Hi again, people! I've kind of been donated a cat. I've been feeding him for the past year. His owners live on my street,but he won't go home. The lady asked me today if I'd look after him as they are moving houses and he is an "outside cat" and refuses to be caught. I said I can't have him in as the dogs would go potty. He wouldn't come in anyway, I would have loved it if he would. She said that's fine if you could just watch him. I said I wouldn't see him go hungry,and she seemed happy with that.
Now I need ideas. I will have to make him a windproof bed in my entry for over winter. Any ideas? Wood might be best, my entry is under cover but the wind howls through. I will find a way but I just wondered if you clever people have any ideas? I have a cat too,as well as the dogs. Thanks for any ideas. xxx
Dear Colliepam, in response to your question re: sheltering your "donated" cat, this was our experience with a feral cat that we had begun feeding. (Once you feed them they're yours, of course!!). We have an unheated and screened porch which has a flap in the bottom portion of the door, and he would use that entry to come and go. We placed a number of blankets and old quilts on a chair and he would burrow under them at night.
Colliepam,
If you or a friend are handy with simple tools, you could build a wood house for the cat, where the entrance door comes in to an L-shaped alcove, before going into the sleeping area. Line the sleep area with an old blanket or some thick towels. To help block the wind from getting to the inside, screw/nail/staple a piece of heavy canvas or use a piece of carpeting over the outside opening as a wind-break. If a wooden structure is more than you can make, you could use a sturdy cardboard box that is big enough to glue or sew to the inside walls and floor, a thick towel, quilt batting, or piece of carpet--anything for insulation.
Bless your heart for helping out. There are several places on the internet that can give you suggestions for making a winter home for outdoor cats. Many organizations that help feed feral colonies have good experience with this. We had an outdoor stray cat that adopted us and we had to make him this sort of shelter. We used a styrofoam box with a fitted lid, the type that is used to ship food that needs to be kept cold, like meats, because they are made to be very well insulated. We lined it with blankets and some old wool sweaters that I was going to donate anyway.We cut a small opening in the side but not down too low so snow or water couldn't leak in.
'Stray' cats can be very finicky about going inside almost anything so I hope this one will actually go inside something you make for him.
I hope you find a way to accommodate your new baby as it can be a true 'worry' if you think they are not warm.
Thanks for caring for one of these 'otherwise' lost babies.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am trying to help some stray kittens. One has pus in its eyes, runny eyes. One is blind. They are wild kittens. I have tried a lot of different medications. Is there something I can make at home to use? Meds are very costly when wild cats just keep coming.
We do not have a no kill shelter in Fontana or one that will take them. I am caring for 50+ cats, none of whom are house cats. The cost for food has wiped me out. If anyone knows of someone to help with food it would be of great help. Thank you for your help.
By diane dyer
When I was a kid my mom had the same problem with one of our cats. She asked my Grandma what to do and she told her to buy boric acid at the pharmacy. Boil however much water you want and let it cool, pour into an old glass jar. Measure about 1/2 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. of the boric acid and shake well until mixed completely. Apply with cotton ball making sure to turn the cotton ball so as not to get the icky back into the eye. It won't hurt the kitties eyes even though the bottle may say not to use in eyes but it will work.
Please get in touch with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab,Utah. I think their site is just Bestfriends.com. or you can google it. They can probably help.
What you are doing is admirable however, you are dealing with a feral colony of cats that will continue to multiply forever unless you can get someone to help you start a catch, spay/neuter and release program. I am not sure what your local vet situation is but perhaps you can get one of them to work with you on low cost or free spay/neuter for these cats.
I agree with the person who suggested you contact Best Friends. They are a wonderful organization and will sometimes fund projects. They might be able to help you or at least point you in the right direction.
I am a huge animal lover so please take what I am going to say in the spirit that I am offering it. As long as you continue to feed these cats without spaying/neutering them, you are only making the problem worse. Now you are giving them the means of survival without doing anything to control the population. As you can see, it quickly spirals out of control and becomes totally overwhelming. And the cats will get sick and suffer. I'm sorry but there is no easy answer -- either stop feeding them or find a way to spay/neuter them.
Thanks again for having a loving heart!
Do not use a boric acid eyewash on the cats! When used this way, boric acid is poisonous to cats, will be extremely painful, and will cause blindness. I've learned this the hard way, and still feel bad about my mistake. I take care of strays too and know how expensive it can be. You'll probably need medical help with this one. Have you tried calling Petmeds to ask for info on what they might carry? They've been extremely helpful to me whenever I call with questions or problems.
