Cat Problems

I'm curious, what were you expecting FOHA to be able to do for Broadlands? There aren't a lot of choices for dealing with stray cats, and trap-neuter-release is about the best you can do. FOHA does have a program that provides neutering assistance. This no-kill shelter cares for hundreds of cats and dogs that owners have given up for whatever reason, or that are about to be euthanized at the pound, and they give these pets love and care while they find permanent homes - all on donations and volunteer staff. They are simply doing an amazing job.

 

When we lived down south I knew a family with 5 dogs and 3 cats. The dogs were indoors the cats were outside The house stunk so badly that I realized these cats were much better off outside But, everyone of the cats was nuetered and had all their shots. That's the difference. My point is that there appears to be cats roaming our community that have a home but are not fixed.

 

Audrey - I am sorry that KT wrote what they did about FOHA.

In '06 we adopted "chewy" from FOHA and you all run an amazing complex. It is obivous that the volunteers and workers adore the pets under FOHA's care, which is one the main reasons we selected FOHA and added a 2nd dog to our family.

Stray cats are always going to be an issue in any community,we had a litter born in our landscaping (over the past winter). I called LCAC and they indicated they would loan a trap but would have to put down the feral kittens.

I opted to leave out salmon for the kittens and havent seen them in months. Again I am terribly sorry that KT would "call out" FOHA the way they did, b/c your organization is truly first class.

 

No one was questioning all the good work done by the volunteers.

 

Pea - what did I write so derogatory about the FOHA? Please stop instigating

 

KT - maybe I read a little more into your post.
Eco systems rely on preditors to keep other populations in check and balanced. I'm not instigating I just read and reread your post about FOHA and I found it in poor form. But again I have a wonderful pet b/c of FOHA...

Besides I liked having the feral kittens around as they kept the mice population pretty low.

 

I was writing in response to this from Kellisti. Sorry if you thought I was instigating - I was asking a question about what she would have expected differently.

 

Hi there! I guess I read KT's message that she didn't really get a response at all and that surprised me. I know FoHA is a great organization - honestly IMHO all animal organizations are great. The ones who euthanize (like the Shelter) get a bad rap because of that practice. But all the folks who work there genuinely care for the animals and try to do the best with what they have.

I know Alley Cats has a feral TNR & education program, but I'm not entirely familiar if FoHA does. Do you lend traps as well? I really would like to start a community group to teach people how to trap and partner with local vets to get ferals fixed so we can control the wandering cats in our community. On your own it's pretty daunting (for myself included & I've been trained in animal handling...you never knwo what you're going to get with a wild cat though ). I'd love to determine a way to make it more accessible to everyone who just wants to help the animals in their neighborhood.

Usually if we can capture the kittens before they become totally antisocial, we can adapt them to humans and get them adopted. We wrap them in towels and get them used to being pet and handled, then once they've comfy, we put them up for adoption. Thanks for trying to get the kids out with some salmon. I wish you better luck with other litters Kitten season is upon us...

I'm going to talk to the folks at the Shelter about what we've discussed and see if there is something more we can do in the present moment. Unfortunately, our hands are tied a lot because we are a county organization and need to strictly adhere to the rules set forth, but like i said, we all care and want to help as much as we can. Any thoughts you have are welcome - you can email me at kellisti@hotmail.com & my name is Kelli

 

No, Audrey, I felt someone else was instigating, not you. As I stated, FOHA gave me advice on Trap, Neuter, Release which I've done twice.

The third kitten I trapped I could not TNR so the county told me they would socialize her and adopt her out. I never saw that kitten again...presume she was euthanized. Several weeks after that, I caught another kitten from the exact same litter - Julian is now socialized and living with us.

 

Sorry if you all thought I was instigating...it's actually nice to know there are other cat lovers in the neighborhood. I didn't mean anything I said to be inflammatory.

 

Kelli - I dont think you were instigating - KT seems to think it was me ....b/c I questioned her 1st comments about FOHA.

All of which is most likely a mis-understanding

 

Keep in mind that cats might be a more complicated situations than they may seem. For instance, we had a feral cat give birth to a litter of kittens in out planters about a year ago. We found homes for the kittens, and worked with the human society to get the mother fixed and vaccinated. Yet, she was very feral at that time and could not be placed inside a home. If we took her to a shelter, she would be euthanized within a few weeks. So, instead she lives in our yard, we feed her and provided her with a basic feral cat shelter. In turn, she has become more friendly and is a great mousing cat. I would venture to guess that none of our neighbors have problems with field mice. We felt (given this unfortunate situation to start) this was the best and most human alternative. She can not longer have kittens and further this problem of stray cats, but she can live out her life fairly happy.

 

I bet she is very happy.

 

You did exactly what you should with a feral cat - thank you I'd love to have more folks in our community do the same. It's about controlling the population and the best way to do that is trap, neuter/spay, release & then help them maintain a comfortable existence with food & shelter.

That's my goal - to try to educate everyone on how to help these cats so they aren't considered a nuisance. Hopefully you'll hear from me again soon in that regard

 

No offense, but that is exactly what YOU would do. As for providing a "comfortable existence...", I would imagine most people that would take on these tasks would get an actual pet and be responsible for it.
Are "feral cat" caretakers responsible for said cats???

I for one would not hesitate to take a feral cat to the county animal shelter.

 

I hear what you're saying, but I think folks who decide to take care of ferals feel a responsibility towards animals who are in need. I have 5 cats myself and still want to try to take care of other animals. For me, it's that I just can't live with the idea that there are creatures out there suffering if I have the capacity to help them. As for being responsible for them, I think that's up to the caretaker. I think you can do your best caring for a feral cat, but at the end of the day it's still wild and will do as it pleases. You have to be ok with that because otherwise, you could have a lot of heartache.

But you're right that that is what I would do. I'm not trying to speak for anyone else on this forum (this is only my second time posting really...so I'm pretty new to all this ), I'm only trying to connect with others who have a common interest in this subject. So no offense taken, I understand where you're coming from.

 

kelli - the concern I would have is if a neighbor if taking care of feral(s) and the cat does something unwanted or constantly leaves feces in anothers yard, then those caretakers will almost always be blamed for the cats behaviour.

I think if a person is providing succor to a feral then they are a part of the problem that some here have posted about and they should bear some responsibilty since it is most likely their actions that keep the cat around. This is not the "country" any longer, houses are almost stacked atop one another any animal left to roam can cause issues.

FWIW, we have 3 cats, 2 of which were rescued.

 

Well, today another very pregnant feral came into the back yard, saw the trap and carried on its way. I expect we'll see the cat population jump within the next two years. Would be nice to figure out where these cats are having their litters in time to remove them before they're too old to socialize.

 

FTR - not to stir the coals - many wildlife experts and a number of reputable veterinarians do not necessarily consider feral cats *natural* predators of small game, rodents, and birds. These creatures already have natural predators... feral cats are generally considered menaces in this case. Granted, not all experts think this -- but many.

- A

PS. and I'm in favor of helping feral cats since my cat used to be either feral or at least homeless before she became mine. But now she's an indoor cat. I know soooo many cat owners disagree with me on this but cats belong indoors if they're pets, and if they're feral I guess TNR is the best we can do, until the populations drop.

 

I needs cats to live on my roof.