Have Feral cats and NEED SOME HELP PLEASE

[Summering]

Originally Posted by Honeycrisp

Call some no-kill shelters in your area, there may be some trap-and-release programs where they can spay the females and release them but they'd need to be released somewhere where someone will feed them and be responsible for them. Would post on Craigslist also - don't just give them away though, do a home visit and check ref's and make sure the people are responsible (some ppl there are scammers and fast talkers). The females really need to be fixed, maybe check out Friends of Animals (FOA) or SPAY USA to see if they can help (they give discounts, not sure if they could foot the whole bill but maybe someone will be sympathetic and help out. If your county cant help, maybe another nearby county can, keep trying, you may end up making a lot of phone calls but it'll be worth it in the end if you start now. Another thought, go to some pet adoptions at PetsMart or PetCo etc, tell the rescue group leaders about these cats (get there early before people come looking to adopt) and maybe they'll have suggestions or can help. Best of luck to all.

I totally agree with Honeycrisp.......Try all those things.
I got stuck with some feral cats myself. I had to get them fixed. Thank goodness for a lady who came along and helped me with that process.
They had the cages and she placed them, took the cats for fixing and returned them. There is a place in Brodheadsville now for fixing cats and dogs.
This was not a plan I ever had........as I do leave in the winters.
I had to hire a Pet Nanny to come and feed them while we were gone for three months. Not a minor cost. She is worth it, but........while I am away I worry about these cats.
The one cat who became very friendly, to our dog and who would stroll into the housse and purr so cutely. Was the only one not here when we returned.
Some we fixed were strays who never returned!
We leave them hay and cubby areas in a shed.......thats about all we can do.
Plus, they eat two and a half large cat bags of food each month and lots of can milk.
This is not an experience I would have wished for because I believe all cats deserve a good home and a "warm" one. But, I have had to deal with it the best I can.
Since you have to leave.........Please do try all those suggestions of HCrisp.
Something should work, and don't wait until the last minute......some things take time.

[Riverside4ever]

Originally Posted by lmn1220

sorry you are wrong, the male cat is a lovey dovey cat. i let him come in and he will stay in all night, i let him go out in the day. i just started that about a week ago. he stays in my home and has no problem. i pick him up kiss him and he purrs like theres no tomorrow. the one female comes in occassionally and allows me to pet her as well and she purrs too. these are extremely friendly and loving cats. that is why i dont want to leave them. we have extremely cold, snowy winters and for the past 3 years i've been letting them stay on my back porch with heat.

i'm afraid they will not survive.

Sounds like they are now your pets ..

If you just move away and abandon them its a crime ..

Once you start feeding and providing for them they become yours .

Take in a hungry dog and let nature take its course ..
Only the strong survive ..

[Summering]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I don't know if this is close This shelter is filled with unconditional love | News Sounds to me like the cats were abandoned, not really feral, especially if they let you pet them and are comfortable in a house. Good luck.

You'd be surprised TBT.........we had two "very feral cats" who sloooowlly became buddies with our dog.....They slowly came into the house. Jumped up on hubby's lap.......Purred in my arms. Some can turn around. It takes time and effort. But, yes......they can be great cats. Its all in their personality. Each one is different.

[toobusytoday]

One of the things I was thinking about is that around here, shelters will not keep feral cats, so if a cat has become acclimated to the OP's house they would have a better chance of being re-homed if they were not labeled as feral. A cat that's maybe allowed to go to a barn would at least have some chance of living.

[kinpa]

I too was going to ask that the op not keep calling the cats feral. A feral cat wont let you near them. They might have been feral in the past, or they might have been frightened but they are no longer feral. I have 2 that were born feral. I took them from their mom when they were very young. They have made awesome pets.
There is a spay clinic called TARA, they are located in Middletown/ Newburg area and they will spay feral as well as non feral cats for 50 bucks each. You can catch them in a live trap and they will give them shots and spay them.
I would try to find homes for them calling them outside cats, you might have better luck.

[EnyaGirl]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

One of the things I was thinking about is that around here, shelters will not keep feral cats, so if a cat has become acclimated to the OP's house they would have a better chance of being re-homed if they were not labeled as feral. A cat that's maybe allowed to go to a barn would at least have some chance of living.

Yeah, except that a lot of farmers poison cats to keep them away Honestly, if they're not going to be spayed/neutered before being released elsewhere, they're better off being put down, as bad as that sounds....at least they're no longer contributing to the overpopulation and suffering the awful conditions of living outdoors (starvation, disease, etc.) I fully believe in trap, neuter, release though.....just releasing elsewhere though is pointless.

[kinpa]

Enya a lot of local farmers will take in a few cats as barn cats. That is fine for them. I dont think anyone is saying the cats should be dumped. But an outdoor cat being a barn cat is not a bad thing. I do think the cats should be fixed before they go anywhere though.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by kinpa

I too was going to ask that the op not keep calling the cats feral. A feral cat wont let you near them. They might have been feral in the past, or they might have been frightened but they are no longer feral. I have 2 that were born feral. I took them from their mom when they were very young. They have made awesome pets.
There is a spay clinic called TARA, they are located in Middletown/ Newburg area and they will spay feral as well as non feral cats for 50 bucks each. You can catch them in a live trap and they will give them shots and spay them.
I would try to find homes for them calling them outside cats, you might have better luck.

Yes, outside cats is probably a better word. My problem with the Mom cat.......who is now fixed. She would hide her kittens until they were about 3 months. So the early training to make them a house cat was difficult. She would hide them where no one could get at them. Under a low deck that is hugging the ground for one thing...........We paid less for spay and shots through LVARK ...Lehigh Valley Animal Rights Colalition ......Anyone needing numbers call me I think they now work out of Brodheadsville.
Its a very sad life for cats......Ours started with the Mom cat someone dropped at the farm. I ignored her until I couldn't anymore......My heart just started to break.