Sep
17
2008
Through persistance, I finally found a local group that might be able to help with my feral cats to get them spay/neutered. They are called Hobo Hotel. I am going to give them a call right now and then let you know. -M
Aug
15
2008
Some Quick Facts:
A stray cat is not a feral cat.
A stray is a cat who has been abandoned or who has strayed
from home and become lost. Stray cats can usually be
re-socialized and adopted.
A feral cat is an unsocialized cat.
Either he was born outside and never lived with humans, or
he is a house cat who has strayed from home and over time
has become unsocialized to humans.
Feral cats should not be taken to local shelters to be adopted.
Feral cats are not pet cats, and they will be killed at most
shelters. Because they’re unadoptable, they sometimes don’t
even make it to the shelter, but are killed in the animal control
truck. Even no-kill shelters are not able to place feral
cats in homes.
Feral kittens can be adopted.
Feral kittens can often be adopted into homes, but they
must be socialized at an early age. This is a critical window
and if they aren’t handled in time, they will remain feral and
therefore unadoptable.
Feral cats have about the same lifespan as pet cats.
And they contract diseases at about the same low rate. The
incidence of disease in feral cat colonies is no higher than
among owned cats.
Feral cats are not the cause of wildlife depletion.
Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife
depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to man-made
structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought —
not feral cats.
Trap and remove doesn’t work.
Not only would you have to continue to remove cats, this
process is extremely costly. Other cats simply move in to
take advantage of the available resources and they breed
prolifically, quickly forming a new colony. This “vacuum
effect” is well documented.
Trap-Neuter-Return does work.
No more kittens. Their numbers gradually go down. The
behaviors associated with mating, such as yowling or
fighting, stop. The cats are vaccinated and they are fed on
a regular schedule. This ongoing care creates a safety net
for both the cats and the community.
You can make a difference and save lives.
Together, we can educate people about Trap-Neuter-Return
and show how efficient and effective it can be.
I am starting a program in my town. You can too.
This Info found at www.alleycat.org
Sep
17
2008
I feed this feral cat at my apt complex. When she sees me she is constantly rubbing herself against my legs even when I'm walking. When I walk faster she will hiss at me and scratch at my pants.. anyone know why she does this?
She also has a patch of hair missing and her skin looks infected there..her mouth does not hang open but her tounge sticks out very slightly. Could this mean she has rabies?
Your kitty sounds like a stray rather than a feral. Meaning that at some point she had a home and was fed by people but was abandoned or lost. Feral cat's always run when you come near them and won't eat the food until you leave again. I would suggest contacting a local Trap Neuter Release program. They'll be able to better tell if your cat has is a stray or not. If it is it's quite possible that the cat can be cleaned up, medically treated, and re socialized. They should help you with trapping and will determine if the cat is healthy or if it should be humanely euthanized. They will then pay to have the cat spayed and vaccinated if it's healthy and either have you release it to the same area or will socialize it and place it with a family. http://www.alleycat.org/ is a good place to start looking. Otherwise use google or contact your local vet or shelter and ask if there are any feral cat programs in your area. It's really wonderful of you to take on this responsibility.
Another note on feeding feral colonies. I am personally of the belief that it is not only the most humane thing to do but also the most practical. By sustaining a sterile colony you not only control the unwanted habits of feral cats (Yowling due to mating, spraying on houses, aggressive behavior, spreading disease to house cats etc etc) you also keep other, less safe cats from moving into the neighborhood. Most importantly you help a wild creature, whose station in life is directly a result of our actions as humans, live out their lives in dignity.
Responsibly taking care of a colony is a rather large undertaking at first. It involves setting up a feeding schedule, catching and sterilizing each cat, and building a simple shelter. Groups like alley cats allow you to have them sterilized and vaccinated free of cost, and often times you can even find shelters or pet stores willing to donate surplus or unsaleable food. Once all that is established it takes less than 10 minutes out of your daily life. Also you will often be shocked how willing your neighborhood will be to help if you knock on doors and explain what you're doing.
That's enough from me, but good luck with your kitty and thanks so much for caring!
Sep
17
2008
I have a 3 yr old offspring of a feral cat (male) and he is not adapting to the introduction of two new kittens (10 weeks old). It's been about 4 weeks since the introduction and he still charges and swats at the kitten's. I am thinking I will have to find the kittens a new home. I think the feral is too skittish. Does anyone know about this type of interaction?
I had two cats that took a few YEARS to get completely used to each other. My guess is that your resident will accept the kittens, eventually, but it could take time. If you are able to keep them separated when you aren't around to supervise, I would continue to give them time.
Sep
17
2008
I have a call in to the vet for more info, but in the meantime, is there a vet tech out there who can recommend any kind of treatment for a feral cat with a rodent ulcer on it's lip? The lip is pulling away from both canine teeth and one side is a little bloody. The cat is drooling because the lips no longer meet. I have been trying to catch her to bring her to the vet, but she is too wild. I caught her once 4 years ago in a TNR trap when I was able to get her neutered, but once they get caught in one of those they never go back. I would like some kind of medicine I can mix in with food for this poor cat. I don't want her to suffer, but she isn't going to let me catch her to get her to the vet.
