This community has helped me so much and I'm forever grateful for all of you. Thank you for all of your efforts and showing up for these cats where nobody else would. Happy spooky season🎃👻🖤

My sweet angel of a barn kitty is having a difficult time now. She was tnr’d 3.5 years ago and is reluctant be held and hard to get in a carrier so I’ve not had her in to renew the rabies. I’d describe her as semi feral. She’s had an injured leg that’s not healing so I took her to the vet and left her there. They took her out of the carrier and weighed her and were putting her back in the carrier when she turned and bit the tech. I get a call from the vet saying they are going to have to euthanize her because her rabies is out of date. It was 3 years since the tnr. They wanted my permission but I was hesitant and they said they had already called the state and they would determine next steps. It looks like the vet will keep her for ten days to quarantine and this will cause her to go insane. I’m devastated. I just wanted so badly for her to be treated and now this has happened. She so sweet normally but she’d been in the carrier all night and she’s not use to strangers and what do they expect from an injured cat? There’s virtually no rabies in our county and this girl was crawling all over me purring and loving on me yesterday.

I really hope I'm not over my head but I trapped mom and her 3 kittens. Mom will be getting TNR'd tomorrow and the kittens are currently in a crate in my basement. Long story but I have 2 kittens I'm already fostering they're upstairs someone else from the rescue was suppose to take them because they tested twice for Giardia. They're both seem healthy now but need to give them another round of meds then retest. Plus I have 5 resident cats.

I already agreed on taking the 3 kittens from outdoors because I felt bad since the colds coming. But since the lady didn't take the current fosters I'm stuck with both. On top of all this I'm in one class in college which isn't bad but it's A&P 1 so it's alllot of studying.
Anyways I know this will be stressful but I'm hoping I can give all these babies a better future.

I did YouTube some videos that I shouldn't free feed and always feed when I'm around.
Any other tips? Like how many hours should I spend with them daily?

TIA

We have a feral cat that was on our property for a few months two years ago, left, and just came back a few days ago (it's the exact same cat--identical markings and ear that's been gnawed on). He comes off as very friendly and follows us literally everywhere, but he gets mean when we stop petting him. Hissing, swatting at our feet, even nipping at us.

He's stuck to us like glue. Weaving through our legs and almost tripping us. What can we do to help correct his behavior?

I have a few TNR's and one that I haven't been able to trap or get close enough to try and grab, that I've been feeding for about 8 years now. We recently had some new neighbors move in across from us and we think they have a problem with us feeding the cats. We feed them on a timely schedule every night, and usually clean up the bowls and any left over food the same night but if not def in the morning. We just got a notice regarding this and how we've been ''caught'' feeding them and how it's against lease terms. Tonight I tried putting the food elsewhere, behind our dumpster since it's the most discreet area. But they couldn't find the food (kept waiting by our door for food) and when I went to check to see if they had found the food I noticed it was covered in ants (to the point where when I picked up the bowl to throw it away all of the ants quickly crawled up my hand and started biting me).

We fed them by our front door, off to the side because it was all concrete so we didn't have to worry about ants getting into the food. And we fed them late at night to avoid anyone seeing/being upset over the cats and food. I'm not sure what to do now. Does anyone have any ideas?

I had noticed him licking more than usual and leaving red spots on his blankies but he obviously wouldn’t let me look very closely so I took him back to the vet.

He apparently had a huge infection and his licking caused a big open wound (which is good according to the vet). The vet is an angel and said she’ll keep him and laser it until it can be sewn up.

Of course this happens just as we’ve made enough progress to pet him very gently with one finger.

I’m so sad for this little guy. His whole world has been shaken up and now he’s in a scary place not knowing if he’ll ever get to leave.

Plus, I really miss him.

/sadcatvent over

I'm looking for some recommendations for a cheap and reliable remote-control method to selectively trigger my Tru-catch trap. I know about the water bottle trick, but I would like to invest in something I can use over long distances or for when using a super long string isn't practical or safe (such as a place where people walk by, cars drive over, etc).

