My Feral Family

[gammeldame]

Who knew that moving to an acreage would come with so many cats lol... i moved here over 5 years ago and from the first spring onwards, there have always been stray cats ... the first one we saw lives on my lap now ... (my avatar is the first picture i took of him... he wanted more pork chops ) Then it was a mama cat and her 5 kittens, the mama abandoned them when she realized i was feeding them ... i found homes for 4 of them ... one on my lap as well ... but one kitten left and i thought she had died but came back the following spring ... with her litter of 3 ‍

Found homes for them too but it was getting expensive so i thought i wouldn’t be able to do anymore for the mama cat and her new set of 4 kittens besides continuing to feed them (she is so feral that i couldn’t figure out how to catch and spay her) but by the end of february I started doing the math and with one male and 4 females i would be overrun with kittens by June so I bit the bullet and found a vet that specializes in barn cat TNR and caught them all ... what an ordeal ... i thought once i let them out of my entrance room after they had healed that i wouldn’t see them again, but they all came back and are still feral but loveable too ... so they are mine

I was going to say, long story short, but that’s a pretty long story but now i have a new intact male coming to visit... my question is, will he stick around if the females aren’t gong into heat? The one outdoor male feral stands up to him, but they don’t seem to be fighting ... but my inside former stray Jæger is a bully boy and i know he will want to fight ...

And of course everyone loves pictures ... Jæger is the orange tabby, and his little sister Cinder from the first litter. Best buds

 

[gammeldame]

And here is my outside family. I love them dearly

 

[shadowsrescue]

I would do my best to get the new intact male neutered. If not he will just become someone else's problem. He may decide to move on, but he also may decide to fight. It's a rough rough life for a non neutered male cat. Please consider doing TNR on him too.

Thank you for all that you have done for your feral cats. It takes very special people to take on this roll.

 

[gammeldame]

not 5 minutes i post d this another intact male showed up

 

[gammeldame]

a new unneutered male showed up as soon as i posted the last one. it’s never ending ... i can’t keep taking care of other people’s problems

 

[maggiedemi]

Beautiful cats! I love the Tortie. Thanks for helping them. Here the males are a lot cheaper to neuter than the females.

 

[FarmersWife24]

a new unneutered male showed up as soon as i posted the last one. it’s never ending ... i can’t keep taking care of other people’s problems

Just as maggiedemi said, it’s a lot cheaper to neuter males than females. Where I live, the Humane Society does it for about $50.

I know exactly what you mean about not feeling as though you can keep dealing with these cats. I feel the same way when a new cat shows up at our farm. I now have two more ferals that need to be TNRd and I’m exhausted thinking about it after spring calving and taking care of 7 cats and one dog. You do what you can. Every cat counts and the ones you’ve already helped will have much better lives than they would have had.

 

[FarmersWife24]

I would do my best to get the new intact male neutered. If not he will just become someone else's problem. He may decide to move on, but he also may decide to fight. It's a rough rough life for a non neutered male cat. Please consider doing TNR on him too.

Thank you for all that you have done for your feral cats. It takes very special people to take on this roll.

I agree! The male I am socializing in my basement cost me at least $1,000 in vet bills from fighting with my neutered males. To me, the pain my cats endured was more horrible than the cost of the vet. You’d never know that the sweet boy my now fixed feral is could have been so violent, but as an unneutered male vying for food and shelter, he did what came naturally.

 

[kittyluv387]

I hope you have some affordable spay and neuter programs you can take advantage of. Everyone who passes by should be snipped lol. Maybe you can set up an amazon wishlist if you feel overwhelmed with the costs?

 

[shadowsrescue]

a new unneutered male showed up as soon as i posted the last one. it’s never ending ... i can’t keep taking care of other people’s problems

See if you can enlist the help of a rescue organization. If you don't take care of them for TNR then who does? They just move along and become someone else's problem. All the while impregnating females and allowing more unwanted cats to roam and endure the hardships of living outside. I completely understand that it seems like a vicious cycle and completely unfair.

If you are feeding the cats outside, it will attract others to your home. The old saying goes, if you feed they breed.

I hope that you can find a way to help and find some help.

