Problems with setting feeding stations

within a few months one of my feral cats is missing.the maintance employee stole my game camera;vandalized the tree cat feeding station.. I moved feeding station from bushy area to a wooded area . the feral cats are suffering from lack of food because they are confused about where the food went. can not stay in feeding area long for fear of getting fired. have contacted a organization that is willing to talk to both the Elks Lodge group and the Nurseing home about my feeding the cats. have all but one kitten fixed. The Elks Lodge own the property and is leaseing part of the parking lot to the Nurseing Home next door. finnally got my game camera back minus the SD card.. am tired of this game the Nurseing Home is playing.am too old to start a new job. your suggestions would be appreciated.

  How terrible!!!  I, too, have a colony that is being sabotaged   I hope that the organization gets some positive results so that you can put up some warning signs to deter the vandalism. Maybe you could ask your local animal control officer or the police about suggestions specific to your area - it all depends on the local "climate" and attitudes about cats in general.  Meanwhile, I am sending out mega prayers and vibes that your colony is protected and that vile person is deterred from future misdeeds

lisa1950,

I would seriously consider contacting Alley Cat Allies http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=1452 and see if there are any people in their Feral Friends Network in your area that could help you. I am not sure what is wrong with this person but the cats need to be protected and it sounds like you need some help. There are people that should be able to give good advice on what to do. You would think the nursing home would like that the ferals would control the rodent population. But hopefully through the link I have included you can get some expert help in saving these cats. Thanks for all you are doing for them.

am planning on buying a lock box made for the  game camera I finally got back from  the Nurseing Home where I  work.also got the SD card back finally.

the  Animal Humane Society here is going to speak to the Director of the Nurseing Home this week. I am ordering the l ock box from Amazn and can buy the cable lock at the local hardware sore.will keep you posted.

I wish you luck with the feral cats. I hope the organization can give you some help...the mere fact that all but one has been fixed is amazing. I have a close friend in Fl. that has help from the county. They provide cages to catch them and fix them for her and she feeds the colony every day....Why won't the nursing home do something with the mait. employee?

As mentioned by @CalicosRSpecial - - Alley Cat Allies is a great resource - - for info, advice, and they'll even send printed materials about what you're trying to accomplish that you can distribute in the area. Sadly many people just see the feeding, and think that those of us that are doing community cat TNR/feeding are just feeding and "making more cats." (like most people - we've had alot of angry pushback in our neighborhood until at a Community Watch Meeting a local spay/neuter clinic helped me explain that we were keeping NEW cats from entering the area by TNR and feeding.  I think it's great your local Humane Society is going to speak to the Nursing Home. 

Good luck - sounds like the kitties are greatly helped by you!

because the maintance man at the nurseing home is following orders from the  dirctor of the Nurseing Home.

finnally trapped the female kitten I have been trying to trap .all the other feral cats have been neutered or spayed. because of the theft of my trail camera by maintance man at the Nurseing home where I work  which I finally got back. he had to walk around a fence that separates Elks Lodge from  

the Nurseing home to get the camera.. have contacted a feral cat rescue group about the issue. the Nurseing  Home wants the cats gone.the cats have been there for over ten years.  I HAVE STARTED CAREING FOR THEm  ten years ago [when I STARTED WORKING THE Nurseing Home]..

If the cats are on their property then the nursing home has the right to remove them, however, if the cats are on the other side of some fencing then there is literally nothing they can do about it. Make sure when you do care for the cats it is when you're off the clock (lunch break / after hours).

I like to use cameras to keep an eye on things.  Yet you would have to keep the camera off the Nursing home property. 

So happy you finally trapped the last kitten!!  That is great news.

I hope a rescue organization can help you out with dealing with the Nursing home.  Have they given you a reason why they want the cats gone?

THE FERAL CATS ARE SITTING ON THEIR CARS AND SCAREING THE CAR OWNers and "breeding like wildfire"even though all the cats are neutered/spade.

had to remove all water and feed.haveing to feed them at 6AM  HAD TO REMOVE ALL WATER AND feeding                       . bowls from Elks property.having to drop food on ground to avoid leaving any thing around showing that someone is feeding them.need to make a trail of food towards the wooded area in the back property.any suggestion? do  I need to put down 9 piles of food towards the wooded area?

need advice about how best to handle this issue mentally,emotionaly,being practical..afew weeks ago I FINNALLY TRAPPED THE LAST CAT THAT NEEDED to spade. the ELKS LOUNG and the nurseing home where I work want the cats gone off the property.bought a lockbox for my trail camera but have not put it up yet.not sure how to attach it to a tree out side of fenced in area where the feeding station has been moved.not knowing where they are ,if they are eating is driveing me crazy..the tree that I want to put the camera on is outside of the property

line.my daughters are walking     to the back of the property to put food and water down  when I drop them off at the entrance to the property

and leave till they come back  off the property. have no support from finance. can't sleep from worrying about  this colony.

Any change is going to spook the cats.  They need consistency and routine to feel safe.  As long as the food appears at or near the same spot every day, they will adjust.  It may take some of them longer but the adjustments will be made.

Not sure I understood the info about the trail camera.  Has someone moved or stolen it?

when  I TIED THE CAMERA TO A SMALL POST INSIDE WHAT i call the   bushes feeding station area that is closer to the parking  lot       but hidden out of view unless 

you walk in the bushes area. the maintance man employed by Heartland nurseing home stole my camera and removed the SD card to view the pictures.

