Just Need Help

[Labyrinth1119]

Good day to you all!


As an introduction, some quick highlights of myself:


My name is Laura, I live in Orlando Fl, and I am a long time participant and advocate for feral cats and the TNR process. I have managed a colony for almost 13 years, and 11 of those years have gone very well. I always keep up to date on their vaccinations, keep eyes out for 'new arrivals', and have fostered several kittens as well as several momma cats during their pregnancy and after until the kittens have been adopted and momma has been spayed. New neighbors are always informed about the colony, given information about TNR, and all neighbors are notified if I am trapping for a certain time frame.


As noted, 11 of the part 13 years have gone well. This is why I am reaching out in every way that I can find. To summarize: 2 pregnant cats turned up at my house about 3 days before I was to have hip replacement surgery and I could not do anything about/for them for about 3 weeks. By then, it was too late. Fast forward to today and I am overwhelmed. My colony once could have been estimated at 13-15, now towers at a staggering 40-50. I cannot get ahead of all the kittens, who eventually grow up enough to become mothers themselves, which usually results in very ill kittens. My neighbors, who have been more tolerant than supportive, are complaining. I live in a manufactured home community, and I have an organization willing to work with me AND the community (the feral cats are not just at my house), but the community is dragging their feet. I have been attempting to arrange a mass trap effort for 3 months. I have already been issued 'citations' from the community, a neighbor has threatened to take extreme measures, and I made 2 very unpleasant discoveries over the weekend that still has tears rolling down my face. If anyone has any guidance or advice on the following, it would be most appreciated:


1. Tactful ways to encourage the Community to take action. I have been hesitant to 'poke the fire' because of my citations. The community has threatened 'mass extermination', so I have been trying to be under the radar, though not hiding anything from them.
2. Support/help with trapping efforts while waiting for the community to take action. Surprisingly, Orange County/Orlando doesn't offer much by way of HELPING with a TNR effort. I have a few friends willing to help with transport, but all on my own for trapping and recovery. Expenses aside, I just need help.
3. Tips on handling all this emotionally and juggling this with actual life. I have to work, if only to make enough money to eat cereal every night while other funds go towards cat food, medicine, the spay/neuter, recovery. I am tired, broke, and terrified that someone will do something awful to these cats.
4. Lastly, just general advice. I spend 2-3 hours every night, and 1-2 hours every morning to trap. Yes, this means that I get very little sleep. I have 'friendlys' that often spring the trap; I have neighborhood kids running all around, scaring cats away from the trap (hence the early morning trap-time); I have neighbors who can't even make the effort of keeping their own cat(s) inside so I end up trapping a cat with a collar and have to start all over again.


This turned out to be a VERY long introduction post. I figured I might as well make it as full of information as I possibly can.


If you read through all this, thank you. Again, any help or advice is most welcome.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Welcome to TCS. I would try to get a hold of a drop trap and then as many humane traps or carriers that you can find. With a drop trap you can trap lots of cats. You may need help transferring them to trasp/carriers, but you can catch many at once.

I would not wait for the community to decide. Just start trapping as many as you can. Is there a rescue organization in your area that supports or can help with TNR?

What is your community suggesting that you do? If they are not on board with allowing you to get help, what is their suggestion?

 

[surya]

Mentally you have to let go of trying to be in control and realize that you can only do what you can do. Then take a triage approach, like they do in the hospital and target the ones that are a priority. Kittens are first priority for me, because if you get them young, they can get adopted. Then it's the girls. Are you spaying the pregnant girls? It was hard for me to wrap my head around this at first, but the pregnant females have to get fixed first. You have to have vet who is experienced in spaying them.

In order to target specific cats, I had to set up a remote control trap, (you can buy one but they are expensive). I think it cost me about $20.00 for the parts from Amazon or Walmart. I found instructions on YouTube:



I had a different kind of trap so I had to modify the instructions and put mine on the outside:

You can be a good distance away from the trap and set it off. It has been very useful for catching kittens. And I can catch only the cat I want. You do have to wait around. But I was doing that anyway since my trap is a loaner.

As far as getting neighbors to cooperate, that is pretty much impossible where I live. Even children torture and kill kittens where I live. But other people in here have had better luck and can offer you advice on this. I would keep trying to find other rescue people who might be able to help you trap. Even if you have contacted a group before, I would try again, you might talk to a different person this time. Also search cat rescue on Facebook for your area, join them and post to see if you can find someone to help.

You also need to take a break once in a while and give yourself a day off and think about something else besides cats. Also think about all the cats you have helped. Do you take pictures of them? I do, I made a photo album of all the cats I helped rescue last year. When you get discouraged you can look at the pictures of the kitties you helped. You have to take care of yourself. If you don't there will be no one to take care of the kitties.

