More And More Feral Cats And Kittens ....what To Do?

[trudy1]

Just finished rehoming 15 feral cats living in squalor under the neighboring farmers abandoned house. We ended up with three of those we couldn't place. Last month I had to displace my TNT colony of 8 I had raised since kittens... they went to locals as barn cats... but I grieve for them daily knowing they didn't have hunting skills. Now I have the three females from a "meth" home nearby which I TNR and have taken in their five 4 week old kittens to try re-homing them. Have the kittens on Facebook and Craigslist, area shelters, both city and no kill, are full with no signs of openings in the near future. One local county shelter has 65 cats presently and are overwhelmed. Local cat assistance groups offer help with vets but no placement help. We have 8 rescues of our own in the house presently. My wife says euthanasia, as our only option left, will be more humane if they can't be placed by the time they are past kittenhood stage. In our area kittens seem to be adopted but old cats are not. We are in the sw Missouri area with Springfield Missouri 80 miles away as the largest town.
Any constructive suggestions would be appreciated

 

[kittychick]

My heart goes out to you- - it just breaks. Your kindness is overwhelming...and I can sense your desperation is too Around here, kitten season is at an all-time high run, with seemingly no let up in sight (even the shelter in our town that I currently work with, that rarely has to put kittens in the waiting list - is even full in their foster homes).By now, "kitten season" is winding down...but not this year. And yes - kittens are adopted WAY faster - but adults DO get adopted -- - it's certainly four

But it will let up eventually - - so keep checking in with them. And it sounds like a pain - but see everyone in person (flyers in hand - always!!!) that you can (you sound like you're very rural - which I know makes every visit to anyone even harder to get through). It's SO much easier to ignore a person on the phone - telling them you'll spread the word but distracted by an emergency or client or both) - - and much harder to be nasty - or forget you - when you've just stood in front of them begging for any help and all help they can give! You might even see if they'd consider about putting your guy into their next show or adoption event --- or at the very least - putting your babies onto their faceboolk page as a "foster ready for adoption." When we're super full, sometimes our shelter manager offers to let go directly into foster care - supplying food, medication needed, etc. --as long as we'll keep them for you. This "puts them in the shelter's system" and then they're placed onto their site, and onto Pet Finders site (the foster then simply takes them, socializes them, making them ever more adoptable). It just exposes him to SO many more people --- and every bit of exposure helps! I suggest making color flyers too (I attached older flyers so you can get an idea what kind of info I pass along).

I put flyers EVERYWHERE - - and I do mean that! I don't leave the house without at least 10 flyers Put them up (after asking pf course if she can) in your grocery store and every grocer for miles, coffee cNY place an animal lover might go (mercers, pet food stores, animal shelters, vets, grooming salons....you name it!I still owe you 20 min of coffee shop!!!!).

Please PLEASe let us know how this goes - we're all thinking happy thought for you BOTH!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sarthur2]

Try calling no-kill shelters and rescues in other towns. Explain your predicament. Perhaps they will have room. Kitten season should slow down soon.

Are you able to donate dry food to the place where the cats went to become barn cats? Feeding one dry meal a day is better than nothing.

I would be leery of Craig's List. Many people use kittens for fishing bait, dog fights, and snake food.

You are doing a fantastic job! Don't give up. It's kinder to TNR and feed outside than to euthanize if no homes are available.

Hang in there!

 

[trudy1]

Am putting up flyers in the 3 area vet offices tomorrow. We have a little interest from FB ... will see where that goes. All shelters within 70 mi radius are full and have been for months. Our local shelter has lots of problems besides being full which relate to mismanagement and other issues. The babies are so cute and helpless... I want to keep everyone to protect them from the outside but with 8 already we are at our limit. Haven't given up finding forever homes but it's so frustrating.

Regarding my former tnr colony of babies... there is one left I couldn't trap so I still go to brothers barn every other day and feed her. She and I just sit there at a comfortable distance apart, sometimes and have a pity party, cry, and then I go back home. Try having to trap friends you raised from kittens, take them to a vets office in carriers looking at you like " we trusted you" and having them sent to farmers you don't know as supposed barn cats. But I can honestly say there has not been a day I don't think about them and if they are hungry, lonely or even still alive. The two farmers who took them will not return my calls so I gave up on that.

Sorry... guess I just go on and on. As my wife says " you just need to get over it".

Thanks... will keep all posted who are interested

 

[Sarthur2]

It's tragic, and it would bother me deeply as well. You have my compassion and that of others on here.

We do want to hear how this goes.

 

[trudy1]

We have two people looking. One is through a friend on FBI so we will see. The other is looking for a kitten for his wife. She works at a local rest home but he is a coon hunter. So he told my wife that " she gets home late after working a 12 hour shift and I'm already gone to hunt coons"! Didn't know that's a real occupation? We'll see what comes of these. Just an update.

