Stray cat feeders

[Debp]

Happened to see that one of our dear members has been feeding some stray cats.   Perhaps some would like to share their experiences?    Currently I'm not feeding any but some years ago I did for some time. 

Someone from my building had moved and put their cat on the street!   She had kittens.   I ended up feeding 12 cats each night.   I did get them spayed and neutered with the help of a rescue group.   That helped immensely as through the years some passed on and a few were even adopted.   (All of my cats through the years were adopted from my street.   One was adopted when his owner, a neighbor, died.)

Spay, neuter, release is being recognized by many cities now as the best way to control feral cats.   Action Cat Allies can often refer you to animal rescue groups in your area.

 

[Sower]

Many years ago, In the past, where we live out in the woods, stray cats were rare. There was one, the ugliest cat I've seen,
that I began noticing, catching only brief glances over the weeks and months. It was a brown copper
and black, and the fur always looked like it just had a fight, that it lost. Very independent, and very wild.
We started leaving scrap meat and bones out, that would disappear.
He seemed to live in the old tractor shed where I stored lumber. He always disappeared at night.
It took several years before it would come up and not run away when approached,
and was only handled maybe a half dozen times, and then, spiting and growling.
It had adopted us.
I'm not a cat person, for sure. But I missed him when he got old, and finally never showed up anymore.
His name was, the cat.

[shortangel]

we had a stray cat show up in our yard a couple of years ago at the house we have kept him as a pet his name is Sam

[AnOrangeCat]

I have a pair of cats, so there's always cat food in the house. There are a lot of cats that come and go in the area. Right now there's a cat living under the house along with her kittens. She lets me pet her and has a strong purr. I usually give her a handful of food if I see her but otherwise I don't leave it out to sit unattended. Too many large animals and potential predators that might be drawn to it. One of the other cats is accustomed enough to humans that she'll come within a few inches and act very cute around humans but if you try to pet her she'll hiss and growl. Got her to eat out of my hand once. Take a few bites, growl, repeat.

[simplejeff]

31 minutes ago, shortangel said:

we had a stray cat show up in our yard a couple of years ago at the house we have kept him as a pet his name is Sam

COOL!     I cannot get the stray cats here to tell me their names - how did you get Sam to tell you his name ? 

 

:)

[ayin jade]

One of the best cats I had was a feral cat that I tamed enough that she became a housecat. Still very wild even though pampered inside. The only thing I didnt care for were the presents she brought home. The bunny screaming by my ear when I was asleep I could have done without. She was pretty mad when I caught the bunny and let it go back outside.

[shortangel]

at first we thought the cat might be female but when my dad took the cat to the vet we discovered he was a male cat so we named him Sam :)

[Debp]

16 hours ago, Sonshine☀️ said:

I’m a stray/feral cat feeder—THERE, I said it!   … Come and get me, cops!  I’m standin’ here… … …

There are many feeders of feral colonies here.   I know a lady, Yolanda, that has gotten a couple of thousand cats spayed and neutered throughout her lifetime.   Maybe even more than that.   She has a large yard and also has many strays living there. 

Yolanda also gets them adopted to very good homes.   She investigates before giving any animal to anyone.   She gives them flea baths, shots, usually neuters before adopting them out....she just asks for a donation to help cover that stuff.

My cat had kittens while still on my street.   Yolanda adopted four of them to very good homes in wealthy areas.....I joked the cats were living better than me!   The other kitten, my favorite....a runt, a man across the street who had a cat took it....I later found out he was on drugs and apparently abused the cat from my cat's litter.   It was hearsay so I couldn't really do anything about it.   The two guys telling me this stuff wouldn't call animal control.   So I would just pray for the cat and the drug guy.   After that, I understood Yolanda doing such thorough checks on anyone wanting to adopt.

14 hours ago, ayin jade said:

One of the best cats I had was a feral cat that I tamed enough that she became a housecat. Still very wild even though pampered inside. The only thing I didnt care for were the presents she brought home. The bunny screaming by my ear when I was asleep I could have done without. She was pretty mad when I caught the bunny and let it go back outside.

Long ago the manager across the street had an open window for his two cats to come and go.   They would often bring him mice inside the apartment!   But I don't think they ever killed them.

[DAVID5]

AMEN

Edited December 20, 2019 by DAVID5

[Willa]

Ferrel cats are wiping out indigenous bird populations.   Where feral cats are fed people dump more cats, they all breed and we have an area overrun with cats.   I love animals, cats included, but people never think about how overpopulation of any animal can be an environmental hazard.  Spay/neuter is only part of the answer.