Feel bad about the Ferrals

[Liberalynn]

There was a knock on my door tonight. Someone had hit a ferral kitten. The poor lady was in tears and shaking and apologizing. I hugged her and apologized to her husband who was with her.

I don't blame her. I felt so bad for her.She kept saying she was sorry. I told her I was sorry. I told her it was ferral and lives in the barn but it wasn't a pet. I hadn't even seen this particular kitten before.

A bunch of ferral cats live in my barn. I feed and water them because I feel sorry for them but I did not go to an anmial shelter and adopt them nor did I buy them from the pet store. They just moved in on their own.

Lately a number of them have been hit and I feel sad and awful about it but what can I do? I am sure the drivers think I am this awful person who lets' her cats run in the road but they're ferral so they aren't really mine. I can't bring them inside because I can't even catch the majority of them. They run when they see me. There is only three I can pet and even they are skittish and ready to bolt at any sign of a wrong move on my part.

I have tried to get them into a shelter but our local humane society has a limit on the number of cats they can take, and whenever I call they say they all ready are above their quota. They say their primarily mission is to shelter dogs, and that's because of leash laws and potential biting danger.

The only other shelter that takes in cats is miles away from my home which is hard for me to get too unless I impose on friends and family, and then the shelter pretty much just euthanizes the ferrals. So they will end up getting killed anyway.

There is not likely to be more shelters anytime soon not volunteer and especially not government with what's going on in the economy. There are so many people who don't even want to help other people let alone animals.

I have done the only thing I can and contacted a local rescue organization that has a trap, nueter, and return program. They are going to lend me a trap but there is no guarentee I can catch the cats. I paid to get one of the tamer ones spayed through the resuce organization and am on the list to have more done. I can't afford to take them all to the vet. I can barely afford what I am doing for them right now. The lady who coordinates the TNR program said there are 100 people in the same predicament ahead of me on that list.

I feel awful but I don't know what else I can do, and this is really starting to upset me. I want to just turn the lights off in my house and hide when someone knocks on the door.

I really felt bad for the driver. I just don't feel there is anything else I can do but I feel horrible.

[emilyg]

1. You're a kind person. Do the

best you can. At least you feed them.

[Liberalynn]

2. Thank you!

:hug:

[hamsterjill]

3. You're headed in the right direction!

First, thank you for taking care of these guys to the best of your ability. Ferals present a special kind of dilemma because it's not like you can pick them and take them in when they need to go to the vet, etc. If they are taken to most rescues, they are euthanized because they are not adoptable, so you are probably doing the best by them by allowing them to stay where they are.

Most importantly...you are taking the appropriate steps by starting to have them fixed. TNR is effective, but it does take time. Once you become familiar with trapping, you will get better at it (i.e., where to place the trap, what to bait it with, how to cover it, etc., etc.). I know it can be expensive, but hopefully, this rescue organization has some availability for low cost spay/neuter. Just remember that every one that gets fixed is one less that can increase the number. I'm sure the rescue has some good tips on TNR, but you might want to visit Alley Cat Allies at "http://alleycat.org" for information and helpful ideas.

Again - thank you, and I wish you the best of luck. You are a dear for caring about these little ones!

[stuntcat]

5. ditto all this!

Feel sorry about ones who run out in the road but do not feel bad.

I live in a very crowded suburb and I TNR'ed 4 cats, one a big tom, but three were young sisters who luckily I trapped before any of them got pregnant. Two I've re-trapped and brought inside but the third sister is still out there. I think someone down the hill is feeding her, I've seen her a couple times since I re-released her last year and she looks healthy. My neighbors to the left do not like what I did, they're worried about their toddlers picking up cat poo. But they weren't going to do ANYTHING with the cats. At least *I got three girls spayed.

anyway, tangent...

Liberalynn, Try not to be hurt too bad about the ones who don't make it (that's hard I know) What you've done has already helped, I'm glad you know some people who help with TNR'ing.

[Liberalynn]

7. Thank you

Stuntcat. :hug:

That is great what you did for those four cats as well. I was able to make contact with the rescue group because a friend of mine works with the lady who coordinates the group.

[Liberalynn]

6. Thank you for the link

Luckily the organization I am working with does get lower cost spaying from another group called Habitat For Cats, and a large animal shelter in another county. The lady who is arranging this for me even picked up the cat for me and delivered it back home when I explained I am a white knuckled driver.

She says that she is trying to persuade more organizations and vets to help as right now there is not enough willing to offer assistance. Our county does have a limited program to assist with neutering but they run out of funds rapidly and the need is just to great, as it is still pretty much a rural county in a lot of areas, and there are a lot of cats.

I was lucky that I was able to get at least one spayed because I was on a standby list. A gentlemen was unsuccessful in trapping one of his ferrals, so I was able to get one of the three I can pet in its place.

Thanks HamsterJill :hug:

[FloridaJudy]

4. Call your local humane society

And ask if they have a free neutering program for ferals. Our local one is called Operation Catnip. Volunteers will actually catch them for you, and take them to the local vet school for neutering and rabies vaccine, before releasing them back. If there isn't such a program, well at least you tried.

My parents used to feed a whole tribe of ferals where they lived in the back of the beyond. Unfortunately, raccoons also love cat food, so watch out!

Some will disagree, but I think you're doing the right thing.

[Liberalynn]

8. Thanks Florida Judy

I know what you mean about the racoons. One night I went out to feed the cats and there was a racoon in the barn with them. The cats were pretty much just walking right past it. It wasn't bothering them and they weren't bothering it.

I ran in the house and called the local conservation department and they said if it wasn't acting vicious it wasn't likely to be rabid and most likely it would leave on its own. It did.

Right now there is only the one group in my county that helps with the ferrals and its the one I am working with. The co-ordinator is actively trying to get more vets in the area involved. She has even written letters to the editors of several local newspapers asking for help, but so far she hasn't had any luck.

[FloridaJudy]

9. The raccoons weren't vicious

But they could sure scarf up a fortune in cat food!