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#1
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Strays - what to do? LONG
There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens. Mama is in
rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about a year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard, starving and flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but the two who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've integrated beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats. I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now and they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in the street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People use this street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out there, but no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day or two, is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it first, which will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was able to take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the babies. The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the neighbor across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the time and because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has been amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat (not part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with them, and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids torture these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for days at a time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water for the cat(s). This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are spending a good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and could probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am barely able to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart to see her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and appears desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me. Tonight when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This is not a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a thing except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them, and they will multiply.... There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal control which will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I shouldn't have taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering kitten and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but I'm overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my house is just too small and already crowded with nine in here. I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on breeding and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What would you do in my place? |
#2
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Pat" wrote in message ... There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens. Mama is in rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about a year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard, starving and flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but the two who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've integrated beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats. I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now and they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in the street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People use this street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out there, but no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day or two, is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it first, which will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was able to take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the babies. The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the neighbor across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the time and because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has been amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat (not part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with them, and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids torture these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for days at a time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water for the cat(s). This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are spending a good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and could probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am barely able to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart to see her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and appears desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me. Tonight when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This is not a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a thing except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them, and they will multiply.... There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal control which will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I shouldn't have taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering kitten and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but I'm overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my house is just too small and already crowded with nine in here. I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on breeding and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What would you do in my place? What I would do (and have done - sorry) in your place is to take them to animal control. No one can save them all. It can't be done. There are just circumstances where you can't make things better, and looking the other way only allows them to get worse. Taking an animals that cannot care for itself, and that you cannot care for to a shelter is better than allowing it to starve, suffer, die of thirst or be killed by a car or a predator. There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide which is the least wrong thing to do. Jo |
#3
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Jofirey" wrote | What I would do (and have done - sorry) in your place is to take them | to animal control. No one can save them all. It can't be done. | | There are just circumstances where you can't make things better, and | looking the other way only allows them to get worse. | | Taking an animals that cannot care for itself, and that you cannot | care for to a shelter is better than allowing it to starve, suffer, | die of thirst or be killed by a car or a predator. | | There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide | which is the least wrong thing to do. This will take some time to digest |
#4
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Jofirey" wrote | There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide | which is the least wrong thing to do. I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the miracle purrs will make a difference.... |
#5
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Pat" wrote in message
et... "Jofirey" wrote | There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide | which is the least wrong thing to do. I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the miracle purrs will make a difference.... Nanki-Poo, Lindy and I will send some purrs, in the hope that will help. Joy |
#6
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Strays - what to do? LONG
Pat wrote:
I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the miracle purrs will make a difference.... Purrs is all we can send, but we're sending them in abundance. -- Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. |
#7
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Strays - what to do? LONG
On Jun 18, 12:57 pm, "Pat" wrote:
There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens. Mama is in rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about a year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard, starving and flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but the two who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've integrated beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats. I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now and they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in the street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People use this street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out there, but no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day or two, is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it first, which will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was able to take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the babies. The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the neighbor across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the time and because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has been amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat (not part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with them, and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids torture these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for days at a time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water for the cat(s). This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are spending a good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and could probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am barely able to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart to see her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and appears desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me. Tonight when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This is not a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a thing except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them, and they will multiply.... There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal control which will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I shouldn't have taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering kitten and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but I'm overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my house is just too small and already crowded with nine in here. I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on breeding and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What would you do in my place? Such a tough decision, and I'm like you in that I can't just ignore an animal in need. Something needs to be done though. At the least can you get her desexed?? Anyhow, purrs being sent for the mama cat and her kittens. |
#8
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Dewi" wrote | Such a tough decision, and I'm like you in that I can't just ignore an | animal in need. Something needs to be done though. At the least can | you get her desexed?? Anyhow, purrs being sent for the mama cat and | her kittens. I just looked out the window and there she is, laying in the driveway with four kittens suckling on her. They are past old enough to be weaned but I guess as long as mama lets them suck, they will suck. |
#9
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Strays - what to do? LONG
"Pat" wrote in message et... "Jofirey" wrote | There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide | which is the least wrong thing to do. I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the miracle purrs will make a difference.... We are sending purrs that there will be room at the no kill shelter for these poor cats. If you cannot take them yourself (which you can't) that would be a great option for them. If they can't take them either you will have to search your heart about taking them to animal control. I know you don't want to - and neither would I but you realise already that it cannot continue, unless you can catch and speuter every cat that comes out of that neglectful house. I hope I never have to make this sort of decision. There are rarely any stray cats where I live - actually KFC & Boyfie were the last ones I saw! and certainly no mommas with kittens. The neuter/spay message seems to got through near here. The question is, I suppose, what is best for them if no-one is in a position to do anything about them. Does the momma cat keep breeding kittens for ever? Do those kittens get squashed on the busy road? Or would it be better if they went to RB before all that happens? I don't envy your decision. Tweed |
#10
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Good News! Strays - what to do? LONG
"Christina Websell" wrote | We are sending purrs that there will be room at the no kill shelter for | these poor cats. Great news -- a shelter I contacted near Columbia, five hours away, emailed me back with contact info for a local rescue person who is only 10 miles away. She said she will take them all, find homes for the babies, get mama spayed and keep her. She asked about the boy with the crooked tail too, but it may be impossible to capture him. This lady said in the past week she's had two pot-bellied pigs dumped at her farm!! She says they're out in a field and very afraid. Heck I'd be terrified if I was someone's pet and was suddenly dumped in a strange place but at least they have food and water and companionship. The plan is I will try to confine the whole kitty family in my screened carport and then call the rescue lady to come get them. I've started feeding them in there. Luckily I still have half a case of PetGuard 14 oz. cans that all my clowder hate, they let it rot in the dish if I dare serve it to them. It's expensive food but that's what this poor mama needs right now, she was so hungry at lunchtime that she growled at her own babies when they tried to join her at the bowl, until she had wolfed half the can. This is an ideal time to spay since she's still nursing a bit and probably isn't pregnant. The lady asked if I can help with the cost. I can't, but I decided to try and sell the old storm windows that are sitting in the garage. I was saving them to make a cold frame later to start seedlings, but I can find another way when the time comes. They should bring at least half the cost of the spay, if they sell. Another surprise this morning was seeing mama laying on the porch nursing FIVE kittens. At first I thought there were three, then four, but now I know the truth. No wonder she's so ragged!! And they're probably not as old as I thought, maybe 7 weeks at most, could even be six weeks old. There are two solid gray ones, two lovely tabbies (wide length-wise stripes) and one solid black. The black one is smallest and I haven't seen it since early this morning. Mama seems to be a little worried too, she's been out there looking all over, and I can tell she's tired and wants to sleep after her big lunch. I put several boxes with old rags in them, and an old carpet, a litterbox, food and water dishes out there. Earlier today I found three kittens sleeping in one of the boxes. Hopefully tonight they will all find their way into the boxes and I will have the new carport door that I'm building all finished and put up, and can lock them in and call the rescuer to come first thing tomorrow. I am SO relieved!!!! With a bit of luck I will be able to tame the crooked-tail boy later on and get him relocated to be a barn cat with his mom. |
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