How Can There Be Feral Cats In Upstate New York After Winter?

mike5361

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how can there be feral cats in upstate new york? every winter when there is no animals to catch and it is freezing surely the feral cat population would just get wiped out each winter?

last august we saw what looked like a feral kitten because he was afraid to come near humans despite we were leaving food out for him. over the course of 2 months i manged to make him friendly and now he sleeps on my bed with me at night. so i wonder was he an abandoned kitten or was he feral? i dont see how a feral cat can possibly survive winter here, theres no animals to catch and its freezing during winter.
 

maggiedemi

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Oh yes they can. I live in Upstate NY and there have always been feral cats in the woods here all my life. They grow a really long coat in the winter. I know because I found my female feral cat in the winter and her coat was so long and bushy that it was hanging on the ground, she looked like a caveman.:)
 

shadowsrescue

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Many feral cats may have once been owned cats that were dumped. After a period of time they develop feral like qualities.

I know how cold upstate NY winters can be. Yet feral cats can be very resourceful. Without human help it would be very difficult.

The problem is the people who dump the cats in early spring. The cats may be pregnant already or soon get pregnant. So each year the reproduction cycle will continue.

Thank you for rescuing the sweet feral kitty.
 

maggiedemi

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They also make burrows. They made one with snow against our wood pile when I was a kid.
 
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mike5361

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Oh yes they can. I live in Upstate NY and there have always been feral cats in the woods here all my life. They grow a really long coat in the winter. I know because I found my female feral cat in the winter and her coat was so long and bushy that it was hanging on the ground, she looked like a caveman.:)
but there is no food to hunt for 3 months. they must starve!? do they really go 3 months with no food? plus its freezing.
 

msaimee

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They hunt mice and birds and small critters that burrow under diirt and snow. They burrow beneath sheds and under trailers, and colonies huddle together to share body warmth. They eat snow for moisture. Also, as others have said, they start growing incredibly thick fur starting in the Fall. In fact, I could predict how severe the weather was going to be based on how thick my one feral cat's fur became--the winter he grew a coat that doubled his size was the worse one we had in years. Feral cats, unlike house cats, can go days without eating. They can enter a deep sleep for most of the day, until things warm up. It's incredible to imagine, but cats will also roam and mate even in the worst winter months--I've seen it firsthand, and somehow they often survive. It's a difficult life for them for sure, and anyone who becomes a caregiver either by providing food and shelter outdoors for these cats and doing TNR, or by taking one in and socializing him, is definitely making a difference.
 

maggiedemi

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There's still mice here in the winter. You wouldn't believe how long and thick their fur gets. When I brought Maggie in, she lost most of that fur and now looks like a normal cat. She was really skinny though, so you're right, there is less food in December.
 

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Wild animals mostly survive winter. Yes, the cold and scarcity of food does thin the population of the weaker individuals, but most survive. And truly feral cats are basically wild animals.

Plus a lot of animals take advantage of human food sources---dumpsters, pet food left outdoors, etc.
 
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mike5361

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last august we saw what looked like a feral kitten because he was afraid to come near humans despite we were leaving food out for him. over the course of 2 months i manged to make him friendly and now he sleeps on my bed with me at night. so i wonder was he an abandoned kitten or was he feral? i dont see how a feral cat can possibly survive winter here, theres no animals to catch and its freezing during winter.
it took me 2 months to get this little kitten friendly to humans and now theres a raccoon coming into my place instead of him, stealing his food. i think they even fought a couple of times because i heard the noise and saw scars on his face. i think i am going to need to buy police strength pepper spray and spray the racoon, but im afraid that might kill the raccoon.
 

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Cats and raccoons usually get along fairly well. They are capable of injuring cats badly but they usually respect each other. If your male cat isn't neutered, he's probably fighting with other toms. The injuries he would get from a raccoon would be a lot worse than a few scratches.

The best way to discourage raccoons is to take the food up before sunset. Is it possible to train the cat to come for his meals while it's still light out? And then remove the food as soon as he's done.
 
