Mandated to stop feeding stray cats

[bayareakitties]

I know there isn't really any certain way to respond to this, but just checking if anyone else has been through this and can provide any wisdom. There are three strays that live in our area that we have been feeding. We have been mandated by property management to stop feeding them. How might this process go? I mean will they move on after several days? I suspect others are feeding them too but the property managers just knew about me. So perhaps those folks will just step up more? I spoke to a rescue group today for advise. They really couldn't offer much help. They felt gradual take away is better but I don't think that will be allowed. There is a shed nearby I know they hang out in and sleep, so perhaps they will continue to find other food sources nearby. I asked the rescue group about the cats possibly being barn cats somewhere but they didn't have any requests lately. Any wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[carrie640]

We got Patti last December (22) when she was a stray. She has a clipped ear so she was a trap and release. It makes me wonder if the people that did this really did evaluate her to see if she was adoptable. Anyway, we ended up taking her in. Many neighbors in our area often posted online looking for her owner and how they would feed her. We, too, had a property manager post about not feeding strays. I am pretty sure that had zero impact on us....we did it, anyway. Patti kept coming up to our slider and readily went to my son. We took her in. She is amazing. Totally not feral, but very "aware" of any noise, strangers, etc.

Our local humane society had (I don't know if they still do or not) a program for barn cats. So, if you were to find a stray and that cat really wasn't considered "adoptable", there were plenty of people welcoming them to their barns I would just call around to bigger shelters that may have better resources. I can't speak for anyone else, but not feeding them would not be an option for me.

 

[bayareakitties]

That's a good idea to check with local groups about perhaps a barn cat set up. I so wish I had a been at least given a 2 week window to help resolve the issue.

 

[iPappy]

That's a good idea to check with local groups about perhaps a barn cat set up. I so wish I had a been at least given a 2 week window to help resolve the issue.

Do any of the cats have the tipped ear that lets you know they are spayed and neutered?
When you spoke to the rescue group, did they say they had any room or foster homes available? Would you be able to call around your area and see if any rescue group could take them if they were to be taken off the street (preferably kept together)?

 

[Norachan]

B bayareakitties I suggest you contact your local city office and find out what the laws are about feeding feral cats in your area.

I'm in Japan, so obviously our bylaws are different to yours. I was once told to stop feeding stray cats by the mangers of an apartment block I was living in at the time. The managers could only forbid me from feeding on the actual apartment block premises, so I just moved to the park across the street and continued feeding the cats there.

Check with your city to find out if it's against the law to feed stray cats in public areas such as parks or on waste land. Also, feed at night when there is no one around and make sure you don't leave any dishes or trash around. The property management might not be able to prevent you from feeding if you're not doing it on their premises.

 

[Sarthur2]

Feed off-property if you can.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I, also, was told not to feed my little group. I simply changed their feeding times to after full dark, and 3 AM. It was not a strain for me, since I've been a day sleeper since I left school. I DO make sure to clean their area of all food scraps just at dawn, so there are no signs of them eating in the area. So far, it's been 5 years, and no one the wiser. But do check on feeding off of the property. That's far, far safer.

 

[bayareakitties]

Do any of the cats have the tipped ear that lets you know they are spayed and neutered?
When you spoke to the rescue group, did they say they had any room or foster homes available? Would you be able to call around your area and see if any rescue group could take them if they were to be taken off the street (preferably kept together)?

One has a tipped ear. The rescue group can't take more cats, she told me that.

 

[bayareakitties]

B bayareakitties I suggest you contact your local city office and find out what the laws are about feeding feral cats in your area.

I'm in Japan, so obviously our bylaws are different to yours. I was once told to stop feeding stray cats by the mangers of an apartment block I was living in at the time. The managers could only forbid me from feeding on the actual apartment block premises, so I just moved to the park across the street and continued feeding the cats there.

Check with your city to find out if it's against the law to feed stray cats in public areas such as parks or on waste land. Also, feed at night when there is no one around and make sure you don't leave any dishes or trash around. The property management might not be able to prevent you from feeding if you're not doing it on their premises.

That's a great idea. The one problem off hand is the space next door is private and then the other side is a creek. But I will explore more about this.

 

[iPappy]

One has a tipped ear. The rescue group can't take more cats, she told me that.

To buy yourself some time, could you tell the property manager that you're working on getting the cats trapped to be neutered and re-homed? You can't trap without feeding them, and they might be sympathetic to them enough to give you another week or two to work on that while you can come up with another idea.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If you know others in your area are feeding these cats, can you reach out to them to discuss options? Where is this shed that the cats use? On someone's property that is private? If so, then appeal to the owner for help and offer to provide food for them near and/or in the shed.

 

[dahlia]

This happened to me and I just shifted it to a different nearby location and made sure that it wasn't easy to tell that someone was feeding there. I am a morning person so like mamanyt1953 I feed early, at 5:00 when most people aren't out.

 

[Cocoa0702]

I know there isn't really any certain way to respond to this, but just checking if anyone else has been through this and can provide any wisdom. There are three strays that live in our area that we have been feeding. We have been mandated by property management to stop feeding them. How might this process go? I mean will they move on after several days? I suspect others are feeding them too but the property managers just knew about me. So perhaps those folks will just step up more? I spoke to a rescue group today for advise. They really couldn't offer much help. They felt gradual take away is better but I don't think that will be allowed. There is a shed nearby I know they hang out in and sleep, so perhaps they will continue to find other food sources nearby. I asked the rescue group about the cats possibly being barn cats somewhere but they didn't have any requests lately. Any wisdom would be appreciated.

Can they be trapped and go to a no-kill shelter for adoption? Can your local animal control officer help? We have a wonderful ACO that we can contact for anything with resources for strays. Very kind of you for feeding/caring for them. They will be confused (and possibly won't make it) if you just stop and they have no place to go. It's terrible and do not understand why people are so cruel to ask you to stop feeding strays. They are good to have around, keeps the rodents away.

 

[bayareakitties]

Thanks for all the responses, it really helps to look into options. I am going to see about feeding in another area. The only solace I have with this is knowing that the cats had regular feeding for 10 years (two of them) and the third for about 4 or 5. Which is more than a lot of stray cats. They have had a pretty good set up with various neighbors helping.