*sigh* spayed. I got her spayed, she's a girl.
treating a feral cat is close to impossible, i have some experince dealing with them at a shelter, but they mostly do their own thing. the best way to med her would be in the food. try and set the have a hart trap up with a towel over the pedal, and over the trap, so it looks like a cozy place to go and eat. if you can try and get a kennal if the vet recomends some treatment so you can continue to med her till she is all better. best of luck! god love you for thinking of the ferals, not enough people do! 
Sep
17
2008
I have two Neutered 9mth old female kittens, I can have the feral cat neutered for free if I can catch it but a neighbour is feeding it so I can't lure it into a trap with food. last night it got in but got out before I could get to him but there was spray and mess everwhere what can I do?
You shouldn't let your kittens outside. Outdoor cats live an average of 3 years because of all the parasites and diseases they pick up and they fight with other animals as well. Indoor cats live 15+ years. Leave them inside! And if it's a stray cat that's "bothering them" call the animal control people or Humane Society. We had a problem with strays by my old house and we had this disgusting next door neighbor that would feed them and some days he'd have like 20+ cats on his front porch…. so disgusting! I'm sure your neighbor thinks he/she is helping by feeding the cat, but he's not. Talk to him. Tell him you want him to be neutered and ask him to stop feeding it.
Sep
17
2008
I have several feral cats around my home that I feed and they are having litters of kittens and I can't touch them and I don't want to trap them. I want to tame them and get them spayed and neutered.
great patience, sit outside as close as they will let you to the food you put out and talk to them softly and gently, in a year or so you might make one trust you. we are working on it now ourselves.
Sep
17
2008
I feed feral cats for Animal Allies. Even using "hot hands" under the food and water containers - they freeze in less than 60 minutes. No access to electrical outlets.
There are some round disks shaped like a thick frisbee that you can buy at the pet store (sorry — I forget the name) that you heat in the microwave. When wrapped in a think blanket (with a little extra padding between it and the ground), it can stay warm for probably 8 to 10 hours.
Is there any way to buld some sort of simple shelter? Lifting the platform off of the ground and then adding a roof does reduce heat loss. Absent that, I would consider trying to build some sort of insulated wooden box. The box would be wooden and well insulated on the inside. The top would have several holes that afood dish would sit partly inside. You would then place microwaved heat packs inside the box and set the food dishes on top of the box, resting partway inside the holes. The heat would hopfully keep them from freezing.
Finally, I have seen some chemical heat packs (used to keep ski gloves warm, etc.) that can be purchased in bulk from Costco.
Other ideas are at: http://www.theanimalspirit.com/Questions.html#feralcold and http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm and http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/tricks.pdf#search='feral%20cat%20freeze'
Sep
17
2008
The background to why is a long story, but basically my mother feeds a few feral cats out of her garage. We occasionally can catch one or two and have gotten them spayed but it's impossible to keep up. One of last years kittens became pregnant this spring and is having severe problems. We have found one kitten dead (in it's birthing sac), another dead (we're not sure it survived birthing tho it had been cleaned and in the box she was in), and she now appears to have a kitten (or something) stuck in her birthing canal. I have not seen her since yesterday afternoon but at the last point I saw her it had been stuck like that for at least 16 hours.
I want to try to catch her but I don't want to stress her further. I hate to just let nature take its course but I may have to, I wondered what the odds of her surviving this without a vet's intervention were and whether anyone had tips on trying to catch her.
Any help would be appreciated
offer it a hundred dollars. that would work for me
Sep
17
2008
I only have permission to have one pet by my landlord, who has a strict one pet policy in places he rents. I have a cat and my landlord made me get him neutered, shots, and submit vet records and pay a huge pet deposit, but I have permission to have one, and only one, cat.
This feral cat has taken up residence in the back yard now. It plays with my cat and sometimes eats from the garbage and kills birds in the back yard. He is an in tact male, and has been here 2 months , and seems to want to stay. If my landlord sees another cat romping around, lounging on the porch or in the yard, I'm afraid I'll get in trouble. But when I try to catch the cat, he runs from me. I know this will eventually cause me problems. I need him to go live somewhere else. But he is quite wild.
Should I try to catch and relocate him? Call a dog catcher? (they will kill him, our local shelter does have a kill policy so I hate to). He seems to wild to be adoptable. So like, what should I do?
one thing I am worried about is there are laws against dumping pets. but since this animal is wild anyway, is relocating him illegal? The last thing I need is to get in trouble for being seen dumping the cat out in the country or something. I guess I'll have to call the dog catcher, but that is a death sentence and since the cat seems to be able to kill and survive in the wild, I'm not sure what is best to do.
I do have a live animal trap. I think if I put food in it I would have a chance to catch the cat. I caught a raccoon in the trap once and released him in the woods .
Your landlord can't ding you for a cat that's not yours.
But for the cat's sake, trap him and have him fixed, then re-release him. Many vets will fix feral cats for free.
Keep your kitty's vaccines up to date…the feral cat may be a vector!
Living in Shadows: How to Help the Stray Cat...
That skinny cat keeps coming to your back door. Whenever you come out, he dashes away. What do you do? Feed him? Call the local Humane Society? Just hope he goes away?
This book will offer practical and useful information for all people willing to help these cats with out adding to the problem. A must read for every cat person!