 

[Labyrinth1119]

Welcome to TCS. I would try to get a hold of a drop trap and then as many humane traps or carriers that you can find. With a drop trap you can trap lots of cats. You may need help transferring them to trasp/carriers, but you can catch many at once.

I would not wait for the community to decide. Just start trapping as many as you can. Is there a rescue organization in your area that supports or can help with TNR?

What is your community suggesting that you do? If they are not on board with allowing you to get help, what is their suggestion?

Hi and thank you! I currently have 5 traps, and I use dividers because my preferred place to take the cats only takes 'drop offs' (aka ferals) on Tue, Wed, and Thurs. Never miss an opportunity to trap, even if it means keeping them in the trap for a day or 2. This is what I have been doing for months now, and it is so hard to stay ahead of the kittens, work around my work schedule, etc. etc. I work with CARE TNR, and truly fantastic group with many resources. They too are volunteers, and I completely understand not having the time or people to help with a trapping project.

I have recently learned of a new program with Orange County Animal Control that will be the answer to my primary problem...which is it is just too much for just me to get a handle on. Waiting for more information, but very excited. My community has no solutions, and allowing a group to help would be NO EFFORT on their part. I cannot blame my neighbors for being unhappy with the situation, I am doing my best, but I cannot lie that I am not a little frustrated that all anyone can bring themselves to do, is complain.

 

[Labyrinth1119]

Mentally you have to let go of trying to be in control and realize that you can only do what you can do. Then take a triage approach, like they do in the hospital and target the ones that are a priority. Kittens are first priority for me, because if you get them young, they can get adopted. Then it's the girls. Are you spaying the pregnant girls? It was hard for me to wrap my head around this at first, but the pregnant females have to get fixed first. You have to have vet who is experienced in spaying them.

In order to target specific cats, I had to set up a remote control trap, (you can buy one but they are expensive). I think it cost me about $20.00 for the parts from Amazon or Walmart. I found instructions on YouTube:



I had a different kind of trap so I had to modify the instructions and put mine on the outside:

View attachment 233925

You can be a good distance away from the trap and set it off. It has been very useful for catching kittens. And I can catch only the cat I want. You do have to wait around. But I was doing that anyway since my trap is a loaner.

As far as getting neighbors to cooperate, that is pretty much impossible where I live. Even children torture and kill kittens where I live. But other people in here have had better luck and can offer you advice on this. I would keep trying to find other rescue people who might be able to help you trap. Even if you have contacted a group before, I would try again, you might talk to a different person this time. Also search cat rescue on Facebook for your area, join them and post to see if you can find someone to help.

You also need to take a break once in a while and give yourself a day off and think about something else besides cats. Also think about all the cats you have helped. Do you take pictures of them? I do, I made a photo album of all the cats I helped rescue last year. When you get discouraged you can look at the pictures of the kitties you helped. You have to take care of yourself. If you don't there will be no one to take care of the kitties.

Oh my goodness, thank you! I love this remote control idea!!!!! To answer your questions: Always get the kittens as soon as possible. This year, there seems to be a LOT of abandoned kittens, and I have been lucky to either get them to someone with a nursing momma, or got them to someone who can keep them on the feeding schedule the need, then foster until ready to be adopted. I consider it one of my prize moments if I can get a pregnant momma spayed, though I won't if they are too late term. This is only due to losing 2 last year due to complicated with having the surgery when they were day/days from birth. I try to be extra diligent with the pregnant ones so I CAN get them early enough. This year, I had 9 mommas, got 5 before birth. So 4 had litters. I tried. I really did.

I like the idea of a scrapbook, so thank you for that also. Just like everything else, I guess it is too easy to focus on the failures instead of the accomplishments.

I mentioned this is another reply, but I have recently learned of a new program with Orange County Animal Control and am waiting for more information. This could be the one thing I have been looking for!!

 

[kittychick]

I read your intro - I 100% empathize with you. (I can only do a quick "welcome" at the moment because one of our indoor girls, Moo, is failing. She's a "foster failure" and has been very healthy for 16/17 years, but since its starting to look like - unless there's a miracle - we may need to euthanize her this week. So I'm trying to spend as much time with her as possible.)

We've had a very similar issue - - short version is we discovered our suburban neighborhood had a fairly large feral colony (our first clue - seeing a mom and litter pop out from underneath our neighbor's deck - -they were sweet, but had no idea of what a tiny, tiny tip of the iceberg that this momma and babies were!!!!!).