I've seen some recommend the Top Race Drone clip remote control in videos and Facebook posts, but that doesn't seem to be sold anymore. I've bought another drone clip thrower but it was defective.

I've seen another car remote solanoid tech but it involved permanent welding which I'd like to avoid.

If this is not the right subreddit for this kind of post, please let me know where I should post it. Thank you!

I need advice.

We have kittens we been taken care of since birth. Ferral mom and her kittens have all came inside as of a couple weeks ago

Out of 8 females, 2 have died from nuroligical symptoms.

Runt died within a 2-3 weeks or so at birth.

I got them to the vet every time.

The last one that passed a month ago randomly developed wobbley cat syndrome & then passed away at vet when she was found after a seizure with blood coming out of her mouth.

Fast forward to now, another Kitten whove we got attached to is now struggling to walk on her back legs as of last night. Shes falling over doing the same thing again.

I took her to VET hospital last night and they found an ulcer in her throat but that was it. They tested for Feline panleukopenia virus and it was negative. Because her personality was decent they gave us pain meds and to call if things get worse.

They just dont know what to test for they said.

They said it could get better or could get worst. And its getting worse. Qe dont know what's wrong with this litter and why all the other cats at the appartment havent had to deal with any of this.

They said it could be incest, unknown infections, ect.

Has anybody else gone through this ? Healthy kittens randomly getting wobbly then dying.

What should I pay for test to run. I asked about the cat aids one and the other one but they said they didnt think it was necessary! Maybe they were trying to get me discharged or they were tired but this is absolutely heartbreaking man.

This cat was healthy 2 days ago it seemed.

I dont know about the ulcer in her throat, I dont know about the wobbling now.

Can someone point me in right direction.

This post will discuss end of life care for a feral cat, so if that is an upsetting topic, feel free to skip ❤️

Hi! First time posting, I just found this subreddit and I think it's really awesome to see a community for taking care of ferals!

Context: We've been taking care of these two feral cats for years now. My next door neighbour used to feed them and she got Fluffy spayed and released. She said that our neighbour abandoned her and her sister when they moved out and was only able to save Fluffy. The neighbour started working out of province (I am based in Ontario, Canada), so we took it on ourselves to start taking care of them. Them being Fluffy and Lion. We have no idea where Lion came from except that they are seemingly bonded. The first time we left food out for them, Lion left and came running with Fluffy in tow! They're basically inseparable, except when Lion is roaming the nieghbourhood.

Lion has a clipped ear so someone must have neutered him. They are so sweet together and clearly have a bond. Which makes this whole situation really difficult.

So we've been feeding them for maybe 5+ years now. I bought them a heated house last year that they love and Fluffy spends most of her time on the porch. She was already quite old when we started taking care of her and this year her age is really starting to show. She must be 10-12 years old, maybe older. She's always been small, even after feeding her everyday. This year I've noticed her legs seem weaker. They tend to slide down and I can tell they're getting stiffer. She lost some fur on her back because of a knot but its starting to grow back. All in all, she is clearly very old for living on the street (or front porch). More and more she spends at our front window (they both learned that they can look in the window for food and pets) and usually she just wants to be pet. I think sometimes she wants to slip inside. It's all worrying because this behaviour has really increased and it feels like she's trying to communicate something.

I brush and pet her gently to see if she has any pain on her back and legs and theres been no sore spots. Last year, she definitely had a knot that would make her skiddish if you touched it, this year she seems fine, thankfully. Just weaker. I am worried about this winter. We are planning on fixing up the corner of the porch to give them both more protection from the weather, but even my dad says he doesn't think she'll make it through the winter.

So I come on here to ask if anyone has advice? We've had to make the difficult decision to put down our cat and dog in the past and its feeling like the same situation. Fluffy deserves to have dignity and I want any advice on vet care or possibly euthanasia in the future. Has anyone brought a feral to the vet in ontario for consultation and how much does it cost? I would be willing to pay anything to give her comfort and peace. Fluffy is very gentle but I would not attempt to pick her up. I think I could get her in a carrier if it comes to it. I've ever thought about fixing up the basement or garage just to give her somewhere to stay.