I was monitoring the cats to see who was showing up to eat or not..was told that no one is allowed to feed the cats at all on the property.The parking lot near by is used by Heartland employies and Elks LODGE AT NIGHT Mon.-Sat.    at this time I do not know where  some of the cats have gone to or if they are still around but hiding some where near by.my daughters are  putting food and water down inside the wooded area .adding salmon or mackeral to the food.                             hopefully by useing a lock box it will      make it hard to get to the camera but will need to order cable lock to secure the camera to a tree .   would it be worth it to

use the camera or  not   your adive is welcomed.       

THE FERAL COLONY  Ihave been careing for on public land is at risk of being poisened,trapped ,killed. the two businesses want them removed. I HAVE tamed oe cat in a crate and found a home for him .never have I

trapped and relocated a colony.please walk me thru the process ASAP. Have not seen some of the cats in a couple of months since I QUIT FEEDING THEM IN THE ORIGINAL feeding station.Iwill get fired if I continue to feed them at this location

Oh, boy, you have a challenge ahead of you.

First, deep breath.  Second, start calling for help.  Identify any rescues or other cat people who can pitch in.  The more people you have to help, the more likely will be your success.

Start thinking about where you are going to relocate them to.  If you have a place, you will need to confine them for at least four weeks so they have time to get used to the new home.  Depending on how many cats there are, large dog kennels, secured with a wire roof and wire at the corners, can work.  Use Rubbermaid shelters and/pr dog houses inside for shelters.

Large crates inside sheds or garages will work, too.

Line up the traps - you may need to get a drop trap, if they have been trapped before.  I would try to get as many traps as there are cats, just so you can set them out at once.  If that's not possible, remember to wash the used trap thoroughly before re-using it, as it will smell of frightened cat.

Here are two articles that might help:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-abcs-of-tnr

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/saving-feral-cats

Thank you for your prompt reply. All of the cats have been TNRd .Finnally TNRd  .the youngest one.  I do not understand why these two business  refuse  to

believe they can allow this colony to coexist. The Manager of the businesses told me  "that the cats were  breeding like wild fire"    . this occured after  I had gotten  the last cat TNRd.    I told her that all the cats were fixed. She either did not believe me or just wants  the cats gone after allowing them to  be born and raised up to adult hood at the same location for nine years.I  do not  have enough  experience  at  convinceing  someone to allow the cats to live on their property. Some of the cats  have dissapeared  after I BEGAN MOVING THE FEEDING STATION in back of the property     concealed inside a wooded area.

the maintance man that works for the business I work at  store my game camera  that I  was useing to monitor the cats  . I finnally got the camera back  without the  SD card with  a worning  not to get caught feeding the cats or get fired.

  People can be so IGNORANT about cats!!! My main feral colony had most of the cats suddenly disappear; a few have straggled back to their home, skinny and skittish, so I suspect foul play. And this is AFTER the supermarket's managers have graciously allowed the cats to- live in a riparian zone (the creek is fenced in with a park like setting).

Vets' offices and also some churches (Methodists and Seventh Day Adventists have been my best bets so far since they really seem to be dedicated to stewardship as opposed to dominion over His creatures) are sometimes great resources for connecting to fellow cat lovers who may know of areas that would work out for the cats. Also, you can try calling riding stables and ask about any "barn cat" programs - sometimes Animal Control attendants keep a list.  I do my homework about barn cat programs, especially since one local stables seems to go through cats at an alarming rate - they blame coyotes but with the numerous ranch dogs on the property, I suspect it is the dogs themselves that are getting the cats since self-respecting ranch dogs do not allow coyotes anywhere near the place.

If containing the cats is not an option (large crates, garages and indoor shelters are not always available, especially to a private individual who isn't especially wealthy), remember that food & shelter = territory to a feral cat.  It is much riskier to relocate them if you can't confine them, but an old timers' trick is to butter their paws (Vaseline works too but I don't like the idea of feeding petroleum products to cats when butter and coconut oil work as well) right before release and when they walk on their new territory, they will lick the new scent off their feet (along with the butter) and will know where they "belong".

I will keep your efforts in my prayers and thoughts - it isn't easy to help feral cats. If you ever need encouragement, don't hesitate to PrivateMessage anyone in our TCS family!   Please keep us updated! Susan

Thank    you for your suggestions and input .went to put food and water down thru the fenced in  wooded area  found the food/water containers were still there.

Sometimes the dishes are removed and thrown in a dumpster near by. saw them in there but could not reach them a few days ago. have someone coming to feeding area on Sunday[ no one is around the area where  I feed them   on Sundays.] This person volunteers with animal rescue  and trapping.

Will keep you posted.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

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THE  COLONY  I have been  feeding and got all TNRd;    Is at risk of being killed dislocated. am ready to start looking for another job. One of the cats hangs around the Heartland property. she only show up when TAKE THE GARBAGE TO THE DUMPSTER.  my question is : do I need to trap her and tame her for   adoption? she is a loner and is not  seen close to the other cats. she begs n

me to stop walking every five minuets towards the dumpster to pet her on the head .   . not able to adopt her myself because I already have four cats out side and one indoor/outdoor cat and two inside cats  and a **** zue dog. plus my fiance told me no more animals or he will move out. if I THOUGHT that Missy would be safer at my home,Iwould take her in in heartbeat. advice requested