A cat forum. CatBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CatBanter forum » Cat Newsgroups » Cat health & behaviour
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Feral cat problem



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old October 11th 12, 10:11 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Pon o
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 12:44 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bill Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,065
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 03:35 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Pon o
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 02:40 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
(PeteCresswell)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 31
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 10:27 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bill Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,065
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 10:33 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bill Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,065
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 11:12 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bill Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,065
Default 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  
Old October 12th 12, 11:46 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Bill Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,065
Default 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  
Old October 13th 12, 07:43 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Pon o
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default 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  
Old October 13th 12, 08:04 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Pon o
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default 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

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
One Problem Down tanadashoes Cat anecdotes 8 September 16th 10 03:53 PM
Fixing the Feral Problem:What Does, Does Not Work Bret Ludwig Cat rescue 15 June 19th 06 04:29 AM
My Cat Has A Problem Bible Bob Cat health & behaviour 23 April 21st 05 07:07 PM
Need help with cat problem Monica Cat health & behaviour 10 February 9th 04 12:17 AM
Is it a behavioral problem or a genetic problem. Kuisse0002 Cat health & behaviour 18 November 1st 03 01:40 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CatBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.