Feral cats in MD (Baltimore, Frederick: loan, neighborhood, live)

[geshem]

There were very few cats in the area but recently one cat brought five kittens. I called animal control but they said that they are not going to help. Though they agree to take the kittens if I capture them. First, I don't know how to do that. Second, I don't really know how the shelter treats the feral cats and what is their future. But on the other side, two of the kittens already died under the cars. Also, the winter is coming, and the young cats might not survive. What I can do with this problem? Any recommendation?

[westsideboy]

Which county?

[Dequindre]

Any animal shelter would likely take them if you were able to catch them. You may also be able to research the specific shelter online and see if they're "no-kill".

[goldenage1]

There are also trap-neuter-release programs. Try Googling "Ally Cat Allies", as I knew that oganization was active in Baltimore.

If you can capture the kittens, they might be trainable. But if they are past 8 weeks old, they will probably grow up feral and not make good pets.

[LittleBlackDogs]

Alley Cat Allies

They have great resources about Trap-Neuter-Return. If you just catch the cats and take them to the shelter to be euthanized, then other feral cats will soon move in to take their place, and you have the entire cycle starting over again. But if you can trap the cats, spay/neuter/vaccinate them, and put them back where you found them, they can live there for years and because they won't be producing more kittens, the population of feral cats will not grow. But the key is getting them fixed and vaccinated.

Also, depending on what county you're in, there might be local Trap-Neuter-Release organizations. Tip Me Frederick operates in Frederick County and they have spay/neuter clinics, loan out humane traps, etc. I'm sure other counties have similar organizations.

Two of my cats are semi-feral and were born and lived in the neighborhood for about 5 years -- neighbors caught them once and had them neutered when they were young. I built a nice shelter on my front porch for them and provided them with food and water and gradually made friends with them. Two winters ago, I decided to bring them in "just for the night" during a particularly brutal cold spell. They decided they didn't mind being inside after all -- they're still inside and are great cats. Very shy around strangers, but they adjusted well.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by geshem

I called animal control but they said that they are not going to help. Though they agree to take the kittens if I capture them. First, I don't know how to do that. Second, I don't really know how the shelter treats the feral cats and what is their future.

There are veterinarians who might lend you a trap. Most are baited with food, and it should be easy to trap a kitten with wet food that smells good. (Assuming the kitten is old enough to eat solid food.) Kittens can be placed by shelters, but a feral mom is not placeable. She would probably be put down by the shelter, so it is better to leave the mom in the wild.

[BarbBr]

Animal control can lend you traps. There are many low cost spay/neuter clinics in Maryland. Let us know your location and maybe we can better help you. I know several resources in Anne Arundel County.