Stray cat situation

**ladytoysdream** · 12-14-2010, 07:42 PM

Okay, we live in the country. And every so often, someone drops a cat or kittens off. Last few times, it happened we had a heck of a time getting the right authorities to help us.
We are not cat people. We own 2 dogs, and a flock of chickens. I don't really see us taking in a stray wild cat.

Not too long ago, maybe a month, we noticed a black and white cat hanging around. Never could get close to it to try to catch it. Well we now have a lot of snow, and I thought the cat moved on. Well a few days ago, I saw it out back by the garage, and when it seem me, it ran and leaped and hid again. My guess is it is living under the long deck we have. It must be finding a few mice and birds to eat. I'm almost afraid to try to catch it and then be responsible for it if the SPCA or the dog warden won't take it because they are full. So I am lost at how to proceed.

**Ceashels** · 12-14-2010, 11:13 PM

Hugs.

I don't know what to offer ... I'm a cat person and when faced with a similar situation decades ago, I took him (Spectre) in and he lived with my Mom until the age of 20ish.

I wish I knew how to help you in this.

**Nana2two** · 12-14-2010, 11:55 PM

I'm also not a cat person and we have a bunch of ferel cats and if you don't get the from staying around your house they will start spraying and you can never get that smell out and its bad when its hot out.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-15-2010, 12:03 AM

Petfinder.com Find rescue groups in your area and start calling. One of the groups should take it. Or at least contact a feral rescue group.
And feral cats will not necessarily spray your house.

**Palooka** · 12-15-2010, 12:07 AM

I would let a feral cat just be...most shelters will kill it faster. I also agree with FW.

**The Muse** · 12-15-2010, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

Petfinder.com Find rescue groups in your area and start calling. One of the groups should take it. Or at least contact a feral rescue group.
And feral cats will not necessarily spray your house.

Agreed. Personally, I'd let it be. Doesn't seem to be causing any trouble.

**ladytoysdream** · 12-15-2010, 07:58 AM

Well at this point, we have just been letting it be.
I figure it probably is earning it's keep by catching mice.
It has to be doing something, because I have not been feeding
it. I am worried if I did that, that the food would just invite
possums which we already have killed a few, including one on our deck. And possums like chickens so am trying not to encourage them.

Thinking in the spring about catching the cat if possible, and
then taking it to the cousin who has a farm. She took the 4
kittens for us, that someone dropped off a few years ago.

We have a county SPCA who is always crying they are full.
Then we have a town dog warden who is supposed to take them, but he is always crying full too. The spay/ neuter
program took a beatiful white cat for us that someone dropped
off this summer. They have a huge room, with all kinds of cats
wandering around in it.

I just wish people would stop dropping off their animals when
they no longer want them. Why give someone else your problem.

**FrugalKate** · 12-15-2010, 09:58 AM

Try local veternarians. My vet will take in homeless pets and then try to find loving homes for them. Bless his heart!

**LuLuBleen** · 12-15-2010, 01:00 PM

...I have not been feeding
it. I am worried if I did that, that the food would just invite possums which we already have killed a few, including one on our deck.

Yeah, it sounds like feeding it would just start up more problems. It's okay if you don't want to adopt this cat. After all, you didn't invite it to stay, it just did.

If the cat gets sick or too hungry, you can always take it to the SPCA then. Don't worry, they'll find room for it.

I can't stand people who drop off animals, either. Sorry you have to deal with this so much.

**nodmicks** · 12-15-2010, 01:07 PM

If you can trap or catch him taking it to a farm sounds great. If it is male letting it hang around might be ok but if it is a girl you are going to get babies come spring. UGH

We have major problems with this. Our local dog catcher takes them, holds 10 days and then euthanizes them. There is no shelter in our township so if someone doesn't call they are put down. The town 30 miles away has a shelter and adoptions but wont take a pet from our township as we have a dog catcher. See the circle here?????

I have had a stray male hanging around that I feed for over a year. He is finally tame at least with me but i will not take him in after the fiasco I had with an adult feral female I took in and tried to tame. She destroyed my floors and I spent tons trying to get her to stop peeing. Babies only or obvious house cats coming in!

We had someone dump off 7 kittens and then 3 kittens within a few weeks. I found them homes through freecycle, facebook and craigs list. I wish you luck. i think everyone who dumps off a pet or doesnt spay or neuter should get a monster fine. Then there would likely not be so many feral and drop off cats.

**Judi Dial** · 12-17-2010, 06:48 PM

We have an (obviously unfixed) male siamese cat hanging around. A beautiful beast. If I didn't already have a cat, I'd have adopted it. However, we do, and if we get another cat, it has to be a kitten, so our existing cat can lay down the law. That's the way we did it with her and all the other animals. If you introduce them as kittens, then their pecking order is set up from the get-go.

As far as I know he hasn't sprayed our house.

Yes, I'll feed this guy (I call him "Fine Fellow") and my solution to possum, foxes, mice, etc. getting the food is to only feed him in bowls and remove the bowls when he goes. Nothing stays outside if he's not there eating. I pull the empty bowls too, based on the idea that other animals can smell where there was food, even if there isn't any there now. Anyway, we are only one of ? houses that he hangs around.

My

Judi

**ladytoysdream** · 12-17-2010, 07:03 PM

I think our situation got more interesting.
I think now we have 2 cats.................
one is mostly black with a little white, that I seen today, and the other one I saw the other day is half black and half white. And we really think they are under the deck.
I saw the one at the bird feeder this morning.
So come spring, if they are still here, we will have to get them in a havaheart trap and find them new homes. They won't be able to stay here. The plan is to hatch some baby chicks again, and if we repeat what we did last year, then cats will have easy access to outside wire growing pens with no roof on them.

The far end of deck/ porch under the steps will be boarded off now come spring. The front end is at ground level. The 52 ft length has lattice covering over the bottom area.

We don't know the cats routine. Only see one, every few days or so. They / it, are really skittish, and if they see one of us, they are gone........like a rocket........

**krbshappy71** · 12-21-2010, 02:09 PM

Have you tried this product to deter them from that area:
Dog & Cat Repellent - Dog - Free Ship - PetSmart

If its an area where the dogs don't frequent it could help shoo the cats off.

I have my dogs in the front yard occasionally when I start to have a cat problem. It teaches the cats to find somewhere else, say, the neighbor's yard instead. Any possibility to take your dogs to the "newly founded cat area" and have them pee around? Take them on a leash so they can safely chase off the cats? If dogs frequent an area the cats should move on to safer territory.