Have To Stop Feeding My Ferals

annekarina53

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I just got a letter from the city telling me that I am the owner of all the feral cats I care for. And it was threatening. If I just stop feeding them will they go away? I can't bear to attempt to take them to have them put down. The city won't come get cats. I clean up after feeding them and wash everything. I don't leave food out except where the owners of the property where the cats belong said I could leave food. But one just one neighbor got nasty about it and now I'm at a loss as to what to do. I don't have time for this. I've been feeding these animals for seven years. They were here before I came here and were cared for by a lady who died. I TNR'd them and made sure they were warm in the winter and so on. I caught this woman who wants them gone attempting to put red pepper powder around their areas on their own property today. I think there is something seriously wrong here.
 

wingwalker

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Personally I think feral cats will move on if the the food source is gone. But if feeding feral cats is prohibited in your area, they wont find food elsewhere. I would keep on feeding secretly. You are not alone, there are many people that go great lengths and take great risks to feed their colonies. Nothing can stop them. I do not feed ferals, I am a trapper (for TNR!), but I work with a lot of feeders and most of them deserve a lot of respect for what they do. If you need support from other folks caring for feral cats, check out the FB group "Trap-Neuter-Return Community".
 
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annekarina53

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There are about 12 left in my colony. Over the years I've TNR's between 30 and 40. Many left when they were released but that's okay. They couldn't multiply. I know there are other colonies in the area and quite a few people who feed them. I know some that I am feeding are eating at these places also but not all of them. This is an aging colony and maybe I said, but we are careful not to allow new ones in. I figure when they pass away then the colony will be finished as long we don't allow a new one to move in. This woman has it in for me. She moved in about a year ago and started complaining right away even though her landlord is the vet that has helped take care of these animals. That's another story. He used to live in the house she is renting and that was next door to the original caretaker of the cats. She was an elderly woman and a friend of his so he helped her out and me out when I took over. But I don't want to start a neighbor feud though I did tell her to get off the property when I caught her trying to put red pepper around. I don't own these cats. I was told this was the responsible thing to do so I did it and it cost a lot of money. Not to mention feeding them. Thanks for listening.
 
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annekarina53

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Personally I think feral cats will move on if the the food source is gone. But if feeding feral cats is prohibited in your area, they wont find food elsewhere. I would keep on feeding secretly. You are not alone, there are many people that go great lengths and take great risks to feed their colonies. Nothing can stop them. I do not feed ferals, I am a trapper (for TNR!), but I work with a lot of feeders and most of them deserve a lot of respect for what they do. If you need support from other folks caring for feral cats, check out the FB group "Trap-Neuter-Return Community".
Thank you. It is allowed. I am being singled out because of this woman. Many times my dishes have disappeared when I've gone back to gather them for washing. I couldn't figure out where they were going, often I found them in the garbage. I now am pretty certain this woman has been stalking me and taking the food away. I keep the areas clean. I wash the dishes which is more than they had before. The lady just put cans of food out for them and some dry food. I can't bear nor can I afford to have them picked up. They'll be sitting on my steps for a few days but should realize that I am not going to feed them. There are quite a few people who do feed them and very near me. They have their own colonies to feed. I'd be willing to provide food if they have to accept them in. Also I wonder if I got everyone who does this together. I don't know them that well but could probably find them and ask if they all would help me feed them. Then can the city still accuse me if everyone is feeding them? I already have people who give me food and such? I'm just throwing out ideas here trying to think constructively. They are not my cats. They have their own home and if everyone fed them in their appointed place would that help? If we sort of ganged up on this neighbor this way and worked together? The other thing is if they just move on for food but they won't have to go far and they will still come back to their own grounds to live I suspect as they are safe there. The house is empty and while they can't get into it they can get into the basement through a hole only they can get to. Like I said wherever they end up I'd be willing to help with food Thanks everyone. Like I said I'm throwing out ideas here trying to be constructive. I'm not so young myself and this is what gets me up everyday and give me some responsibility. Otherwise I might never leave the house. I don't understand mean people who go behind others back but I'm old enough to know that these people exist.
 

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Can you trap and move the ferals, especially the aging ones?

On whose property exactly are you feeding the colony?

Can you quote the letter for us please?
 

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Whose basement are the cats living in? Is it an abandoned house?
 
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annekarina53

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No, I can't go through the trapping again. I did that to get them TNR'd and it is a lot of trouble that I don't have time nor the health for. And I don't have anywhere to move them. They are fed on the property where they belong for the most part. I have one straggler that they won't let eat with them so I feed her elsewhere but am pretty sure she knows where other food it. I have one that I do give extra food to on my porch so she can get enough to eat. She is one of the elder elders.
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annekarina53

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Whose basement are the cats living in? Is it an abandoned house?
It is presently abandoned though the family still owns it as in paying the taxes. It is run down and I don't know why they can't sell it. I suspect that is a family thing. The cats live in the basement of where they originated. The family is elderly and when the resident of the house died they did look into having the cats taken away but it is like 50$ per cat to begin with.
 

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Can you talk to the owner of the empty house about feeding the cats inside the basement?

