Feral cat help!!!

SteelPanther said:
I feed 10 full on wild ferals at work, they approach no one, run from everything and kill anything that moves. Despite being feral they know their names, feeding times, show affection and a few even like being pet...it took 2 years but they're tame enough with one person who gave enough of a damn. All are spayed and neutered, which needs done. I feed 2 strays at home and since they hang around because of me I clean their messes and resolve any issues they potentially cause. Big difference between a feral and a stray but a group of feral cats is called a destruction for a reason, its what they do...to literally everything. They make devices that emit sound that cats frickin hate, plug 2 in on a porch and they're gone. No need to kill them, they're in the position that they're in because people suck and respect nothing...ain't the cats fault, they just do what they do. The people that feed them need to take responsibility for their actions, great you're feeding them and improving the cats lives but not everyone appreciates or understands why the animals do what they do. The sound emitting devices will rid you of the problem and no cats die in the process.
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Again, all they do is move and be the same problem for somebody else.
Which I definitely do not appreciate it when somebody turns their problem into mine. Especially by dumping unwanted dogs or cats. I'd feel the same way about somebody live trapping coons and turning them loose on my place.
 
Most counties and municipalities have laws in place to prevent people from shooting cats, if you would like to be fined or potentially worse have at it. Keeping them off your property doesn't necessarily make it someone else's problem, they do tend to stay closer to the food source and if spayed/neutered roam less. The root cause of the problem here is irresponsible people. The presence of the cats does have benefits such as pest control etc., cats are kept on farms for reasons but the population has to be controlled. Shooting them with pepper balls will make you a target, all you'll do is piss them off. Cats aren't feral hogs, true enough that theres times eradication is the only answer but you're talking about two entirely different species and problems.
 
SteelPanther said:
Most counties and municipalities have laws in place to prevent people from shooting cats, if you would like to be fined or potentially worse have at it.
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They also have laws to the effect of you being responsible for any issues arising from the presence of said feral cats if you are found to be whats called a "keeper", or some one who provides food and / or shelter for them.
SteelPanther said:
Keeping them off your property doesn't necessarily make it someone else's problem, they do tend to stay closer to the food source and if spayed/neutered roam less.
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So chasing them from your property doesn't make it somebody else's problem? Where do you think they will go when they are chased off of your property? Well, they go to a different piece of property owned by someone else....
SteelPanther said:
The root cause of the problem here is irresponsible people.
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Yup, with the same results as the other "irresponsible people" who allowed hogs to become such a problem....Blaming people doesn't solve the problem, it only makes it worse...
SteelPanther said:
The presence of the cats does have benefits such as pest control etc.,
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Damage to local native wildlife far outstrips the so-called pest control benefits.
SteelPanther said:
Cats aren't feral hogs, true enough that theres times eradication is the only answer but you're talking about two entirely different species and problems.
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Two different species, same problem. Destructive invasive species wreaking havoc in their environment. You'll find that many places that aren't "urbanized" will have laws that include feral cats under the predator heading, no different than a coyote, with the same rules for shooting them.
 
sgt1372 said:
Interesting. 6 million is a lot of cats. No natural predators for cats; they are the predators. So, extermination really is the only "solution.'

But, if they kill 2 million of them, won't the rabbit population rise again? 🤷‍♂️
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Dingoes would probably kill a few cats. Nowhere nearly enough to make a difference, probably.
 
There are some people who nurture & protect them.

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See: Lanai Cat Sanctuary

And then, there are places like this:

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See: The 11 Cat Islands of Japan

I got hives just looking at these pictures. LOL! ;)
 
ferider said:
Not always true, depending how young they get caught. There are several places here that spay and neuter them and give them out for adoption. Obviously - depending on where you live - you might not have access to this. Meet Tesla, she used to be feral (check out her clipped right ear, used here to mark former feral cats). She is a little obsessed with food and skittish with other people, but other than that a normal and affectionate pet. We adopted her when she was ~ 1 year old.

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It's a tricky subject: in average, shelters are overrun with pets, dogs too, lots of pets are abused in disgusting ways, etc., and owning one or more pets takes time and money. That's why I'm not really giving advice on what to do except suggesting non-lethal ways of solving the OP's problem. What he can do obviously depends on where and how he lives, etc.
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Point of order: Clipped ears are not used to mark former feral cats. They are used to mark feral cats that have already been neutered. Hence, no need to recapture them.