How can I keep stray cats out of my garden?
Gina from Philadelphia, PA
I sprinkle cayenne pepper in my gardens wherever the stray cats start to dig. The next time they start digging they get a whiff of the pepper and decide it might be nicer to dig at home.
Holly Monroe
Re: the stray cat problem, there are some aerosol repellents sold at pet stores and garden stores that might work. Also, supposedly citrus peels in the garden keep the kitties away. You could try it. The cats probably like the soft mulch or nice soil of your garden beds. I have simply learned to live with the "problem" in my area, but I do plant my garden very thickly, so that once it's grown in, it doesn't make an inviting kitty litter. But one "plus" is that the cats often keep the mole and mice population down.
Ness - Lakeview, NY
Gina if you are speaking of cats digging in your garden beds here is what you do. Lay chicken wire over the soil, the plants will grow through it. The cats do not like the feel of the chicken wire on their feet and will stay out of the garden.
Kathy Cohen - Northfield, Vermont
This sounds terribly gross, but usually garden supply stores will have what is called 'predator urine' packets that you put around your garden. This alerts the cats, in your case, that there is danger and they will go away without bothering anything. (Don't think it is something that humans can detect, but the animals sure know what it is. Like cougar urine for keeping deer away, etc. Good Luck!
LeeAnn
Most of the time oranges will work, just cut them up and throw them out there in the garden.
It may be a little bit of a hassle, but cats do not like, and will not dig in wet soil. I never have a problem if I keep the garden area wet.
I tried cayenne pepper and it didn't work they still cocme
Are there any natural detterents for cats - mine is digging up rug in places (near doors) and the store bought kind does not work.
Thanks
Use mothball in cotton wraps.
I have too many cats and don't know what to do. I have one inside female kitten who's been spayed, she's no problem. I have two female and one male indoor/outdoor cats who have also been neutered, they're no problem (although one doesn't get along with the others).
Pet stores sell cat trapping cages. (around $45) The local rescue places will often loan or rent them out. There is often help too with low cost spaying with certificates from local organizations. Call a vet to find out who has them. Our sherriff's department here in California passes them out when they are available.
The cages work real well, we have to trap feral cats fairly often.
First of all, you need to determine if they are strays or drop-offs. You definitely don't want to have an irate neighbor on your door-step. If they are one, or the other, then you have a couple of options.
1. You can try to win the animal's trust, by being gentle, and enticing by food, try to trap it, whatever you have to do.
2. Your next action is to advertise "Found Cat"; around the neighborhood, in the newspaper, etc
3. If the owner doesn't come forward, you can either call Animal Control to come pick it up, or, you can have it spayed or neutered, and consider yourself the proud owner of a new cat.
4. Some vets have told me, " if you feed it, it's yours".
Hope this helps. C. Heaven
Call the animal control officer in your town. They have strategies and equipment to deal with situations like this and will help you capture the animals. If the cats are strays, there may even be a rescue organization in your area that provides low-cost or no-cost vet care. The ACO will know or your own vet with know, and it doesn't cost anything to ask.
Good luck.
We had the same problem when we moved to Southwest Arkansas. We had many,many cats at one time (all strays). My husband began feeding them and they followed him around like a bunch of puppies. Eventually they became warm enough to us that we could pet/catch them.
We took them to our local ASPCA who had a program for spaying/neutering/shots. We took 15 cats at that time. One we could not catch and she has since had a litter, but we took them into the garage when tiny and have since had them fixed. We now have only one male who has not been "fixed" but it seems to not be a problem because no other "toms" come around since there are no interesting females. At one time we had 26 cats -- the infants, the nursery, the toddlers and the mammas! SO, it may take some time, but you can eventually get them all fixed and have a happy "cat" house!
Here is a cat trap instruction sheet. We had a problem with stray cats in our yard that were always giving my dog worms even with prevention. So we followed these instructions, put a few tweaks of our own, like wire mesh around some parts because of the particular milk crates we used, and it catches cats like nobody's business. It's easy to make, cheap materials and it's humane. We put sardines and they can't resist. We then bring them to our local pound, they have a neuter and release program.
www.pegasusfoundation.org/
Check with your local human society or cat rescues in your area. I know one in our area gives you a cage to trap them, then you trap the cat, take it to their free clinic to get it neutered/spayed, then you can re release it in your neighborhood (that way you don't get it sent to the pound if it's not bothering anyone... and it can't make any more babies/stray cats).
My MIL has done that quite a few times because she is sick of seeing kittens and unwanted feral cats.
