Help! Need Advice On Caring For Feral Cats.

Welll, I just started my kitty tube will be set up this week. Heated food water bowl etc.. I guess I can talk with my vet to get an agreement for medical care and rehoming them. I guess I’d like to start with just one kitty tube. It can fit 2-3 cats.

Initially I was going to try too keep one alive during the winter

Can you direct me to the TNR in the 46070 area?

46970 oops auto correct. The city says I have a certain responsibility if I’m feeding them, technically they’re mine.

If a TNR is able to give me a trap and Neuter them I’ll feel a lot better.

If you Google TNR groups in your area you should be able to find some who will help you get the cats spayed and neutered.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

Norachan said:

If you Google TNR groups in your area you should be able to find some who will help you get the cats spayed and neutered.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

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I found the TNR on facebook. I have been messaging them. About trapping, neutering cost etc... They haven't answered all of my questions. All I want to do is be prepared. Just tonight, I heard a stray cat crying at my back door. It is only 30 degrees out. I bought the shelter, heater, and heated food/water bowl. I wish it would hurry up and arrive!

Thanks for answering my questions.

Thank you for trying to help them nunnc84 Here are some other groups in your area who might be able to help you.

Get TNR Help - local and state-wide resources - FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic

https://www.facebook.com/KokomoCommunityCats/

IACS Community Cat Program

https://www.spayneuterservices.org/...nimal-welfare-groups/animal-resources-county/

Sometimes these groups are so overwhelmed that all they can do is point you in the direction of a low cost clinic, but it's worth getting in touch with as many groups as you can so you know what help is available.

Good luck.

Norachan said:

Thank you for trying to help them nunnc84 Here are some other groups in your area who might be able to help you.

Get TNR Help - local and state-wide resources - FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic

https://www.facebook.com/KokomoCommunityCats/

IACS Community Cat Program

https://www.spayneuterservices.org/...nimal-welfare-groups/animal-resources-county/

Sometimes these groups are so overwhelmed that all they can do is point you in the direction of a low cost clinic, but it's worth getting in touch with as many groups as you can so you know what help is available.

Good luck.

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Thanks! My neighbor said “Please don’t attract cats here”. Something... “I do not support you in this”. “Keep them on your side”. I can’t believe her.
It’s all set up on the porch! Shelter, food, water... I used a kitty tube and thermal sensing water/food bowl. I chose the double insulated, feral option with straw for a quick clean up. A heating pad is on the way.
I’ve been calling vet offices, and looked on Facebook. The local shelter takes carriers of cats to a nearby town to be spade/neutered. It’s $40 on average each. They have a clinic each month. I think I’ll work something out with my vet instead.
I’m really excited about who I’m going to save from the winter. I’m considering growing cat grass in my planters on the porch next spring for the cats inside and out.

I don't understand. It's a tiny shelter for 1-2 cats if they sleep on top of each other. I put out minimal food. And keep fresh water out. There maybe a cat fight now and then.
I've taken a walk in the neighborhood, I counted 5 cats waiting outside one house for their next meal.

Yeah, I've had a similar reaction from neighbours in the past. I think if there are a lot of cats people tend to vent on whoever is the most visible carer, regardless of whether the cats they care for are the ones causing the problems or not.

The best way to deal with them is to try and talk to them. Just ask what the problem is and maybe it will be something you can come up with a solution to between you.

Also try to explain why TNR is the best way to deal with feral cats. It can be a lot like beating your head against a wall at times, but occasionally you'll find an ally where you didn't expect to find one.

I think kittychick might be able to give you some more advice.

Norachan said:

Yeah, I've had a similar reaction from neighbours in the past. I think if there are a lot of cats people tend to vent on whoever is the most visible carer, regardless of whether the cats they care for are the ones causing the problems or not.

The best way to deal with them is to try and talk to them. Just ask what the problem is and maybe it will be something you can come up with a solution to between you.

Also try to explain why TNR is the best way to deal with feral cats. It can be a lot like beating your head against a wall at times, but occasionally you'll find an ally where you didn't expect to find one.

I think kittychick might be able to give you some more advice.

