Please help me with a feral/ stray cat

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by LinhT

Yes, I was concerned about the rehabilitation issue also. I don't mind giving it a home outside, at the end of my backyard, near the forest but I really don't want it preying on the small wildlife in my yard. I really think the Home for Life sanctuary is the best place but I will need to find someone who cares about animals as much as I do and would be willing to transport the cat from St. Paul to Stillwater.

And the thousands of others?
It's a very unfortunate slippery slope. It would be nice if you could do that though. I'd personally get it neutered/spayed, and release it. After getting a tetanus shot.

[got ants]

I know I'm gonna catch flack for this, but that cat needs a case of lead poisoning. There are way too many strays out there, and in my opinion, the humane thing to do is to put it down.

Think of it this way...you borrow a trap from the local shelter, catch it and drop it off, just what do you think they are going to do with it?

[WhiteRabbit]

tnr - trap neuter release - if you can't find someone to take the cat - also - the cat may be a stray and not actually feral ... ?
tho I understand your concern about winter ...
call a local humane society or spca and ask for their advice - they may be able to give you names of organizations that may be able to help ...

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by got ants

I know I'm gonna catch flack for this, but that cat needs a case of lead poisoning. There are way too many strays out there, and in my opinion, the humane thing to do is to put it down.

Think of it this way...you borrow a trap from the local shelter, catch it and drop it off, just what do you think they are going to do with it?

well even if the cat is put down at the shelter - probably a more humane death - tho I suppose it could depend on the shelter - but the shelters near me use the same injections as are used by vets for pet euthanasia

[UKCat]

If I was a cat I think I would rather have a humane death than freeze to death

I am not being nasty, as some of you know I have just adopted a homeless cat. I have done so before and will again.
But a Feral is totally different to an abandoned/dumped cat and if it is as old as you think it will not take to re-homing and with winters going down that far unless it has shelter survival odds are not good.

I'm just furious at the Humans who put the cat in this position in the first place

[LinhT]

Originally Posted by got ants

Think of it this way...you borrow a trap from the local shelter, catch it and drop it off, just what do you think they are going to do with it?

I always thought the NO KILL shelters DO NOT KILL the animal and GIVE IT A HOME of some sort. I have made donations to several rescue groups and no kill shelters on a regular basis for the last 10 years. Perhaps I am just being silly and should save that money for more orchids.

[Becca]

Well I think everyone else has given great advice....so I really don't have anything to add to it other then my personal experience on what may happen when Ferrel and srtay cats don't get spayed....let me paint a pretty picture for you......

Picture about 10 cats running around ....one unspayed female at least and several males....running around chasing the unspayed female that could just be barely a year old herself. Cats in the night chasing her around and they are all very noisy when a cat is in heat. They wake you up in the middle of the night with their howeling and cat fights. The more stray and ferrel cats in the area, the more they mark their territory and mark on your belongings...flower pots outside, vehicle tires, bbq covers....the marking will get to the point that it will ruin everything! Then it causes your pet cats to start marking their territory inside...even the Christmas tree with the presents under it! I've been through it, it is not pleasant.

It is unfortunate that people do not spay and neuter their cats, but we can only do what we can to help out. Trapping and having them spayed or neutered is the best help for the future population to come down the road.

Like I said before, you have gotten great advise on here from everyone! Good luck and let us know how the situation turns out!

[Becky Jo]

I have befriended many feral cats because many people bring kittens to country and throw them out. I have live traped them and had them fixed and have in some cases made them very nice cats. Granted I have a vet next door that also can do this. When we see a feral cat we do leave out food and yes other animals do find it too but if it gets used to finding food there you could live trap it. There are farms that will let you bring out wild cats because they really need the help with mice and rats in their grain. If you don't have space for it please try a live trap. I know that this is a hard thing to deal with. My vet jokingly calls me the cat lady because the cats with no home usually find their way to my home.
Good Luck and thank you for caring for a homless kitty. Becky Jo

[LinhT]

Thanks for the information. I've contacted some organizations and talked to some neighbors. The kibble was gone this morning and garbage undisturbed but who knows who ate the food. Does not sound like there are many options. Even if it gets spayed/ neutered and released, it won't make it through the winter. If it's brought to the Humane Society, it most likely will not get adopted. The no kill places usually only take animals with special needs or from animal control. Apparently, in the suburb I live, there's no animal control department, just non emergency police who would be the ones trapping it. No option to rent or borrow a Havahart cage. I checked out the prices and they are expensive, not something I can spend on right now. Looks like I'll just have to call the non emergency police and have them take care of it. Can't say I haven't tried but like Izzie said; they can't all be saved.

[Triffid]

A bit late to the discussion, but I thought I'd just add some pointers for future reference.

Not all Strays can be Saved?
This is an absolute truth unfortunately.
Not only is there the question of Rehabilitation which is not always possible depending on how long the cat has been feral, but Disease.
Stray Cats are more likely to contract Feline Aids, and though I do not know how prevalent this is in the USA it is a concern this side of the pond. This can result in a nasty death and it is often much more humane to put them down.

All Cats that go through peoples trash are strays?
Not So!
Some cat owners do not feed their cats enough and/or have more than one so there is competition for food. This can result in the cat getting food from where ever it can.

Un-Neutered Cats Have a wider territorial range?
True.
A male Tom cat can have a territorial range which can be as large as a small city. Un-neutered females are next with range but it will be considerably less than a Tom Cat.
Neutering your cats will stop them 'straying' to far from home and make it less likely to suffer an accident or being picked up by somebody else who thinks that they are a stray.

Cats can't survive sub zero temperatures?
Not necessarily true, it will depend partially on the genetic traits which the cat has. For example a Scottish wild cat can survive extreme cold, and they will have a spring and summer malt like a lot of furry mammals. The Scottish Wild cat is also becoming rarer because they are able to breed with domestic moggies.

There that's it for now.

Hope it goes well with your mystery kitty, but don't be too down your not the one who put the cat in the position it is and well you've done what you can.
It would be nice if every one cared as much as you obviously do!