 

[kittychick]

You've gotten alot of great advice already - - but I'll throw in my 2¢ (which, given the length of my usual posts - I should probably say "I'll throw in my 8¢ ). I'm going to echo alot of what's already been written - but wanted to just say a bit since - - like many others here (and ones who've posted above!) - - I definitely know how you feel! If I say something someone else has said - I'm sorry for repetition.

First - how fantastic you are for all you've done already!!!!!! (and I LOVE the look on the orange sweetie that's your avatar - what a face!) Think how many kittens you've saved from being born into the tough, usually short, life of a feral kitty. That in and of itself hopefully helps lift you up a bit when you feel overwhelmed and/or down.

I definitely understand - and TOTALLY empathize with the "I can't handle everyone else's problem" feeling. I often say "I wish I didn't care!" But....I do...and obviously you do too . We started TNRing when a young female had kittens under our neighbor's deck. We socialized, fixed, and found wonderful homes for the three babies. Mom was too feral to socialize - - so we fixed her and let her go. But she's still happy and healthy even as we speak (although she must have liked another neighbor's food better or something - because tho she's still around, she never comes to our place anymore for dinner!). And like you - all it takes is some quick math in your head, and one realizes that taking the time (& paying the relatively small cost) is worth it versus how many kittens we'll have in a very, very short period!!!!!!

As far as these two new males who (of course!) have wandered into your are and aren't fixed - - - just a thought - are you SURE they're not fixed? Just because they're not ear-tipped doesn't mean they're not someone's cat that's slipped out of someone's home. I'd just do a double check on that if you've got a neighborhood/area Facebook group - if you can grab pics of them (you can describe them at least). I'd also check with local shelters, clinics and vets near you - - just to make sure - - - you might end up with a wonderful reunion!

If you do determine they're yours (well, yours by default ), I'd get them in quickly. Kitten season's happening earlier and earlier every year. And though your females are fixed - I would fix these 2 new guys. Mainly because I'd feel like I should (but I have a high "guilt factor" over everything!) - - just to know they're two more I've pulled out of the "breeding fur ball population." ANYWAY - - as shadowsrescue pointed out - - at best, they'll move on and become someone else's problem - - who probably won't be compassionate like you are and fix them, and you just know the new cuties will end up wandering back to your place. Sigh.

Also - -do you leave food out 24/7? If you can get your guys on a schedule - picking food up soon as "they're done" -- you'll be less likely to have wanderers "pop over" for a munch. We feed 2x a day (soft) - I sit with them while they eat, and soon as they're done, bring in their bowls. We do leave hard out in our feeding station from morning till VERY early evening. The stragglers we used to get don't come around anymore largely bc of that (our guys for some reason never read the "having ferals in your area won't allow others near them, eating their food, etc. - so they'll usually chase everyone away" message!).

Lastly (sorry SO long!) - - do try every local animal place around to see who does the cheapest neutering (most low cost clinics are pretty cheap if you bring them in inside a trap, AND you let them ear tip - - -ours is under $30, including the rabies shot). Some clinics offer even bigger discounts to certain towns/areas. It's worth asking. And some shelters provide coupons to help - -- since they don't want more kitties out there who'll just end up at their shelter! You can also consider setting upset kind of a "gofundme" page (I've never done that - but I know people who have?!?!). When we first started TNRing and got in WAY over our heads financially, I talked to people in our neighborhood that I knew were big animal/cat lovers. Every single one of them pitched in financially!!!!! But they wouldn't have if they didn't know about it! So it's worth a shot - talking to them. I hate asking for that kind of thing, but I actually ended up meeting neighbors who helped - - -it was a good thing!

So keep us posted - - - - much much luck!!!!!



And FarmersWife24 - hope you don't give up either! You're obviously doing so much too to make SUCH a big difference in these guys' lives.

 

[gammeldame]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am a tad overwhelmed with the thought of trapping any more cats. The last two attempts were horrific. I’m sure the newest arrivals are from the neighbour’s colonies. My mama cat goes to the northern neighbour so i’m assuming they feed her and others, and i also know the neighbour to the south takes care of his ferals... and i can tell the new males are unneutered because they have the big jowls ... my jæger has them before he got fixed and now they are gone.
My family gets food in the morning and evening on schedule because if they don’t eat it all the magpies get it.
I appreciate everyone’s advice to just get them fixed so they don’t add to the problem, but sometimes it’s not practical. i live 30kms from town and any vet or rescue organizations and anytime i contact the one organization in town they say they are full or can’t take in ferals because they don’t have anyone prepared to socialize them ...