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Thanks for moving my post over. The neighboor has a fence around her whole yard, and she still said keep them on your side. I told her I will not control the behaviors of nature. I read an article that said I should put in a sandbox for the cats to go in. And then walk around the neighbors yard and clean it up if necessary. The cats were always there messing in her yard anyway. They mess in everyone's yard down the whole block.
This county does not shelter cats. They put them on the street. That's why they are found under abandoned houses, and such. The illnesses from dehydration and starvation are apparent. If they use had a safe water supply and shelter they would be ok. A lot of people feed cats from their back door.
Last night the cat fights went on until 1 am. The food is gone. Nothing has been disturbed. There may have been a turf war. I haven't seen any cats that may have visited. I had a dream that the neighboor called the cops and the cop said there is nothing illegal going on here and left.
How would I trap the cat? How would I coordinate the spade/neuter and trapping the cat(s) to get them spade/neutred? What if I check the shelter and find a litter of kittens?

Hi nunnc84 Sorry you haven't had anymore answers yet.

The best way to trap the cats is with a humane trap. If you are already feeding them regularly it will be pretty simple to set the trap in the place you feed them.

Borrow a trap from a TNR group, shelter or vet that treats feral cats. You could also buy a have-a-heart trap online or from Tractor Supply. Set the trap up in the place you always feed but wire the door open. Get the cats used to seeing the trap and eating in it. Make an appointment for a spay or neuter. Set the trap the night before the spay/neuter appointment.

Once a cat has been trapped you need to cover the trap and place it on some straw or newspaper, preferably indoors. A shed or garage would be fine. Just needs to be in a place where other animals or people won't get too close. The cat will be fine overnight as long as you keep the trap covered over with a blanket.

You need to keep the cat for around 24 hours after surgery, to ensure the meds have worn off and everything is OK before releasing.

If you find a litter of kittens the best thing to do is bring them in. They'll have a much better chance of surviving and being re-homed that way. But if you get a litter of young kittens that's something to talk about in another thread.

In my area it is common for rescue groups to be non-responsive. I have never had one return an email when I needed help. The simple fact is that they are overwhelmed. I quickly learned that I was on my own. At one time, my vet was doing TNRs and lending out traps to help do it. They later stopped when some folks complained about their pets being exposed to diseases and parasites and wut not.

In the end I bought a Havahart trap from ACE Hardware, and got a referral for a low cost spay neuter clinic that would take community cats on a walk-in basis 5 days a week. It was even kind of difficult to find a clinic to help, but after asking around and internet searching I found one. It was someone at my vet's office who referred me. Funny thing was my vet had a printed list that they handed out, but that ended up being no help to me. Many shelters and clinics serve only their area. It was word of mouth that found me the clinic that I use and recommend now.

As far as neighbors go, I explain that I did not abandon them. Every one of these cats has been spayed/neutered and vaccinated for rabies at my expense. Either I TNR these cats, or there will be a population explosion. Those are the choices. I try to be friendly a possible while I'm at it.

Norachan said:

Hi nunnc84 Sorry you haven't had anymore answers yet.

The best way to trap the cats is with a humane trap. If you are already feeding them regularly it will be pretty simple to set the trap in the place you feed them.

Borrow a trap from a TNR group, shelter or vet that treats feral cats. You could also buy a have-a-heart trap online or from Tractor Supply. Set the trap up in the place you always feed but wire the door open. Get the cats used to seeing the trap and eating in it. Make an appointment for a spay or neuter. Set the trap the night before the spay/neuter appointment.

Once a cat has been trapped you need to cover the trap and place it on some straw or newspaper, preferably indoors. A shed or garage would be fine. Just needs to be in a place where other animals or people won't get too close. The cat will be fine overnight as long as you keep the trap covered over with a blanket.

You need to keep the cat for around 24 hours after surgery, to ensure the meds have worn off and everything is OK before releasing.

If you find a litter of kittens the best thing to do is bring them in. They'll have a much better chance of surviving and being re-homed that way. But if you get a litter of young kittens that's something to talk about in another thread.

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Well, I have everything out there on the porch I don't know who I am feeding. When I check no one is in the shelter. On facebook I found a low cost TNR program, but still its' $40 a cat!
That's good advice about how to trap, coordinate the TNR visit, and how to keep the cats after surgery. I'm still trying to get a hold of my vet. He may know of another program. Thanks for the advice on how to handle the non TNR approving people that live next to me.
I am thinking a bale of straw in the garage with a heater next to it will work. Do you think a cat will be warm enough? The garage is not insulated.

I would be very careful with an unattended heater in the garage. The idea scares me for some reason.

kittypa said:

Either I TNR these cats, or there will be a population explosion. Those are the choices.

