Need suggestions about a feral cat..serious answers only!?

Question

There is this male feral that keeps hanging around my back porch. He is tearing everything up and spraying everything that is out on the porch. He is afraid of humans, except me. I have 2 small dogs and I'm afraid that the cat is going to cause some serious damage to my dogs, as he still has his claws. I keep my dogs inside, but they are let out to go to the bathroom. I have sprayed the cat with water, shooed him away the best I could and I even managed to get him in my car and took him out 8 miles into the country, but he managed to find his way back! I live in a very small town and there is no animal shelter or professional animal control. The only thing we have for animal control is a retired policeman, and when I spoke to him, he says that what he does is trap the animal in a cage and then shoot him while he is still in the cage. I don't want any harm to come to the cat, so that option is out. What else can I do to stop him from coming around?? PLEASE HELP AND BE HUMANE

Yeah, that's another thing I am worried about....diseases. My dogs are up-to-date on all of their vaccinations, but they could still get sick.

I don't have any other pets except my 2 dogs.

I don't have any other pets except my 2 dogs.

Poor little guy is missing the tips on both ears from frostbite.

Sorry guys, but I don't have a fence. My yard is open for all to enter.

This situation just breaks my heart and I have shed many tears over this cat. If people were more responsible, there wouldn't be the problem that there is today with strays and ferals. VEGAN: I already have a call and email to Alleycat. Thank you! TERRY Z: I think you're right. I believe this is a stray and not a feral and it breaks my heart. I have also contacted Feline Friends. LANDWISH, DP, TEONI. E P: Great ideas and have already put them to use. It's working great so far! KATHY214: Love what you're doing!
***I want to thank everyone for their sensible answers and I wish I could pick all of you for BEST ANSWER, as you all deserve it.

Answer 1

Fortunately there are not many things that can be passed from a cat to a dog. So unless it is parasites or rabies you don't have much to worry about there.
The best way to take care of the problems you are having is just to get the cat in to the vet to get him neutered. He will be a totally changed cat after that and you won't have the issues you are dealing with now.
Good luck!

Answer 2

You have a problem, the biggest one is the local animal control officer. Contact your mayor and report him! Next, go on line and find the nearest ASPCA office. If you can get a live trap or catch him again, it would be worth your effort to take the cat to a shelter even if it is several miles away. Even then if the cat is really feral, there might not be anything that can be done to "tame" him so chances are he will not be adopted out. You say you have two dogs but say nothing about having female cats. Usually that is the only reason why a male would hang around in the first place. Good luck, wish I could be more help.

Answer 3

There are containment fences or systems designed so that cats cannot climb over them. These are NOT electric fences and if you are a handy person and your yard is already fenced, you can put up such a system with little cost: just some t-bars, garden netting and staples. To give you an idea, google "cat fences."

In your case, you need to keep ferals out of your yard, so instead of attaching the netting on your side of the fence, you attach it on the outside with the incline facing out. Cats won't be able to climb over the fence. It is safe for all animals, its cheap and it works.

Answer 4

There are products you can purchase that repel cats. I would try that, but wouldn't consider harming the cat. Since you seem like a caring person, consider trapping the cat and having him neutered and vaccinated.

This won't get rid of him, but it may make him a little less aggressive and territorial. When he sprays, he's marking his territory. It will also keep the cat from breeding and eliminate the possibility of the cat getting rabies and passing it to your pets. Good luck with this cat and thank you for caring. He's just trying to survive.

Answer 5

Sounds like you may live in a small town, is it possible you may know someone who may be looking for a feral barn cat that would give the cat a home and make sure it is properly fed on a daily basis? Good Luck.

Answer 6

Take the cat to a vet and get him spayed, this should stop him from spraying, then take him in as your own. He seems to be fond of you and your home, I know that you may not want a cat but he may be one of those "gifts from above" as they say, and you should keep him around. your dogs won't get harmed as they have been around the cat for some time and they may bacome friends. Do what you think is right.

Answer 7

The poor baby sounds like he once was a domesticated cat-that's why he comes around you. What you could do is contact a cat specialty group like Feline Friends or Concern for Animals (even if its outside your town) and they will tell you what to do for the cat to get it to leave.

Answer 8

At night, after your dogs are safely inside, put a bunch of regular mousetraps on your porch. Then carefully cover them with single sheets of paper. When the stray touches the paper the traps go off. They make an awful racket but the paper prevents the cat from getting snapped. Repeat this as often as needed.

Also make sure you are not giving the cat a reason to be there. Don't feed him, don't feed your dogs outside, don't feed the birds. Try sprinkling hot pepper powder in the areas he digs if he does that in your yard.

Good luck!

Answer 9

ammonia put it in a spray bnottle and spray the fence or where ever he comes over with it do this a week and let it soak in it may kill some grass but it wont hurt youre animals or the cat it will just let him know hes not welcome or you could feed huim away from youre house maby set somthing out for him to lay in but realy try the ammonia trick it works

Answer 10

Contact Alley Cat Allies and see if they can refer you to anyone nearby. (They're a national feral cat group.)

In Wisconsin there are at least 2 groups that traps feral cats, neuters them and then rehomes them in rural areas (farms usually.) There are similar groups in other states. (One of them is called catsnips)