Strays Living On My Farm- What To Do?

Hi guys. I'm at a loss about what to do right now.

I have two strays that were living on this property when I moved in. I have no idea if the previous owners left them or if they have just always lived here. It is a big farm with no near neighbours, well away from the road. A decent spot for strays.

One of the cats is really friendly and he's been living in the wood shed since we moved in last year. I've tried to find him a home but to no avail. When I contacted some No Kill shelters in my area two different ones told me they were full and that the best thing for the cats would be to let them live here, feed them and water them and not to bring them to a shelter, especially not the SPCA. So that's what I've done.

A few months after we moved in a second cat finally started to show itself (but I know it has lived on the property the whole time as I saw it here when we were first checking out the house when the previous tenants lived here. I thought they had taken the cat with them and was sad to see they left it here.) It took it a long time to get used to me but finally warmed up this winter after it realized I was the Food Lady. It lets me pet it now but if it were brought to a shelter I know it would not be deemed adoptable.

This second cat that showed up I was certain was a male... well, four kittens later I realize what an absolute idiot I am. It's obviously a female. I feel terrible about screwing that up so badly.

I have been emailing rescues and the local SPCAs to ask if they have any low cost spay and neuter programs. I am not well off by any means but I do care about these cats and was hoping to find some programs or vets that would do special low cost spays for strays. When I talked to the SPCAs I mentioned that I was told that my barn was the best place for the cats (compared to a shelter). All the SPCAs gave me the same speech about how the best place for the cats is NOT at my barn and that the best place for them is at the shelter.

Am I wrong? Was I given bad advice by the rescues?? OR does the SPCA just want the ferals brought in and destroyed so they no longer keep reproducing?

I'm just not sure what to do here. I am saving up money to get the female spayed, I know in my heart she will be put down if brought to a shelter and I feel a responsibility towards her. The kittens I am trying to tame and find homes for but I am leaning towards giving them to a rescue or shelter. Not sure what the best thing to do with the kittens is?

Anyways... I guess my question is... if I can get them spayed and neutered, are the cats better off here? Or should I just drop them off at an SPCA?

I want what's best for them. I thought i was doing what's best for them by feeding and caring for them but if the advice I was originally given is wrong, I just want to do what is right

My opinion is that if you're willing to spay and neuter them and keep them where they are provided with food, water, shelter and a loving place to be, there is no reason to bring them to a shelter because there's no guarantee that any of them would be adopted. I've worked at a no shelter for years and it breaks my heart to see cats that have been there for months or years without finding a loving home because they mostly live in a small cage the entire time they're there. That's no place to keep a cat long term. So I think it's better for them to be on your farm than in tight quarters.

Thank you for your advice. That is what I feel about it as well but I'm a bit taken aback that TWO SPCAs that I contacted both told me the same thing. I guess their priority is bringing ferals in to have them destroyed and thus reduce the likelihood that the ferals will reproduce and add to the overpopulation problem.

I feel badly that I mistook the female for a male. Clearly I'm not good at determining sex in cats. I am sure that the other stray I have is a male. My priority is to get the female spayed even though it will be more expensive.

Hoping I find a vet in the country who is able to offer some kind of discount on the procedure.

If you are up to caring for them I would let them stay on your farm.  Caring for the cats will mean a spay/neuter, food, water and shelter.  Many county humane societies offer discount spay/neuters.  In my area we have low cost spay/neuter clinics.  Do an internet search on low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area. You will need to get a humane trap or two and once trapped take them immediately for spay/neuter.  Some people make the mistake of trapping the cat and letting it out of the trap hoping to take the cat to the vet at a later time.  It is very hard to retrap a cat!  Once they know about the trap, they will avoid it!  We can all give lots and lots of tips for trapping.

Thank you for caring and wanting the best for these 2.

Just curious what happened to the kittens?  If they are still around, you will need to get them spayed/neutered right away too or they too will begin to reproduce.