And also ask the owners of the house to talk to the city and let them know it's okay that you feed the cats on their property?
 
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annekarina53

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There is one place where I leave food and water out all night but the wet food is gone right away and the dry food I suppose might get consumed by critters during the night if the cats don't eat it but those critters are there anyway. We have everything from possums to groundhogs in this neighborhood. I don't want problems with my landlord either. I don't for the most part unless I'm ill feed the cats on my property except for the really old one that needs a big of extra care.
 
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annekarina53

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Can you talk to the owner of the empty house about feeding the cats inside the basement?

And also ask the owners of the house to talk to the city and let them know it's okay that you feed the cats on their property?
The sister of the woman who lived in the house recently died. Her husband is very old. And they have a son but he's not responsible. So I don't think they want or can be bothered with it. I thought of that but it would be too much for them with what they are going through.
 

1CatOverTheLine

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I would - or would have my legal counsel - drop the matter squarely in the lap of one of Senator Rob Portman's aides. The Senator is a "cat guy" and an animal rights supporter, and I understand that he gets great pleasure out of stomping on petty functionaries who make Life difficult for animals. A well-planned broaching of the subject to an elected official, orchestrated to include media coverage, might make the Mills Of The Gods grind even finer than they're known to do.
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annekarina53

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I would - or would have my legal counsel - drop the matter squarely in the lap of one of Senator Rob Portman's aides. The Senator is a "cat guy" and an animal rights supporter, and I understand that he gets great pleasure out of stomping on petty functionaries who make Life difficult for animals. A well-planned broaching of the subject to an elected official, orchestrated to include media coverage, might make the Mills Of The Gods grind even finer than they're known to do.
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Really? I don't have legal counsel and can't afford it. But I do know an aide of his if I can get a way to contact him. I used to volunteer for the county Republicans and worked with this gentleman. If the problem is the dishes that I do leave out at night well, that's solvable. I can pick those up. I've been very conscientious about clean dishes and they are picked up and washed the next morning and fresh ones put out. I don't like to leave the cats without food but if that's what it takes to keep caring for them it's not that big of a problem. They know when food is served. I just want to make sure they all get food.
 

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That's so sad. I wonder what that basement looks like with 12 cats living alone in it with nobody to clean up after them.
 
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annekarina53

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That's so sad. I wonder what that basement looks like with 12 cats living alone in it with nobody to clean up after them.
I don't think it looks as bad as it did when the woman living there was alive. She was elderly and even with the vet's help wasn't that great of a caretaker for them. The family cleaned it well after she died. But once when some work was being done to the house that yes, the vet was paying for, she had me go into the basement since the animals knew me and to see if I could get them to come out so the men could complete their work. I went down there but still have nightmares about it. I won't explain it. It's too terrible. But now I keep cat count daily and I've only had one go missing that may have died down. I'm not certain. But yes, I know what you mean. That's why I was more than happy to take them over to avoid those situations. But now I don't think the basement is that bad. They've tried to keep them out but there is one place they always manage to get back into. One female before I finally caught her for spaying used to have her kittens in my basement. When my new landlord bought the place I pointed out the holes and he made sure to seal them all. I don't the animals in my basement either.
 
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annekarina53

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That's so sad. I wonder what that basement looks like with 12 cats living alone in it with nobody to clean up after them.
Also the basement is their safe place. Most of the time they are outside. In winter I think they stay down there or in one of the houses I put out for them which one very nice one was given to me from a cat shelter place.
 

1CatOverTheLine

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Really? I don't have legal counsel and can't afford it. But I do know an aide of his if I can get a way to contact him. I used to volunteer for the county Republicans and worked with this gentleman.
I don't know Senator Portman, but a Friend here who knows him well says that he's a stand-up fellow, and his voting record on animal rights is a matter of public record. It's certainly worth contacting his aide, since you're already acquainted.
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annekarina53

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I don't know Senator Portman, but a Friend here who knows him well says that he's a stand-up fellow, and his voting record on animal rights is a matter of public record. It's certainly worth contacting his aide, since you're already acquainted.
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Thanks, it might be worth a shot. And I don't know. Buster has a Facebook page though I never promoted it. I think it is open to anyone. I keep my FB private for the most part but tried to make Buster's page open because he has a lot of people who are concerned about him. He's lived through a lot for years before he settled on a square meal twice a day here. There is a lady who works near me at a half way house. She is one who found the hand made kitty house for me and she leaves me a lot of food. I haven't seen her in a while and sometimes she just drops stuff off at the door but she might have some ideas of how to get some publicity in. Plus, who knows, maybe this is the kind of do a kind thing the senator's office could use right now to take some of the pressure off. I'll see if I can get the aide I know contact info from another friend who knows him. I don't want this woman in the yard trying to harm these animals though. She can keep them out of her own yard. I understand that but to come onto another property that isn't hers and try to put out something to harm these guys is too much for me. When I cleaned out their houses I also found moth balls in them. Now I have to believe she put them there as that is a wives tale for how to get rid of cats. That is cruel to go into a yard where the cats have owners' permission to live and the houses are where I was told to put them and then put mothballs in their kitty houses. I don't understand that.
 
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