stray cat info/advice

Factual Questions
1

I appear to have 2 new neighbors: a cat and a kitten who are nearly always wandering around my backyard (I’ve seen the cat for months now; the kitten is new) and seem to be sleeping on my back porch. There’s no fence, so they could belong to a neighbor, but I’m guessing not (or not anymore). They do’t look totally feral, though.

Being soft-hearted, I’ve thought about leaving food out for them … but I’m worried about what that would lead to. I’m not necessarily interested in bringing either of them into the house, (never been good at keeping pets) and I will be leaving this apartment in a year or so. If I start leaving food out occasionally, will the cats become dependant on me and suffer when I move? If I call animal control, what will they likely do? I don’t see any advice on the ASPCA site, so any informed guidance welcome.

2

Their are plenty of no-kill shelters around. I live in So-Cal. and just adopted a cat from a no-kill shelter called FOCAS. I would ask a Petsmart, if you have one in the area. Maybe if you type in NO-kill shelters in your search engine and see what pops up.

3

I don’t think cats depend on anyone and, unlike dogs, still have their predatory instincts so they will get by if you leave in a year after feeding them regularly. No animal will turn down a free meal though.

4

Since they seem to be running wild they might already be infected with leukimia, so you might not be doing them ,or other cats a favor by sparing them.

5

This is currently happening to my ex. But he’s left food out for the poor animal and now it’s claimed him as it’s very own. He called the town but was informed that since there is no leash law for cats, there’s nothing they will do. I suggested local animal shelters, but he decided to adopt the poor thing instead. Good luck, but if you don’t want to keep them, I’d suggest you don’t feed them but call an animal shelter.

6

It’s sweet of you to feed them, but truthfully, that will only encourage them to stick around, grow up, and have more kittens. Within a year, you’ll probably have 15 or so hanging around your yard.

As far as shelters go, unless they are adoptable, most no-kill shelters will not take them. Shelters are in the adoption business, not the sanctuary business. (Oh, there are a very few that provide sanctuary to unadoptable cats, but not many.) If they are feral, they are almost certainly not adoptable - possibly with many weeks or months of socialization they would be, but the adult probably never will be.

If you are able to trap them, a shelter might take the kitten if it’s young enough to be socialized to humans. It would be great to have the adult spayed and then release her (this is called “TNVR” - Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release) - but I only advocate this if the animal is part of a monitored colony. The other option is to trap them and take them to a kill shelter, where they will most likely be put to sleep.

I know what you are feeling - I have dealt with hundreds of feral cats and kittens - some I’ve taken in, some I’ve socialized, some I’ve been successful in adopting out - and some I’ve had put to sleep. It’s heartbreaking. But sometimes that’s the only option.

If you do decide to trap them, you might be able to just pick up the kitten (wear gloves) but the mother will almost definitely need to be trapped - you won’t be able to pick her up and put her in a cage. Don’t even try it. You’ll need a humane trap, which many shelters will have and will let you borrow, or you can buy one for about $50.

The situation you are in is what happens when people are too g-d lazy to spay & neuter their pets and then can’t be bothered to take them to a shelter, even a kill shelter, when they don’t want them anymore. (Obviously I don’t mean you; I mean whoever used to have that mother cat.) :frowning:

7

He shouldn’t start feeding them unless he is willing to take responsiblity for them. That includes taking them to the vet for their shots and to get fixed.

8

I don’t know why I talked about you like you weren’t in the room furt. Sorry! :slight_smile:

9

Well, at 9 AM I wasn’t…

I did put out one can of Friskies today (50 yards from my house) because they were just looking so damn thin, but I will not do this again, and will call a shelter. The kitten really looks very adoptable. Maybe not mom though.

Thanks for the advice.

10

Yes, they do, and no, they won’t. Well, some may, and they will reproduce so that you think they are all getting by, but in reality a large number of the animals will not survive, and if they do will not be what you’d describe as “well.” Unless you consider internal and external parasites, injuries, intermittent starvation, fights, injuries, leukemia, immune deficiency disease and (if female) and unending cycle of birthing and nursing until worn out.

11

Nothing wrong with feeding- as long as you also “fix”. Some places will do this for free or very little charge.

Your instincs are admirable. Of course, adoption is the best course, and “inside only” cats is the way to go, if possible.

But if not, trap, fix, build them a little shelter, feed & water them, and they will be your freinds.

12

I’ve got a neighborhood ‘cat lady’. An elderly widow, who took to putting out food and water for a few stray cats. This was three years ago. Today when she comes out to feed them, they come running from all directions, until her driveway is just filled with them. To say there are 50 or more might be an understatement. At this point, they are all in-bred, some are deformed, they are mangie and create nothing but a mess all over the neighborhood. The town and animal control people have refused to do anything about it. They say stop feeding them, but the 'catlady ’ refuses. The winter weather seems to weed out the weak ones, but that just makes the others stronger. Save shooting them, I don’t see a solution…and if we other neighbors start with the gunfire, the ‘catlady’ would be out on the lawn screaming. No solution here. My suggestion, Do Not Feed Stray Cats!