Please help me with a feral/ stray cat

[fotofashion]

'scuse me Got Ants but the reference was to a stray/feral cat. The person who originated the thread did not know if it was one or the other. And...there is a difference.
She said it was an adult cat. I wonder if it is old enough to have weathered last winter on its own. Cats can be pretty good at finding a place to shelter. Again, my principal concern is if it is a female, the problem with unwanted litters of kittens.
Beverly A.

[got ants]

Bev, Again I apologize for any misunderstandings, but I solely was speaking if the cat was feral, not someone's missing pet. There was no mention of a collar, or tags for that matter.

Feral cats are known carriers of diseases. These can also be spread to peoples pets, and in some cases, to humans as well.

Cats should not be outdoors period. As for rodent control, unless the cats are starved (not humane) they do a poor job of rodent control. Barn cats is one thing, but having feral cats living in the woods is another.

Being in the pest control business, it really bothers me when folks think its OK to have their "pets" live outside. Cats OR dogs for that matter. I deal with tick and flea infestations all the time, and that's not the least of the problems they can get in to. They can get FIV (feline HIV), feline leukemia virus, cat flu, mange, etc...

Having an outdoor cat is outright inhumane IMHO.

[LinhT]

Gin and Triffid, thank you for sharing your wonderful stories.

The non emergency police said to call back when I see the mystery kitty again. So far I haven't had trouble with the garbage anymore, nor have I seen it after that day. I did some more reading and researching online and I think the best option really is the MN Humane Society. I know a few people who actually work there and I'm aware that they do euthanize but it is by humane means. If I see it again, I'll just have the non emergency police trap it and ask them to let me bring it to the Humane Society (it is only 15 min away from me). I have no idea where the emergency police would take it and they did not share that information. I hope to give every animal I encounter, a second chance for a better life. However, if that's not possible, I completely agree that a well placed bullet or humane injection is the best option. Freezing to death in the winter is horrible but even THAT is better than a fate similar to this:

Anyone who is still following this thread, please take a moment to watch the video in this too, if possible. I am not a supporter of PETA; just found this sad video on what can happen to animals who have been surrendered to a shelter.
Professional Laboratory and Research Services Undercover Investigation | PETA.org

Again, thanks for all the replies. For those of you who have given an unwanted animal a home or put it out of it's misery, I sincerely thank you for what you have done, are doing and will continue doing.

[Izzie]

I'd take what PETA advertises with a grain of salt. By far, not all rescues and shelters are abysmal failures. Not to mention, the quality of the shelter is affected in large part by the donations it receives and the community around it.

[snakecharma]

not to mention that one of peta's aims, as stated by them, is abolition of pet ownership at all. No.Pets. Ever.

[Amanda L]

Don't mean to reopen an old thread, but what happened? Did you ever see the kitty again? If you did where you able to catch it?

It's so frustrating to me when people don't get there animals fixed! All mine get spayed/neutered at no more than 9 months old. None of my cats go outside and my dog is not left unsupervised outside. I agree that if you can't afford or don't have time to spay/neuter your animal, you don't need one. That is one of the biggest responsibilities of pet ownership.
The Nashville Humane Association is a low-kill shelter that only euthanizes when animals are too ill or have behavioral problems. They also offer discount spay/neuter certificates with the following costs: Male Dogs: $64.00, Female Dogs:$90.00,Male Cats: $51.00,Female Cats: $65.00. Which is why I find it unacceptable when someone says they can't afford to get their animals fixed. I always tell them about this program, but they always have other excuses. Mostly it boils down to pure laziness. There is a woman at work that has a cat that is now pregnant for the 2nd time. I continue to tell her about the program and she still does nothing. I even tell her, when she tries to give me one of the kitten, that she needs to get her cat fixed and about the certificates and where she can take her cat to get fixed. I want to knock her upside her head for her stupidity!
Sorry, I didn't mean to rant, but this is something that I feel very strong about.

On a different note. I was staying with my mom for awhile when I was around 20 and one day while I was home a truck pulled around the back of her house, put something in the shed and left. I went out there about 30 minutes later to see what they put in there and found a scared black poodle mix. It looked like it had mange so I told my sister not to touch it. I called my mom and said the same thing. The dog stayed in the shed all night and the next day my mom took it to the vet. The dog did not have mange it had severe chemical burns on it's back and needed hydro-therapy. My mom was going to pay for this, even though she didn't really have the money. One of the vet techs fell in love with the poor baby, paid for the bills and adopted him. A sad story with a happy ending.
It's lucky for the dog that the people chose my moms shed to put him in!

[silken]

Ditto on the above about neutering. We have always had 1 or more cats for over 30 years. They were always fixed by 6 months, or if they were adults when we got them as many were, they were done almost immediately. And we never adopted a single stray that was already neutered, which tells you something about why they may be stray in the first place.

People who can't afford the basics of pet care, should not own a pet. Sadly the same needs to be said about many people who have children.

[LinhT]

I did not see Mystery Kitty again, Amanda. I just moved into a new home in a different city about a month ago so don't really know what has happened with the animal. We've had a crazy winter in MN so far. Tons of snow and very cold (as usual every winter, here). It is suppose to get down to -10 degrees F tonight. If nobody has captured the cat by now, I think it's probably dead. Thank you for posting that S/N info. I hope any and all potential pet owners in your area who check into this forum sees it. And thank goodness for people like your Mom. Tell her she is a superstar!