Feral Kitty Shelters

[Misty_Morning]

I'm gonna havta pat myself on the back, cuz I did a really good thing this past weekend.

As you know the economy is in the toilet, and unfortunately household pets are taking big hit.

Seems that some folks in my neighborhood, more than several families, have been foreclosed on and/or moved cuz they can't pay their mortgage or rent.

Alot of them have abandoned their cats. So, they are not REALLY feral cats but abandoned cats. But there are some feral cats around here too. In fact, I have taken one in. She was just a kitten when I trapped her and had her spayed for $10 at the humane society. Now, she has joined my household and is now a house cat.

But there are several abandoned and feral cats outside that I have a hard time turning a blind eye to.

This past weekend I got online and did some looking, cuz it does get cold here from time to time.


so , for about $40 I was able to construct a warm, dry shelter for the feral cats that I have been feeding.


Basically, it is 2really large plastic tubs. One inside the other with styrofoam in between and above and below. And there's a hole cut through all of this, leading to a nice warm and dry sanctuary.


I guess I need to invest in a trap for the kitty's so I can have them spayed or neutered.





What do people think when they abandon pets?


I just don't get it.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

At my college, we have a large wooden shelter custom built for abandoned cats. And a teacher who feeds them every night, finds the new ones, and takes them to the vet for a check-up and spaying, if necessary.

Good luck with your endeavours.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I think they believe cats can fend for themselves. That's only true in temperate areas where an abundance of leftovers or lots of lizards live in underbrush. In snowy climes, it's deadly. Abandoning dogs is even more reprehensible because canines are pack animals and need their cohorts. Worse yet, they may band together and form packs that are genuinely dangerous. It's all so very sad.

 

[Misty_Morning]

I think they believe cats can fend for themselves. That's only true in temperate areas where an abundance of leftovers or lots of lizards live in underbrush. In snowy climes, it's deadly. Abandoning dogs is even more reprehensible because canines are pack animals and need their cohorts. Worse yet, they may band together and form packs that are genuinely dangerous. It's all so very sad.

I'm pretty sure that that's what most folks think around here. It's warm most of the time and there are plenty of lizards. (the feral kitty I took in used to bring me several of them a day...)

But these abandoned cats are not used to the outdoors.



I have emailed the HOA and told them that having the pound trap cats and take them off, will not alleviate the situation, cuz as soon as those cats are gone, others will take their place.

Trap and release is the way to go.


We'll see how things will go in the next few months.

Anyways, if you got a little extra money or the supplies, I hope ya'll will make shelters to for the feral kitties for the winter.

heres a few links:

http://www.pacthumanesociety.org/core/WinterShelter.htm

http://www.urbancatleague.org/Shelters.html

http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=631

http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_FERAL_CAT_WINTER_SHELTER

 

[TE999]

People are incredibly callous when it comes to pets. They'll abandon them without a thought.

My SIL has taken one shelter cat and two abandoned cats into her home, all spayed females. My BIL has a dog they found abandoned at a campsite in the NC mountains.

The local humane society makes every effort to find homes for the animals that are brought to them and there is a no kill animal shelter in town as well.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

It would be hard to tell which cats were feral and which were just wondering around in our neighborhood. Any cats, feral or 'pet' that stay out at night are in mortal danger. We have coyotes that come down from the mountains along the river and great horned owls that live in the huge trees in a local park. Better by far to remain a house cat!

 

[vrosej10]

In the building we used to live in, someone moved out an left a cat, who went on the be named anxiety cat due to his skittish nautre. Everyone in the building fed him, but he was too tripped out to ever bond with anyone (none of us could afford to take him in anyway; the building had a no pets policy, which is the reason his previous owners got the boot). He was a nice cat and it was such a shame.

Around here part of the problem is no one wants to rent to people with pets. It's next to impossible to get somewhere to live if you have a pet. The landlords around here have a lot of power which they use indiscriminantly and without conscience. It's all about the cash and no one thinks about the quality of life of anyone.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

In the building we used to live in, someone moved out an left a cat, who went on the be named anxiety cat due to his skittish nautre. Everyone in the building fed him, but he was too tripped out to ever bond with anyone (none of us could afford to take him in anyway; the building had a no pets policy, which is the reason his previous owners got the boot). He was a nice cat and it was such a shame.

Around here part of the problem is no one wants to rent to people with pets. It's next to impossible to get somewhere to live if you have a pet. The landlords around here have a lot of power which they use indiscriminantly and without conscience. It's all about the cash and no one thinks about the quality of life of anyone.

And in my city, landlords can set limits on pets (number, size), but it's illegal to refuse to rent because of pets. Of course, many landlords find 'other' reasons not to rent, but they can be challenged at our city rental board.

 

[vrosej10]

And in my city, landlords can set limits on pets (number, size), but it's illegal to refuse to rent because of pets. Of course, many landlords find 'other' reasons not to rent, but they can be challenged at our city rental board.

We so need that here! I had a friend who spent nearly a year couch surfing because she didn't want to get rid of her dog. Everywhere she stayed, she risked her host's eviction and when she eventually could get somewhere to rent, all thye would let to her was a hell hole on the verge of demolition. She's a widow with severe diabetes; the dog is her closest friend.

We wanted a furry pet like a cat or dog for our son, as treatment for his autism and that was completely out of the question. We couldn't risk moving at the time and I really think it would have been a great help. The housing situation really sucks here.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

We so need that here! I had a friend who spent nearly a year couch surfing because she didn't want to get rid of her dog. Everywhere she stayed, she risked her host's eviction and when she eventually could get somewhere to rent, all thye would let to her was a hell hole on the verge of demolition. She's a widow with severe diabetes; the dog is her closest friend.

We wanted a furry pet like a cat or dog for our son, as treatment for his autism and that was completely out of the question. We couldn't risk moving at the time and I really think it would have been a great help. The housing situation really sucks here.

Yes, a ridiculous situation. We have our own house, so there's no question of not having a pet for our kids when they were younger and for ourselves now. About 3/4 of the homes around us have cats and/or dogs. I'm not too pleased with the folks who let their cats wander, though; we have a lot of cars and a couple of coyotes, and I do like to feed the birds, squirrels, and anything else that comes by hungry.

 

[fieryjen]

That makes me oh-so glad that I own a house and nobody can tell me shit about keeping a pet there. Couldn't imagine life without Pollux now.

And Misty - thank you for investing so much time and money in helping the cats.