Strays - what to do? LONG

There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens. Mama is in
rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about a
year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard, starving and
flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but the two
who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've integrated
beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats.

I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now and
they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in the
street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People use this
street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out there, but
no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day or two,
is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it first, which
will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was able to
take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the babies.

The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the neighbor
across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the time and
because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has been
amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat (not
part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with them,
and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids torture
these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for days at a
time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water for the
cat(s).

This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are spending a
good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and could
probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am barely able
to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart to see
her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and appears
desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me. Tonight
when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This is not
a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a thing
except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them, and they
will multiply....

There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal control which
will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I shouldn't have
taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering kitten
and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but I'm
overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my house is
just too small and already crowded with nine in here.

I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on breeding
and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What would you
do in my place?

"Pat" wrote in message
...
There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens.
Mama is in
rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about
a
year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard,
starving and
flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but
the two
who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've
integrated
beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats.

I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now
and
they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in
the
street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People
use this
street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out
there, but
no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day
or two,
is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it
first, which
will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was
able to
take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the
babies.

The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the
neighbor
across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the
time and
because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has
been
amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat
(not
part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with
them,
and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids
torture
these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for
days at a
time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water
for the
cat(s).

This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are
spending a
good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and
could
probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am
barely able
to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart
to see
her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and
appears
desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me.
Tonight
when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This
is not
a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a
thing
except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them,
and they
will multiply....

There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal
control which
will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I
shouldn't have
taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering
kitten
and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but
I'm
overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my
house is
just too small and already crowded with nine in here.

I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on
breeding
and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What
would you
do in my place?

What I would do (and have done - sorry) in your place is to take them
to animal control. No one can save them all. It can't be done.

There are just circumstances where you can't make things better, and
looking the other way only allows them to get worse.

Taking an animals that cannot care for itself, and that you cannot
care for to a shelter is better than allowing it to starve, suffer,
die of thirst or be killed by a car or a predator.

There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide
which is the least wrong thing to do.

Jo

"Jofirey" wrote

| What I would do (and have done - sorry) in your place is to take them
| to animal control. No one can save them all. It can't be done.
|
| There are just circumstances where you can't make things better, and
| looking the other way only allows them to get worse.
|
| Taking an animals that cannot care for itself, and that you cannot
| care for to a shelter is better than allowing it to starve, suffer,
| die of thirst or be killed by a car or a predator.
|
| There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide
| which is the least wrong thing to do.

This will take some time to digest

"Jofirey" wrote

| There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide
| which is the least wrong thing to do.

I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will
have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the
miracle purrs will make a difference....

"Pat" wrote in message
et...

"Jofirey" wrote

| There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide
| which is the least wrong thing to do.

I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one
will
have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the
miracle purrs will make a difference....

Nanki-Poo, Lindy and I will send some purrs, in the hope that will help.

Joy

Pat wrote:

I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one will
have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the
miracle purrs will make a difference....

Purrs is all we can send, but we're sending them in abundance.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

On Jun 18, 12:57 pm, "Pat" wrote:
There's a stray mama-cat in front of my house with four kittens. Mama is in
rough shape. I've been seeing her around the neighborhood for about a
year... last fall, three of her kittens ended up in my yard, starving and
flea-ridden. I took them in and nursed them, one didn't make it but the two
who did are living with me and the other 7 owners, they've integrated
beautifully into the clowder and are wonderful cats.

I've been feeding the stray group on the porch for about a week now and
they've decided to stick around but I often see the babies laying in the
street, which has a lot of traffic for a residential street. People use this
street as a dragstrip. No cat let alone a tiny kitten is safe out there, but
no way can I bring these cats in. Best I could do, maybe, in a day or two,
is confine them in the screened carport (gotta put a door on it first, which
will require building a door), but I would only do that if I was able to
take mama to the vet for spaying and had homes waiting for the babies.

The mama-cat is not feral. I think she sort of belongs to the neighbor
across the street, because that's where I've seen her most of the time and
because she appeared around the time they moved in. Her tail has been
amputated and is about two inches long. There's also a young boy-cat (not
part of this litter but probably from this mama) hanging around with them,
and his tail looks like the letter Z. I think the neighbor kids torture
these cats.... And the whole family stays gone from the house for days at a
time. They take their two dogs with them and leave no food or water for the
cat(s).

This mama-cat keeps trying to come in my house. The kittens are spending a
good deal of their time in the carport. I can touch the mama and could
probably put her in a carrier and get her to the vet, but I am barely able
to care for the nine cats I already have. Still, it breaks my heart to see
her constantly having kittens. She's very run-down looking and appears
desperate for help, the way she cries at me every time she sees me. Tonight
when I fed my cats inside I could hear her crying on the porch. This is not
a ploy, she really is in bad shape and needs help, and I can't do a thing
except put out some food, but I don't have enough for all of them, and they
will multiply....

