My ferals weren't acting right.....

carwashcats

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OMG!!! I think the worst is beginning to come true, my gorgeous feral
baby, Sister, Sissy or just Sis, was acting unusual tonight when I went to
feed them. She has been the last few nights going under the fence and back
to the dumpsters, where I feed the older cats of the ferals! She is growing
up everyone!!! And if I see her up there, I will tell her...,,....."Sis, go home, go home Sister" and usually she will take off under the fence and over to where I feed her age group, they live over there under an abandon office
building.I said that to her and she didn't come on,so I turned down the rode,
and headed to the other feeding station, I got out and called her and I saw
her coming, she got about 100 ft from me and sat there by a tree, so I walked over by her and was talking to her trying to get her to come eat!
That has never been a problem before, when all of a sudden, she took off, back to the dumpster, well that upset me, and then it dawned on me....
wonder if she is in heat? OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WELL I drove back over there and sat in the car trying to get her to go home and eat!!! she ran and hid under
a small trailer! With 3 others that are all older!! I had to leave and she was only about 10 ft. away from where the dieasels stop and park and sleep, I
just hope I don't find her dead, that will break me! She is the most tame one
out of all of them!!! I want her to come home with me!!! Please I need
some Sissy Vibes, I love that babygirl!!!I think I'm going to go check on her in a minute!
Monique
 

ldg

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Sweetie, have you already looked for rescues or TNR groups in your area to work with this colony? I know you tried trapping somewhere at some point - but I don't remember the specifics. But they are going to breed - and she is going to go into heat at some point.


Have you done the searches? Here are some links:

To e-mail Alley Cat Allies to ask for the Feral Friends Network in your area write to them at: [email protected]. In the e-mail, explain the situation and provide your zip code.

To e-mail the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Campaign to ask if there are any network members that may be able to help in your area, write to: [email protected] and explain the situation and provide your zip code.

To search for TNR groups to contact (I always recommend contacting w/in 90 - 100 miles - you never know who they may have networked with - or that person that used to work with them but moved... )

http://www.alleycat.org/orgs.html
http://www.pets911.com/organizations/organizations.php - you can also search for shelters and vets here.
http://www.petfinder.com/ - this is to search for pets - but it lets you know what organizations or which people may be resources in the area
http://www.worldanimal.net/

I always make the calls to local vets to ask if they're familiar with any TNR groups in the area.

I hope you're able to find someone to help with these animals before the population starts exploding on you!




