- Joined
- Sep 16, 2019
- Messages
- 5
- Purraise
- 13
Hello! I am new to this site and am seeking some advice on a situation with a person more so than a colony. My mom and I have cared for feral cats for about a year and a half now, maybe a little longer. I like to build shelters with insulation for cats in the winter and have been placing them around without any issues from other colony caretakers. The shelters always get used and this makes me incredibly happy for the cats! When we have very bad rain storms I will sometimes add a tarp on top of the shelters to create more protection from rain or snow.
One small colony I care for is tended to by someone who I have never met, but they are extremely aggressive and mean. They leave notes that say things such as, "get your own ******* colony!", "I've got cameras on you" (I know this not to be true because I have looked around the area and can't see any cameras anywhere), "stop ******* feeding these cats, they are cared for daily and you are ******* it up!", etc. I also added a tarp to a shelter that was already there to protect better from rain and snow, and this person removed the tarp and ground stakes completely, and didn't leave it for me to take back, yet they are now using cinder blocks I purchased on top of the shelter. They continually leave litter all over the area that I regularly clean up, and yet in their notes they also say things such as "stop trashing up the area!", which really makes no sense because they are the ones that leave a lot of trash. When I first installed the tarp I had to clean up an entire trash bag worth of garbage, and this person repeatedly leaves dry food out in cardboard containers, and then simply leaves a new one, not even cleaning up the old ones.
I am a very calm and collected person and this individual's aggressive approach to communication really scares me. It also makes me very sad and honestly offended that instead of leaving my property to take home, they took it. I've considered in the past leaving my number for this person to contact me so that I can understand their feeding schedule so I don't interfere with that, but the notes get more and more aggressive. I feel hesitant to communicate with them because they do not sound rational by any means. It also makes me feel sad that this person feels territorial of this particular colony, because I happen to know that many people in the neighborhood and the business development nearby care for these cats. I know cats will be ok without the editions I've added to the shelters as they are used to living outside, but I want to make sure these cats are comfortable and well cared for, and despite this person is leaving aggressive notes telling me the cats are ok, I do not feel that this person cares for the cats properly, especially if they think they are the only people who care for them.
Because I am relatively new to caring for colonies, I'm not entirely sure how to approach this. Should I just back off? Should I try to meet this person and let them know I'm not a threat? Has anyone else ever dealt with a particular mean colony caretaker that was territorial of their colony? Is this even normal?
I know this post is long but any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. The particular cats in this colony have lived in the area happily for over 10 years according to employees in the business development, who also feed the cats and offer them shelter in winter. What is especially weird about this situation is that one day when I was feeding the cats on one side of the road, someone shouted at me from the other side to feed them near the shelters so the cats don't have to cross the road, which is why I began feeding them in that area. Now, all this aggression. I wish I had taken the time to walk over and say hi that day but now I somehow doubt it'd make any difference.
Anyway, any input is deeply appreciated! This person scares me. :/ And I really enjoy caring for these kitties!
One small colony I care for is tended to by someone who I have never met, but they are extremely aggressive and mean. They leave notes that say things such as, "get your own ******* colony!", "I've got cameras on you" (I know this not to be true because I have looked around the area and can't see any cameras anywhere), "stop ******* feeding these cats, they are cared for daily and you are ******* it up!", etc. I also added a tarp to a shelter that was already there to protect better from rain and snow, and this person removed the tarp and ground stakes completely, and didn't leave it for me to take back, yet they are now using cinder blocks I purchased on top of the shelter. They continually leave litter all over the area that I regularly clean up, and yet in their notes they also say things such as "stop trashing up the area!", which really makes no sense because they are the ones that leave a lot of trash. When I first installed the tarp I had to clean up an entire trash bag worth of garbage, and this person repeatedly leaves dry food out in cardboard containers, and then simply leaves a new one, not even cleaning up the old ones.
I am a very calm and collected person and this individual's aggressive approach to communication really scares me. It also makes me very sad and honestly offended that instead of leaving my property to take home, they took it. I've considered in the past leaving my number for this person to contact me so that I can understand their feeding schedule so I don't interfere with that, but the notes get more and more aggressive. I feel hesitant to communicate with them because they do not sound rational by any means. It also makes me feel sad that this person feels territorial of this particular colony, because I happen to know that many people in the neighborhood and the business development nearby care for these cats. I know cats will be ok without the editions I've added to the shelters as they are used to living outside, but I want to make sure these cats are comfortable and well cared for, and despite this person is leaving aggressive notes telling me the cats are ok, I do not feel that this person cares for the cats properly, especially if they think they are the only people who care for them.
Because I am relatively new to caring for colonies, I'm not entirely sure how to approach this. Should I just back off? Should I try to meet this person and let them know I'm not a threat? Has anyone else ever dealt with a particular mean colony caretaker that was territorial of their colony? Is this even normal?
I know this post is long but any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. The particular cats in this colony have lived in the area happily for over 10 years according to employees in the business development, who also feed the cats and offer them shelter in winter. What is especially weird about this situation is that one day when I was feeding the cats on one side of the road, someone shouted at me from the other side to feed them near the shelters so the cats don't have to cross the road, which is why I began feeding them in that area. Now, all this aggression. I wish I had taken the time to walk over and say hi that day but now I somehow doubt it'd make any difference.
Anyway, any input is deeply appreciated! This person scares me. :/ And I really enjoy caring for these kitties!