In January I started feeding a couple of stray cats. I live in a rural area in the country. Much to my dismay, those couple of cats turned into 12. One of the main reasons I was feeding them was because of the snow on the ground - hard to find food, I imagined. Now, I know that 2 of them are pregnant and I can't imagine feeding all of my current strays along with all of the kittens! It's spring and I've gotten out my porch furniture, which is always covered in cat hair! My screen door is torn to shreds! And I think that it being nicer weather, they should be able to fend for themselves. I鈥檝e stopped feeding them, but they are still at my back door whenever I鈥檓 home. It breaks my heart, but I don鈥檛 have the finances to get them spayed/neutered, and there aren鈥檛 free services available in my area. Will they ever stop coming around looking for food? FYI 鈥?there are 6 kittens (probably 6-7 months old) and 6 full-growns. HELP!
Answers:
Try posting ads on craigslist.org or in your local paper if it's free/cheap. Maybe others will be willing to help take them in so they are both fed and get regular veterinary care.
I'm sorry, I wish I had more advice, I feel for you!
Oh, if they're wild/feral you really need to call animal control. You're right, at that point they can't become domesticated. *sniffle*
maybe you can put them up for adoption, advertise on craigslist, newspaper, petfinder, freecycle, etc things like that
Once you have fed a cat it's hard to get rid of them. But it will happen with time. See if you can find a cat rescue and call around to see if there is anyone that might want to trap, spay/neuter and release.
Spray bitter apple on the furniture and on the screen door. Try only leaving a single bowl out. When enough of them find that there isn't enough food, they will leave, but you may be left with just few.
besides poison I'd say buy a great dane and pracitice saying "git da kitty"
I would take the cats into the Humane Society or something. Cats are creatures of habbit and once they learn, they will never forget. Poor kitties...
stop feeding the out side only pick one cat and feed it in side. that,s what we do.
Well, if you cant make yourself stop call the animal controll people, they can catch them and "fix" them (spay or neuter) and pass that expense along to whoever adopts them..other than that.. I dont know..just dont feed them..if they know you will they wont even TRY to go find food..Really, they should be put up for adoption. Try that out.
You can rent cat traps. Once the kittens are born and old enough take them and find them homes. Then catch the older ones and take them to get spayed or neutered. If there are still too many find them some homes. You are doing a good thing but they multiply and quickly too!
that is the worst thing to do is to feed a stray cat!!! Well if I were you IU would stop buying the cat food!! And if that didn't work I would lock myself in the house so I couldn't go outside and feed the stray cat!! That's all I have to say that will help you srry!!!
Open up a chinese restaurant?
Oh that's so bad.. Am I evil?
heh
Um.. and then you can feed them chinese food!
whew.. redeemed !
They will not stop coming back because they know the you have fed them in the past. I would have recommended taking them to a vet hospital that does it for free but you already said that there were none in your area. I've had stray cats at my house since I can remember and no matter if we feed them regularly or just sometimes they always come back because they know that they can get food easily from you.
my only advice would be to put up a sign issuing free kittens to a good home..look up your local vets and tell them your situation, ask them about cutting you a deal on a bulk amount of cat spays/neuters (until that is done they will keep coming), also, you could bring them to the SPCA.we have 4 cats and they were strays.its hard to stop. i know i couldn't..if you just cant because you feel bad, you could buy a Giant bag of cat food and slowly feed them that. I agree they will be able to fend for themselves easier now that warmer weather is here.GOOD LUCK!
stop feeding them
call the animal control center
get a dog
I think you have opened a can of worms, here. You may be in "too deep" to do anything about it now. You know what they say: "people don't train cats, cats train people", and it sounds as if this is what has happened to you. If you ignore them long enough, maybe they will finally go away. But that could take awhile, and I know it's heartbreaking to seem them at your door like that.
This is hard to do...I can't walk away. However, I was told that by feeding them I was only making the problem worse. I called the animal control, and they put up traps to catch the cats. The traps did not hurt them, but lured them in to food and the door shut behind them. All of those cats were taken to the animal shelter, were fixed and put up for adoption.It is hard to do...but it is probably your only option.
I wish people would spay and neuter their pets to help alleviate this kind of problem.
The kindest thing to do would be to take the kittens indoors, away from their parents once they are eating regular food. Then try to find homes for them or take them to a shelter. Do some Internet research and see if there is an organization that helps with TNR (trap, neuter, return) in your area. If you can get them neutered and returned, they should defend the territory and not allow other animals to come to your home. Do not do this unless you are willing to keep caring for them, and do not feed them unless you are willing to TNR them. Some organizations offer very low cost or free neutering/spaying if you are doing this with feral cats and also offer assistance with trapping. They may also help you find foster homes for the babies. Really, as soon as possible, take the babies in and try to get them used to being handled so they can be pets. If you're not able to put in some effort, simply stop feeding them. I know it's so hard and breaks your heart to do (it would break mine). Search on the Internet for Feral Friends and Alleycat Allies as a starting point. Please take care of these babies if you can!
ask your parents if you coud keep them or ask a friend if they want one.well you could sell them to your family (BUT NOT TO STRANGERS)
i dont really have an answer for you, but its very sweet of you to feed unwanted stray animals, especially if they are wild. you have a good heart %26lt;3
I know it's heartbreaking but you do need to call and have them picked up! The bitter apple spray is GREAT to work on them getting off your porch, btw.
You can't undo what you've started but I'm sure you know by now not to do it again.
If you call in the Humane Society they WILL get put to sleep. IMHO -- http://www.craigslist.org and advertise them as barn cats. They are probably filled with disease and if someone comes over and gets hurt - even though they are wild, you are responsible
Good luck!!
When you put the food out gradually put less and less out, this way they will look for other food sources as well as coming to you.
When you stop feeding them maybe you could go out or on holiday so they aren't there to beg you.
Maybe you could try and rehome the kittens whilst they are still young otherwise the group might inbreed creating deformed babies.
I know that it hurts when you cant feed them all the time cuz you think that they willl suffer with out your help. They wont curl up and die some where cuz you stoped feeding them. They will learn to find food for them selves of find some one who is willing to feed them. Another option is that you can set some humane traps and take the cats into the humane society. They will tthen spay and nuter the cats. All of them. Most of them will get adopetd. I have worked with a farell cat like the ones you mentioned and even that one got adopted. Good luck!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment