Please help me with a feral/ stray cat
 

I'm hoping to hear from the cat people who have experience with stray or feral cats. There is a (I think, adult) cat wandering around at night digging in my garbage, tearing open bags, pulling out pieces of spoiled food and leaving a trail. I saw it digging in my neighbor's garbage a few weeks ago then this morning I found garbage remains near my front door and my garbage bin was a mess, with ripped bags. I've seen a black cat with white paws and a white muzzle wandering around in my backyard lately.

I've never owned a kitty and know nothing about them because I am a dog person. Since winter is probably arriving soon in MN, I'm worried about the poor kitty. MN winters are no joke. I can't get close enough to it because it...
1) turns around and wanders back into the forest (no hissing or aggression so far)
2) I'm allergic to cats (I cough and have trouble breathing)

So I bought a bag of Nutrisource cat kibble today and put some out in the backyard. I'm not sure what else to do. Humane society can't really do anything since I don't have the animal in my possession. I doubt animal control would come out and comb through the forest in my backyard to look for one cat.

Should I even be feeding this little guy or girl?? Or would that do more harm than good? Is it even possible to "keep" an outdoor cat in an area where the winters can get -40 degrees F?

Even though I'm not a cat person, I would still be really bummed if I bring it to the Humane Society, only to find out it had to be euthanized due to whatever reason. Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas from the cat folks?

It's always a gamble leaving food out, for fear of attracting other animals like racoons and such. But there's no harm in it, and if the cat eats it, all the better.

As far as shelter, do you have a shed or garage that might have a place the cat could get into that you could put rags and old blankets in? Again, a gamble with other animals moving in, but still.

In the end- there are hundreds of thousands of strays out there. We can't save all of them. Most strays are smart, maybe this guy will figure something out.

ETA: I have friends on a farm in Iowa that have several feral barn cats. I don't think they do much of anything for them in the winter. They get a large tray/bucket full of table meat scraps, cheap cat food, and calf milk replacer (mixed together)once a day though- year round.
They have lots of hay and old blankets in their barn.

If you find some old down pillows at good will or something, those work too. Mice love them though. :X
But cats love mice....

Please help me with a feral/stray cat
 

The worst problem that I see is that if your feral kitty is a "she", she will present you with a litter of little copies of her in the spring if not sooner. If it is a "he" then there might be fights with the local males.
We have a spayed calico who is indoor-outdoor. For several months there have been a pair (obviously brothers) of male cats who visit her. One of them has disappeared but the other who I call "Bubba" still comes to visit. I do not feed him so who knows where he eats. He causes no harm or problems and when I get within his fight-or-flight zone, he runs away.
So, do you want to really take care of the kitty? With your allergies, that will be tough. If you feed it, really, it is yours. OTOH, giving it a place to stay during the winter would be a kindness on your part but having to face the torn garbage bags and the resultant mess is frustrating. If you do decide to let it stay, what will the neighbors whose garbage bags are being torn say?
Trap it with a hav-a-hart trap and take it to the humane society or if there is one nearby, a no-kill shelter. There just may be someone out there looking for that cat to give it its forever home.
Beverly A.

Some of the shelters will let you use a Hav-a -Heart live trap with a deposit you get back when it is returned . That is what we had to do at the other place , the males sprayed on everything and females gifted us with more :( they moved in as soon as the barn went up we did keep 2 and had them neutered at a clinic .. good mouse control ..

Tracy, I am so glad to hear you are helping the little kitty. So many people just don't care about strays. It will be hard for it to survive the winter. Your best bet is to try to catch it in an humane trap. Be sure to bring it to a "no-kill" shelter. Down here the humane society does not offer feral cats or strays of any kind for adoption. They are always euthanized. In that case your kitty would be better off surviving the winter in a barn. Good luck and keep us posted. God bless you for caring!

Everyone's offered up great advice, I'd only add one thing - you may consider calling around to shelters and see if you can find one who has a 'trap and release' program for Feral cats. Once a cat is adult and feral, there is likely no rehabilitation that will be successful, this cat will likely never adapt to being anything remotely like a pet, however, to control the populations, some shelters will do a subsidized or free neuter or spay. Here in SF, they do this, and then 'notch' the cat's ear to show that it's been neutered. This has helped control the population immensely.

Feeding it is probably ok, but it may attract other animals. It's likely the cat also forages on it's own, and know that if you start feeding it, it will come back regularly.

-Tristan

Thanks for the input, ladies.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can let it live in the garage. I live in the suburbs and my garage barely has enough room for the 2 cars, lawn mower and snow blower. Besides, my dog, Yuuki, would go nuts everytime I take him to the car. I put food out today, in hopes that the kitty will leave my garbage and my next door neighbor's garbage alone, until I can figure out what to do. There was an elderly gentleman accross the street who used to leave food outside for several feral cats for years. He passed away last year and I think this was one of his strays. I googled the Havahart trap thing and it sounds like my best option. I am definitely worried about the kitten issue, Beverly. If I see some kittens roaming around in the cold looking for food, I could never turn the other cheek. However, if I took any cats in, I think I'd die before they do. I'm also worried about the safety of my dog and the wildbirds that visit my feeders each day. I'll have to look for more no kill shelters in my area. The Minneapolis animal control seems more likely to seek out adoption options but I live in St. Paul. I think they end up euthanizing most feral or stray cats. MN Humane Society does euthanize non adoptable pets as well, from what I understand. Home for Life is no kill but it's a far drive and I'd probably croak in the car before I made it there. I don't mind buying a Havahart trap. The only issue is I need to find someone who is willing to transport the cat to the rescue group or shelter, as I can not be near it for more than 15 - 20 min before I feel chest tightness. I'll go to Fleet Farm tomorrow to find the trap and look for more no kill shelters online.