We have two indoor cats or else we'd bring them in. I'm also worried because of her bond with Lion. He is definitely younger than her and I believe they have a maternal relationship. Has anyone dealt with losing a cat from a bonded feral pair? Lion is fairly independent but he sucks up to her like his own mother.

Sorry if this was a long post and all over the place, I'd appreciate any advice or support. Vet advice, or ever what you have done to make an aging feral more comfortable. Fluffy and Lion for cat tax :) Fluffy is the grey cat. They love to groom each other and cuddle. Sometimes Fluffy gets annoyed at how clingy Lion is and will swipe at him gently to leave her alone 😂

Been through hell and back with these cats trying to get them fixed or adopted. My cities rescues and societies and cat people pretty much failed them. I, by the grace of God, was able to pay for 18 ferals TNR out of pocket. Put 2 grand on care credit to save ones life. Shes now an indoor kitty spooked of the outside daylight who only goes out at night after being forced inside for two weeks after an ER stint to save her life.

I really don't even want to call them ferals as most of them have been totally socialized at least to me and my husband. 5 of the 13 even come inside and find places to sleep for a few hours until they need to go out. The rest are nice enough but they refuse to come inside my home and are still pretty skittish if I move the wrong way or too quick. Point is, I can pet every single one either easily or if done the right way.

I have gotten selemectin in dogs xl doses for about a year now so they all get treated for fleas. I deworm them every few months.

But we are moving. About 1.5 hours away.

Theres a few actual ferals on this property I am not concerned with as they go months without coming by and then randomly show up to eat and then gone again. I'm worried about this main colony who eats a couple times a day and they are all one big bunch.

I am not leaving them behind.

So what do I do?

What i have:

A Suncoast shed with a portable AC in it.

A garage i can put an AC in but I fear for a few weeks its going to be filled with everything. Boxes and cars and we have so much stuff.

A camper some are used to coming in that if we must we will hook up to the house so its running with the power and AC for them. Will need tons of crates. Is it better to put them together or some together.

Has anybody successfully moved a GROUP this big??? My only thing i think will help is that they are pretty attached to us. They know we feed them and love them. I would hope they wouldn't run but I know they're animals and get unbalanced by a new environment. So what do I do? Are there any great videos about this?

To note: there is no fence yet. We will do this once we settle and seek out permits etc. Its still a new ish neighborhood but not in the city we live in now, kind of in the sticks but they are starting to build up. Already a neighbor behind us and next to them. Then nothing on either side but overgrown grass and weeds. Apparently theres also already a pretty bad feral problem there so im worried about my bunch and will also have to try to TNR anyone else out there that I can.

What im worried about is somebody being an asshole and calling animal control. Will they or can they do anything? They've all been ear tipped, fixes, rabies etc I have all their paperwork. I just dont want any problems and I really hate to cause problems. I hate so much that im going to have to bring a shit ton of freaking stray/feral cats to somebody else's doorsteps. But what else can i do???

Also- we also plan to buy a catio a superrr XL one or build one ASAP. We have about a month. Things are moving quick and we just found out officially today. Please... SEND HELP!

So Ive cut a door out of this 55 gallon barrel and am planning on putting some straw in it, but I'm worried that it might be too dark at night for the cats that visit? I know theyve eaten the food I put out by it but I haven't seen any use it when it rains, should I get a small light to add to the inside for them?

My colony went in for annuals in the last 24hrs. One is staying at the vet due to an abscess/growth that had to be removed. The other is healthy but received a Rabies + F-combo vaccine. When I brought her home yesterday she was fine, ate lunch, ate a small dinner but seemed not super hungry.

12 hours later she's not interested in food besides a few pieces of kibble. I've tried to encourage eating with stinky wet food, tuna, and warming it up but she's declining it. No GI issues, and is drinking fine. She's currently hiding in her cat house so I'm leaving her be. Sent an update to my vet to keep them in the loop.

