Where are people finding all these stray cats?

I agree MollyBlue. If you feed a cat for a week, you belong to that cat now. 

MollyBlue said:

 
Well, if they are micro-chipped is one way to tell.  If you frequently see them in same yard or hanging out on someone's porch, that is a subtle clue... while cats like to roam and hunt, they also are pretty territorial, so if they are owned, they may visit others, but should tend to hang out in a general vicinity.  Some cats have wised up to the benefits of co-ownership and will adopt several families in a single area... and that gets pretty tricky.  Some people don't realize that if you feed a cat 7 days a week, for weeks on end, that it becomes their cat.  They think, well, we never wanted another cat, or this cat doesn't come inside or doesn't let me play with it, therefore it is not our cat... but I think maybe the cat has other ideas.

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I agree MollyBlue. If you feed a cat for a week, you belong to that cat now.

I live in a rural town (very small) so most of the cats in our area do belong to people and generally stick to their own lawns.  The previous homeowners of our house left their cat behind (they asked our permission first so I don't see it as abandonment) and he stuck to our yard, the road in front of our house, the neighbours behind us (they don't have cats) and the farmer's field next door.  He would follow us on walks to the end of the road and then stop and we would see the next cats who would follow us for several hundred feet and then they'd stop and we'd meet the next cat.  We would always see the cats going back to their homes and owners.  We actually used to get other cats in our yard more often when we had outdoor cats ourselves.  (Both have since passed)  

The rest are barn cats.  I'm not sure what everyone does with the excess litters but the cats they do decide to keep are well taken care of that I see.  I do know some farmers who do fix their barn cats but I'm not sure it's common.  My kittens were barn cats but my friend told me she was so happy she knew they were going to a home where they'd be loved.

I guess I don't assume outdoor cats are strays.  I've had friends complain about neighbours feeding their cats and "stealing" them.  When I'd let my old cat out I would have her wear a brightly-harnessed collar so people would know she belonged to someone.  I didn't want her stolen nor did I want her shot (another rule of the rural land).  

Growing up, it seemed that everyone kept their cats outdoors. I don't see a lot of cats outside anymore--maybe two or three in my neighborhood (and a bobcat, if that counts), but they belong to someone. There used to be a fat orange tabby that I saw roaming around quite a bit, but the poor thing was run over and killed. Most people keep their cats indoors because of the large coyote population in the area. The neighbor's donkey that lives in the pasture behind our house helps to keep the population down though. He stomped two of them to death (not at the same time). I had no idea donkeys could do that, especially this sweet little guy. His name is Buttercup!

Two coyotes or two feral cats?

MollyBlue said:

 
Two coyotes or two feral cats?

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Most likely coyotes. It's known that donkeys hate them. A lot of the local cattle farmers keep several donkeys in their pasture to keep out coyotes.

Plan said:

 

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Hi @Plan

As you said you live in a wealthy area.  Bottom line that's the reason you don't see homeless cats.  How many homeless people  do you see living and sleeping in your neighborhood?  The reason you see close to zero (if not zero) is the same reason you don't see homeless cats.  Example: what percentage of your wealthy neighbors do you suspect let their unfixed male and females roam the hood breeding at will?  About zero or close to it right? And probably very few aren't fixed either, even if they weren't let outside.  How many of your neighbors intentionally breed their females and then if they don't find homes, let the kittens live outside?  Probably very few, right? Maybe zero.  

Come on down to east harlem or the bronx, or any number of other neighborhoods and i will show you plenty of homeless cats.  Enough that NYC is still euthanizing close to 8000 a year (down from 30,000 about 10 years ago thanks to major initiatives).

There are large parts of our country where animals, cats and dogs, just live outside.  Spay and neuter is not common.  Homelessness, both human and animal may have many causes, but people and animals who are homeless tend to become homeless in the vicinity of where they live or lived.  Wealthy people, and their animals have the resources to avoid this fate.

I saw in your profile that you are newspaper reporter.  Maybe there is a story there.  Correction, there are many stories out there, so many, one would have to decide on the direction to take in order to filter the number of stories down to a manageable level.  Other than local NYC animal stories, there are a lot of stories connected to this link.  https://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/field-investigations-and-response-team - feel free to PM me if you want more info on this link.

Wow, I didn't know donkeys could kill coyotes.

kntrygrl256 said:

Most likely coyotes. It's known that donkeys hate them. A lot of the local cattle farmers keep several donkeys in their pasture to keep out coyotes.

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I know some people who keep guard llamas to protect their horses from coyotes, too.

PushPurrCatPaws said:

I know some people who keep guard llamas to protect their horses from coyotes, too.

