Knowledge & Experience Needed in Managing Feral Cats in our Country Neighborhood

[santoshimatajaya]

Greetings~

how to keep rough feral cats who come on the property for food
from harming more domestic cats
and now a new litter is here
which means more cats needing food, needing to come closer to domestic life
and eventually reproducing with high risk of inbreeding

seems they need to be neutered
which i hate them having to go through the trauma of trapping, the vet, being transported, interacting with humans as 'prisoners,' etc

was told once they are neutered they are not as savvy and able to hunt for themselves

seems like a challenging situation to find true resolve

surely there must be experienced folks who have found some success and could advise~
Thanks

[bill shearer]

\
you need to contact https://www.forgottenfelines.com

[santoshimatajaya]

okay, Thank You

you need to contact https://www.forgottenfelines.com

[SebastopolChihuahua]

Hi, Agreed with above, you need to contact forgotten felines. They are a wonderful organization helping to reduce the population of feral cats in our county. There is a nation-wide problem of overpopulation of dogs and cats.

When it comes to feral cats the best way to reduce the population is through trap-neuter-release or TNR. This means that cats are trapped, spayed and neutered, and released back where they were living (if they are in good condition and seem to be doing well). This reduces the population of feral cats in two ways. First, the cats can no longer reproduce, so less kittens. Second, by putting the cat back where it came from, rather than euthanizing it or relocating it, the cat takes up the resources in that area. If we removed that altered (meaning spayed or neutered) cat from the area, it leaves a gap in the environment for another cat to move in, and that cat may be unaltered, thus producing more and more kittens. Over time if all the cats in an area are neutered, the population gradually declines as the cats die of natural causes

As for trapping them, yes, the day or two that they have to go in for surgery is surely frightening. But consider the alternatives? If there are too many cats in an area, they may not have enough resources to be in good condition, and be hungry or just scraping by. Additionally when the cats go in for surgery they can be vaccinated against FIV. This disease causes degeneration of the immune system and can lead to chronic sickness such as upper respiratory infections, dental issues, and many other painful conditions. So yes, get those cats neutered and vaccinated!

I believe Forgotten Felines has a weekly clinic that costs about $30. They also sometimes have placement options if the cats cannot return to the area after they have been altered, though it is advisable that they do because another unaltered cat will just move back in (as mentioned above).

TNR has significantly reduced the population of feral cats in many areas. In Sonoma county organizations like Forgotten Felines, free spay and neuter for Rohnert Park residents through the Rohnert Park shelter, and other efforts by the County Shelter have drastically reduced the populations of cats in shelters, and thus drastically reduced the number of healthy cats euthanized in those shelters for space. I am not sure of the numbers in our area, but in other places the percentage of cats euthanized in shelters has gone from 80% to just 10% (and those mostly for health issues) in a short period of 2 years! When those shelters adopt TNR methods.

So, to sum up, by neutering your feral cats you are helping to save the lives of companion cats across the country as well. For more information on what shelters are doing to help cats check out: https://www.millioncatchallenge.org/ Good Luck!

[wisewomn]

All well and good--the way to go, as far as it goes.
However, when I was living in NC, the town I called home at that time finally had to round up feral cats because they were decimating the local bird population along with other small critters, like baby rabbits, lizards, etc. The town used humane traps and collected about 200 of them--this in a town of about 6,000 human inhabitants. I believe many cats were spayed/neutered, rehabbed, and adopted out, but many of them were not and had to be euthanized. That is a sad but sometimes necessary fact of life, folks. Responsible cat owners keep their critters indoors.

Hi, Agreed with above, you need to contact forgotten felines. ...

