need support - getting very discouraged

For the last 8 days Ive just felt like things are going downhill. First off the cat who was there every morning to greet me has disappeared. I also havent seen a few others - but at this point i feel its harder to tell them apart. Ill see a cat and check its ear (and it is SO hard to see anyway) but it wont be clipped and I think - I thought I got that cat....

This all started last week when one of the condos in the 2nd building was being worked on and the workman had 2 big dumpsters in the parking lot for a few days - it just seemed like that confused the cats or scared them or whatever. the cats are still eating of course - but like I said its not the same with them being there most days. I knew the 7 or 8 cats and now Im just so confused when i dont see them together. And Im also scared that something happened to the friendly one - I know i cant protect them for being hurt or killed - but everytime I go to feed these cats I look for him and it breaks my heart.....

PLUS and most importantly these cats are now everywhere!! They are even going back to that first building - if i get one more complaint - the condo jerks WILL confront me and stop all this with a call to Animal control. The cats are now around the 1st, 2nd and 3rd condo buildings now instead of just hte first!!! I feel like i created a worse situation.

Someone said i could use pepper in the places i dont want them - which i WANT to do - i was just concerned with them getting the pepper in their eyes (which i read elsewhere could happed).... now i fear Ill cause more harm doing that....

help.....

THEN just tonight (trapping night) I caught nothign in the 1st yard - moved it to my backyard and got one - wouldnt you know it was the TOM cat I was so excited about getting last week - i got him again! I didnt need that...

I know our colonies will act similar when construction activity is near. They should settle down when things get back to normal.

It is the cayenne pepper that could cause eye irritation. Ground Black Pepper will just make them sneeze from what I understand. Just like us.

I think this product contains 'oil of black pepper'. http://www.havahart.com/store/animal...FRKAxgodZAikzA

Made by company that makes humane live animal traps.

Another commercial repellent... http://www.critter-repellent.com/cat/cat-deterrent.php

You are doing a great job. I believe if you keep your routine the same it will help them. Keep feeding in the same spot even though they are moving around. They know where the food will be.

I hope others will have more to offer. Hang in there.

they have stopped the construction and have been gone for about 4/5 days now

thanks for the info on repellents.

I actually went out tonight and dumped some pepper around the first yard felt really goofy doing so.... ill pay attention in the next few days - see if they are still hanging about.

I just need them to stay in the woods near the food - not go back to where i started.... thats going to get "us" in some major trouble which I dont think i can take dealing with again.....

didnt trap any tonight either hoped for a good night - will try tomorrow morning have to get up extra early to do that too...

so how are things going?

Originally Posted by m935

I actually went out tonight and dumped some pepper around the first yard

felt really goofy doing so.... ill pay attention in the next few days - see if they are still hanging about.

Click to expand...

You want to talk about feeling goofy? Last night I was lying in a bush mewing at a kitten

It kept running away, and going nowhere near the trap, but would come closer when I mewed to it. So I lay in a bush behind the trap mewing away at DHs work.

You're doing a great job, and I know it's easy to get discouraged, but they really do get freaked out so easily. Being stray/feral there's not a lot you can do to keep them in your yard, so you just need to hope for the best.

Good luck!

Things are going the same.... thanks for asking.

The pepper didnt work - but i dont know if i need to DUMP it or just sprinkle it.

I really think the friendly one is gone - i hate to think dead - but he was pretty much ALWAYS there - waiting - even times when i was just around to check on them he was there - he would follow me to my car - let me pet him - meow constantly. I loved that cat. I hope those construction guys didnt run him over......
The only thing i can be somewhat grateful for is if he is dead - that I didnt have to see him. Im serious that would have killed me. Everyday i think of him..... i try not to get attached but... im learning its now impossible.

Im now trying to switch from morning feeding to night feeding - so im feeding both times - i feel this may be hard to do because for the last 2 months theyve been usually waiting during certain am hours. But I NEED to have them come out only at night because I am ready to move them into the 3rd condo's yard which is where one of the witches lives. OF COURSE - she lives in the back so her condo looks over the yard where the cats would eat. She isnt supposed to even be here - she told everyone she was leaving teh end of august - but i saw her car this morning. AT LEAST she's only probably around weekends - but STILL - she sees ONE cat and Im gonna hear it. My "six weeks" are almost up... of course that means nothing to me - im caring for these cats for as long as they are around....

To sarahp Thats great- im slowly learning whatever you have to do to help these cats - no matter how crazy it may seem to others - which is hard sometimes. I know most people feel JUST feeding them is insane - but I KNOW we are all doing the greatest thing in the world helping another species that cant always help themselves survive in a world with cruel, selfish people.

I know how you feel, at my apartment complex there is supposed to be a limit of 2 pets, but we have 7, and we have brought attention to ourselves by feeding the small feral colony outside, so now we are trying to relocate them and hope we dont get evicted. Its just a feeling of desperation, when there are a million things going through your head and you just want to give up.

But you cant, you have to keep pushing, your making a difference, and you can go on through life knowing that.