Unaltered barn cats...(long)

Originally Posted by white cat lover

...are getting altered!

I know this thread is probably not going to go over well, but I really could use some advice.

My parents have lived on our place for 23 years. For 10 years, they had three altered cats outdoors. One day a stray mama & her kittens showed up & mom, being soft-hearted, fed her. Well, those cats multiplied. Last Spring, I thought we were going to get them all altered, but something came up & mom & dad couldn't afford to alter them. The HS couldn't take them as they had tons of kittens then. I mentioned that we have numerous unaltered barn cats to the "head honcho" at the HS on Saturday & she was really excited to help us out. The HS is going to process many of the kitties(getting altered, vaccs, vet check, etc.) at their expense & send them to new farms. They are going to do it without the kitties ever entering the HS. Many people have already filled out apps. for barn cats & are waiting for kitties suitible to outdoor living to come in. Right now, we have 27 kitties. Four of those kitties are completely feral, & 3 are semi-feral. We are unsure as of right now what we are going to do with the ferals. We have picked out a few kitties to keep her & get altered, vaccs, etc. for(if someone shows interesst in them as housecats, we would adopt the kitties to them). We have also picked out a few kitties that we will surrender only if they go to indoor homes. These kitties have exceptional personalities. We are going to give the HS a donation for each kitty to help cover costs, but I know it is not enough. I am going to take all of the kitties to the vet & take them to meet up with their new homes. I am also doing tons more volunteer work(the stuff no one else wants to do) to try to help pay the HS back. I have tons of questions, so here goes.

Is it safe to spay the approx. 12 year old mama cat?

Yes, it is safe to spay an older cat. In fact is recommended unless there are health issues. The vet will give you a sheet before the spay that will line out a blood test they do to determine if there are any problems. This test is recommended for older cats versus the kittens.




What kind of bloodwork should I have done? What else should I do for her? She is is pretty good health, although she is loosing her eyesight. She has got to be one of the most wonderful cats I have ever met. She is such a sweetheart. I think she might have to live in the house with us. She deserves to live out her life in comfort.


What is the best way to safely catch the ferals & get them to the vet safely? Have the lady from the HS help you there, you will need kitten and cat traps to get everyone. The HS should have them






What types of health problems are we looking at from these cats being unaltered for so long?

If they are still alive, they are more than likely healthy. It is a myth that feral cats are diseased. Nature keeps the balance and so the ones that are weak or sick are generally culled out by nature.



How can we keep the kitties safe outside? You can't keep kittens safe outside. Kittens should be indoors, in a barn, in an enclosure, in the house. They are extremely vulnerable outside



How can I keep the stitches clean after being spayed? Should I keep them in crates/pet porters in the heated shop? I keep the females quiet for 24 hours, then release them. I ask the vet to use dissolvable stitches or glue.




What is the best way to get the kitties to the vet with the least stress?

Transport the kittens together in the same carriers without over crowding. Cover the carriers/cages with a towel until you get into the vet's exam room.


Most of these kitties were semi-feral except for the 10 months old kittens who I had contact with from birth. How well do semi-ferals relocate?

Depends on where they are relocated to, and what situation, but most do well as barn cats and outdoor cats, or with someone that understands how to work with them to get them to trust.

I really like the 8 year old tuxedo kitty, but if she can find an indoor home, I would love for her to go to one(she's got the odds against her). How well would an 8 year old cat relocate?

Again, it would depend on who adopted her and how knowledgeable they are about how to handle feral cats


Some of the kitties came to us after being in accidents of some sort(we don't know), is there anything I can do for them? Should I take them to our vet to see what he thinks before taking them to the HS?

Not sure what you mean, are they injured? If so a vet will assess them and determine what needs to be done


As of right now, the plan is(plans can change) to keep all of the ferals & the older kitties. How can we feed them without feeding every feral in the area(there are quite a few-altered)?

You can't if you feed outside, you will bring in more cats. If you free feed you will go through more cat food than can be believed because the wild animals will also eat the food



What is the best food to feed them at the most reasonable price? All I can think of is Diamond cat food.

I would feed Purina cat chow for the outside kitties. There are so many and this is a decent food for them, but I would also feed them wet food and be sure they have plenty of water. None of my ferals would touch chicken soup food after a week.

Will we stop getting as many "wanderers" once our kitties are fixed?

You won't get a lot, but you will get some. Once you start trapping they will scatter- that just happens.

Most of all, I need advice on how to do this. I know all of these kitties should have been altered a long time ago. My parents & I have long been arguing about this. Dad is still against it. As a kid, he used to have to drown kitties & puppies to keep the population down. They never spayed pets.

Mom is more than willing to do this. We sent kittens & adult cats to farms over the summer. They new owners had to spay them. I made them sign a piece of paper saying they would. I checked up on all of them & every last one got altered. I made them use our vet(he does a good job & isn't too expensive) to be sure all of them were altered. It does make me cry to think that I have to give these guys/girls up, but it is definately for the best. I sent two HS kittens I loved to a resuce & both got adopted(together I think) 2 days after they got there. We always kept any strays that showed up & fed them, now look where that has gotten us. I told my parents that if a stray showed up, call animal control. Catch the stray if possible or wait for help. We can no longer be tender-hearted & keep the strays. They need to go to the HS.

MA-I know that you have outdoor kitties. How do you keep them safe, happy, & healthy? I am so worried that I cannot keep everyone safe outdoors. We have never had any kitties of our own get injured, but many strays of ferals show up injured. I don't want that to happen to these guys. You can't keep them safe outside. There are so many dangers. You pray for them, and hope for the best. My oldest feral turns 12 this year. He has beaten the odds, others were not as lucky.

Mackenzie, if you are reading this, some of the kittens(10 months) are going to be looking for indoor homes. If you are still looking for a friend for Harley, one of these guys/girls might be perfect. They are truly sweet cats & I have worked with them everyday of their lives.

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