Woman Trying To Stop Adoption Of An Outside Kitty...

[ParkBaby]

Good morning,
My husband and I have been taking care of a few outside kitties in a park for the last 8 years.
Unfortunately, we've lost a few of them, despite the very good care we provided (solid shelters built by my husband, heating pads, hand warmers, quality food, three visits/day, socializing kitties, took one of our boys to the vet, etc.)
Now we finally were able to find a wonderful home for our girl...but an insane woman is interfering in this project and stops us every morning from trapping/catching her by coming at 5:00am in the dark...and feeds the kitties.
Baby used to be the friendliest of all, people were amazed and asked whether she was once a home kitty: sitting on our laps, kissing us, letting us pet her belly...We unfortunately were naïve and unexperienced, thinking she was friendly enough to be ...scruffed or wrapped in a towel and put in the carrier...
We got scratched and she is now running from us...It happened last year too...but she forgave us in 2 days. Now it is something different and very sad: she has changed so much during last weeks...we are extremely worried that the woman might use some drugs in her food...to change her behavior and make her stay in the park...and die there...
This woman was 2 years ago on very strong pain medication...and she acts like an insane person, we tried many times to talk to her...but each time she lied...and it all ended up with her calling the police on us...for telling her to stop feeding our kitties.

She is mean and verbally aggressive, and has a long history of calling the police...on everyone she dislikes...
People from the neighborhood know us, park gardeners know us, police knows us, we told everyone about this woman...
We are in touch with the police and with the park, also with NYC Feral Cat Initiative.
Not sure the kitty will go into the trap, maybe a big one, like for raccoons...somehow hidden by cardboards...She is very smart and has been ear tipped and spayed...
Please give me your thoughts on how to catch her, she is in danger over there...with this woman coming every day. The woman confessed that none of her cats at home had a long life with her...
The area is a public park, not very hidden, so we could only try in the morning, if the police stops the woman from feeding her...or evening...but so dangerous, she might get scared and run.
It is very cold...
Thank you!!!

 

[foxxycat]

try to trap at dusk. if the cats are fed at 5am go trap them at 8pm. wear black clothing and stay hidden in the woods...if theres woods.

I know all too well vicious mean people. Theres several on Facebook I last year blocked. Luckily I don't have to deal with them anymore. It seems your story is all too common=I hear daily stories about people who have gone off their rocker.

My advice? Trap, spay and bring home or find another home. Shelters may just kill them if it's not a bonafide no kill shelter...

 

[bigbadbass]

agree with foxxycat ...beat the whacko to the punch, attract the cat at, near, or before dusk using real baked chicken, tuna...whatever it takes.

Get the cat the hell outta there once and for all.

This is ongoing for years? What on earth motivates her to get up, out and prepped to feed them at 5AM?

 

[Debp]

Sounds like good advice...go to trap the kitty when the lady least expects you...and use very tasty food as mentioned above.

Years ago an animal rescue friend finally found a home for a long hair black cat that I fed that lived on my little street. Had mentioned to a neighbor about Black Furry going to get a home. Well, my animal rescue friend came for Black Furry and I searched high and low for Black Furry to no avail. And Black Furry was always around!

I later found out that the neighbor had taken Black Furry inside for several days so we couldn't find her! She didn't keep Black Furry but put her back on the street. So I kept feeding Black Furry, of course, but sorry to say she was later mauled to death by a couple of dogs. A different neighbor saw the attack and tried to help by honking her car horn at the dogs but it was too late.

So some people just don't think...my animal rescue friend really checks people out so Black Furry would have had a wonderful home if the neighbor lady hadn't hid her from us.

 

[trudy1]

There’s no fixing crazy! If you have to try and get the feral cat initiative people to help. They are usually great people. If you can’t get her in the trap point her out to the FCI people, tell them you have a home for her if they could trap her for you...might mention “donation “ in your talk if you have the means.
Woman sounds like a good candidate for a “ contract” with my uncle Guedo but if you can’t do a contract on her just try to avoid her.

BTW you are neuter/spaying these babies as you can, I hope? If not another good topic for the FIC people to help you with.

Please let us know how you come out. Eight years? You deserve an award!

 

[bigbadbass]

Avoid any confrontation with the nutball....point your efforts towards...and do what you got to do to get the cat....silently, covertly.