Laurie
 
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carwashcats

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laurie,
I know what your thinking, and believe me, I did do the searches, I ordered
some educational material from alley cat allies, which took some 4 wks. to get to me! I have even asked if they would be my umbrella under their
organization, the response to this was more links from their website.
I don't have the money to start a non-profit org. and the time it would take
to get it! so in the materials it says to start a fundraiser, which I have
contacted Wal-Mart here and the store Manager, she said , she looked over the material I dropped off, and she would have to discuss it with someone else, what they do is match the amount you make, which I wanted to do a
bake sale....she hasn't bothered to phone me back, so I am calling her again
today, I asked her to let me know something because if she didn't want to
do it there, that I needed to know , so I can go elsewhere!
With all of that said, The closiest place to me that a bestfriendsnetwork is probably 2 hrs and then the others are 3 or so away from me! I was just
needing quick money for whenever I do trap, which I won't have any trouble doing that,,,,,at all! to have each one spay/neutered and for it to come out of my own pocket, well I don't have it, or else it would have already been going on!
Another thing is I am just me, myself , and I. Just trying to get a few people aware of TNR here where I live, do you know how much time it takes
just to tell one person about it, because I can tell you, my vet, hasn't heard of it, he knows now, and out of town for almost 2 wks. the other vet
hasn't heard of it either, and I'll assure you nobody else in this area
has either!
It's like running into a brick wall!!! I have read on the ACA newsletters
about they go to the rescue of other people in other places, and their
slogan is "No kitty left behind, every city, every kitty"! I could just cry!
Why would they consider me for a branch of them just here in my
area, I have got most of my ducks in a row, I told them I have studied and I wanted to apply for a grant from PetsMart, I even have a girl, who can
write the application for me, I told them if I were under them the grant money could go to them and they let me use it as needed! or it could just
go to me! all of this on my own is just nearly impossible! I need volunteers
for so much, and folks here are hesitate, wish me well but no definite yes, or no's! People are such jerks!! No body cares here in the country, especially about cats! I can't go ask for donations personally from people because they would need to write it off on their taxes and with no 501(c)3 behind me
well I don't have to explain that!
This is what happened to me 2 or 3 yrs ago and I had to give it up!
Luckily, I had trapped the ones at the carwash, and they all came home
with me! but now it's different because there are so many!I have passed
out the education materials to: City Manager, City Attnorey, Mayor, Chief of Police, 2 vets., the Brothers who own the Convienence Store where I feed
them, a good friend of my parents who is an animal lover, is a pillar of the
community! I could go on and on!
People in those networks, can they get me some funding cause that is all
i need to carry on, because once I trap 1 cat, to the vet it goes, and so on
with a bill for each cat, I can't start trapping until I have something to give
the vets for their services, they aren't going to work for nothing although
iI believe they will give me a discount!
Now any suggestions! I guess I will go to the local radio and get on there and speak about what is going on and if anyone ......you know the rest!
What would you do Laurie, after reading all that I have covered so far?
I know there is plenty to do, but I do have another life, and job.
Have I mentioned how much the food is costing me also! That is here or there
because I enjoy feeding them, but it is costing me over 100.00 a month to feed them! I am a single mom , with a single income. I love them and I wanted to start feeding them, I'm not complaining, but.......................
I have got to go! but help me if you can! any suggestions left, will be
greatly appreciated!!
Monique
 

ldg

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Trust me, we know how it expensive it is. And we know how few people care about the cats - and even less about TNR. It takes WORK to understand it!


You're doing as much as you can - and more than most people would.


Alley Cat Allies recently started a Feral Friends Network - kind of like the Best Friends No More Homeless Campaign Network.

If you haven't e-mailed them to ask if there are any Feral Friends near that may be able to help, I do think you should do that. To e-mail Alley Cat Allies to ask for the Feral Friends Network in your area write to them at: [email protected]. In the e-mail, explain the situation and provide your zip code.

And it wasn't clear from your post whether or not you've actually e-mailed Best Friends to see if there areny network members in your area that may be able to help. ???? To e-mail the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Campaign to ask if there are any network members that may be able to help in your area, write to: [email protected] and explain the situation and provide your zip code.

Other than that? So many people hate my advice - but I'd stop feeding them.


As MA - with her many, many, many years of experience - has pointed out:

Originally Posted by hissy

cats use their urine to signal other cats about all types of things. if you feed and provide a safe yard for these cats, they will mark the bushes, trees and your home with a safe scent that travels over a mile. this scent reels in other cats scrambling to survive. this is why, unless you spay and neuter all cats on your property you should not feed them. having a food source prompts their territorial aggression which in turn signals the mating to begin. it also creates fights when the more aggressive males fight for dominance not only over the food but over the females in the area as well.
For me, it's like fostering. So many times the temptation is just to keep the kitty because I've become so attached to it. But the kitty would be happier in someone else's home because of the existing cat dynamics.

Sometimes to do what's right for the cats is not what our heart wants to hear.




Laurie
 

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Sending lots and lots of TCS prayers and vibes out to Sissy
CWC, I understand how overwhelmed that you feel
Do you know any teen age girls in your area who would be willing to donate babysitting money to your cause, and maybe call it "Sittin' for Kittens"?
I've taken in a bunch of ferals but the money isnt' as available for cats as it is for dogs, from our local neuter-group. in fact, cats are soooo second class to dogs around here, I could just SCREAM!!! Even at the shelter, as the main attendant is a dog-person; last time I was at the shelter, the large, donated cat cage in the cat house (donated for entire litters or moms w/kits to have space to play & relax) was being used by pit-bull puppies, because the other dogs in the dog area wanted to kill them. So the kittens are crowded in a regular, small cage - the larger cats have to lay in their litter box, it's so crowded
 
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