prevent further pregnancies, and when the kittens are old enough, they can be altered as well. Depending upon how wild each cat is, they can either be adopted or put back out where you found them but be sure to get them altered.

If you end up taking them to a shelter, be sure it is a "no kill" shelter.

Unfortunately, this is not an unusual situation. This is why it is so important to spay/neuter your pets (especially if you let them outside).

Hope this helps.

 

Dealing with stray cats is not that big of a deal.  They are cats. Put out food and water if you want to keep them. You do not need the help of "animal groups".  If you don't want to keep them ignore them and they will maybe find some where else. It could be like in my area where my neighbor has over 40! A no kill shelter is not always an option. I have animals inside. I do not want any outside and I don't want other people's animals at my house. Most people feel the same way.

People who have WAY TOO MANY and refuse to get them fixed need to go to jail.

[countrygirl12]

HotKentuckyMama:

Is it her left ear that is snipped off? If so, she is what we call an "ear-tip kitty"  which means she was trapped, spayed, and put back out at some point.

If it is not the left ear, probably just an injury.

WHY would you do that? An organization trapped the animal and fixed it and then just set it back out to fend for itself or to become somebody else's problem? I don't want strays or even neighbor's animals at my house.

[sak4kat]

We lived out in the country where there were tons of feral cats.  My husband and oldest daughter nabbed one and tried to socialize one but it was absolute disaster.  The kitten was mean and naughty... he was adorable but meant to be a wild cat. They thought they were doing something good as this Mama kitty had litter after litter and the kittens never seemed to make it... in fact one time she was caught smothering one of the babies. I'm allergic to cat's so never really gave much time towards figuring them out.

[santa7]

Thanks for all the replies.  I did contact animal control when I found them and they told me it would be 25 dollars for them to bring me a trap and they would take the trapped cats back to shelter.  I said that I don't want to see them euthanized and at the same time didn't want them to multiply.  So, they're supposed to contact me to bring me a trap and they'll have them fixed then bring them back here.  Told them I'm on fixed budget and that people are always doing this around here.  Not getting them fixed and then they move out leaving the neighbors to deal with all these cats.  I have a kitty of my own that we rescued and has shots, spayed, and we keep her inside.

[vickysue]

It is so sad how people will just up and leave their cats or dogs without  a care in the world. I have had pets at different times in my life. But  always lived out in the country then. I can't stand to see an animal chained in some ones  small yard. Just so they  can say  we have a guard  dog. If that is all they needed him for why not just put an alarm up. Now that we are in town that is what we have done, So if someone is in our backyard  we will know about it.

[jwkelly]

I knew ppl with cats that were chipped and when they moved they simply tossed the cat to the street,when confronted they lie "oh the cat ran away"   Yeah you were evicted for non payment of rent,have many overdue bills.... but your cat you care about when you're running away ?

[sbenkoski]

I felt bad for a cat and started feeding her, soon i was feeding the whole neighborhood  of cats , what started out as one turned into 9 and digging up my garden, i had to stop.

[mardukblood2009]

I use to go to Pizza Hut in Virginia sometimes and there was a ton of cats that use to live behind it. Eventually the animals control people came in and took them away. 

[kaat1220]

CountryGirl:

Taking care of stray cats is not as simple as you would like to think (especially if there are a lot of them). Food/water is their BASIC need. Cats need love/affection/medical care and a lot of things we humans need. They are funny, quirky, and social beings.

The reason they ear tip the kitty is because it is deemed to be "feral" which means it is NOT adoptable into someone else's home. So, rather than euthanize it, they spay/neuter and put it back where they found it because there is at least a chance that the animal knows the environment and knows where to find food. It is not right to euthanize animals for no other reason than there are too many of them especially since this is 100% the fault of humans for letting their unaltered cats outside. It is also highly important to spay/neuter that animal so it does not create more cats; THAT is why you do not just leave them there. Many people need animal groups to help them do things like this, especially if there are many of them. Animal groups also go around feeding cat colonies.

The reality is that this problem is solvable if people would make spaying/neutering their pets a number one priority.

I find your attitude off-putting (this is why you have problems with people). Rather than politely asking questions, you scoff at the work some of us are doing to help them.

[kaat1220]

sak4cat:

You have to get them while they are young to be able to socialize them, usually 4 to 8 weeks (just an estimate). It's not that the cat was meant to be feral; you got to it too late.

[kaat1220]

santa7:

Call the Humane Society or ask around about local animal groups. Local Groups should be able to come out and trap for you and not charge you for it. Here in Bradenton, Florida, groups provide this service, and sometimes, will even provide a bag of food now and then to help out if you feed ferals.

If you like, tell me where you live, and the county, and I will research it, and provide you with the necessary group to contact.

Animal Services is one place to go, but it's not the only place to go.

[nmbrown863]

There are many stray cats in my area.

[nmbrown863]

HotKentuckyMama:

Is it her left ear that is snipped off? If so, she is what we call an "ear-tip kitty"  which means she was trapped, spayed, and put back out at some point.

If it is not the left ear, probably just an injury.

WHY would you do that? An organization trapped the animal and fixed it and then just set it back out to fend for itself or to become somebody else's problem? I don't want strays or even neighbor's animals at my house.

They do this in my mothers neighborhood. She took in a stray that has a snipped ear.

[countrygirl12]

I felt bad for a cat and started feeding her, so i was feeding the whole neighborhood  of cats , what started out as one turned into 9 and digging up my garden, i had to stop.

Yeah my neighbors 40 plus cats dig up my garden and poop in it every day.  I agree - this has got to stop!