I am failing at my first TNR project! :frown:

Actually, a certain homeowner is giving me a hard time. I found a colony living in an empty yard near my home. A row of apartments face this yard. One particular resident hates the cats climbing on his car (hates the pawprints on his windshield), so he grabs them and relocates them (probably dumping them somewhere far away). I've tried talking to him but he won't listen. He says I don't own the cats (correct) nor the property where they live (correct again). But it's his car and they're pests.
I think they were originally 6 cats (1 male and 5 females) But it's down to 3!

Here are some pictures:

This is the male:


The other 2:




I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???

If he is grabbing them he is more than likely also hurting them. If you can get a trap set up and get them captured safely and move them somewhere else, that would be best. People make me so ill sometimes. just dump them off in the woods somewhere, they are cats, they will survive mentality just gets me.

Yayi!! I so wish I could help you out! Man, that rotten homeowner should stink to death! I'm so pissed off at what he does to these cats! Urgh.

Yayi - too bad this guy is a creep because he's got quite a success rate for grabbing the cats - 3 out of 6 already? Unless they're very friendly, he's got to be using a trap. Do a little reconnaissance and see if you find traps - if you find one, trip it so no cat will get caught. I'd be tempted to take the darn trap and "relocate" it too... (I know, that wouldn't be right but this makes me so angry).

I agree with Hissy that you should try to catch the remaining cats ASAP. This guy is on an evil mission and he won't be happy til they're all gone. I hate to say this but I wonder if this jerk is poisoning them and that's why they're disappearing.

See if you can find a safe place for them to be relocated to - as Hissy suggested, maybe a wooded area. I would try to go through the steps of relocation, though it will be a challenge. You'll have to get a good sized cat cage or carrier and keep them in it for at least 2-3 weeks to get used to their new location. This will only work if you can keep the cage camouflaged - you don't want more cat-haters finding the cats in the cage. If you can't do this, spread lots of dry dog and cat food, as well as catnip in a wide area where you'll be releasing the cats (got this tip from Hissy). They need to associate the new location with their food source, so that may help.
This also means that you'll need to come to the new area to continue to give them food & water, and provide some small shelters for them.

Most important, before you release them, be sure to have them neutered!

If by some chance these cats are friendly, do you have a good no-kill shelter they can go to so they'll have a chance at adoption?

I'm glad you care about these cats - they desperately need a friend! Please don't give up - you can still make an enormous difference to the remaining 3 kitties.

What about offering this man a car cover so they cannot damage his car?

Katie

Originally Posted by TNR1

What about offering this man a car cover so they cannot damage his car?

Katie

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He has one. I think he's lazy or too tired to cover his car when he comes home from work.

I am going to sound really dumb, but what does TNR stand for?

Trap, Neuter, Return:

TNR is a comprehensive plan where entire feral colonies are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and neutered by veterinarians. Kittens and cats that are tame enough to be adopted are placed in good homes. Adult cats are returned to their familiar habitat to live out their lives under the watchful care of sympathetic neighborhood volunteers.

TNR works. Cat populations are gradually reduced. Nuisance behaviors associated with breeding, such as the yowling of females or the spraying of toms, are virtually eliminated. Disease and malnutrition are greatly reduced. The cats live healthy, safe, and peaceful lives in their territories.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by yayi

One particular resident hates the cats climbing on his car (hates the pawprints on his windshield), so he grabs them and relocates them (probably dumping them somewhere far away). I've tried talking to him but he won't listen. He says I don't own the cats (correct) nor the property where they live (correct again). But it's his car and they're pests.

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I guarantee I could do a lot more to his car than just leave pawprints on the windshield!!!!! But (sometimes quite unfortunately) I'm not like that... Anyways, I hope there is a rescue organization in your area that might be willing to help you TNRelocate these very adorable kitties.

This weekend I'll try talking to the guy again. I'll ask the help of the other apartment dwellers. I believe that 2 of them leave food scraps for the ferals everyday.
I don't want to move them to another place. The property is safe from outsiders and there's enough vegetation to protect them from the rains. Wish me luck!
BTW, these cats are extremely shy of people. Whatever food you leave for them, they won't go near unless you're some yards away. I've approached them when they were eating and they bolted after I took only a step forward.
Thank you so much for your advice!

Hey Yayi, good luck dealing with that guy - I hope he understands that what you're doing is for the best interests of the cats! I'm also hoping that the "caretakers" of the feral cats would continue with their feeding of the cats.

Geez, this is really hard - trapping ferals. It takes a lot of patience, but do you think you can put long strings on the cat cage door so you can close it (from a distance) when the cat's inside? This, I guess, would be the next best thing since we don't have Tomahawk Live Traps available here. Ugh.

Good luck again Yayi! I hope everything goes smoothly! See you tomorrow!

Good luck this weekend Yayi! I'm sure you're not the only one wanting to help these cats if you have neighbors that leave food for them too. Hopefully this guy will finally listen to what you have to say!

Originally Posted by Jalapeno

Geez, this is really hard - trapping ferals. It takes a lot of patience, but do you think you can put long strings on the cat cage door so you can close it (from a distance) when the cat's inside? This, I guess, would be the next best thing since we don't have Tomahawk Live Traps available here. Ugh.
!

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Not to derail the thread, but have you seen drop traps? I made this one for our humane society out of scrap lumber and chicken wire. You attach a long string to the stick and feed under the trap. With cat inside, you pull the string and drop the trap.



Good luck Yayi! I personally like the cat footprints on my windshield!

Originally Posted by Jalapeno

Hey Yayi, good luck dealing with that guy - I hope he understands that what you're doing is for the best interests of the cats! I'm also hoping that the "caretakers" of the feral cats would continue with their feeding of the cats.

Geez, this is really hard - trapping ferals. It takes a lot of patience, but do you think you can put long strings on the cat cage door so you can close it (from a distance) when the cat's inside? This, I guess, would be the next best thing since we don't have Tomahawk Live Traps available here. Ugh.

Good luck again Yayi! I hope everything goes smoothly! See you tomorrow!

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Have you looked into having the traps shipped from the US or Australia? It might be a little pricey, but worth it.

You can also find traps on Ebay and international shipment might be a possibility there.

If the guy is able to grab the cats, it sounds like they are not feral and may be candidates for adoption. If the neighbors are harassing the cats, it is imperative that the population be brought to an absolute minimum, by only returning feral cats over 3 months of age. Tame cats need to be placed in foster homes pending adoptions. If absolutely necessary, you can "triage" them by sterilizing and eartipping and returning until a foster home opens up, but tame cats who are threatened in any way in their colony location should be top priorities for fostering and adoption.

Originally Posted by vegansoprano

Have you looked into having the traps shipped from the US or Australia? It might be a little pricey, but worth it.

You can also find traps on Ebay and international shipment might be a possibility there.

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Hi there! I believe Yayi already purchased two traps for her TNR efforts! to that!

^ Whaa-aaat? Wow! Go Yayi!