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Yes this. If people are cranky about the cats, don't emphasize how you want to help the cats. Emphasize how you want to prevent MORE cats from being born and how that will benefit the neighbors. That will work a lot better.

$40 per cat is a really good price, especially if vaccines are included. I don't think you'll be able to find a better price, unless someone donated a lot of money to cover it. Ask the TNR people how to handle the trapping and all that.

Heaters are generally unnecessary and can be dangerous. Outdoor cats have very thick coats in the winter. They just need unfrozen water, lots of calories, and a place to sleep that's dry and out of the wind. I don't know if you want to have cats loose in your garage. But if you do decide to put a shelter in your garage, a large tote with a lot of straw in it should be sufficient. It doesn't even need insulation if it's in a garage.

Before I say anything else - nunnc84 -- a big YEAH for you for taking this on! It’s SO difficult for kitties to survive the winter without human help by way of shelter, food and water (which it sounds like you’ve got that all handled nicely!!!!!!) - - - and spaying/neutering - - which is a big part of things (the LAST thing you want is MORE kitties to deal with come spring!!!!). So a big long-distance hug for taking this on and making all of these furry ones’ lives SO much better!

Norachan , as you’re someone I truly respect for all you’ve done - and know- I’m humbled that you’d have faith in me to offer TNR (albeit rambling) advice. So I’m EXTRA sorry I just saw this thread nunnc84 --- I was really ill last week, then gone for Thanksgiving, and Sunday when we got home, I took a nasty tumble down our stairs, ramming my head hard into a closet door, topping it off with a flip up in the air & landing so hard on my back & head that I’ve got a nice concussion (I’ve only been using these steps for 17 years---you’d think I’d be past the “missing a few steps” deal !!!!). Anyway, sorry to ramble EVEN MORE than usual - - but my brain’s definitely not quite up to snuff tonight.

So nunnc84 ---I’ve done a lot of trap/neuter/release (TNR)--& I’m VERY happy to offer any advice, suggestions, etc. I apologize in advance for what’s already a long answer (and obviously going to get longer)! Anything you don’t understand or have a question about (and I won’t try to answer everything in this one post) don’t hesitate to ask! And if I don’t know - someone will!

First - - I understand needing to count pennies. Hubby & I are self-employed graphic designers (translation: we never know when money’s coming in!), so pinching pennies is a way of life. So I get that even $30 or $40 can be alot! And it sounds like you have multiple kitties you’ll be dealing with. We discovered our suburban neighborhood had the dark secret of a fairly large feral colony -- with a few semi-ferals and dumps in there too - - so we took on TNRing our neighborhood. We basically cleared up the colony - - but it was quite a few kitties over several years (money we really didn’t have!) But like you - it broke our hearts hearing the cat fights and the mating yowls of pain, and after a mom gave birth under our neighbor’s deck, we turned into crazed TNR advocates on a mission. We trapped the mom, had her spayed, cared for her as she recuperated, then released her (TNR) and socialized and found loving homes for her 3 adorable babies. Little did we know what we were starting!!!!

$40 isn’t a crazy cost for a spay/neuter at a low-cost clinic. We pay app. $30 for true ferals/semi-ferals at our local low-cost Spay/Neuter clinic. This includes a spay or neuter, a VERY basic “look over,” an eartip (which is free-but most clinics ask that, to get the lower cost spay/neuter and the free ear tip, the kitties must come into the clinic in a humane trap (NOT a carrier or a box) & allow them to be ear tipped (an ear tip indicates to anyone/any vet who sees the kitty that it’s already “fixed” - sparing the cat from an unnecessary surgery). We also get ours a rabies shot (it’s only a few extra dollars and I HIGHLY recommend it!). Some clinics also offer other reduced cost "add ons" like a first basic FVRCP shot, etc. You mentioned that you might just use your own vet - - -definitely check with them first. Most vets just aren’t equipped to work with feral kitties, and I’d hate to see you (and the first kitty!) go through the stress & expense of trapping him/her and taking her into your vet, only to have them say they can’t do it (and if they do - - they’re usually far more expensive than a low-cost spay/neuter clinic that’s devoted to spaying and neutering as cheaply as possible). Some clinics provide sliding scale costs depending on your zip code (in our area, our clinic actually does several zip codes for free!). I was going to look up your area to see what your options are, but my computer’s being wonky and won’t let me run Google at the moment (I’m originally from Indy, so I know where your town is - - you may have more than one clinic option since you're not horribly far from several towns). Double check too that they’ll still do it this late in the year. Many stop taking feral cats one it hits freezing, as they worry about cats left outside too long in traps. But a simple call will let you know if they’re still doing it.