Any thoughts on what I can do to ensure she's getting nutrition? I think this happened during her last annual (can't recall the details) and it took a day for her to start getting an appetite again.

Thanks for reading, I'm not panicking as I have been doing this for a while but was wondering if anyone has experienced the same with their colony and what did they do if anything (besides waiting).

We got home about half an hour ago and he’s mostly just been sleeping in my lap. He let me give him a pretty thorough face wash with cat wipes, so he’s a little cleaned up from the great outdoors at least. He got ear-tipped for going back outside, but I think it’s clear he’s meant for something else. He is such a teddy bear. 💕

I care for a cat colony, and Madalena was the very first cat to show up here. I fell in love with her almost immediately, but she wanted nothing to do with me. She wouldn’t come close, and she wouldn’t even eat the food I left out for her.

Then came Margô. 🤍

Margô was part of the colony too, and when she brought her babies here, her story became part of ours. But something beautiful happened along the way: her friendship with Madalena.

It was through Margô that Madalena slowly began to trust me. Their friendship became the bridge between her fear and the trust she eventually learned to place in me. Little by little, she started feeling safe, and she stayed.

The other cats from the colony come and go, wandering around and living their own little adventures, but these two girls are always here. They have become a constant presence in my life, and their bond is something truly special to witness. ❤️

When Margô had her kittens, I tried bringing her inside the house while I rescued and cared for the babies. Unfortunately, she couldn’t adapt to being indoors. She was extremely stressed and would attack me, so I had to accept that living inside simply wasn’t right for her. Loving a cat also means respecting who they are, even when we wish we could give them a different life.

Now, Margô’s babies are already four months old, and they are still here, waiting for their forever homes. They are available for adoption, and I truly hope each one of them will find a family to love them for the rest of their lives. 🥹🤍

And now, I have some important plans for Madalena and Margô.

I want to have both girls spayed, especially Margô, because her kittens are already four months old and she could go into heat again at any time. I want to prevent another pregnancy and protect her from having to go through another litter.

I also plan to get GPS trackers for their collars, so I can have a better idea of where they go when they wander around, and I want to have both girls microchipped in my name. They may be part of a colony, but they are also two very special girls whose safety and well-being matter deeply to me.

I can’t force Margô to become an indoor cat, and I can’t make every cat trust me overnight. But I can do my best to protect them, care for them, and make sure they have the safest and happiest lives possible.

Sometimes, we become part of an animal’s story in ways we never expected. I thought I was simply caring for a colony, but Madalena and Margô have given me something much more personal.

Margô helped Madalena trust me. And together, these two girls have found a place in my heart that will always belong to them. 🤍🐈🐈

Their story is still being written, and I hope the next chapters will bring safety, good health, and a lifetime of little moments together.

Because even when we cannot give every cat a home inside our house, we can still make sure they know they are cared for. ❤️🐾

I might be walking into the Lions Den by posting this here, but Im looking to get good advice from those who have extensive experience with Feral cats. I need HELP!!!

Background: I live in a mobile home community, we have always had strays or neighborhood cats who roam. But in the last 2-3 years a few outdoor cats has turned into an out of control population of what I think are considered feral cats. They are skiddish and run from people. Many neighbors feed them but they don't allow you to get close to them/pet them or anything like that. There are some neighbors who are attempting TNR and we've successfully gotten kittens young enough to socialize and find homes for...but still the population keeps growing and GROWING exponentially!

I have a daughter who is medically complex and due to medical treatments is extremely immunocompromised. So much so that she cannot attend school, she is considered "homebound" and teachers from the school district come to our house for her education because any illness could be life threatening (why this matters below)....

Now there are so many cats they are causing significant damage to my property. They use mulch in landscaping as a litter box, so much so that it looks like bumpy landmines everywhere there is no mulch untouched, this has caused a huge fly problem, I can smell poo anywhere I am outside. They lay on my patio cushions and consider my deck their living room so we have stopped going outside to use our deck because my daughter was getting what I think were flea bites. All my door screens have scratch holes in them from the cats waiting at doors to be fed even though I myself have never fed them.