 

[ParkBaby]

Thank you all for your kind replies! The kitty has been spayed years ago, we did TNR for all of the kitties in that area and we found a few good homes...
Four our baby it was difficult, because she had a companion (or maybe her father?!) all these years...nobody wanted 2 adult kitties...
She is the only friendly girl in there, we've socialized her for years...hoping for a home. We have a parrot at home...and she is a big hunter...
Unfortunate situation! Today again we found prints on the frozen cardboard...she fed her again. We regained kitty's trust, I can hold her again for a short time, hug her, but don't dare to attempt catching her. Will try to bring each day the trap...but it is exposed, people come to visit the park...they all the time see her...and take pictures...So we are left only with one option: evening...or after we try bringing a new trap and get her used to...maybe next morning the police will protect us, as they have promised to do on the trapping day.
But what kitty will go into a trap when she sees police cars and people around?!
She is very smart and now extremely cautious. Future parents are waiting for her...she is half domesticated...I am thinking of using a drop trap, but who can carry it every day, it is quite heavy...Park people and Feral Cat organization are with us, even the police, but nobody can stop this woman...I am waiting for them to recommend a professional trapper...but it's very late...and so cold outside...
Is there anywhere I could complain about this being also a cruelty, someone interferes in the adoption process just because she cannot stand us?! She's been doing this for years...but I didn't realize...and maybe she is even responsible for the sickness of the boy we've lost last year...
Here is our girl. Any suggestion highly appreciated, we are living a nightmare...
Thank you!!!

 

[bigbadbass]

Police accompanying? So much for silently and covertly. In your post, you are using plural...is there more than one of you attempting the capture? She's coming right to you? You posted you can hold her for a short time, using an accomplice, I see no reason you can't muscle her in to a box of some sorts....between 2 of you.

I'm just not seeing success with activity...police and/or any others around....IMHO you need quiet and desolate environment.

Sorry, I'm short of any further suggestions. I'll yield to others.

 

[ParkBaby]

It is me and my husband, we both were able to hold and hug her...but we've made 2 attempts, tried to wrap her in the towel and put in the carrier...both useless, she scratched my husband and...gone for a day...Now watching carefully my husband's hands...
The survival instinct was stronger than her love for us...
The woman threatened us with a pepper spray...this was to reason to call the police and we made a good contact with an officer.
This was serious, the woman kept calling the police on us since last year...only because we tried to stop her feeding our kitties.
Since then she has gone completely crazy...threatening with pepper spray, telling police we wanted to kill her?! Serious mental issues.

Our problem is now to quickly catch her, but how: trap seems impossible, she is never too hungry...and has been trapped once.
Scruffing her? An organization suggested not to try scruff the kitty...
But we don't see another option...
Thank you again!

 

[Willowy]

If she lets you hold her, yes, wear leather gloves, scruff her, and stuff her in a carrier quick. I think you can do it if you scruff her. It's not pleasant but she needs to be caught in whatever way possible.

A gentler method you might want to try first is to bring a nice spacious carrier with a towel in it, cleaned so it doesn't smell like other cats, and throw a fair-sized chunk of good smelly warm rotisserie (or fried) chicken in the back, and make a little trail going into the carrier with the chicken. She might go right in and you can close the door.

 

[foxxycat]

Wear gloves heavy coat and scruff. She will forgive you. Talk gently the whole time. Have big carrier nearby. A pillowcase would work too. Once you scruff have hubs put a pillow case over and scoop her up and put into carrier...if this is how to get her from outside and only one time I would do it.

If you have time...set the cage in the woods back away from people...trail of treats n food in back on a nice towel...Once she goes in...helpers shut the door and transport kitty!

I hope you have good luck.

 

[ParkBaby]

Foxxycat and Willowy,

Thank you! We are afraid of scaring her off again...but would still try.
The problem is she now stays on a higher level...and it makes it impossible to scruff her...
You would think it's easy to scruff a cat, but it is not...especially when the outside kitty is so suspicious...
She is very smart and probably knows and reads our thoughts - that we want to scruff her...and anything that looks like a cardboard box (she used to love those), carrier make her avoid us...and the food. We feed her very tasty food and chicken and supplements...we have no idea why she goes to that woman in the morning....maybe she puts something in the food to attract her or make her addicted?!
We tried the carrier...now she is afraid of it.
We put the trap a little further...she didn't even go close to it...

We need lots of luck.

 

[david68]

Apologies if you already know this technique, but for cats I can pick up, I've often used a LARGE carrier set on the ground on its back with the opening facing up and the door open. I quickly scruff the cat and lower it down, back feet first, into the carrier then quickly shut the door. You have gravity on your side, and it's harder for them to fight you. You can also hang a towel on the edge of the carrier opening so that if they grab at something, they grab the towel and pull it in with them. Then make 200% sure that the carrier door is latched.

