I'm going to be the caretaker for a colony of strays..

Ok, so some of you might know that I am going to be taking over the care of a colony of strays. This is something I am doing for a woman I know. Her name is Doris. She takes care of them now, but is moving on Thursday, and needs someone to take care of them from now on. She has been searching for a long time. This one woman saw the paper Doris posted on the bulletin board at my job, and called Doris. This woman told Doris she would take over the care of strays for her. So, a lot of weight lifted off of Doris's shoulders. Or so she thought. The woman basically backed out of the deal, Doris has not been able to get into contact with the woman.

I've told Doris many times that I'd take over their care for her, but I can't afford to feed so many cats, along with my own. So, Doris called me, and is setting me up with food, and money to buy more, and I guess we are going to work out how she is going to get these funds to me after she moves. I am going to the colony sometime today, and she wil show me their shelters, how she cleans the shelters out, where to put the food, and everything else I need to know. I am honored that Doris trusts me enough to ask me to care for her kitties. She put so much time and effort into getting them all spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, tested for diseases, making sure they all have shelter and food in their bellies. Now, its my job. I have always wanted to help animals in need.

I am starting to get nervous. What if I mess up? What if one dies or something? Will it be my fault? I don't start caring for them until Friday, but its starting to set in that pretty soon I am going to be responisble for 20+ kitties. And I am so scared that I will do something wrong and mess everything up.

For those of you who take care of stray/feral colonies, do you have any advice for me? I know Doris is going to tell me how she does things, but I would like to know if there might be anything else, or if she does things like you. Is there anything extra I could do? How do you guys do things?

I don't know but I wanna wish you well

First of all, what a wonderful thing you are doing helping these babies!

Are there any TNR rescue groups in the area that you can contact that may help in providing food? I work with a local organization that does TNR and we provide the food to caregivers for their colonies so I'm sure if you have something similar where you live they may be able to help.

Go there to the colony together with Doris as much you can, preferably at the feeding time - I know there is hardly any time left... So the cats see you there together with Doris, and feel your smells together with Doris...
If Doris cant follow you - go there alone. So Friday wont be the first time the cats see you...
They will be shy of you as to a stranger, the first days at least, so be prepared for this...


btw, how many are they? 5 or 50??

Let Doris tell all her connections about you as her successor and recommends you.
Including the vet and the organisation who helps her with the vets payment.
Ask her write a recommendation letter so you can use it at least in the beginning.


Good if you can with time work out your own alliances. A network. It is not at all sure Doris was good at it - I suspect strongly she wasnt, otherwise she wouldnt get struck.
Let know the neighbours of the colony, so you at least recognize their faces. Try to be on speaking terms with them. Very good if they know you as a nice person... If you succeed with this, it will be also quite a lot safer - and better - for the cats.



You worry you will mess up something. Probably you will, so dont worry. Everyone does. That is part of the life. Nothing ever is perfect, save perhaps on the movie. You cant guard for everything.
In unsecure situations: Try to think it over. Make a decision. Carry on... So be it.

You are afraid your care will not be enough. Somebody may die because you didnt saw the need.
It is like a new parent: I think all parents feel this unsecurity, this anxiety. The answer is: right, but that is what there is. It must do. It simply must do.


Nay, your problems are wider. Say the economy. In this moment you can use money from Doris, and perhaps some time longer. But she will probably end with it, sooner or later. New place, new problems. Try to forget the old problems... (btw, was it her own money or is she part of some organization??)

So you must soon begin to think about raising your own money for the cats. This is one of the reasons why it is good you can cooperate with some good group, and or work up your alliances / network.

Talk with the shopowners in your vicinity, and perhaps get some of their products they can no longer sell or must throw away... Say catfood with the last date due or over.
Meat still ok but not fresh anymore.
- Did Doris these interviews?? If she did but got no help, you may try anyway - as I said, I suspect Doris wasnt very good at it.


Good luck!!!

StephanZ has covered everything that I was going to mention. Networking is the best way to be connected. If you see someone watching you feed, do your best to be approachable & say "hi". That is how I met the lady who cares for the "Dennys cats", and I have been able to give her some respite. My dad, who is bi-lingual, took it a step further & went into Dennys and let the Hispanics know that they can call on me for help with the cats - no one's called yet, but the crew has started looking out for the kitties, too.
Just remember, they are outside kitties and accidents happen. you are giving them a much higher standard of living than they would have otherwise.
May your efforts be richly blessed

Yup, Stefan covered most of it!

I would ask Doris about the colony - how stable it is, where she gets the cats spayed/neutered. Is she leaving you a trap? Sometimes caring for a colony means getting a sick or injured cat to the vet. New cats will most likely appear - and they need to be TNR'd.

If you PM me your zip code, I can help search for rescue orgs and low-cost spay/neuter services if Doris isn't connected at all.