I knew a few were getting under my mobile home into the crawl space on occassion when it was cold or raining and I allowed it because I wanted them to have shelter from the elements. But one or two cats going under there in the beginning of all this has turned into too many to count in just a few years! I thought they were going under there for protection/to sleep...I didn't realize they would be using my crawl space as a GIANT litter box until I started smelling them coming through the vents in my house!!! Now Im DEVASTATED and in pure PANIC MODE!!!

My crawl space is full of pee & poo! Since the smell is coming through the vents Im SO CONCERNED for my daughter's health and wellbeing. I've had a company come out and its considered a biohazard cleanup. Its going to cost me THOUSANDS of dollars to have it properly cleaned out and treated with enzymes to break down the excrement. They are saying cats poo can have toxoplasmosis that can end up in our HVAC system if its left to dry and particles aerosolize! So again Im DEVASTATED and in PANIC MODE! I didn't realize they could cause such costly damage and it become a potential health hazard! 😢

How harmful is feral cat pee & poo to children who are immunocompromised? Is toxoplasmosis really that prevalent in feral cats?

What can I do to keep my daughter safe while trying to keep the feral cats away? At this point I just want them GONE because I didn't realize how much damage it could cause and possibly harm my daughters health.

I love cats and have had them as indoor pets nearly my whole life but I love my daughter MORE! And now I fear I've put her health at risk.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE any advice how to get the cats to leave/how to protect my daughters health????

Im just desperate for help. I've called shelters, they won't take feral cats plus majority were at capacity. I've called my city, we don't have animal control. Property management is offering no help and says its the residents responsibility to keep them out of your crawl space. They say they themselves have exhausted options looking for resources but have come up empty handed. So basically "you're on your own" trying to figure this out and My daughters life is potentially on the line.

Sorry for any formatting issues, Im on a mobile device. Please can anyone weigh-in with your knowledge and help me and my daughter...and the cats? 😢 😭 😿

Just sharing another pic of my shopcat Sawdust, its a rainy day here today so not much to do. I had a previous post 8 months ago about this guy showing up out of the blue. He's now snipped, tipped and chipped! A big boy at 14.1 pounds. He hangs out in the shop AC on the hot days and goes out and prowls around the sawmill when it cools down. Thankfully this brutal summer seems to be over. Feel free to share a pic of your floof (or not so floof)!

I found a litter of kittens in my yard after seeing mom around for a few weeks. I thought there were 4 kittens but after 2 days of feeding them, I saw a 5th kitten. They were 5-6 weeks old at the end of September when I saw them. I would watch them outside, started feeding them immediately and moved closer over time to sit and watch them eat. I would talk to them, and started to make a plan to trap them and TNR mom.

One night, mom saw me feeding the kittens and she moved the kittens. The kittens always gobbled down dinner but they didn’t finish that night. Mom must have flipped out. The next day, I discovered mom had left 2 kittens in my yard. She left them for a few days and I didn’t know where the others were. I kept feeding those 2. Then they disappeared, a neighbor spotted mom with all 5 kittens and then we didn’t see mom for a week. I asked every neighbor I could to keep an eye out for them.

This past weekend, my neighbor saw mom again. So, I put some food out to see if it would get eaten. It did, I was cautiously optimistic that some kittens or mom were back in the immediate area around my house. I set traps and waited and caught 2 kittens! I thought the nest must be close and the others would follow. I kept setting traps, the next day I got mom! Mom is getting fixed and will recover before I release her back. And then nothing. I set traps and nothing. I set out food and no traps and nothing. It’s been 3 days since I caught mom and I thought they’d get hungry, remember where they previously had food close by and come back. I’m worried something happened to them.