 

[catsknowme]

Rescuing ferals is one of the most challenging endeavors. It sounds like you are making some progress in finding homes.
It is sad that the farmers will not give you an update on your ferals. Impossible not to worry. Hopefully, there are horses on the land - usually where there are horses, there are animal lovers. It would have been decent if they would allow you visitations, perhaps even occasional feedings. Is there any way that you could ask the intermediary to do a well-check?

 

[Twinklelight The Cat]

I really hope those cat get a loving home!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Just finished rehoming 15 feral cats living in squalor under the neighboring farmers abandoned house. We ended up with three of those we couldn't place. Last month I had to displace my TNT colony of 8 I had raised since kittens... they went to locals as barn cats... but I grieve for them daily knowing they didn't have hunting skills. Now I have the three females from a "meth" home nearby which I TNR and have taken in their five 4 week old kittens to try re-homing them. Have the kittens on Facebook and Craigslist, area shelters, both city and no kill, are full with no signs of openings in the near future. One local county shelter has 65 cats presently and are overwhelmed. Local cat assistance groups offer help with vets but no placement help. We have 8 rescues of our own in the house presently. My wife says euthanasia, as our only option left, will be more humane if they can't be placed by the time they are past kittenhood stage. In our area kittens seem to be adopted but old cats are not. We are in the sw Missouri area with Springfield Missouri 80 miles away as the largest town.
Any constructive suggestions would be appreciated

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Hi there, again!

Would suggest using search engines, including facebook's searchbox: there, input lacroixtees.com and the dropdown menu will give you a by-state list from which you choose yours. That will give you rescues in your area that you can contact. Others accessible on facebook are: pgaa.com/rescues.html; muttcats.com/shelters/index.html; and hoosierkitties.com/rescue.rescue.htm(there may be an "l" on the end; try it one way and if not successful, the other way). You can also input "cat rescues/sanctuaries in (your location)" on your regular search engine (google, bing, or whatever) to bring up listings to contact. And you can always go on Alley Cat Allies' website and access their links/contact them. They have a nationwide linkage with people in all states who do TNR and rescue.

Here is an article you may want to read:
TNR achieves 72% drop in kitten birth rate, finds Alley Cat Rescue

*PRAYERS* for them all and for you.

 

[smokem]

You are an astonishing groundbreaker and an outstanding member of your community.Remember most people don't even see homeless people or needy neglected children.Cats??Cats really need advocates..human variety.Count the successes,not the shortfalls .

 

[maggie101]

Am putting up flyers in the 3 area vet offices tomorrow. We have a little interest from FB ... will see where that goes. All shelters within 70 mi radius are full and have been for months. Our local shelter has lots of problems besides being full which relate to mismanagement and other issues. The babies are so cute and helpless... I want to keep everyone to protect them from the outside but with 8 already we are at our limit. Haven't given up finding forever homes but it's so frustrating.

Regarding my former tnr colony of babies... there is one left I couldn't trap so I still go to brothers barn every other day and feed her. She and I just sit there at a comfortable distance apart, sometimes and have a pity party, cry, and then I go back home. Try having to trap friends you raised from kittens, take them to a vets office in carriers looking at you like " we trusted you" and having them sent to farmers you don't know as supposed barn cats. But I can honestly say there has not been a day I don't think about them and if they are hungry, lonely or even still alive. The two farmers who took them will not return my calls so I gave up on that.

Sorry... guess I just go on and on. As my wife says " you just need to get over it".

Thanks... will keep all posted who are interested

Join the app NextDoor. I have gotten kittens adopted from there. Also Rehome Adopt a pet. Also got one adopted posting pics at small restauraunts. Even got 5 adopted on YouTube. Have you tried a drop trap?

 

[di and bob]

I cry for you, I know about all those sleepless nights. Your babies will do fine at the farm, they have a barn to get into to be safe. There are many hiding places at a farm. There hunting skills may be rusty, but it is instinct, I've had old cats that have never hunted in their lives bring in a mouse when they got to explore outside. I know how overwhelming this can be. I finally knuckled down and paid the cost of spaying and neutering all my strays (even a couple of neighbor cats whose owner said he didn't care if they lived or not) and it has been MUCH better, really cheaper in the long run. But people keep dumping them and I've got two kittens showing up now, I just pray they are male. We've lost so many to distemper and the road, I hate to say it but you grieve and then you try to make a difference for those still alive and concentrate on them, otherwise it would bring you to your knees. It does no good to dwell on past mistakes or what might happen in the future, just take one day at a time. You will surely be blessed for your kindness to these little ones, you have a kind soul. No matter what happens, you tried, and you will be rewarded for your love and concern for these precious ones. Keep us posted, you will always have a place to come to if you need support!