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Cool I've never heard of that.

mollyblue Yes, I was talking about two coyotes, not two cats.

In  my neighborhood, the feral cats come and go.  I rarely see the same cats from year to year. The first year we were here I had 2 cats strolling through my yard, stealth kitty and bird breath.  The next year there was a beautiful tortie and a black cat.  Last year there were 2 or 3 torties (not the same one) , a gray tabby, an orange tabby and a long haired black cat.  This year i've seen 2 black cats and an orange tabby, but I haven't seen the tabby since spring.  I live very close to a bird/wildlife sanctuary and I know they trap predators during migrating seasons. 

About a quarter mile from me there used to be about 10 cats and they were TNRing them.  I think they are down to 4 cats now.  One had 3 kittens this year.  She is hard to trap so she is probably still not spayed.  The houses there also back up to the wildlife preserve.   The neighbors feed them, but the cats didn't always look in good health.  i think they are doing the minimum. 

About 1/2 mile in another direction an older man is taking care of 10+ cats.  They are all spayed/neutered and in very good health.  He isn't sure what will happen to the cats if he dies or moves.  The neighbors tolerate the cats but wish they would use the litter boxes provided.  He said someone dropped off a box of kittens once.  He found homes for them.

The number of rescue organizations in the East bay area is astonishing and they are all full and looking for more fosters so they can help more cats.   There are many programs in place for low cost spay/neuter.  i don't understand why more people don't take advantage of them.

I myself don't feed the cats because I have bird feeders, although they do sometimes double as cat feeders.

Note to self...get some donkeys! We don't have any stray cats in my area. Its a semi busy road though so I think that's why no one drops off cats here. Plus we have a lot of cyottes, my old cat was an outdoor cat(we lived in a village and it was an outdoor cat and it was too hard to keep it in when we moved because she loved being out)she managed to avoid cyottes though, I think the numbers are growing however. My I laws have a farm in another town and they very rarely get any dropped off. However a friend has a few dropped off every year, and I know a few streets in the city near by has colonies.

@StephenQ  .. well said..

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• grizzlysapien
• Jul 12, 2015

@Plan  I live in Athens, Greece.. Cats are throwing parties all over the city.. And that's because you can find them everywhere. Well, I'm not complaining, actually. I love seeing cats in every single corner 

 But it's not safe for the cats themselves. Here in Greece, this is not a regional matter. Stray cats and dogs can be found anywhere. In colonies, in groups etc.. I personally care for 2 female cats and their "husbands" 

 of course their babies too 

 I live in an appartment, but I do leave food and water next to the building's entrance for other strays.. I managed to "attract" a new mommy-cat that way. She was looking for food in anxiety - she looked so young and seemed she had just given birth.. In spite of that, I haven't been able to find the babies in order to see how they are, or if they need medical attention. She has gotten used to the food + water I leave for her and regularly comes and feeds on that. 

In an "odd" way, I am for cats and dogs walking freely on the streets, as long as people care for them and respect them. Packing them up in shelters and rehoming them isn't always the best idea. They say that doing so, it is a sign of civilization. In my opinion? Nah... A sign of civilization is what I said above: care for them and respect them as entities. Not all of them are "pet-material". Most of them are ferals. They may be dangerous to accomodate them with humans or families with small children. Unless you do that while they're very young and can be trained. The kitties I care for (the 2 females + "husbands") are perfectly happy staying at an old abandoned house with many places to hide and be protected from the weather conditions and in the small yard which looks like a small "jungle"  - since no one does the "gardening" in that place! 

 I bet, they'd be unhappy confined in a house, in 4 walls etc.. But I am talking about this case only and similar ones.. The "new-mommy" is a pet-material, cause she's always gentle when I see her.. She seeks attention. The others, are like "give me a break, I'm fine just where I am".. 

Nevertheless - as I said before - it's not safe.. Drivers are careless, many people are "twisted" and mean, so catching the strays and bringing them to shelters becomes the best idea.. Since there is no such thing as "civilization" towards the animals, after all.. 

In my opinion, areas that are "stray-free" are that way, cause they like to keep their streets "clean".. But who knows what happens to this large number of strays that end up in shelters? No one hears about them again. And I doubt that the municipalities, or the state in general, would spend that much money on feeding them and keeping them healthy.. Let alone, training them to become proper "pet-material" so to find them homes.. 

I am from Westchester & believe me there are tons!! Lots of them in reserves & wooded areas. New rochelle humane is great with TNR & so is the braircliff SPCA and there are so many rescues we are very fortunate!

I live in bay city mi and the last few years we have dealt with a lot of stray/feral cats we never used to have the problem but our animal control is full with cats and the humane society is always full now.