Tnr Questions

calicosrspecial

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Don't stress, just try your best to trap the intact male. I have an intact male coming around that is REALLY trap savvy. Even drop trap savvy. My intact does not chase my resident ferals in the colony but DOES chase other cats that come around to eat or socialize. BUT that is one situation. My experience they usually chase/fight other intact males but it can happen where if you are feeding them they will chase off the more insecure cats. I also try to feed them all together so as to let the intact male know access to food is not an issue and to make a positive association with the resident cats. But it is tricky stuff. It is very hard to know what is best to do other than make sure you get him really hungry and make sure the trap is camouflaged and hopefully he gets trapped.

I too had a coyote coming around last night. My ferals are REALLY difficult to shift feeding and they are hunting and begging when it starts and gets dark. SO FRUSTRATING. I didn't sleep last night because of the coyote worrying. All we can do is try to feed at the best times and remove food and water and hope the coyote finds easier prey. Ughhhhhhhhh. Also, try to make sure they have places to climb to escape the coyote or can't get pinned or trapped. But all we can do is our best. This is one of the most stressful things of taking care of feral colonies. :(
 
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walli

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Thank you! Yes when I get to those moments of clarity and there really is nothing I can control in this situation, I can calm down.
Thanks or helping me do that.
I worry about Tex, his meowing is going to get him in trouble!
My intact seems to be stalking Tex, but it may be his meowing that causes it
and Sammy runs off when he sees him.
The intact is not there 1st thing in the morning, He is random too.
on my next appt, I'm going to spend the entire day before waiting for him.
I think I can get him with the drop trap, He hasn't been showing up at the right time when I have been trapping, so I am going to wait for him the day before!
the appts have been around 8-10am on Sundays this is not enough time for this cat.
Sorry about your coyote situation too! It's the hard part, trying to keep them safe!
 

calicosrspecial

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You are welcome. I guess I try to accept what is out of my control. I don't like it but try to accept it. :(

:( Yes, I have gone through that in the past. I hope you can trap him. Yes, ferals that are vocal and more in the open are more vulnerable. I really struggle with how much I socialize them (when I can't find them a home) for many reasons. But once they are it is hard to get them back "into the shadows".

Some vets or rescues have more flexible almost "walk in" spay/neuter times. May want to look around to try to find some flexibility.

I wish I had good answers. I have gone through these problems in the past. Not sure I have great advice sadly.
 
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walli

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Yes Im thinking I need more flexibility with the neuter appts too.
I know were just winging it, every situation is different, I wish there were specific answers, but I know there is not!
 

tarasgirl06

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I have space for it, so it might be a possibility. With cats and the unknown you never know what's going to happen, I'm stressing on the un neutered male, I hope he doesn't cause cat fights in the shelter, Not sure what I can do about it either, I just hope hope hope I can trap him, I have another appt Oct 13.

I'm worried about him running off the other cats!
any ideas?


Ugh! chased a coyote down the street this morning, that Tex is a meower, I'm sure the coyote heard him, The only reason I knew about it, my husband was leaving and I was out getting ready to put the food down, and I saw my husbands truck backing down the street toward me, he said there was a coyote coming towards us, sheesh I was about to put the food down and Tex was meowing his head off! I wen around the corner and chased him down the street.

It's getting darker later, I think I went out too soon, it was just starting to get light out tho, I have to discipline myself and feed with the sunrise schedule.
You're doing great! And you're right -- timing is CRUCIAL to feline safety and to "training" them to know that they will have access to food at specific times. They go by the light, not by the clock, of course ;) so you won't have to get up so early all year, just in the times of shorter daylight when the sun is lower in the horizon.
It's critical to get Mr. Male fixed ASAP. *PRAYERS* for him to let him help you. Once he's neutered, he'll calm down and not be so interested in fighting, mating, or defending territory aggressively.
As for the coyotes, unfortunately, they are everywhere now, and even if there was aggresive culling, it would never get rid of all of them.
 
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walli

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weird how coyote encounters totally bring me down
 
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walli

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Thanks Tarasgirl yes I'm more determined to stick with my schedule
I know they are out there waiting but I have to be disciplined!
 

tarasgirl06

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W walli You're just doing a fantastic job and being so caring!
I have no love for coyotes either. There was one in a cul-de-sac four locations ago, and I called the city about it. They told me they'd kill it, and at that time, I didn't want to have that on my conscience, so I didn't give the address and just let it go. Now, they are so prevalent that it would be kind of senseless to report it. So they take one out of the equation -- what about all the others? So what I do is harangue people to keep their cats indoors (which most people do here anyway) and pray for cats to be safe. I don't think coyotes will ever be eradicated from urban locations now. It's just something we have to learn to live with and plan proactively for, in terms of keeping our cats indoors, which is best for them anyway; and TNRing/managing/constructing safe shelters for free-roaming colonies.
 
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walli

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Yes I use to have indoor/outdoor cats, you can't do it anymore.
There is no way I would let my cats out now, how terrifying it must be for a cat, to be grabbed by a coyote.
caring for Ferals is not for the lighthearted!
wait a minute I am the lighthearted:lol:
 

tarasgirl06

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Yes I use to have indoor/outdoor cats, you can't do it anymore.
There is no way I would let my cats out now, how terrifying it must be for a cat, to be grabbed by a coyote.
caring for Ferals is not for the lighthearted!
wait a minute I am the lighthearted:lol:
Yeah. My big brofur was murdered by coyotes right outside this house. I was out the house by then and my folks didn't know better at that time than to let cats go out. None of us did.
I'll never get over that.
 
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walli

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I'm so sorry!
My friend just lost another Feral at her colony!
gosh darn it!!!
 
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walli

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we get so attached, I know I still miss my sweet Tigger!
 
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walli

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What kind of straw do you put in the shelters, not familiar with straw
and they seem to have different kinds of straw
 
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walli

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I found some really clean straw at Hobby Lobby, I guess it's the right season for them to carry it, I think the straw at the feed stores have dirt in them. A Hobby Lobby just opened by my house and a lot of things are 40% off, I pretty much scored on the straw!!
 

shadowsrescue

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Just be sure this straw has not been treated with a fire retardant. Many craft store varieties are sometimes not meant to be used outside. They may be treated with chemicals which would not be safe for cats. I always bought my straw from a garden center.
 
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walli

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Oh ok I better check before I open the packages!
 
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walli

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It says it's natural sunbaked straw and it's flammable
It's earth friendly and biodegradable
It's Flora craft straw bale
Thanks for the heads up Shadow!
I see someone has used it for ferals, I will try and double make sure.
 
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walli

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I got the cat that I have been trying to trap forever!!!!!
I almost missed him because I thought it was Tex under the drop trap
This is going to make sheltering these cats so much better he is kind of a bully cat, still freaking out I hate them being in the cage so long my appt isn’t till tomorrow so he will be in the cage till Monday ugh!
 
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