Most clinics are also very helpful. Ours loans traps for a small deposit, which is returned when you return the trap. They’ll also walk you through how to use it. I can post tomorrow some tips on trapping (I’ve got a million!) and post-trapping care. I’ve also got tips on dealing with neighbors who are less than thrilled.

What you’re purchasing/have purchased to make them comfortable is wonderful! We don’t use Kitty Tubes but have several neighbors who do. They really are pretty small, but they’re based on the idea that less space keeps the kitty’s body heat inside. The heated pad they offer is a big help too (there are other outdoor approved cat heating pads, but not sure any others fit in a kitty tube. And yes - - -they say 2 kitties will fit, but it’s a squeeze! (the kitties have to be VERY comfy with each other!). The biggest problem with them is that unless placed somewhere with a roof - -like a porch or a garage (which sounds like what you’ll be doing) -- they often allow rain/snow/etc in. We’ve had friends make little overhangs for them -- - we use plexi sheets that we lean like an “A-Frame” against the openings to our outdoor “double rubbermaid” shelters. That way the kitties see out, but are protected from wind, rain and snow entering the shelters. We also have several inside our garage - - which, although uninsulated like yours - does have outlets, so we use several heating methods (a hound heater, and multiple “outdoor rated” kitty heating pads (never use a human heating pad - - -they get too hot even on low and can actually burn a kitty).

Another important part in keeping them warm in their shelters is straw (don’t use hay - - - it holds in moisture a rain-soaked kitty brings in, which molds, causing problems). And as tempted as you are - -please please please don’t use a space heater - - even temporarily. It’s extremely dangerous (even the ones that shut off if tipped over) - - I know from personal experience as my grandfather lost an entire barn full of sheep, lambs, pigs, piglets and calves when one of his regular warming lamps went out one winter night, so he put in a space heater on low for just the one night. The barn caught fire in the middle of the night after an animal kicked a piece of straw into it. It was one of the most awful nights of his life and ours - - -so please, it’s not worth it. And to top it off - - - -most space heaters use an amazingly ENORMOUS amount of money! Again - from personal experience. Our heater went on the fritz for several nights one winter years ago, and we had a litter of only 3 or so week old foster kittens. We were terrified they’d freeze - - so we set them up in our bedroom and ran a space heater near them on the lowest setting for the 4 days until our furnace was fixed. A month later our electric bill arrived -- - and it was $100 higher than normal! We dug around on the internet -- - and discovered that was very normal as far as cost to run a space heater!!! We even talked to our electric company and they confirmed it -- - $100 for just a few days!!! So please please please - - stay safe AND don’t spend the crazy amount of additional money! If the kitties are in a well-insulated shelter, especially one with an animal heating pad and plenty of straw -- - it won’t be Tahiti, but they’ll actually be fine.

Lastly tonight -- -you’ve gotten lots of good advice on links to read. I’ll add one more, as this group (Alley Cat Allies) was established originally to spread the word on TNR. They also have alot of great info on talking to neighbors who “don’t get it”, getting kitties through the winter, getting them to actually USE the shelters (something we often have alot of fun with -- - I say sarcastically!) etc. They were the second biggest (next to this site!) in helping me navigate thru our early years of TNR!

Their home page is: Home and here is a page where you can open a great PDF file that goes through everything....from trapping (even trap-shy kitties), caring for them while in the trap, helping them recuperate post surgery, even a nice section on dealing with not-so-thrilled neighbors!!!!! It's very worth the read!

Sorry this was CRAZY long! I'll weigh in a bit tomorrow on trapping tips, and dealing with neighbors (we had that issue - - -ours even started poisoning!). Hope some of this helped a tad -- you're already well on the way to making life better (and longer) with the kitties who've decided "you're the one"!

kittychick said:

Sorry this was CRAZY long! I'll weigh in a bit tomorrow on trapping tips, and dealing with neighbors

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See, this is why I tag you Kittychick. You're always a treasure house of information and so enthusiastic about sharing what you know.



(Plus, it means I get so see the lovely Bowie in your avatar pic again.)