 

[prairiepanda]

In my area there is a very aggressive trap-neuter-release program which is exactly what it sounds like: traps are maintained all over the city and surrounding rural areas, and whenever an intact male is caught it is then neutered and released back where it was found. Since this program started, it has had a massive (positive) impact on the feral populations in the area. They don't spay females, due to cost and the inherent risks, but just neutering the males helps immensely. If there's no such program in your area, maybe you can reach out to local vets and see how receptive they would be to it? It helps shelters by greatly reducing the kitten season load, so that it's a lot easier for them to accept surrendered animals throughout the year.

 

[tarasgirl06]

In my area there is a very aggressive trap-neuter-release program which is exactly what it sounds like: traps are maintained all over the city and surrounding rural areas, and whenever an intact male is caught it is then neutered and released back where it was found. Since this program started, it has had a massive (positive) impact on the feral populations in the area. They don't spay females, due to cost and the inherent risks, but just neutering the males helps immensely. If there's no such program in your area, maybe you can reach out to local vets and see how receptive they would be to it? It helps shelters by greatly reducing the kitten season load, so that it's a lot easier for them to accept surrendered animals throughout the year.

That's great about the program, but don't they realize unspayed female cats are much more likely to develop pyometra/uterine cancer/mammary tumors? Risks can be reduced greatly by teaching the vets to do the left lateral flank spay or the very small abdominal incision closing with only 1 or 2 dissolving sutures. These are widely used and recognized procedures.

 

[prairiepanda]

That's great about the program, but don't they realize unspayed female cats are much more likely to develop pyometra/uterine cancer/mammary tumors?

The vets involved in the program all participate voluntarily at no charge, so it's really up to them what services they're willing to provide for free. There is one vet who will do the spays as well, but he will only do a few each month, so the majority of the program is just neutering. The primary goal is just to control feral cat populations, not to provide general healthcare to them, so in that regard neutering is generally sufficient. It's unfortunate for the cats, but at least it's preventing excessive numbers of kittens.

 

[tarasgirl06]

The vets involved in the program all participate voluntarily at no charge, so it's really up to them what services they're willing to provide for free. There is one vet who will do the spays as well, but he will only do a few each month, so the majority of the program is just neutering. The primary goal is just to control feral cat populations, not to provide general healthcare to them, so in that regard neutering is generally sufficient. It's unfortunate for the cats, but at least it's preventing excessive numbers of kittens.

Yes, and of course that is much appreciated and acknowledged, but it is so sad that they won't do spays universally for the reasons I've stated.

 

[Bojim]

Was going to suggest Next Door. People here in Austin are really into that one.

 

[trudy1]

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ks for the tips... will try the sites suggested but remember this is sw Missouri so groups and other help is short in coming. Heard nothing more from the two leads. Thought you might enjoy some "after play" photos.
Tara... good to hear from you.. thanks for the site suggestions . Also Maggie... I will try those as well. Relatives call me a "kitten *****" guess I will do anything to get them good homes.

Thanks to all for the uplifting messages... needed at this time.

 

[tarasgirl06]

View attachment 200310 View attachment 200311 View attachment 200312 View attachment 200313 View attachment 200315 View attachment 200310View attachment 200309 View attachment 200310 View attachment 200311 View attachment 200312 View attachment 200313 View attachment 200314 View attachment 200315 View attachment 200311 Than
ks for the tips... will try the sites suggested but remember this is sw Missouri so groups and other help is short in coming. Heard nothing more from the two leads. Thought you might enjoy some "after play" photos.
Tara... good to hear from you.. thanks for the site suggestions . Also Maggie... I will try those as well. Relatives call me a "kitten *****" guess I will do anything to get them good homes.

Thanks to all for the uplifting messages... needed at this time.

Hmmm...those attachments aren't viewable. Do you know the new way to upload? You click on "UPLOAD A FILE" right below the email shell and then go from there, hitting "close" when you've opened your file. Then you choose whether it should post as a thumbnail or a full size photo. Looking forward to seeing these. *PRAYERS* for the cats and kittens!

 

[trudy1]

So I tried nextdoor. Put in my address and location. It said I had six neighbors I could contact to join up since I was the first.
Guess it works in Austin or a big city but you have to realize we're we are. It's almost as bad as they say " when we look for entertainment on Saturday night we all go down and park, turn on our car lights , and watch the birds hit the feed silo "!

So tried rehome adopt a pet. Great site but can't post pics... guess I'm not a technocrat either!

Very frustrating. Even having trouble posting updated pics of kittens here as you can see by my last post.

Oh well, tomorrow has got to be better?