6 Ferals, 2 Maine Coons & 1 Husband!

debster747

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Hi everyone! I've been browsing this website for the past several days and decided to join in. There's a lot of great information here and a lot of loving hearts. We have 6 outdoor ferals and two indoor maine coons. We are in the processing of trying
to trap the last female for TNR. We missed her and she had one kitten. If we don't find it a home, we'll be surrendering it for fostering so it doesn't turn feral. My husband built an outdoor shelter for the others with a heater to keep under our deck for the cold Cleveland winters. (But so far we can't get any of them to go into it! This will be our next challenge.)
 

momofmany

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Welcome to TCS!! I'm very much a fan of feral cats and I applaud that you are caring for 6 of them!! I will send you major vibes () that you can trap the last female and get her fixed. If you are having problems, wander into the Stray and Feral cat forum and ask for help - there are a number of folks with a lot of experience in this.

You are right - there are some very caring people on this site.
 

coolcat

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Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina
y Milky
te saludan!!!
........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina and Milky say hello to you!!!...
)

Please feel as you home here, we can learn so much and deep about our kittys in this marvelous site, I just only please ask you read the rules and other stuffs that can help you to feel as you Real home!..
here you have the link my friend.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82565

Please ask whatever you need to know, there are plenty of good members and of course our tireness Mod´s to help us here!....


See you on the forums!, Glad that you join us!
 

xocats

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Welcome to our community of caring people who love cats.

You have come to the right place to learn and share your experiences with others who care for feral cats.

Please make yourself at home.

 

pami

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Hello and Welcome to you and your kitties to TCS

We are certainly glad you have joined us.
 
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debster747

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It's so cool to be with others who feel like I do!
 

flisssweetpea

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Hi there
we're so happy to get the chance to welcome you and your furfamily to TCS. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay with us - we're one great big family and you'll find loads of friends here. If I can help at all while you're finding your way around TCS just click on my username and send me a Personal Message - I'll do what I can to answer your questions
 

gloriajh

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Welcome!
Re: shelter
you'd just think that they would just see that you've done a wonderful thing for them, huh!


We're in the desert, and our Ferals weren't cooperating with our efforts to make a shelter to keep them cooler.

We finally re-built it in a place where they were already sleeping, under a picnic table on our patio - the "cats" wouldn't go to the "mountain" so we took the "mountain" to them. We put the panels of insulation around and over the picnic table. That worked. We figure that it will provide shelter from the cooler weather when it arrives, too.

So, maybe your cats hang out in a certain place in your yard that if the shelter was there, they'd be more interested in using it?

More than likely, when it does get cold, they'll figure out for themselves that there's a warmer place to be out of the cold.
One could hope, anyway.
 
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debster747

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We've moved the shelter twice. The cats hang out under our deck (it's 2-level and you can actually stand under it). What I just noticed yesterday is that a raccoon came through, had a drink of water from the bowl that's usually outside the shelter, went right in & up into the shelter (sometimes we leave a little dry food in it to try to entice the kitties to use it!). Now we know why they avoid it. We're hoping that when the colder weather comes the situation will take care of itself! (Our area under the deck was just like yours around the picnic table last winter. We had all kinds of crates, heaters, heat lamps, cardboard, etc. It looked like a kitty ghetto!!!)
 

gloriajh

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Originally Posted by debster747

We've moved the shelter twice. The cats hang out under our deck (it's 2-level and you can actually stand under it).

What I just noticed yesterday is that a raccoon came through, had a drink of water from the bowl that's usually outside the shelter, went right in & up into the shelter (sometimes we leave a little dry food in it to try to entice the kitties to use it!).

Now we know why they avoid it.

We're hoping that when the colder weather comes the situation will take care of itself!

(Our area under the deck was just like yours around the picnic table last winter. We had all kinds of crates, heaters, heat lamps, cardboard, etc. It looked like a kitty ghetto!!!)
Oh NO! Coons! now, THERE's a problem for sure. My sister once cared for about 10+ strays and ferals - and coons! I think they finally gave up trying to keep the food away from the coons and eventually both the coons and cats were eating together - I think I have the story correct.

Guess if you want the cats to stay in the shelter you won't be able to put the food in there - those silly coons!

I know exactly what you mean about the Pile Shelter! I'm so glad the neighbors can't see our back yard, even ashamed when we have human visitors to see our structure(s) - don't think we'd pass the City's Occupation Permit requirements - altho' the cats seem to approve.


Hopefully someone will know, and suggest, something about how to discourage the coon(s). - I'm checking with my sister to see if she might have any ideas, and will share if/when she's able to get back to me.
My sister doesn't hold out too much hope about the coons - she has a three story home, the coons managed to get up on the second floor deck looking for cat food - so, sorry about your wild life situation ... maybe a little TNR for the coons might help your problem.
 
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