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#1
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Feral cat problem
Hi,
I've never posted here before. Thought someone might have at least an idea for a long-term solution. There must be 30 - 40 feral cats/kittens in one city block, crying, fighting, getting killed in traffic, caught in trees, injured, sick, etc. etc. I understand that this is a growing problem throughout many states. I've phoned & spoke with with the local SPCA, cat rescues, the DEC, city animal control. The list could go on almost endlessly. I'd like to be part of the solution but don't know where to find ideas. Does anybody have thoughts on this? TIA, Pon |
#2
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Feral cat problem
Pon o wrote:
Hi, I've never posted here before. Thought someone might have at least an idea for a long-term solution. There must be 30 - 40 feral cats/kittens in one city block, crying, fighting, getting killed in traffic, caught in trees, injured, sick, etc. etc. I understand that this is a growing problem throughout many states. I've phoned & spoke with with the local SPCA, cat rescues, the DEC, city animal control. The list could go on almost endlessly. I'd like to be part of the solution but don't know where to find ideas. Does anybody have thoughts on this? TIA, Pon Yes. Trap, neuter, and release is one "solution". At least, a partial solution. You can help either by donating money to organizations who do this, or catch your own feral cat, have him/her neutered, and release him back where you caught him. (when we do this, we usually end up owning another cat) |
#3
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Feral cat problem
"Trap, neuter, and release is one
"solution". At least, a partial solution. You can help either by donating money to organizations who do this, or catch your own feral cat, have him/her neutered, and release him back where you caught him. (when we do this, we usually end up owning another cat)." Ok, thanks! That's what one local cat org. is doing. But they rely on private donations since there is no legislation/no funding, concerning domestic cats, feral or not, in the state of NY (& other states as well). For all their good intentions, this expensive neuter/release program is a drop in the bucket. Donations are scarce; cats' lifespans are short because of disease, traffic, starvation. frigid winters, & this summer--drought! It's heartbreaking to see what these animals go through. So I guess there is no good & lasting solution? Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. Thanks, - Pon |
#4
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Feral cat problem
Per Pon o:
Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. Maybe it's a local predator/prey balance thing. I have no clue what preys on cats except for foxes. Having said that, we used to have a lot more cats around here until a family of foxes moved in to the area (as evidenced by security camera videos). Now the cat population seems pretty much restricted to cats whose owners keep them in at night. Even during the day, we see the occasional fox prowling around... and we always have a door or two open so our cat has a fallback position. -- Pete Cresswell |
#5
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Feral cat problem
Pon o wrote:
"Trap, neuter, and release is one "solution". At least, a partial solution. You can help either by donating money to organizations who do this, or catch your own feral cat, have him/her neutered, and release him back where you caught him. (when we do this, we usually end up owning another cat)." Ok, thanks! That's what one local cat org. is doing. But they rely on private donations since there is no legislation/no funding, concerning domestic cats, feral or not, in the state of NY (& other states as well). For all their good intentions, this expensive neuter/release program is a drop in the bucket. Donations are scarce; cats' lifespans are short because of disease, traffic, starvation. frigid winters, & this summer--drought! It's heartbreaking to see what these animals go through. So I guess there is no good & lasting solution? Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. Thanks, - Pon Well, like our human population the cats population grows too. I find it more rewarding to take in my own stray cat, feed him and house him for the Winter, and then get him neutered as soon as I can. There may be many in the neighborhood, but usually only one shows up at my door every year or so, and my wife and I casn handle this. We even liik forward to them showing us for food every few days. One thing is for sure, The government isn't interested. Feral cats don't vote....:^) They would rather take your tax dollars and give them to some terrorist country in the Mideast who hates our guts..... |
#6
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Feral cat problem
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Pon o: Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. Maybe it's a local predator/prey balance thing. I have no clue what preys on cats except for foxes. Owls, Eagles, Ospreys, Teen aged boys, automobiles, people who use Round-Up on their weeds, coyotes, Stray dogs, Other cats, various cat diseases (like FIV) Poisoned mice, rats, snails and other critters, Poisonous snakes (in some locals) And probably several other things that I haven't thought of yet. Oh... the "teen aged boys"... Some of them are in their forties and fifties, and just like to use cats for their target proctice..... |
#7
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Feral cat problem
Bill Graham wrote:
(PeteCresswell) wrote: Per Pon o: Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. Maybe it's a local predator/prey balance thing. I have no clue what preys on cats except for foxes. Owls, Eagles, Ospreys, Teen aged boys, automobiles, people who use Round-Up on their weeds, coyotes, Stray dogs, Other cats, various cat diseases (like FIV) Poisoned mice, rats, snails and other critters, Poisonous snakes (in some locals) And probably several other things that I haven't thought of yet. Oh... the "teen aged boys"... Some of them are in their forties and fifties, and just like to use cats for their target proctice..... I forgot other hazards such as enclosed places like auto trunks. and sometimes cars don't kill cats by running them down, but their fan belts kill them on start up in the morning..... |
#8
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Feral cat problem
Bill Graham wrote:
Bill Graham wrote: (PeteCresswell) wrote: Per Pon o: Do you expect this to be a growing problem in the future? I don't remember feral cats being a problem until a few yrs. ago. When I was about 15, back in 1950, I worked as a bus boy in a restaurant in Lynbrook, Long Island, New Your. The diwhwsher would take out the garbage, and spill a lot of it on the ground, which the feral cats wold eat. In a year, there would be hundreds of cats waiting for Jack to take out the garbage. Mrs Frazer, who owned the3 restaurant would call the ASPCA who would come and trap these cats every year and put (I presume) them to sleep. Then Jack would start working on next years batch....... So, feral cats have always been a problem, to someone, somewhere.... |
#9
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Feral cat problem
Hi Pete,
Thanks for replying to my post. I live in the city so there is no natural predator for these cats except cars, famine, disease, injury, weather.... The neighborhood is rodent free, I believe, so the cats are preying on songbirds for one. I hate it when I find a pile of red feathers & know another cardinal has become a cat's dinner.. I feel for the plight of the cats but realistically don't see any practical solution. I've just joined a Yahoo Group on Feral Cats where I might get some ideas. Thanks again, - Pon |
#10
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Feral cat problem
Bill,
"One thing is for sure, The government isn't interested. Feral cats don't vote....:^) They would rather take your tax dollars and give them to some terrorist country in the Mideast who hates our guts....." LOL! Good one! I was bitten by a feral kitten several yrs ago, trying to get it out from under my car. Two days later my finger turned a lovely shade of purple & swelled double size. When I developed a fever, I went to the ER & was put on an antibiotic IV drip for 3 days, followed by 14 days of mega antibiotics. I had the early stage of sepsis. They wanted to do surgery on the finger (index) because it had infected with a "felon" (some kind of infection). I declined, & have since had no sensation in that finger, joint to tip. I rescued a feral kitten from a tree the other day after it cried from morning 'til dusk. I held my breath as it hissed & tried to bite. Point of this long story.... I don't want to get too close to the feral population. Still want to help tho. - Pon |
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