[santoshimatajaya]

appreciate everyone's input

the situation here is that the feral cats come onto the property because other cats are being fed here.
this poses the problem of cat fights. my remedy has been to feed them outside the fence, for safety of the domestic cats here. this is not ideal. it's true that if i left, at least six cats would not be 'taken care of' food wise. which is painful and bothers me.

the other issue is Trapping them. yes, it is practical and makes sense. still the doing of it~ one is a family of mama and four nearly grown offspring. the other two have been around awhile. not as complex. even Trapping is New to me. and it is upsetting too. which is my sensitivity. i want to establish Trust with them, if that is even possible. i've done that with another stray who now has a family to live with. he was not fully feral, had some early handling. he's as happy as a lark these days~

also i am a proponent of cats being able to go outside freely. can't see a cat living locked up, unless it is in a city apartment. racing across the yard, running up trees, nosing around, nesting here and there for naps. rarely if ever are birds killed. our gopher population has become managed this year which was a problem last year for the gardens. probably they are living further away, which is ideal. cats are a wonderful energy to have around, which are all animals. an asset. breeding is the problem~

All well and good--the way to go, as far as it goes.....

[Shandi]

"Breeding" isn't the problem, it's a symptom of not being spayed or neutered by humans, then dumped or left behind to survive as strays and ultimately as ferals.

They will be attracted to wherever there is food. If domestic cats are fed outside, this only compounds the problem that you're dealing with. They are in survival.

A true feral born of a feral mom will seldom be tamed. I've read about tiny feral kittens biting humans so badly that they had to get emergency care. They bite out of fear. If you can approach a cat, it's not a true feral, but a homeless stray that was once loved and cared for. Some are unchipped runaways, and some are dumped.

You indicate that if you move, six cats will not be taken care of. What pains me is that from those 6 cats, hundreds more will be born into a feral world. More hungry cats because 6 weren't trapped and neutered.

I know that you're a highly intelligent person, and yet, emotions can cloud rational thinking, which can compound a problem that's easily handled with a clear, direct, unemotional plan.

You probably know that when a kitten is 6 months old, they can mate and breed. The key is to neuter them before this happens by people who care and know what to do.

I hope that you allow your intellect and heart to guide you.

...the situation here is that the feral cats come onto the property because other cats are being fed here....

[santoshimatajaya]

i totally agree Shandhi

breeding is a problem because they are not neutered / spayed
and Need to Be

i need to find someone able to help me with this process~

Thank you for your reply, very supportive~

"Breeding" isn't the problem, it's a symptom of not being spayed or neutered by humans, then dumped or left behind to survive as strays and ultimately as ferals....

[Shandi]

The organization that has traps, knowledge, and volunteers to help you set this up is Forgotten Felines. They've helped me in the past, to trap 2 semi-feral cats that had escaped capture as kittens, and were now about 8 months old. I noticed them behind a store near Target in RPk. They had a shelter that was a small fenced in storage space for the store. I started bringing food and water. They came out each time they heard my truck, but wouldn't come too close. I asked the store manager about them, and she said that originally there were 6, born in the spring time. Forgotten Felines had captured all but these two, so clerks began to feed them. When teens were hired in summer, they took over. I found them in Sept. after the teens had returned to school. The manager just wanted to "get rid of them", so I called Forgotten Felines.

They instructed me to stop feeding, so they could trap them. That was the hardest part for me, and once the traps were set, I stopped going. They caught one, but it took awhile to catch the other. The person I spoke with at FF, told me that she was going to take one of them, and that another person would take the other one. This was unusual, but they were only "semi-feral", and had started to come closer to me, as I sat on the curb with treats.

Other than that, I have no experience with ferals or trapping. The main problem I see with your situation is that they won't go into a trap as long as food is available. So, in order to solve this problem, you would have to do something different....and difficult, but......for the "greater good" all of concerned. I hope that you can take this in, and act on it. Otherwise, FF or anyone won't be able to help. This is a problem that needs co-operation on your part and the part of whoever is willing to help. See this as an "intervention" to prevent further damage, as you would with a loved one.

[rossmen]

Feral kittens are tameable. I know because I have tamed two. What to do when little wild kittens show up in the chicken run, surviving on compost and lay Pellets? Of course grabbing them (when you can get close after a few weeks of feeding them with more attractive food), is a bad Idea! Have to wait till they come to you.

