Starting Feral Cat Caretaker

I am moving feeding station to the far side of the yard by fence.....that's as far away as I can go. Now he's making noises about wanting to garden there. Discussed location of feeding station and shelters with landlord in front of him. Quiet. Landlord letting me use his camper trailer to safely keep recovering cats and evening traps!!!!!

Wow, your landlord is a gem.  Hopefully, he will help you keep the neighbor in check.

Neighbor works for landlord. Kind of feeling like I'm riding a barbed wire fence. Landlord is beyond cool. Older guy who just listens go all the bullshit or at least pretends to and goes uh huh let me think about that yeah got to get home to the wife. He keeps thanking me for taking this on...so happy about that!

Question: Some of these cats were taken into this neighbors apartment and lived with him awhile. Then for some reason or other he tossed them out to fend for themselves. Now their acting feral. What are my chances of socializing them enough for adoption?

Oh this ya got to hear!!!! Favorite comment so far (from problem neighbor yet):

Well, you know i never tried to get that cat nuetered because you know she don't like boys.
So your telling me she's a lesbian cat?
Yeah right. No need to nueter her.
I'm just gonna walk away now.

JaneM said:

Oh this ya got to hear!!!! Favorite comment so far (from problem neighbor yet):

Well, you know i never tried to get that cat nuetered because you know she don't like boys.
So your telling me she's a lesbian cat?
Yeah right. No need to nueter her.
I'm just gonna walk away now.

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all at the same time

That old lesbian thing comes out anytime a woman is assertive.  Tells you a lot about his fears, huh?

They may be re-socializable.  Lots of work but definitely worth a try.

Lets see - he didn't get them neutered, had multiple intake males in his house.  Hmmm, what do you think cause him to throw them out?  Derp!

Well landlord and I were standing on the back porch watching the cats at morning feeding.
He turns to me and goes " So how many do you think there are?"
"Well eleven for sure probably a couple more that are so shy I can't really get an exact count."
He grabs his chest and rolls his eyes.
Just then the lesbo cat strolls by flicking her tail at us.
" You know I was told that one didn't need nuetering cause she don't like boys."
"Whaaa???"
"Yeah she's a lesbian."
"Bullshit...nueter that cat!!!

Too funny!

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The pics are of seven kittens the humane society picked up tonight. Feeling really lousy so later.

Do not feel badly!  They are safe now.  Beautiful kittens.

Starting to feel better but still kicking myself. I had fallen asleep and when I went out for evening feeding I was met by Slappy and Patches at the back door. Wow were they upset they gave me an earful. Then I found a baby crying in the grass. While I was sleeping the workmen had cleaned out and sealed a trailer the cats had been living in for about a year. When they were cleaning they found two litters of kittens. The kittens had just been left next to the trailer with no one making sure they were safe. It was just assumed their moms would come get them...well the moms never did. There is a history of finding dead kittens around here. Still not sure what's going on. Apparently they had been there about five hours. I was crushed by how calous and unfeeling some people are. I was angry at myself for not being there to protect them.
Ok, so then it starts to rain. Not a nice gentle rain but a full on downfall with heavy winds. I was trying really hard to get some kind of shelter on those kittens but the storm was horrible. I called the humane society and at first they just wanted me to wait so I did for about three more hours. Perhaps I should explain a little about where I live. I am down away from the projects. This is the cockroach/crackhead side of town. The house I live in was a well known crack house. Well the crackheads and cockroaches are pretty much gone from here now but the memories linger. People avoid this area.
Anyway after a bunch of hemming and hawing. Someone asks where I am watching the kittens from. Far side of the yard, in the rain. Then I started lossing it but good. "The kittens are soaked and cold. I am soaked and cold. Their moms aren't coming. We are all miserable." I was then told to gather up the kittens and take them and myself inside to get warm and dry. Someone would call me back soon.
Inside I dried them off best I could. Put the kittens in a plastic basin with one of my old sweaters. Started rubbing my thumb on their foreheads really gently like my grandfather taught me years ago on the farm. Mimics their mother licking them and calms them.
Sweetie came over and started rubbing my face...guess it works on me too. Oh Sweetie is my cat.
Anyway I got a call back saying someone would be coming over. I was happy about that. At least these tiny helpless creatures were gonna have a chance.

I lived in a pretty nice part of town and many times, found kittens in the same situation.  People are jerks all over.

So glad you could save these little ones.

Feeling kind of bad about melting down, have had a few meltdowns lately. I suppose some good came from it though. Apparently problem neighbor was watching me out in the rain trying to protect the kittens. At one point he came out and helped find a tarp to try to keep draped over them...he even handed me his shirt to get them off the wet ground!!!
Today we were talking and he says he'll help with finding stuff for shelters. I think I got him to understand that tossing food out on porch...bad. Maybe well meaning but bad. He is basically a nice person just really stubborn and well not the brightest.
Maybe there is hope.

Oh, that is wonderful!  I pray he continues to learn and realizes how all your hard work will pay off.  It took my neighbors almost ten years before they stopped making fun of my efforts.  Only one ever said anything to me but that was enough.

All that work and only one person notices??? There's a reason i prefer animals to people.
Tonight very strange. They gathered round me but wouldn't eat. I left the food out for over an hour but except for Slappy taking a few bites it was left. The cats were there even some ultra shy ones. I'm really confused. They were greeting me but not interested in food.

Well, morning feeding was popular. I had thirteen shows up. Even Wolfie and Tatters who are two of the most ultra shy. When I was bent over filling dishes Wolfie snuck up behind me and started rubbing against my legs! Tatters was within 2 feet talking to me? Wish I was fluent on cat.

JaneM said:

All that work and only one person notices??? There's a reason i prefer animals to people.

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Agreed!

Glad to hear some of the cats are approaching.  With ferals, it is always two steps forward, one back, so Wolfie rubbing against you is a good sign.

Bit of a problem with Slappy. He's doing as boy cats do and being a neighborhood pest. Really hoping to get him fixed soon. He is always the first go greet me and demands pets and belly rubs. He has started positioning himself between the other cats and me. Tonight Bandit came very close and I was trying to use my fist really close. Bandit seemed tobe interested that is until Slappy started snarling and hissing at her.

Yes, just like kids, they get jealous.  You can correct him - just a sharp "no" when he hisses will make him pay attention.  We have a cat who insists on being the only one to be petted.  Anyone else approaches, he gets mad and will swat.  We have to remind him that he's not our only cat.  Sometimes he minds, other times he sulks.