I specialize in socializing feral cats. I currently have 3 former ferals as we speak; I used to have about 6 of them but I lost 5 cats this summer. :(
 
Monofletch said:
Moth balls is the way to go! No kitties in the flower bed!!! It’s been over a week!!
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Moth balls will keep them from pooping around your house, but sooner or later you're going to have a problem with them reproducing. I had a feral cat problem as well but found two organizations that if I trap them, they will fix and vaccinate for $5. Check around and see if you can find a rescue. Between my one neighbor and I over the last year we managed to get them all fixed. We now have about 10 for the last year and no one is reproducing. The other thing to look at is the water activated sprinklers they do work. I think someone also mentioned the citrus scent, cats and dogs don't like bitter smells or taste. I use it around my garden and it does work.
 
jill jackson said:
Australia takes feral cat control very seriously.
www.newsweek.com

Australia Might Genetically Modify Feral Cats Out of Existence

Report highlights the dire need to control its feral cat population and protect native wildlife.
www.newsweek.com www.newsweek.com
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............. it's a HUGE issue here and one that is taken seriously. Feral Cats are devastating the small native mammal/marsupial/reptile and bird populations here to the point of extinction in too many cases. The vast majority of even the most ardent animal lovers understand that the resolution to this is an eradication strategy. I DO NOT in anyway hate cats but I will also shoot each and everyone that I encounter in the bush, over the past decade that has been more and more. Understand that I am not talking about a "stray tabby" behind the dumpster, there are shelters and programs that will care and re-home some of these but also councils (like your counties) will collect and euthanise those that can't be homed. Feral Cats and Foxes (plus Cane Toads) are probably our most damaging invasive species, followed by hogs, deer and rabbits (depending on the specific region you are in). It is also noteworthy that we have seen evolutionary changes in the FC populations here in that they are growing larger and displaying more aggression than your domestic kitty. Certainly no threat to a human by ANY stretch of the imagination but I have had experience of making camp in what was clearly a cranky Tom's territory as it spent a good two hours skulking around the area I had set up in hissing and yowling, that is a sign of a critter that no longer understands it's place in the hierarchy of nature. There are also similar issues with Feral Dogs.
sgt1372 said:
Interesting. 6 million is a lot of cats. No natural predators for cats; they are the predators. So, extermination really is the only "solution.'

But, if they kill 2 million of them, won't the rabbit population rise again? 🤷‍♂️
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..... I don't believe that Feral Cats are particularly predacious over the rabbit population, certainly not to a point where they lack of presence in the ecosystem would have a demonstrable impact of numbers. Cats prefer to hunt and kill small easier to eat critters (see above) than a big bunny. Yes the kittens are a bit more vulnerable having seen the gut contents of many cats examined I can't recall ever seeing a significant presence of rabbit. Foxes certainly prey on rabbits but you know, rabbits breed like rabbits.
jill jackson said:
Dingoes would probably kill a few cats. Nowhere nearly enough to make a difference, probably.
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.... yes and yes.
 
Andy the Aussie said:
...... I don't believe that Feral Cats are particularly predacious over the rabbit population, certainly not to a point where they lack of presence in the ecosystem would have a demonstrable impact of numbers. Cats prefer to hunt and kill small easier to eat critters (see above) than a big bunny. Yes the kittens are a bit more vulnerable having seen the gut contents of many cats examined I can't recall ever seeing a significant presence of rabbit. Foxes certainly prey on rabbits but you know, rabbits breed like rabbits.
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Ok, not rabbits but what about what the cats do eat -- mice, rats, whatever? Won't they be on the rise after the cats are gone.

Not saying you shouldn't kill the cats but you also need a strategy to deal w/the rise of whatever pests they do eat that will not have as many cats to worry about anymore.
 
I've got a former feral cat, she's 12 now and around 9 lbs. Super sweet and cuddly, but make no mistake, she will try to kill anything that moves that isn't the family. She puts the 75 lb shepherd/husky mix in his place all the time. If she got out, she would absolutely kill things for fun. I can see how a bunch of cats like her would disrupt the local ecology.
 
I watched Smokey beat up a mouse at my last apartment, batting it back and forth on the floor. The thing was nearly dead, and then Smokey looked at me after a while, and then his bowl, walking away from the perfectly good meal in front of him.... I ended up putting the mouse outside for the outdoor cats in the neighbourhood. If he got out, he would kill everything smaller than him. And he would starve lol
 
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