Again, thanks for the ideas and guidance.

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.

Sounds like a plan to me. Only in rare instances will a truly feral cat warm up enough to be a good housepet. Where I was, they were re-located to farms once they were snipped.

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.

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?

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 ...

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

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

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 :((

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.

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!

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
:goodluck:

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.

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!

You likely don't need any more opinions at this point, but here's my 2 cents anyways! What about a garbage can with lid for your garbage? I'm surprised raccoons or dogs haven't been at it before this cat. It is the law here to have garbage cans and even at our cabin at the lake. We have had cats for years and they have all been strays. Right now we have 3 although none of them were real 'ferals'. One of ours was living in an overhang porch of our house in a cardboard box with a rug and catching the sparrows at our feeder. She has long fur so survived our -40 prairie winters in zone 2b of Canada, but was slowly starving. When we realized she was there she was almost like a wild animal about her food but it was because she was so hungry. Now she lives indoors full time, has been spayed and is twice the weight of when we found her. She is the gentlest of cats. Many cats that are not actually feral are still very cautious and will not let a stranger approach them. You could lure it and make it trust you with food and then use a hava heart trap. My sister who fosters cats for her local SPCA until they are deemed adoptable has had training on ferals and a true adult feral is likely not adoptable. But it could at least be trapped, neutered and released or humanely put down. And it may just be a scared lost kitty that needs to be adopted. I would think your neighbors would be willing to transport it once caught if you do all the work of feeding and trapping it. Then their garbage will no longer be torn open.

More humane then being shot at and maimed not killed . I worked at a shelter for 2 weeks when the manager was gone . Pick up a vein press plunger gone . Sad but some times there is no choice ..

Yep, I do have a lid on my garbage bin. It still got in. Some of the neighbors are questioning whether or not it may be a racoon.

That's a good point. If it does belong to someone, all I have to say is, it BETTER be spayed/ neutered. Every family member of mine who gets a pet, gets the same lecture from me:

"Is it spayed/ neutered? I don't give a @$%# if you don't have time or money. You need to get it fixed or you shouldn't be getting a flippin' pet."

Indeed, I do care very much about animal welfare. I come from a family of some animal abusers. One did not spay his cat. She had kittens and he drowned the entire litter in a bathtub because he was too lazy to take them to a shelter. Another one used to kick his German Shephard violently in the chest and leave it outside in the winter till it's paws were frostbitten. He thought that was funny. He also used to grab the head of his Pekingnese and bang it's face against the wall until it was bloody. I was very young when these things happened and either could not do anything or did not know who to call. After college, I became a regular donor to ASPCA. I made it clear to all my family that if I ever witnessed any more animal abuse/ neglect, I'd report that person and take the animal away from them with or without their consent. Blood relation will not get in the way of me picking up the phone. I will not think twice about it.

Unless you saw the cat getting the lid off, I would definitely say raccoon, not cat getting into the garbage. It also doesn't sound like typical cat nature as they are much more picky eaters than dogs and raccoons and wouldn't want most of what is in the garbage. One thing about a stray or outdoor cat, they certainly help control rodent population! But that still doesn't solve the problem of the stray cat!

Tracy , I am sorry for the bad memories I have a few and they don't ever go away ..
As a kid I did some things if caught would of been smiling for the camera holding a number lolol , turned the slaughter house horses out into a 100 acre field , swiped ingrown halters off foals and off of a horse that was belly deep in water in the winter and cooking in the summer tied to a fence in a field no food or water the Humane Society finally took the horse ..
This was many years ago I had to call them daily and beg . Being a kid don't think they took me serious .As an old woman would do it again ..

LinhT, like Gin, I am sorry that you had to go through those experiences. It's never nice when you have to witness cruelty no matter the form. And Gin, it warms my heart that you kept calling about the horse!

On a brighter note a story that may cheer you up (just a little).
My mum (Cat-woman as she's known by her neighbours) has been recently fostering another batch of abandoned cats. One of these Cats was a heavily pregnant female who my mum and the RSPCA decided to call (Big-)Bertha.

She was so heavily laden with kittens that she literally waddled! So much that mum and the inspectors were expecting a bumper load of kittens. As it turned out she had only four, big healthy babies (poor Bertha!). All of these kittens have been found good new homes (before they were even ready for release) and Bertha has now been neutered. The kittens will be neutered when the time comes (just one of the conditions set down by the RSPCA).

So for all the cruel & ignorant ones out there there, there is also those that dedicate so much spare time to help out where there can :)

:blowkisses:Bless you Ladies for a loving heart.


From the cat lady in Freedom Township Mi Becky Jo

For the last 30 years, my husband and I have had from 1 to 3 cats sharing our lives. They have always been strays that in various ways found us. Most of them needed vet care from injuries etc. but all ended up happy, healthy and loved! Right now we have 3 of them!

:) I always adopt from shelters as well. And we always try our best to get adult cats, rather than a kitten. I've seen too many waste away mentally, waiting for months to be noticed in the shelters.
And blacks/greys are a favorite too. They also get overlooked, because they often blend into the steel kennels and aren't as visible.

This thread is still going?

I apologize if I offended anyone, but since I work in pest control, and have done so at an animal shelter, I can tell you first hand they aren't as humane as you think. The dogs in the back that aren't fit for adoption, it's just sickening.

Keep in mind the first post of this thread was in reference of a feral cat. Some of the most humane methods of putting an animal down may seem inhumane to others, since they have no first hand knowledge of how it effects the animal. A well placed shot is not felt by an animal.

Again, my apologies if I offended anyone.

Please help me with a feral/stray cat
 

'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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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!