We too have TNR'd like crazy (a few wonderful neighbors do help in every way - but we too shoulder a large % of costs). We foster, socialize and then adopt out as many as possible. Five landed permanently in our yard/garage (they've got heated shelters in the garage, etc).....and we thought we had them all as of a few years ago (never say "gosh I think we got them all!" out loud). Of course, then we discovered three new ones - - we're trying to get the people who we think are feeding them to let us trap asap). And we too have neighbors who are very, very vocal - at least one person decided to poison some a few years ago (that's when we brought in one of our "driveway gang" - Flick - - I've written often about her!). It seems that every few years the anger at "the d?@$* stray cats" ramps up. And - like you - we do understand neighbors' frustration at cats on their cars, in their gardens, etc. And - like you - we've learned the most vocal are also the least likely to help be a part of the solution.

I'm SOOO happy to hear that you found an organization that will help you. Lean on them as much as possible. And as surya and shadowsrescue pointed out - - you've got to try to take care of yourself as much as possible, mentally and physically. I - - and alot of us on this forum - understand that's SO easier said than done, but it's important. Have you contacted Alley Cat Allies? They're national organization that focusses on teaching and educating about TNR. They were very helpful for me when I first started trapping (I didn't know about this wonderful website then!!!!). They have materials that focus on working with your neighbors. I know it's a tough very thin line to walk with neighbors!

And use this group as much as possible - - - for practical information (based on personal experiences) and a whole bunch of soft shoulders to lean on when you're afraid you can't take it. It's a wonderful group of people! Don't give up ----you're doing an AMAZING amount of good!

 

[surya]

I hope the new program works out. Let us know how it is going. We are rooting for you and the cats.

 

[Labyrinth1119]

I read your intro - I 100% empathize with you. (I can only do a quick "welcome" at the moment because one of our indoor girls, Moo, is failing. She's a "foster failure" and has been very healthy for 16/17 years, but since its starting to look like - unless there's a miracle - we may need to euthanize her this week. So I'm trying to spend as much time with her as possible.)

We've had a very similar issue - - short version is we discovered our suburban neighborhood had a fairly large feral colony (our first clue - seeing a mom and litter pop out from underneath our neighbor's deck - -they were sweet, but had no idea of what a tiny, tiny tip of the iceberg that this momma and babies were!!!!!).

We too have TNR'd like crazy (a few wonderful neighbors do help in every way - but we too shoulder a large % of costs). We foster, socialize and then adopt out as many as possible. Five landed permanently in our yard/garage (they've got heated shelters in the garage, etc).....and we thought we had them all as of a few years ago (never say "gosh I think we got them all!" out loud). Of course, then we discovered three new ones - - we're trying to get the people who we think are feeding them to let us trap asap). And we too have neighbors who are very, very vocal - at least one person decided to poison some a few years ago (that's when we brought in one of our "driveway gang" - Flick - - I've written often about her!). It seems that every few years the anger at "the d?@$* stray cats" ramps up. And - like you - we do understand neighbors' frustration at cats on their cars, in their gardens, etc. And - like you - we've learned the most vocal are also the least likely to help be a part of the solution.

I'm SOOO happy to hear that you found an organization that will help you. Lean on them as much as possible. And as surya and shadowsrescue pointed out - - you've got to try to take care of yourself as much as possible, mentally and physically. I - - and alot of us on this forum - understand that's SO easier said than done, but it's important. Have you contacted Alley Cat Allies? They're national organization that focusses on teaching and educating about TNR. They were very helpful for me when I first started trapping (I didn't know about this wonderful website then!!!!). They have materials that focus on working with your neighbors. I know it's a tough very thin line to walk with neighbors!

And use this group as much as possible - - - for practical information (based on personal experiences) and a whole bunch of soft shoulders to lean on when you're afraid you can't take it. It's a wonderful group of people! Don't give up ----you're doing an AMAZING amount of good!

Sweet Moo, and may I say that is one of my favorite cat names I have ever heard. Love, strength, and peace are being sent your way while you enjoy every moment you can.

I cannot express enough how grateful I am for this community! The support here is so wonderful! To find myself with such like minded and caring people is a little overwhelming. Friends/family understand what I do but not really WHY I do it. Often, comments like, 'just stop feeding them' or 'if it upsets you, why do you keep doing this?' are spoken and my response is the same, 'You just don't get it.' Ah well, I never realized how much I had been craving the company of fellow feral friends until I joined this community.

Alley Cat Allies has been the provider of information that I give to any new neighbor, or someone being caretaker for a feral/stray. They were also the supplier of the educational material I provided to the Community Manager when the threat of 'mass extermination' was first spoken. That information, along with the case studies and the local TNR group speaking on my behalf, were instrumental in my successful negotiation.

I am still waiting for my packet of information for the new program. Have spoken to a few neighbors about it, and they seem willing to help (it literally is only a phone call on their part, but some even get huffy about that). Can't wait to provide an update!