Sheltering stray and feral cats

[Yvonne Smith]

We have a lot of people that move in this neighborhood, and some move away and leave their pets, especially cats. The animal control usually picks up stray dogs, but the poor kitties are on their own.
For the last couple of years, we have been putting out cat food and little winter shelters for the stray cats. It is a win-win situation, because the cats also hunt the rodents that are in the area, or at least help scare them away, and they appreciate having a place to shelter in bad weather, and a little igloo bed in the winter time.

We have 4-5 that come for food almost every day, and 3 of those basically live here. Two are pettable, and the rest are in varying stages of wildness/tameness.
This morning, we had a new one show up. She just dived into the food, so she was pretty hungry. She has big green eyes, and we could see that she was terrified of being on the porch, but hungry enough to eat anyway.
(picture is blurry because i had to keep away far enough not to scare her while i took the picture.)

 

[Marie Mallory]

Yvonne, they leave them here all the time, or the female has them. We had a cute little feral kitten, but I gave it away. I'm leery of the dogs hurting a cat. Foxy loved it but Leo is sneaky and acted like he liked the hens too, then he killed 2 of them.

Our camera is old but this was the little kitten born in the woods near the shed. She was a feisty little thing,

 

[Axel Slingerland]

We used to have a major feral cat population in our neighborhood in Eureka. One day this woman came by and asked us to make sure we kept our cats (if we had any) inside over the next few days as she was picking up the ferals and getting them fixed. After a few months there were much less cats in our neighborhood, but the population of gophers, mice, squirrels, voles, and other small rodents had multiplied many times over. We missed those cats... They used to keep the gophers out of our yard.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Past few weeks there is a female and her 7 puppies running up and down the dirt road. I called the owner and no answer, he probably knows why I'm calling.
They keep coming under the fence and running up to yard fence barking at our 4 dogs.
They are little Blue Tic mix like their mom. Very small for a Blue Tic hound.
We can't handle anymore dogs , I was thinking of calling the shelter and seeing how much they will charge to spay the mom, but then her puppies will be in heat in a few months, and money is tight.

 

[Krystal]

Past few weeks there is a female and her 7 puppies running up and down the dirt road. I called the owner and no answer, he probably knows why I'm calling.
They keep coming under the fence and running up to yard fence barking at our 4 dogs.
They are little Blue Tic mix like their mom. Very small for a Blue Tic hound.
We can't handle anymore dogs , I was thinking of calling the shelter and seeing how much they will charge to spay the mom, but then her puppies will be in heat in a few months, and money is tight.

If you have animal control in your area, call them and they will come and pick them up. If the owner wants them back, they have to pay a fine. That usually puts a stop to people letting their dogs run where they are not supposed too. Not getting their dogs spaded or neutered is irresponsible, in my opinion.

 

[Marie Mallory]

If you have animal control in your area, call them and they will come and pick them up. If the owner wants them back, they have to pay a fine. That usually puts a stop to people letting their dogs run where they are not supposed too. Not getting their dogs spaded or neutered is irresponsible, in my opinion.

We do, but it is full, not taking any cats or dogs last several months, maybe longer. When we got these last 2 in November parking lot was full of cats and a few dogs.
Owner called me back and said he has a couple of the puppy's a home, waiting for them to come pick them up.
He is still trying to find home for the others.
Owner is 78.
I'm just afraid someone will run over them, they fly down these dirt roads. Of course, so did we when we were young.

 

[Krystal]

We do, but it is full, not taking any cats or dogs last several months, maybe longer. When we got these last 2 in November parking lot was full of cats and a few dogs.
Owner called me back and said he has a couple of the puppy's a home, waiting for them to come pick them up.
He is still trying to find home for the others.
Owner is 78.
I'm just afraid someone will run over them, they fly down these dirt roads. Of course, so did we when we were young.

I understand that. Someone's dog or cat is always getting hit on the road here too. I hate seeing them dead on the road. Around here, Animal control will still pick up stray or wild animals, requardless. We have leash laws. But the shelters won't take any in very often because they say they are full, yet people are always dumping them out around the shelters anyway.

 

[Marie Mallory]

I understand that. Someone's dog or cat is always getting hit on the road here too. I hate seeing them dead on the road. Around here, Animal control will still pick up stray or wild animals, requardless. We have leash laws. But the shelters won't take any in very often because they say they are full, yet people are always dumping them out around the shelters anyway.

Exactly, Krystal, I think it is bad everywhere now, for these animals. People love cute little puppies and kittens, then they grow up and get dumped.
We are bathing 2 dogs now, hubby doing their claws and ears too. Maisie is almost as tall as me when she is on hind legs, she is really filling out. I have a new black bruise on my arm from her giant teeth [ she has biggest teeth here ] hitting me when she swings her head wanting attention. She sure got my attention alright, I told her OUT!