Oh-Oh.. Do I know this problem! Some years ago we lived in a house that was near a large complex of units for the elderly. It had extensive lawns and gardens, and people used to just dump cats/ kittens there. I had 2 cats of my own, and eventually these dumped cats would wander to my place and hang around, at one stage there were nineteen cats/ Kittens!
Call your local Cat Protection society if you have one, or the equivalent -animal control-- and explain the problem. They brought wire cat traps to my place, and eventually all the strays were caught. I will add it was a process that upset me, but it had to be done.
I'm now in a different area, in a second floor apartment.. and have 2 cats, one male, one female, they are both spayed/neutered, and have collars and council registration tags. Good Luck!
Just stop feeding them and they will go somewhere else to get food. As long as you feed them, they will stay.
Some of your local veterinarians might also have programs to trap, neuter, and release feral cats. They do in my area and I am sure we are not unique!
I have 4 stray cats that hang out on my back porch. I have a male neutered cat inside. Apparently, one of the strays is also a male (unneutered) and he has been spraying my house--gross! I have a 2 year old and I don't want him to go out and play when this cat sprays.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this stray cat to stop spraying or to get him to leave? Help please! melissa in wvPlace white pepper powder in those areas. Cats always sniff and scratch before going to the bathroom. I have the same problem and it really works.
Also it won't hurt anyone, it will just annoy the cats until they find other places to go.
Do the pet population a favor and trap him with a cruelty -free trap. Sometimes the local humane society will loan these out. Then get him neutered. There are feral cat rescues that can help with costs, but neutering is fairly cheap anyway.
I've never known a cat that likes mothballs, and only one that can tolerate the smell of vinegar. You might consider spraying the porch and surrounds with undiluted vinegar. You'll have to redo every day or two for a while (or if it rains), but it's better than the smell of cat urine!
If this doesn't work, you may want to put mothballs by each corner of your porch. Good luck!
Terry
Call you local rescue groups and ask them to pick the poor cats up. They are in need of medical care then they will be put up for adoption.
It is inhumane to force a cat to go outdoors, these kitties will be better off in a loving family.
Jennifer
Northern Virginia
Lurk by an open window and squirt him with a strong jet from a water pistol. Not harmful but the surprise.shock will deter him from coming back as he will then associate your porch with the surprise. You may need to do it a couple of times.
Regards
Jo
I've also heard citronella oil works (outside!), but avoid using it on cement or similar surfaces as it will stain.
I let my cat out for her daily wander, but she keeps getting bullied by other cats. They are coming almost to our door. She is desexed. What can I do?
By Sharon V.
My son and daughter-in-law just purchased a house and the cats around their house seem to think that it is their own litter box. Is there something that can be put out to repel them, without harming them.
By Jerry Kay from Greenwood, DE
Mom has an indoor/outdoor cat. Recently a hungry stray has been hanging around and we have left food out for him. Now, he comes by all the time and that would be OK, but he started to attack mom's cat when she's outside. She won't go out when she sees that he is out there. Should I stop feeding him so he goes back across the street where I think he came from?
By Terry O.
I have a bad cat problem in the town I live in and just discovered there are some living under my trailer. They are peeing, pooping, and spraying under there. I would block it off, but I have like 5 feet of snow and ice all around my trailer. They are also spraying my back door and all of these smells are starting to come in. Any ideas on how to stop it all would be so nice. Thank you in advance.
By Kala S.
I hope you can help. First things first I like cats and dogs, but where I live I seem to attract the tom cats. They leave their calling smell (strong pee?). What's the best thing or way to try and stop this?
By tony mack from Liverpool, UK
The neighbourhood stray cats have decided to use my gardens as their own personal litter box. I was wondering if anyone knew of a way to deter them. I found a product at Walmart, but it was quite expensive. I'm way too cheap for that.
Try blood meal, you put it in the dirt and the flowers like it also, keeps cats away!
My grandmother scattered rose bush clippings around her gardens. The cats disliked the thorns pricking their paws, so left her plants alone.
We have a year old spayed cat. She is an indoor cat at night. We've been finding lately that when we air our house out, we've got stray ginger cats coming in. They are spraying through our house, eating our cat's food. They're also fighting with our neighbor's cat, and we've all had enough.
By Sue H.
This is a page about repelling neighborhood cats. Neighborhood cats can quickly become a nuisance, when they decide that your yard and gardens are their personal toilet.
This is a page about finding homes for stray cats. Stray kitties would benefit greatly from being given a loving home.