There's no humane society or shelter in this town, just animal control which
will kill them all. I hate being in this kind of situation. I shouldn't have
taken in the kittens last fall, but I can't bear to see a suffering kitten
and not do my best to help it.... my nature is to want to help, but I'm
overloaded here. Even if my budget would allow for more cats, my house is
just too small and already crowded with nine in here.

I feel like confronting the jerks who let this poor girl keep on breeding
and don't even feed her, but I know it wouldn't do any good. What would you
do in my place?

Such a tough decision, and I'm like you in that I can't just ignore an
animal in need. Something needs to be done though. At the least can
you get her desexed?? Anyhow, purrs being sent for the mama cat and
her kittens.

"Dewi" wrote

| Such a tough decision, and I'm like you in that I can't just ignore an
| animal in need. Something needs to be done though. At the least can
| you get her desexed?? Anyhow, purrs being sent for the mama cat and
| her kittens.

I just looked out the window and there she is, laying in the driveway with
four kittens suckling on her. They are past old enough to be weaned but I
guess as long as mama lets them suck, they will suck.

"Pat" wrote in message
et...

"Jofirey" wrote

| There are just plain times in life when you have to try to decide
| which is the least wrong thing to do.

I've emailed the three closest no-kill shelters. Hopefully at least one
will
have room for this family. I don't expect they will, but maybe some of the
miracle purrs will make a difference....


We are sending purrs that there will be room at the no kill shelter for
these poor cats. If you cannot take them yourself (which you can't) that
would be a great option for them. If they can't take them either you will
have to search your heart about taking them to animal control. I know you
don't want to - and neither would I but you realise already that it cannot
continue, unless you can catch and speuter every cat that comes out of that
neglectful house.
I hope I never have to make this sort of decision.

There are rarely any stray cats where I live - actually KFC & Boyfie were
the last ones I saw! and certainly no mommas with kittens. The neuter/spay
message seems to got through near here.

The question is, I suppose, what is best for them if no-one is in a position
to do anything about them. Does the momma cat keep breeding kittens for
ever? Do those kittens get squashed on the busy road? Or would it be
better if they went to RB before all that happens?
I don't envy your decision.

Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote

| We are sending purrs that there will be room at the no kill shelter for
| these poor cats.

Great news -- a shelter I contacted near Columbia, five hours away, emailed
me back with contact info for a local rescue person who is only 10 miles
away. She said she will take them all, find homes for the babies, get mama
spayed and keep her. She asked about the boy with the crooked tail too, but
it may be impossible to capture him.

This lady said in the past week she's had two pot-bellied pigs dumped at her
farm!! She says they're out in a field and very afraid. Heck I'd be
terrified if I was someone's pet and was suddenly dumped in a strange place
but at least they have food and water and companionship.

The plan is I will try to confine the whole kitty family in my screened
carport and then call the rescue lady to come get them. I've started feeding
them in there. Luckily I still have half a case of PetGuard 14 oz. cans that
all my clowder hate, they let it rot in the dish if I dare serve it to them.
It's expensive food but that's what this poor mama needs right now, she was
so hungry at lunchtime that she growled at her own babies when they tried to
join her at the bowl, until she had wolfed half the can.

This is an ideal time to spay since she's still nursing a bit and probably
isn't pregnant. The lady asked if I can help with the cost. I can't, but I
decided to try and sell the old storm windows that are sitting in the
garage. I was saving them to make a cold frame later to start seedlings, but
I can find another way when the time comes. They should bring at least half
the cost of the spay, if they sell.

Another surprise this morning was seeing mama laying on the porch nursing
FIVE kittens. At first I thought there were three, then four, but now I know
the truth. No wonder she's so ragged!! And they're probably not as old as I
thought, maybe 7 weeks at most, could even be six weeks old.

There are two solid gray ones, two lovely tabbies (wide length-wise stripes)
and one solid black. The black one is smallest and I haven't seen it since
early this morning. Mama seems to be a little worried too, she's been out
there looking all over, and I can tell she's tired and wants to sleep after
her big lunch.

I put several boxes with old rags in them, and an old carpet, a litterbox,
food and water dishes out there. Earlier today I found three kittens
sleeping in one of the boxes. Hopefully tonight they will all find their way
into the boxes and I will have the new carport door that I'm building all
finished and put up, and can lock them in and call the rescuer to come first
thing tomorrow.

I am SO relieved!!!! With a bit of luck I will be able to tame the
crooked-tail boy later on and get him relocated to be a barn cat with his
mom.