 

[FarmersWife24]

You've gotten alot of great advice already - - but I'll throw in my 2¢ (which, given the length of my usual posts - I should probably say "I'll throw in my 8¢ ). I'm going to echo alot of what's already been written - but wanted to just say a bit since - - like many others here (and ones who've posted above!) - - I definitely know how you feel! If I say something someone else has said - I'm sorry for repetition.

First - how fantastic you are for all you've done already!!!!!! (and I LOVE the look on the orange sweetie that's your avatar - what a face!) Think how many kittens you've saved from being born into the tough, usually short, life of a feral kitty. That in and of itself hopefully helps lift you up a bit when you feel overwhelmed and/or down.

I definitely understand - and TOTALLY empathize with the "I can't handle everyone else's problem" feeling. I often say "I wish I didn't care!" But....I do...and obviously you do too . We started TNRing when a young female had kittens under our neighbor's deck. We socialized, fixed, and found wonderful homes for the three babies. Mom was too feral to socialize - - so we fixed her and let her go. But she's still happy and healthy even as we speak (although she must have liked another neighbor's food better or something - because tho she's still around, she never comes to our place anymore for dinner!). And like you - all it takes is some quick math in your head, and one realizes that taking the time (& paying the relatively small cost) is worth it versus how many kittens we'll have in a very, very short period!!!!!!

As far as these two new males who (of course!) have wandered into your are and aren't fixed - - - just a thought - are you SURE they're not fixed? Just because they're not ear-tipped doesn't mean they're not someone's cat that's slipped out of someone's home. I'd just do a double check on that if you've got a neighborhood/area Facebook group - if you can grab pics of them (you can describe them at least). I'd also check with local shelters, clinics and vets near you - - just to make sure - - - you might end up with a wonderful reunion!

If you do determine they're yours (well, yours by default ), I'd get them in quickly. Kitten season's happening earlier and earlier every year. And though your females are fixed - I would fix these 2 new guys. Mainly because I'd feel like I should (but I have a high "guilt factor" over everything!) - - just to know they're two more I've pulled out of the "breeding fur ball population." ANYWAY - - as shadowsrescue pointed out - - at best, they'll move on and become someone else's problem - - who probably won't be compassionate like you are and fix them, and you just know the new cuties will end up wandering back to your place. Sigh.

Also - -do you leave food out 24/7? If you can get your guys on a schedule - picking food up soon as "they're done" -- you'll be less likely to have wanderers "pop over" for a munch. We feed 2x a day (soft) - I sit with them while they eat, and soon as they're done, bring in their bowls. We do leave hard out in our feeding station from morning till VERY early evening. The stragglers we used to get don't come around anymore largely bc of that (our guys for some reason never read the "having ferals in your area won't allow others near them, eating their food, etc. - so they'll usually chase everyone away" message!).

Lastly (sorry SO long!) - - do try every local animal place around to see who does the cheapest neutering (most low cost clinics are pretty cheap if you bring them in inside a trap, AND you let them ear tip - - -ours is under $30, including the rabies shot). Some clinics offer even bigger discounts to certain towns/areas. It's worth asking. And some shelters provide coupons to help - -- since they don't want more kitties out there who'll just end up at their shelter! You can also consider setting upset kind of a "gofundme" page (I've never done that - but I know people who have?!?!). When we first started TNRing and got in WAY over our heads financially, I talked to people in our neighborhood that I knew were big animal/cat lovers. Every single one of them pitched in financially!!!!! But they wouldn't have if they didn't know about it! So it's worth a shot - talking to them. I hate asking for that kind of thing, but I actually ended up meeting neighbors who helped - - -it was a good thing!

So keep us posted - - - - much much luck!!!!!



And FarmersWife24 - hope you don't give up either! You're obviously doing so much too to make SUCH a big difference in these guys' lives.

Thanks to the support and encouragement of people in this forum, I stayed the course. Our feral now has exploring rights to most of the house, begs to be petted and grabs at my hand when I take it away, loves to play wrestle, and insists on laying outside my bedroom door at night during his night-play. It all kind of happened at once. He even meows, chirps, chatters, and plays with toys on his own.