How do I get rid of 15 wild stray cats without also getting rid of the three strays that I take care of?

Question

I live in an apartment building and have been feeding three stray cats for more than a year. A couple moved in about six months ago, and started putting out cat food for the strays at least five times a day. Now there are 18 strays! And, to top that, the neighbors moved away. Whenever I walk out my door, there are 18 cats running around. I need to get rid of the excess strays, but don't want to lose the three kitties that I've been taking care of. I also really don't want the strays to be euthanized. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get these kitties to go look for food elsewhere? I'm afraid my apartment management will be upset and might drop my lease. All suggestions are appreciated.

Answer 1

Sounds like you now have an established Feral Colony. Also soon enough its going to explode from 18 to many many more. The added extra, easy food has put all the females in prime condition for breeding and will be producing babies very soon if not already. Cats are opportunistic feeders, they will stay around as long as theres food, wether its for 3 cats or 300 cats. You cant stop them, short of live trapping them and taking them to a shelter. Most shelters unless they are No-Kill, or have a feral cat program, can not take the time or money to rehabilitate feral cats, liability wise they can not place feral cats up for adoption and unless the cat can pass a temperment test they will euthinize. Also most No Kill Shelters are pick as to what they take in. Because they are a No-Kill they will refuse to take feral or unsocial animals.
Also sometimes if you can get a vet to aggree and you feel it in your heart to foot the bill, you can trap all of them, have them altered so they cant reproduce, and re-release them to go on being stray cats. IF you cant foot the bill and want to try that then have a fund raising drive and try to get some public awareness. There is no way to get rid of all the cats and keep your three, unless you bring your three inside and make them house cats, then make your neighbor stop feeding the other cats.

Answer 2

I understand your concern. There are a few things that you could consider.

1. Place an ad in the paper for free cats.

2. Gather the cats that you are wanting to keep and place them into your house then call the pound.

3. Place flyers around places about wanting to give stray cats homes and give a number so they can contact you.

4. Adopt them. :-)

Best of luck

P.S. Feeding one will lead more and now there are more there, they will not leave untill something is done to remove them permently.

Answer 3

It is a law in a lot of states that feeding strays makes ALL of them YOUR LEGAL responsibility.
So, 3 of them are yours to take care of in more ways than food.
It is ultimately cruel to feed strays. The proof is in the pudding sweet pea, look outside your door.
I work for a city shelter in a city that has more stray cats than people (it seems).
Not only is there the issue of food and breeding what about RABIES? Distemper? Feline Aids? Feline Leukemia? Need I go on??

It is SAD and I cry often about the fate of these sweet cats. (I LOVE cats).

I personally saved 4 strays right off of the street into my house. I now have 1 that is a kitten I found last week. That is 5.
ALL 4 of my cats are spayed/neutered/vaccinated.

IF you want to claim 3 of them as YOURS you need to step up to the plate and search out a low cost spay/neuter/vaccination clinic and give these 3 cats a medical chance to live a good life. Hell, they can sniff out vittles anywhere what they can't do for themselfs is spay/neuter/vaccinate themselfs.

How would you feel if 1 of the interlopers gave 1 of YOUR 3 Feline Aids? or Rabies? or Feline Leukemia? Which can and does coincide with Feline Aids. Have you seen the cost of caring for an animal with either AIDS or Leukemis or BOTH?!?!?

I have. It is not pretty nor is it cheap! One of my cats has AIDS. The rest I got vaccinated against AIDS (THAT broke the bank!)

Nor is it pretty to see one of these cats in the grips of final stage RABIES!

I have. I had to personally get a rabies infected cat out of an elderly ladies house. She cried because she LOVED her only friend. She had let the cat repeatedly bite/scratch her for a week before calling us. The kitty was in the "rage" stage. He would of been dead in less than 72 hours at that point. And she would of been dead in less than 2 months unless we intervened. She is OK today and I found her a HEALTHY kitty to grow older with.


PLEASE Call Animal Control! They will not KILL ALL of the cats! The cats will be assesed and the healthy adoptable ones will go on to get a nice home. Humane Euthanasia is a sad but important thing that needs to be done at times. Better euthanise now than allow a diseased cat to grow deathly ill and hurt other cats/humans along the way.

My AIDS kitty was going to be euthanised if he ended up in a shelter I saved him. He has aggression issues too. It takes a lot of time and care and money to care for special needs cats. Especially those with physical and behavior issues.

PLEASE save your 3 cats with proper care (medically). Save 1 if you can not save all 3 or else as sad as it is you need to call animal control.

Sorry sweet pea BUT if people spayed/neutered/vaccinated their cats you would not be agonizing over the 18+ babies outside of your door now.

Don't let these cats suffer.

I pray you can keep atleast 1 of your 3 faves.

Answer 4

Call a cat rescue that catches, spays & neuters and then brings them to either foster homes if they can be socialized to be pets OR they have volunteers that look out for feral colonies.if these cats cannot be socialized. The important thing is that they are captured and spayed/neutered.

Answer 5

Yeh take em to a shelter they could find loving homes, euthanazia doesnt have to be an option.

Answer 6

How about bringing them to a shelter. There safer in a shelter then in the street. Thats what I would do

Answer 7

catch the ones you don't want and take them far away and drop them off.