Cat Problems

Is anyone else concerned about cats running loose in the neighborhood?

I think it is cruel for folks to let their cats loose outside for extended periods of time, especially in the cold weather.

Plus, loose animals create trouble.

There is a cat in the neighborhood that has taken a liking to my bird feeders and is trying to figure out how to kill birds. So far, the birds are quicker than the cat, but its presence scares off the birds.

I'm sure the owners of that cat would hate for something to happen to it so why can't they keep it inside. If it is a house pet then keep it in the house. If it isn't then get rid of it. Or maybe I should send my kids to your house to hang out and chase the birds and ue your yard for a bathroom.

 

Yes, yes, yes...but the HOA cannot request that all pets be restrained since I've been told "Virginia does not have a leash law for cats. When I talk to other communities (so I've been told) their HOA has mandated that all pets be on a restraint if allowed outdoors.

I have counted nine different cats around my feeder. Two appear pregnant - I know one of the two is feral and there are several males that are not neutered. My back door was marked recently and sent my "indoor" cats going balistic! So much for our efforts as a Wildlife Habitat community. By springtime you can bet there will be new litters cropping up here and there.

From my understanding we have members in the community who volunteer for Friends of Homeless Animals. Perhaps they can weigh in on what can be done to counter the population growth of unwanted cats. I think the HOA wants nothing to do with this issue or feels it is out of their jurisdiction if leashing a cat is not a Virginia law.

 

Flynn...cats come and go if you "the owner" allows it. Just as you "the owner" decide to spay or neuter...which imo should be mandatory. There are a few states already trying to impose mandatory sterilization for cats and dogs. I think breeders are exempt.

 

Two words: pellet gun

 

You sound like a real problem solver.

 

Point taken. But not all the cats have homes or perhaps they were cast off for one reason or another. So then what?

 

I don't understand why cats are allowed to roam when dogs aren't. Sure dogs can be more dangerous, but why would people think it's OK if their cat roams around other people's property?

 

I've gone that route. The Loudoun County Animal Control will not touch the issue unless the animal is obviously sick or seriously injured.

 

If it's on your property, can you get a humane trap and then turn the animal(s) over to Animal Control or take them to the shelter?

When I lived in another neighborhood with a similar issue, I think Animal Control loaned the traps out to people.

 

It's one thing if the cat is feral or born of a homeless cat, but if it belongs to someone then you'll have their ire to deal with. This issue came up in another thread a while back and someone complained that they let their 4-5 cat run outside all the time. If they do not wear collars, how is one to know before it's trapped?

Another issue is the distance to the shelter in Waterford. One would think they could set up satelite shelters so maybe half these unwanted cats could have been turned in to the shelter and adopted out to a new home.

 

If the cat is feral, then unfortunately the Shelter most likely will have to euthanize because it is considered unadoptable based on behavior. You would be best to contact Alley Cat Allies to help you. They have a great program to help feral cats. To control feral cat population, you should trap, neuter/spay & then release. Ferals are rarely able to be rehabilitated to domestic life, but you can control the population by limiting their ability to breed and making their short lives more comfortable.

If the cat is a stray or lost, then animal control should pick them up & bring them to the shelter. I understand the distance issue to take them yourself to the shelter...the shelter wants to have a satellite office in Eastern Loudoun, but unfortunately money & resources have prevented that so far. Once they are at the shelter a lost report is filed and if the owner calls, they can easily reclaim their cat. It might be a wake up call to the owner to not let them roam or at least put a collar on them if they have that "inconvenience".

I agree that cats should not be allowed to roam outside. It greatly endangers them as they can be hit by a car, contact a disease, get seriously hurt in a fight...You should keep your cats indoors if you want to keep your cat healthy.

 

Where I grew up (many acres) we had outdoor cats that lived 20+ years, and indoor cats that lasted 10. If you have the location (and noone on this board I assume does) I see no harm in having an outdoor cat, but one of the sacrifices you have living in the suburbs is 100% indoor cats; the cars are a huge problem around here, and cats usually loose vs car.

 

I did reach out for assistance from Alley Cat Allies and FHOA - received nothing but advice on how to TNR (at your own expense of course, which I have done several times), and maintain a feral cat colony. It's not practical to establish nor maintain a feral cat colony here in Broadlands. Besides, I really do not think it's fair to the cat, whether they are well fed and cared for outdoors, they are still a menace to the bird and other small wildlife populations. What if they were small unwanted dogs - it wouldn't make sense so why would you do it for cats.

More recently I tried to get a voucher from Humane Society and found out it takes a good two weeks by mail - then you have to use the referred Vet - well, if I'm trapping a feral/wild cat, would one really think I have the luxury of keeping it in a cage for two weeks? Preposterous!

 

I agree with this too, and always did keep my cats indoors only. Then my two little ones grew tall enough to open doors quite well, but not always close the door behind them. My cats now periodically escape. They always come back, they do have collars with our name and phone number on them.

 

KTdid - I'm sorry to hear that you received no help from Alley Cats or FoHA...that surprises me honestly as I've always heard good things about their organizations in this regard. I know the Shelter will give you a trap for a deposit, which you get back when you return the trap. The problem is that the vets in our area don't offer free spay/neuter. It's only reduced cost, which is nice, but many don't have the extra cash for this, especially with so many feral cats.

I disagree about it not making sense to maintain a colony here. I think regardless if it were small dogs vs. cats, etc, that we should try to control the population as best as we are able, especially when it has been people's fault that they are there in the first place (all the abandoned, stray cats are the root of feral populations). It's something I'm trying to work towards with the help of the Shelter, but it takes time, resources & effort. Story of life, right? Honestly, when you have a fed, sheltered feral population, they'll end up being less of a nuisance. They will leave the birds alone, won't scavange in garbage and generally will remain unseen as their basic needs have been met, so they don't need to go looking for it.

jjenkins - I get where you're coming from and agree with you. Maybe some folks just don't realize that Ashburn isn't the country anymore

 

Everyone back home looks at my husband and me as "the weird ones" because we have indoor cats! The first time I got an indoor cat, my father thought I'd lost all of my marbles!