DH and I worked on our own for years here. We moved back about 1 1/2 years ago, and just hooked up with a great organization. But before, we basically focused on ingratiating ourselves with the vet - the owner of the practice - and all of the staff. We'd always bring home baked cookies or something... and we wound up getting discounts on stuff for the ferals, and being able to pay over time... and the vet techs would usually foster the little kittens if a pregnant female turned up - and, in fact, most of them got adopted out through the vet practice.

There are lots of ways to network and to find the resources you'll need.

...and there are a lot of resources out there if you want to learn more!

http://www.alleycat.org
http://www.bestfriends.org
http://www.straypetadvocacy.org

And of course we're here for questions along the way!

This will be an immensely rewarding thing you do!

Blass you for taking on this job. Nothing to add except that eventually, you will learn to know each cat and know what to do for them.

Well, I went there last night.. I couldn't get very close, the cats don't trust other people. .Doris's husband told me they will be skittish until they recognize me as the food giver. I know they will not take right to me, I figured that. I asked her about the colony and everything.. There are 21, all fixed, all vacc'd, dewormed. Apparently she has been doing this for a long time. The colony is stable, there haven't been any newcomers for a long time. They are all ear tipped so I will know if a stranger shows up. I have plans to go back on Thursday before she leaves. She gave me a lot of food, told me what they will eat, only Friskies. She gave me money for more, and took my address to send me more money.

One thing I forgot to mention, is that she also wrote me a check to get Precious (the stray that followed me home) spayed!

I was only expecting money for the strays food. She suprised me by handing me a $50 check and telling me to "get the baby spayed". This woman is so generous, and so caring when it comes to cats. I am so grateful for her help, as I am sure she is grateful for my help. She is so dedicated. I'm sure her donation for Precious' spay is her thanking me for helping her when nobody else would.

I am honored to be able to help her, and the 21 cats in the colony. It's my way of giving back I guess.

What a kind and thoughtful thing to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so today was my first day feeding the colony. I didn't stay long, just long enough to put out some wet food for them. That's just because I had to go to work, so I just had my BF take me up to give them some food. I was under the impression that they wouldn't have any food when I got there. So, I filled a huge Ziplock bag full of the dry food she gave me, and grabbed about 5 cans of wet food, a plastic spoon, and a few of the plastic containers she gave me, and put it all in a plastic shopping bag. I woke BF up earlier than usual this morning, so he could take me up to the colony before work. I wasn't expecting there to be any food when I arrived. But Doris had filled up the two big stainless steel food bowls and a plastic container of dry food before she left for good last night. There was still plenty of dry in the bowls. When I arrived at the spot where the cats' shelters and food are, there was one orange cat there, eating the dry that was out. When he saw me walking toward him, he ran. I tried not to scare him, but I understand, he has no clue who I am. He was the only cat around then, and he looked suprisingly chubby for a stray, so I know now Doris took great care of them. I put out all of the wet food I took. During that time, I didn't see the orange kitty again, nor any others in the colony. I really wanted them to see me putting out food. Who knows, the orange cat could have been watching me from a distance. I didn't see him watching though. I am eager to see the others, and possibly get to know them a little better, to build up their trust in me.

I see no reason you can't use the same scent "trick" people use indoors to get kitties they're socializing to associate them with good things.... why not get a t-shirt all sweaty and put it under the food dishes? Can't hurt!

Originally Posted by LDG

I see no reason you can't use the same scent "trick" people use indoors to get kitties they're socializing to associate them with good things.... why not get a t-shirt all sweaty and put it under the food dishes? Can't hurt!

Click to expand...

You know what? I never even thought of that! Great idea.. Thanks! I will have to wait a couple of days to do that, so I can find an old shirt and get it nice and sweaty and nasty.

Originally Posted by KiTTYL0VE4

... he looked suprisingly chubby for a stray..... Who knows, the orange cat could have been watching me from a distance.

Click to expand...

Im sure several of them were there and did watched you. Cats are good at it, and shy semiferales are extra good at hiding and observe from their observation place.

You saw the orange one probably becuse he is a little less easy scared than the others, so he delayed his quick retreat. The others disappeared before you saw them.


Successfull semiferales are often rather chubby. Or if you turn on it, being chubby helps them to be successfull semiferales... Not so prone for diseases, parasites, and cold of course.

Well, when I went there today, there were two. The one was the same orange one from yesterday.. I got a bit of a better look at him today. Now I'm not sure if he's a chub-chub, or if he just looks like it bc his fur is long. The other one came out of one of the shelters and ran when he saw me coming, same with the long haired one. The one that came out of the shelter was also orange, but his fur is short and he looks a lot skinnier than the long haired kitty. Today they were the only two there.. And right before I left the area, I noticed the long haired orange kitty watching me from a distance. Guess I was right to believe that..

Also, they didn't eat all of the wet I put out yesterday.. But all of the dry was gone.