Or, if there are two of you put out the towel for the cat to grab with her claws. The key to this technique is to do it very quickly in one swift move, and you need a carrier with a large opening. I'd suggest practicing by rehearsing it with your husband.

 

[Willowy]

If she's super shy about a carrier, maybe hide the carrier where she can't see it, then put her in a pillowcase (and then get her into the carrier as quickly as possible before she kicks out of the pillowcase!) She probably won't suspect a pillowcase at this point.

 

[ParkBaby]

Apologies if you already know this technique, but for cats I can pick up, I've often used a LARGE carrier set on the ground on its back with the opening facing up and the door open. I quickly scruff the cat and lower it down, back feet first, into the carrier then quickly shut the door. You have gravity on your side, and it's harder for them to fight you. You can also hang a towel on the edge of the carrier opening so that if they grab at something, they grab the towel and pull it in with them. Then make 200% sure that the carrier door is latched.

Or, if there are two of you put out the towel for the cat to grab with her claws. The key to this technique is to do it very quickly in one swift move, and you need a carrier with a large opening. I'd suggest practicing by rehearsing it with your husband.

David, thank you for your message, very useful!!!
You are right, we have to practice.
For so many years we never tried to scruff a kitty, we failed catching Baby 3 times...
And please, you have no reason to apologize, you are all Helping us and Baby!
Thank you again! Have a bright and peaceful day!

 

[ParkBaby]

If she's super shy about a carrier, maybe hide the carrier where she can't see it, then put her in a pillowcase (and then get her into the carrier as quickly as possible before she kicks out of the pillowcase!) She probably won't suspect a pillowcase at this point.

Willowy, very kind message, thank you!
We tried the pillow, but we made a mistake....instead of scruffing....we used the towel ...and she escaped, they are so fast and flexible ...
Will try again, hopefully soon.

 

[trudy1]

If she keeps coming back after all of the above you will eventually be able to get, because she still trusts you.
I don’t think she reads your thoughts as much as she senses your anxiety which animals can do very accurately. So if your feeling tense, I can’t do this but I’ll try, I know she’s going to run....all those thoughts she can sense.
It’s like the old biblical rule “be still and know” so if you can practice learning to quiet yourselves, be just still and remove some of that inner tension I know it will work.
BTW have you ever scuffed a cat? If not get someone at the shelter to show you how and then practice till you feel comfortable.
It is not that traumatic for a cat/kitten with whom you have some trust because it’s really the way momma carried them when they were babies.
When you practice you will notice if done right they just go limp. Now in a traumatic moment such as your going to do she will react when you scruff her but the upper part of her should go limp. Ideally her back legs should just hang as well long enough to lower her into the carrier.
David was 100% right and I’ve done that many times to colony cats.

 

[ParkBaby]

If she keeps coming back after all of the above you will eventually be able to get, because she still trusts you.
I don’t think she reads your thoughts as much as she senses your anxiety which animals can do very accurately. So if your feeling tense, I can’t do this but I’ll try, I know she’s going to run....all those thoughts she can sense.
It’s like the old biblical rule “be still and know” so if you can practice learning to quiet yourselves, be just still and remove some of that inner tension I know it will work.
BTW have you ever scuffed a cat? If not get someone at the shelter to show you how and then practice till you feel comfortable.
It is not that traumatic for a cat/kitten with whom you have some trust because it’s really the way momma carried them when they were babies.
When you practice you will notice if done right they just go limp. Now in a traumatic moment such as your going to do she will react when you scruff her but the upper part of her should go limp. Ideally her back legs should just hang as well long enough to lower her into the carrier.
David was 100% right and I’ve done that many times to colony cats.

Trudy, this is very important, you all sound so knowledgeable!
Neither I or my husband tried to scruff a kitty...we just learned about after we made 2 attempts this year...watched videos....
Ignorant about catching a cat...Baby was always friendly, especially after the loss of her companion last February...so we thought it would be easy....
We forgot last year terrible attempt, we managed to get her into the carrier...but didn't close the door properly...she escaped and got back to her place...in the park.
Thank you very much for your advices, will ask someone to show us how to do...
We are calm when we are spending time together, she again comes to us and shows her belly. But always very careful.
Tense, maybe...
Unfortunately, FCI didn't keep their promise to help find an "expert", though we mentioned a donation...
So will have to learn or look for someone to do this.
Thank you again, all our best!