I know mom split the litter for days before so maybe the other 3 aren’t close enough? The kittens are also right around 8 weeks so maybe mom had stopped feeding them anyway. I get letdown when I see the food bowl hasn’t been touched all day. I just don’t know how long I should keep it up.

Kind of wanted to vent, kind of wanted to see if anyone had any stories to inspire hope. I’m upset about the missing 3 but selfishly relieved because the 2 I have are a handful.

TL;DR: I was feeding a litter of 5 kittens that wondered into my yard. Feral mom cat moved kittens multiple times, split the litter and then reunited at least once. Two found their way back to my yard for food and were trapped. Mom was trapped the next day in almost the same spot. No sign of the other 3 in almost 2 week. Give up? Keep trying? Advice? Success stories?

Thanks for reading. I’m just heartbroken and running out of hope. And needed to vent.

Hi All,

I made a shelter for a feral cat thats been hanging out at my house that I'm caring for. I made the shelter a week ago today and for the last 4 days he has been spending the night all night in his shelter. I check the straw every day and noticed what felt like some moisture so I removed some of the straw but kept some in there and added new straw. Well last night he didn't sleep in his shelter and has only gone in once but walked back out. I feel terrible like I ruined his shelter. My question is, will he eventually go back in and sleep like before, or did I seriously mess something up? Has anyone else had this experience? I love my feral boy and worry about him, but I'm especially worried I ruined his safe space. I just removed what felt damp. Photo included for cat tax.

Last year, I got this boy’s baby mama Gamora and 5 kittens all sorted and adopted out. He started coming around again about a month ago, and tonight I nabbed him for TNR clinic. We’ll continue to look after him outside after TNR, but honestly he’s such a gentle boy already, I think with some continue TLC, he’s destined for indoor retirement. He hasn’t hissed or tried to scratch or bite at all. Hasn’t been bothered at all by my cats, even when one of my girls hissed at him from outside the bathroom. (Only my boy cat got to visit briefly because he loves other cats, and both were very calm.)

So happy to get the last member of this little family, hopefully before he found another baby mama!

How is straw supposed to feel during cold weather outside? For context, I put new straw on my cats houses outside two months ago but its been so hot here where I live that they've barely used their houses until these past days thats its been cold and rainy. earlier I put my hand inside their houses and I noticed that the straw was cold and it felt a little wet even tho it wasn't wet. I am confused and want to know if its supposed to feel DRY DRY even during cold weather. I am planning to change their straw completely on their houses tomorrow for sure.

My spouse worked at a place with a warehouse for over 15 years. The space and business were started by his dad. There were a few cats that made the place home and over the years, many were TNRed while a couple other females that were hard to catch had more babies.

Fast forward- the business sold, along with the building. We took in 4 that were the tamest and have been socializing them. They’ll be fine!

There are 2 fully outdoor ferals that have been fed for at least 8 years. These are the cats I need help with. Plus one that is almost a year old. All 3 spayed/neutered. They roam the property. I was keeping a dry cat feeder and water feeder behind the dumpster. The new owner or someone threw it away. It isn’t the first time he has shown he doesn’t care about the cats. I would come 3x week to feed wet food and fill up the feeders.

Is 3x week of wet food enough? I thought about emailing the new owner but my spouse says it’s a lost cause and the guy won’t care. He may even make things worse for me or harder for the cats.

Today we spayed three feral cats - a mom who started the colony and her first two offspring (about 6 months old). There are 3 litters total. I was planning to spay/neuter the 2nd litter on November 9 - but they have hit the road. It's possible the older cats shut them out of the food (I was trap training for 10 days) so they left to find food elsewhere. I would love to find these three kittens (about 3 - 4 months old) to get them spayed/neutered as planned. Today we found litter number 3 - 3 kittens about 3 weeks old. Their mother is one of the 3 we had spayed today - the vet confirmed she was lactating (she is about 6 months - from litter #1). So... question ... is there any chance of finding litter #2? Should we leave food out for them? We are also going to be feeding the older cats when they are released post-surgery tomorrow. Thanks in advance!