Help! Feral cats are bothering my neighbors and I don't know what to do (Lee: condos)

[adrienne_ch]

Ok I fed a stray and didn't know it had friends. I felt so bad for it!! Now the neighbors are getting angry with me because they hang around and I don't know what to do - I live among privately owned condos. There are three total and one, maybe two of them have the notch in the ear. Every time I come up with a different place to feed them, I get scolded that the food is attracting ants. I can't leave dishes outside, I work during the day and we have maintenance people that come out. I am also on the second floor. Can anyone assist? I understand why the neighbors are mad, it was not my intention to upset them. I'm just an animal lover who can't afford to take them in myself or pay to have anything done with them. Any ideas?

[Ryde41]

They probably think the cats will leave the area if you stop feeding them. Cats that roam freely are annoying because they urinate and defecate everywhere. They also howl and moan when mating waking people up. They kill song birds. I feel for your neighbors. I have three cats in my yard but I don't own any cats.
http://www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/pdf/feralcat.pdf (broken link)

[Songbird42]

I've been told by Animal Control that once you feed a cat continually that cat is now yours, you are responsible for neutering/spay and vaccines, my neighbor was feeding ferrel cats in our neighborhood she had a total of 29, she caught 19 of them and had them neutered at her own expense (her vet discounted for her) got them rabies shots, she took in 10 into her home. When she moved the oldest went to a no kill shelter (she paid $30 a cat) for them to take them, I went along as a extra pair of hands. The rest I continued to feed, water/dry food until her home was sold, at that time there were three left, them went away and I never saw them again.

I sympathize with your situation, you could get a trap from the Animal Control in your area, and see if there's a NO KILL shelter around that would take them.

[justNancy]

I just went through something similar. I fed one cat and then a family of 6 became visiting regularly. At first they were very shy and hid until I went inside the house. But we became very close after a while. 3 of them let me pet them they'd roll over when they saw me. Although it's against the law in Lee County where I was living, Animal Control didn't discourage me. I had a large yard with trees, however, so your situation is different. If they stand outside and cry, I can understand why your neighbors might be unhappy. Still, they only want to be fed like any other living creature.

When I found out after a few months that a neighbor had trapped & neutered them, I knocked on his door. Turned out he lost his job and stopped feeding them, which is why they suddenly appeared in my yard. The problem is, once you make a commitment, it's not fair to the animals to abandon them. Also, if you don't get them fixed, there will be more hungry mouths to feed. Still, I can't blame you for giving them food. I'm just as guilty.

Regarding the comment about birds, I was in a dilemma because I love birds and, even if you feed feral cats, they'll still kill birds which really upsets me. They also kill lizards and other small creatures. Still, no matter what anyone tells you, humans are a million times more destructive. Putting up a few high rises or cell phone towers will kill more birds than an entire city full of stray cats. Airports regularly shoot down thousands of birds so they don't fly into the jets.

One suggestion - if you continue to feed the cats, you will save a lot of money by purchasing the large bags. I started with the 3 lb and then 7 lb bags. Then I found 9 Lives Essentials at Walmart for $8.97. It was 18 lbs, but changed to 16. Sometimes there are "bonus amounts" and you can get up to 23 lbs for under $10. I had a problem with ants too, so I put the bowls in a plate of water which will discourage the ants. I also started to feed them only dry food since there were always lots of flies around the wet food.

Regarding the NO KILL suggestion, I hope you have better luck than I did. Every shelter in the area was full. When I moved June 1, my neighbor promised me he would feed the cats and I gave him a couple of bags. I still think about them all the time. Wild cats that were never pets usually find a way to survive, although it depends on the type of area. Cats in the city don't do as well.

You are a kind human being. Bless you for your concern.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by justNancy

Regarding the comment about birds, I was in a dilemma because I love birds and, even if you feed feral cats, they'll still kill birds which really upsets me. They also kill lizards and other small creatures. Still, no matter what anyone tells you, humans are a million times more destructive. Putting up a few high rises or cell phone towers will kill more birds than an entire city full of stray cats. Airports regularly shoot down thousands of birds so they don't fly into the jets.

Great point! Feral cats will absolutely kill birds, but so will pet cats that are allowed outdoors...it goes on and on .

Adrienne, I also live in a neighborhood with feral cats. Our colony was actually dying out after a successful Trap-Neuter-Return, but this year we ended up with a new crop of kittens so the colony is enlarged again . I have a couple of elderly neighbors who regularly feed the cats so I have no doubt they attracted new cats to the neighborhood. All in all it's not too bad though. The neighbors and the cats live in harmony, no one is angry or aggressive towards the cats, they're just part of the neighborhood fabric.

Since you are feeding these cats, they trust you enough that you should be able to easily trap them. You can do a Trap-Neuter-Release and the colony can then die out. Feral cats generally don't live long lives, 2 or 3 years is pretty typical.

Here are some links for info and local help, good luck!

Local help:
first coast no more homeless pets | Your spay and neuter connection serving jacksonville florida |

About Trap-Neuter-Return:
Alley Cat Allies - How to Conduct Trap-Neuter-Return (http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=285 - broken link)

Colony Care:
Alley Cat Allies - Colony Care Guide (http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=293 - broken link)

[luv my dayton]

You can do one of two things. SPCA and have them picked up as the do try to adopt them out or put a trap out and take it out to woods and let them and release them.They can totally survive there. Once they start breeding you will be feeding 20 cats and facing the wrath of your neighbors.

[vigo]

This is a 6 year old thread. Those cats are probably dead by now....