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).
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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.
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.
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.
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!
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 had the same problem and was able to solve it and get it under control, although I never thought I would. Cats would multiply in my neighbor's shed. The kittens are endearing and we fell in love with 2 & adopted them. Two turned into 9 adopted for indoors all spayed & neutered but I decided enough, and I contacted someone who told me to trap & neuter the remaining outdoor ones.
Trapping with the specific cage didn't work for me so I used my own cat carrier. I waited till one was good n hungry, soon as they poked the head in, I gave them a little shove in & closed the cage door. I tried to be careful that the others wouldn't notice or it might be harder to trap them. I had appointments with my local low-cost spay/neuter clinic & took 2 at a time in separate carriers every 2 weeks. I cared for them the required 2 weeks for recovery and back out they went.
I did 12 cats like that. I feed them and care for them. I went online to learn how to make individual shelters for each cat, made of storage totes, reflective insulation & straw to keep them warm & dry in our cold NJ Winters. I lined my whole back porch with the 7 shelters. You can do it. It takes effort but its very rewarding. All the best to you.
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