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mike5361

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The best way to discourage raccoons is to take the food up before sunset. Is it possible to train the cat to come for his meals while it's still light out? And then remove the food as soon as he's done.
my kitty used to come through the window to get into my apartment for his food, and then he would sleep under my bed or on my bed on my pillow on my head. now i keep the window closed all the time because of the raccoon so for now i am letting him eat at my parents house which is nearby. my dad really likes him.
 

msaimee

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Please, please don't spray the raccoon with pepper spray. You would be causing it intense pain and suffering, and possibly blindness. The raccoon is only doing what raccoons do, seeking out food for itself and its offspring. Please do not do this. I have had raccoons on my block for the past 17 years, along with at least a few ferals and strays who had to coexist with the raccoons as well as opposum, deer, maternity colonies of bats, and really large birds. It has been my experience that these animals learn to peaceably coexist because it is not in any of their best interest to fight. 99% of the time cats get injured by fighting with other cats. Even neutered Toms will fight with other cats over territory issues. If a raccoon attacks a cat, which I have personally never experienced, it would be because the cat wandered into the den during maternity season. And the cat would not survive. The only way to not have raccoons get into the cat food is to train the cat to eat during daylight. If you must feed the cat when it is dusk or dark, then you need to sit within a foot or two of the cat so the raccoons won't approach the food bowls. Again, please do not spray the raccoons with pepper spray. If you do, you will hear the animal shriek in pain, and it will bother you probably for many years to come.
 
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mike5361

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i wont pepper spray the raccoon, i spoke with my dad and he also said dont do it.

my dad seems to be doing a good job of feeding him at their house.

this evening i left my door open to get fresh air and my kitty actually paid me a visit, i hugged him and hoped he would stay but he just stayed a few minits and then went back outside. this made me realize that this cat really is an out doors cat, the reason why he spent so much time in my apartment during winter was because it was freezing outside. i guess all i can do is hope he survives until next winter then he will want to be with me again.
 

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Cat can survive really cold winters. The area I live in gets down to -20 C some nights and we have a couple of meters of snow, but the feral cats (And the foxes, badgers, raccoons and pole cats) survive.

If you want to distract the raccoon give him peanut butter or marshmallow sandwiches. Sticky stuff like that takes them ages to eat.

If the cat is happy at your dad's place I suggest you try to keep him indoors there. It can be dangerous for cats outside, he'll live a much longer healthier life as an indoor cat.
 
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mike5361

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If the cat is happy at your dad's place I suggest you try to keep him indoors there. It can be dangerous for cats outside, he'll live a much longer healthier life as an indoor cat
he doesnt stay in my dads house, he sometimes stays in his greenhouse, he leaves the door open.

if we try to keep him indoors all the time he would freak out. i think my best bet is just hope he survives until it gets cold again and then he will want to stay indoors with me. and the raccoon will probably be gone. but i better prepare myself for a missing cat because there are coyotes around here.
 
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maggiedemi

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I brought my 2 former ferals inside for good. My boy cat Demi cried for 2 weeks straight, but he is fine now. Just wanted to let you know that it can be done if you feel like trying it. :)
 

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if we try to keep him indoors all the time he would freak out. i think my best bet is just hope he survives until it gets cold again and then he will want to stay indoors with me. and the raccoon will probably be gone. but i better prepare myself for a missing cat because there are coyotes around here.
It's easy enough to make them into indoor only cats, or to make them indoor/outdoor cats with safe outdoor access.

It would be a shame to lose him to coyotes after you've come this far, getting him neutered and getting attached to him.

You could convert your Dad's green house into a shelter for him and make a little catio around it. Or you could make him a house cat with catio access.

I've taken in old feral tom cats before and they've got used to life indoors. Just let us know if you need any advice or suggestions.

;)
 
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mike5361

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It would be a shame to lose him to coyotes after you've come this far, getting him neutered and getting attached to him.
yes that would be a real shame and would probably really hurt me. the thing is my apartment is really small, for example my version of a kitchen is just a small refrigerator with a microwave oven on top and a toaster on top of that, i like to eat frozen dinners. i just have my main room and a bathroom and thats it. i think a cat would go crazy being confined to such a small place.

my dads house is much bigger but when i suggested he keep the cat indoors he said he doesnt want to. he already has my moms cat in the house. my mom passed away of cancer 17 days ago and he isnt really interested in cats much. but he does like my cat so he makes sure that he gets fed.
 
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mike5361

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You could convert your Dad's green house into a shelter for him and make a little catio around it. Or you could make him a house cat with catio access.
my dad is under the belief that the way our previous cat got killed is because he used to like to sleep in the greenhouse at night but there was only one entrance so when the coyotes came in he was cornered and had no way to escape. so now he keeps all 3 doors open so that the cat will have plenty of options to escape if needed.
 
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