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

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)

"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

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

(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.....

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.....

We do have the occasional hawk in the city. Rare to see a stray dog due
to strict leash laws. Didn't know Roundup was a threat but even I'm
choking when the lawn companies come round spraying those chemicals.

Poisoned rats would be dangerous (not sure we have a rat problem).
I could tell horror stories about the "teen age boys".

But what's this about snails????
- Pon

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

"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in message
...

I have no clue what preys on cats except for foxes.


Where I live in TN it's not just fox that keep feral cats under control, but
also coyotes, large hawks by day and owls by night. Roaming dogs pick a few
off before someone shoots the dogs. One neighbor is a sharp-shooter so
loose dogs don't last long here. People put out poison for cats and other
critters they consider pests or vermin. People shoot cats for the hell of
it. Anyone who loves their cats here keeps them indoors or have safe
outdoor enclosures for them as we do. Ours is small but the cats can still
get time outside to sun themselves and enjoy the fresh air.

Per Kelley Greene:
Where I live in TN it's not just fox that keep feral cats under control...

Where I live (Philadelphia PA, USA suburbs...) the foxes even
keep domestic cats under control. Our neighbors have a cat door
through which their cats come and go at all hours. They have
been through at least a half-dozen cats since we've had our one
cat.
--
Pete Cresswell