...A true feral born of a feral mom will seldom be tamed. I've read about tiny feral kittens biting humans so badly that they had to get emergency care. They bite out of fear. If you can approach a cat, it's not a true feral, but a homeless stray that was once loved and cared for. Some are unchipped runaways, and some are dumped.....

[santoshimatajaya]

these kittens are several months old, seem to be beyond the taming stage, run when they see me which is a sign of being truly feral. i do hope to gain their trust to some degree over time. in the meantime, i am learning about trapping so they they can be spayed, neutered, as much as i hate the process they have to go through, there really is no choice on the matter. Many Thanks to all for suggestions and support on this. Next chapter is in gear, we'll see how it goes~ As for taming, i always wait for the cat, goat, etc to come to me. i agree. Let the animal make this decision according to it's own timing and process. Interesting how a more fearful, shy animal will watch a more relaxed, friendly animal make and enjoy the contact with a human. i've seen this occur with a cat and a goat. People are this way too~

Feral kittens are tameble. I know because I have tamed two. What to do when little wild kittens show up in the chicken run, surviving on compost and lay Pellets? Of course grabbing them (when you can get close after a few weeks of feeding them with more attractive food), is a bad Idea! Have to wait till they come to you.

[wisewomn]

Here is more info on the ecological impacts of feral cats: https://gizmodo.com/feral-cats-are-a...ium=socialflow

All well and good--the way to go, as far as it goes.
However, when I was living in NC, the town I called home at that time finally had to round up feral cats because they were decimating the local bird population along with other small critters, like baby rabbits, lizards, etc. The town used humane traps and collected about 200 of them--this in a town of about 6,000 human inhabitants. I believe many cats were spayed/neutered, rehabbed, and adopted out, but many of them were not and had to be euthanized. That is a sad but sometimes necessary fact of life, folks. Responsible cat owners keep their critters indoors.

[santoshimatajaya]

what to do,
feral cats have to eat
if no one is feeding them
they must fend for themselves
they are considered wild animals

part of Nature too

the responsibility lies with those who dump cats
and dumping cats, feral cats are a fact of Reality
just Is

alot of Imperfection in this Existence
and it is created by us,
by someone
and then the circumstances have to be dealt with

for me it is to do it as humanely as possible
and let Nature take it's course at the same time

humans are breeding, killing and consuming more animal life than feral cats

everything here is a reflection of the Divine
good, bad and the ugly. . . .
it's a Reflection of our states of Consciousness
as this Evolves
so will Justice, Harmony, Peace

what is unjust, unpeaceful
causes Suffering
which gets one's attention at some point
and they start turning in a healthier, wiser direction
lifetimes of this,
we're slow learners apparently

Best if we focus on our own lapses
than constantly looking for the imperfections of others
We All have plenty of Mess to Uncover and tend to,
which is a full time job

trouble is,
we aren't clear on this
and we point fingers Alot
Blame and victimization
instead of
finding out and taking Responsibility for what we create\
with the constant choices we are making
moment to moment

it would be a different world~

i'm part of this
part of this Learning
i'm no Master
i'm a student and practitioner. . . .chipping away, lots of trial and errors, Learning via Experience~

i'm as concerned about that cat with the rabbit in it's mouth
as i am the rabbit

seems Rescue Shelters, Forgotten Felines and the like
are making progress
and at least we are controlling the population
and caring for it as well~

animals will be animals
just as humans will be humans~

in otherwords,
by feeding the ferals that come to this property
and getting them neutered
i am doing what i can
to keep them alive,
which will cut down their need to hunt
and not letting them reproduce

cats who are fed and well cared for
generally do not kill that much wildlife
they don't Need to eat
the way a wild animal does
it's more in their nature to chase
also be chased by other cats and dogs, etc

probably the problem is
not enough feral cats are getting fed
Forgotten Felines has alot of good info on how to care for ferals

https://www.forgottenfelines.com/feral-links.shtml

thanks for the link~

Here is more info on the ecological impacts of feral cats: https://gizmodo.com/feral-cats-are-a...ium=socialflow