Can I Give Feral Capstar?

[maureen brad]

Hi, about 5 years ago several kittens were born behind the 24 market near my house. The store manager trapped the kittens and got them fixed. She decided to keep 2 as shop cats and the rest were adopted out thru the vet.3/12 or 4 years ago I noticed the cats in the fenced off field behind the store.The manager said it had not worked out having the cats and they were hoping the cats would just move on. I started feeding them every morning.One of the cats has been gone for about a year. The remaining cat ( I call her kitty girl, original, I know) never climbs the fenced area. In order to feed her I have to put food and water in short deli containers , watch for traffic in the parking lot (the only opening is in a curve of the parking lot) and lay down and slide my hand under the chain link fencing.
Thru the years I have asked the owner if I could please set up a feeding station with shelter in that huge field. They say no, they also will not let me trap her.
I am noticing she has fleas so, I was wondering if anyone has ever used Capstar for their feral cats? I can hide it in her food but am worried about what in the world I would do if she had bad side effects. There is no way at all for me to get to her if that happens.
Thanks for any advice. I never really talk about her because her situation just breaks my heart, that is kind of a barren field and I hate to think of her trapped there. I always hope that she may secretly climb the fencing on the other side of the store ( I can't get to that side) and visit some nice homeowner in the neighborhood who perhaps has shelter for her there.

 

[maggiedemi]

That's terrible, I wish there was some way you could get her out. She just lives behind that fence alone with no human contact? I've used Capstar before with no side effects. It only kills the fleas for one day though. It's a really small pill, so my cats never detect it in the wet food if I crush it up or chop it in a few pieces.

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, it is safe to give the Capstar.

Why won't the "owners" let you trap a cat they no longer care about or feed?

Can you post a picture of the fence situation? There has got to be a way around this situation so that you can rescue Kitty Girl.

 

[maureen brad]

Yes, it is safe to give the Capstar.

Why won't the "owners" let you trap a cat they no longer care about or feed?

Can you post a picture of the fence situation? There has got to be a way around this situation so that you can rescue Kitty Girl.

They will not let me because it is a business.They will let me do it during the day. They do not seem to understand that she has been trapped before it would not be easy to do it during the day. It is useless now anyway. I have no place to take her now. We used to have a rescue here that had a place that feral cats were housed at. That is gone now.I try to tell myself that she is ok , maybe neighbors on the other side of the fence feed her.I sometimes go mid day to refill her water and sometimes she isn't there.I always hope someone else is watching out for her too. She is pretty chubby. As far as trapping her off business property , the trap would be right on the street. The store is kitty corner to the back of another store where homeless people sleep.I am always afraid to be there before daylight now. Last month I thought there was a body there ,turned out to be a man passed out with his dang pants around his ankles.I put diatomaceous earth in her food to keep her wormed and I guess I will use Capstar.I was just afraid of possible side effects but I sure can't dose her with Revolution. Thanks.

 

[maureen brad]

That's terrible, I wish there was some way you could get her out. She just lives behind that fence alone with no human contact? I've used Capstar before with no side effects. It only kills the fleas for one day though. It's a really small pill, so my cats never detect it in the wet food if I crush it up or chop it in a few pieces.

Thanks. I could always put it in her food often.The store manager says she thinks people who live behind and to the right of the store feed her. I hope she has people . I know that with few exceptions she is waiting for me every morning.Ha ha, I have to be careful not to wear long sleeves because when I push the food under the fence my sleeves get caught and then she whacks me good. For a couple years I did have a place to take her but, that is now gone.I have no idea where I could put her.I could not bring her here.Now it is my hope that at some point the owner would let me bring a shelter and feeding station to the back of the lot so, I would not have to feed her against the street, when it rains it is yucky . It would save the shop owner a real mess. The deli containers I use get scattered everywhere. I used to have small ceramic bowls but, someone kept taking them.There is an old shed back there , I am assuming , if she doesn't go to the neighbors homes that she sleeps under the shed when it rains. It is hard for me to see thru the fencing.I understand that the owners don't want me coming in and out of their back door all the time but, it would just be in the morning, for goodness sake, I am a middle aged mom, it isn't like I am going to take anything and they have seen me every day for years.Maybe I should be grateful they don't do anything about me feeding her.I just feel so bad for her and wonder who will take care of her if one day I can't.

 

[maggiedemi]

Is it a fenced in field or are there woods?

 

[maureen brad]

Is it a fenced in field or are there woods?

I keep trying to add a photo but I get an error notice that says my photo "does not have an allowed extension" anyway, no she is behind a fence that is to the right of a turn in a road, I have to be very careful because, the only opening big enough for me to slide her food under is in the curve in the road. I am very thankful for speed bumps.I will try to figure out what I am doing wrong in trying to upload a photo.

 

[maureen brad]

Maggiedemi- Ok I got it. I was standing across the street to take the picture. Where the fence meets in the middle, just a little to the left of that is where I have to slip the food under. The area sucks.

 

[maggiedemi]

So is the cat totally enclosed in those fences on all sides or is it open on any of the sides?

 

[Sarthur2]

How frustrating!

 

[maureen brad]

So is the cat totally enclosed in those fences on all sides or is it open on any of the sides?

Totally enclosed on all sides. The side you see is the only place I can access anything.I can only see her thru the slats in the fencing and the little gap at the bottom. She is a very cute Calico.She has lived right there her whole life. I had thought the management got all the kittens trapped and that the vet was adopting all of them out. It was year before I went back and found she had been kept.I had told them before , right after all the kittens were born that I would have taken them all and found them, homes.They just thought having 2 back in that crappy rock filled field would be great and then, they just thought the cats would catch their own food, and , I guess, get themselves water and shelter.To the far right , you can see trees. I hope she climbs the fence when the weather is bad and finds shelter.It has been over 100 every day this week.I do not see her there if I go back mid day.I also hope all the addicts etc. that hang out there don't torment her.A couple months ago I found some pills stuck to the bottom of her water bowl.

 

[maggiedemi]

I love Calicos. I wish there was some way you could get her. I can't believe they just threw her back there and left her. Would an ASPCA help you? On that show on Animal Planet the ASPCA always does rescues of animals in weird situations like this.

 

[Sarthur2]

Yes, I'm thinking there must be a way for someone to remove her. This is neglectful, even cruel.

 

[maggiedemi]

Can you knock on the doors of the other surrounding houses to see if anyone else is feeding her on the other side? Can any of the other houses behind there get access?

 

[surya]

I was afraid to trap around this dumpster in the evening because of the homeless druggie people around it. But now that I have started doing it, I am not afraid anymore. I have even become acquainted with some of them because they wanted to know what I was doing with the cats. They may not be as scary as you thought when you get to know them. Somebody will probably yell at me now for encouraging you to trap in a dangerous area and of course your personal safety is important. But I stepped out of my comfort zone and my perception of the situation has changed.

It seems like she is at least safe there and you don't have a place to take her to, do you? So maybe she is better off?

 

[torn]

Hi there, what is going on with Kitty?