Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I live in Glendale, AZ. My subdivision has a real bad problem with feral cats. About three years ago, I trapped about 7 feral cats, had them neutered and released them in my front yard which is where I found them. I provide food, water and shelter for them in my back yard.
There are only three left that still come around for food and water. They "earn their keep" by eating insects and pigeons. There are 2 females and one male. Needless to say, there are less "cat fights" at night and they keep the other feral cats in the from coming around.
Enter a neighbor who decided to keep a rabbit and some birds in his back yard. I don't know why he keeps his birds and his rabbit in the back yard instead of inside his house.
He has contacted me demanding that I keep "my cats" contained in my yard because the cats are fighting with his rabbit, killing his birds and peeing/pooping in his yard.
I explained to him that these are feral cats. Nobody gave them to me, and I did not buy them. All I'm trying to do is mitigate the feral cat problem around my house. The odor that he smells is from other non-neutered, feral cats that we have in the neighborhood. I told him that even if I somehow removed the cats, other feral cats will move into the territory and he will hear more cat fights, smell more spraying/"poop", and his rabbit will have to fight them and his birds will be eaten.
I tried to educate the man, but he isn't the sharpest tool in the box. He claims that he will deal with the problem of the other feral cats when it arises. This man doesn't have a clue as to how bad it will get. He thinks animal control will come around every time he calls with a complaint. I kind of doubt it.
This man is stubborn and not the sharpest tool in the box. Frankly, I cannot fix stupid.
I don't want the cats to be euthanized. I wish I could release them elsewhere and give cat food/money to a kind soul that will agree to feed them.
Does anybody know of such volunteers/organization (s)?
I am heartbroken and angry too. My spouse saw a rabbit loose the other night. Should I make rabbit stew?
That's a tough one. What are your local ordinances regarding outside cats? If there are no ordinances re pet cats outside he can't make you keep 'your' cats confined. In which case I would tell him to fence in his yard. Which probably won't go over well but won't get you in trouble if he calls someone.
Or you could offer some solutions like those motion activated sprayers, again it doesn't sound like he's going to be happy until you do what he says, whatever it is - because he sounds like a bossy person.
If there are ordinances about pet cats outside I'm not sure what your options are. But I doubt there are any groups like the one you are hoping for. Recently several cities (Wisconsin, Utah) have opted for outright destroying feral cats. No TNR. Organizations like the American Bird Association and others have been actively lobbying against TNR and are winning.
I'm curious - what kind of birds are these? Are the birds and rabbits caged? If they are caged how are they getting in fights?
Ferals spraying and pooping does get people up in arms over ferals. I was recently told by a woman that her apt complex (right next to mine) has trapped and destroyed due to complaints which I think is weird because no one has flower beds or anything over there - but apparently where all the cats I'd TNR'd on my own dime went Although as usual more have shown up.
You could see if the HumSoc has a TNR program to try to get the other ferals in the neighborhood done. Would at least eliminate the spraying.
That's a tough one. What are your local ordinances regarding outside cats? If there are no ordinances re pet cats outside he can't make you keep 'your' cats confined. In which case I would tell him to fence in his yard. Which probably won't go over well but won't get you in trouble if he calls someone.
Or you could offer some solutions like those motion activated sprayers, again it doesn't sound like he's going to be happy until you do what he says, whatever it is - because he sounds like a bossy person.
If there are ordinances about pet cats outside I'm not sure what your options are. But I doubt there are any groups like the one you are hoping for. Recently several cities (Wisconsin, Utah) have opted for outright destroying feral cats. No TNR. Organizations like the American Bird Association and others have been actively lobbying against TNR and are winning.
I'm curious - what kind of birds are these? Are the birds and rabbits caged? If they are caged how are they getting in fights?
Ferals spraying and pooping does get people up in arms over ferals. I was recently told by a woman that her apt complex (right next to mine) has trapped and destroyed due to complaints which I think is weird because no one has flower beds or anything over there - but apparently where all the cats I'd TNR'd on my own dime went Although as usual more have shown up.
You could see if the HumSoc has a TNR program to try to get the other ferals in the neighborhood done. Would at least eliminate the spraying.
I finally checked the county's animal control website. They do not pick up feral cats unless the cat "bites" someone. If you want a feral cat destroyed, you have to catch the cat yourself and turn it in along with a $96 fee for each cat.
The county prefers people TNR feral cats. The problem with "my" ferals is that after 3 years they have become somewhat tame or at least they're not scared of me when I put the food out.
Both properties have 6 ft block fences. Cats climb that like its nothing. I have to check the city's ordinances and the HOA's CCR's next to see about the rabbit and the birds.
I'm looking into putting a large litter box in my back yard to see what happens.
Sounds similar to our "problem." We have many feral cats, and the little mother who births two litters every year (she's 2-1/2-years-old or so) is wiley and impossible to catch. She probably gave birth again in the last couple or three weeks. No one knows where, no one knows if they survived, and I have seen a couple of her previous litter who are pregnant as well.
But here's what has happened in the past. My neighbor and I would catch, neuter/spay, and release. In this economy, and with the loss of our vet, we can't do this anymore. So my neighbor and I just enjoy the cats, making sure they are fed some, and they take care of the mice/rats. They are all very wild, so there is no petting and no approaching.
There was a year when someone took pity on the neighborhood and got rid of most of the cats. That year, we had innumerable mice and rats in the yard. Ick! Picnics were no longer fun. Backyard religious celebrations were uneasy. Raccoons took over. We worried the mice/rats would get in the house. They did inhabit the garage.
Gimme the cats any day!
Last edited by VelcroQueen; 05-03-2012 at 05:10 AM..
Reason: impossible-to-read typos
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Although as usual more have shown up. 
