2 Strays need help

[tomcat60]

We have 2 feral cats (mother and daughter) that we have been feeding/taking care of for over 6 years. They are both friendly to my wife and I and we can call them and pet them. The older cat Puppet is a still skiddish around me but Lucy we both can pet. Both stay around our house and sleep on our deck at night. Well yesterday Jefferson County Animal Control came by and told us we can not feed them anymore.They said that they could not take them because they were full. I told them that no cat shelter in the area has open space for them. We have a Siamese cat that stays in the house. Cheyenne our Siamese has been with us for over 7 years. He would not let us bring in any other cats. So what do we do. Stop feeding the strays and let them die? Or feed them and get a ticket for it. We might be able to bring in Puppet the older cat she is about 10 years old. Both cats have been fixed years ago. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Norachan]

Hi @TomCat60

I don't understand why you aren't allowed to care for these cats anymore. Are outdoor cats banned in your state? Or are you limited to only one pet per household?

If both cats are fixed and have been relying on you for food for that long they are your cats just as much as your indoor cat is.

My suggestion is that you put collars and tags on Puppet and Lucy, build them a shelter on your deck and think about getting the deck screened with chicken mesh to make an enclosure for them.

I made an outdoor shelter for the semi-feral cats I care for out of a wooden dog house. It's insulated with cardboard and polystyrene and lined with straw. My cats are all tame enough to come indoors now, so they mainly just use it to nap in.

Happy'sHouse4.jpg

• Norachan
• Oct 8, 2016

Here's a picture I found on the internet of a deck that has been turned into a cat enclosure. Would something like this work at your place?

 

 

Please let us know exactly what problem the county AC have with your cats and we'll try to come up with a solution. 

I think if you stop feeding them they are going to roam around, getting onto other people's property, getting into fights with other people's cats and causing a lot more problems than they would if you continued to care for them. It's just crazy that AC think that is the best thing to do.