Hello everyone -
This is my first post to all you wonderful kittypeeps & after nosing through this site, I have no worries that I won't receive awesome advice.
I recently moved to a new neighborhood (only 5 miles from my last home, but an incredible 180 of upgraded difference). And with this new neighborhood came a variety of strays/partial ferals. My last place was located in a very busy, centralized area & I couldn't let my 3 cats outside for fear that they'd end up road kill (like many others), or that my nextdoor neighbor would poison them (as he has admitted to doing to the random strays in the area, 5 of which I was caring for at that time). So, for 9 years they were strictly indoor cats.
After the jackass neighbor admitted to poisoning cats, I stopped feeding strays for fear that they'd make their way into his backyard, eat the poison & end up dying in my yard (as the 5 I cared for had done). A year or so had passed (& about 6 months before I moved), a stray wandered into my backyard & despite that I wouldn't feed her & that she defied my attempts of scaring her off, she remained in my yard. After a couple weeks had passed, I noticed that she was still hanging around. I felt horrible for her, so I caved in & began feeding her....& just prayed that the neighbor wouldn't notice that another stray has homesteaded there. I became attached to her & gave her a name: Tac ("cat" backward). She was clearly processed through the spay/neuter program as her ear was clipped.
When it came time to move, I posted in my local NextDoor.com, asking if anyone in my area would adopt or care for her once I was gone. I included pics of her in hopes that her beauty would convince somebody. One response I received informed me that she was the very same cat that they fed & tried to trap for several years, eventually being successful. Shortly after that, she vanished & they hoped she didn't fall victim to a car on those busy streets. No one wanted to take over her care, so I asked a neighbor friend if he'd take over - I'd supply the food & all he'd have to do is stroll down the street every evening & put food out for her in the spot she was familiar. He agreed, but a few days later upon my visit to check on her, I discovered that she had no food or water out. So, I resumed her care...it was only 5 miles away, so it was no big deal.
I eventually wanted to rehome her at my new place - huge yard, no traffic, QUIET & she'd have the entire backyard to claim as her own. So, I researched several cat sites searching for ideas & everything I read claimed that it's not a good idea to relocate a stray from their familiar surroundings...but, if it cannot be avoided then there were steps required for a successful relocation.
I did everything that the suggestions offered & she's since become a part of the family, except she's outdoors (she won't come inside, no matter how I attempt to entice her). So, I constructed a sound, weather-proof house for her & she's been using it on & off, depending on the elements.
Tac & my 3 boys, Eli, Toto & Digit have accepted each other, except Digit has periodic issues with her, but she takes care of it herself just fine....she even chases off the raccoons that frequent the area! She's become a great watch cat!! (I think Digit tries to bully her because he can't with his brothers. lol. And Digit is the biggest of the 3).
On to my initial reason for creating this post....
When I first moved here, there were several strays that were clearly hungry & no one seeming to be feeding them. I asked the neighbors about them & some told me that one was abandoned & the count increased over time because no one cared for them. But they were okay with them around because they kept the (then problematic) mice population down (my backyard adjoins a bird sanctuary, so lots of field mice, I suppose).
So, I began feeding them. I fed one cat at first, which very quickly increased to 7 within a couple days. Most are strays, allowing me to pet them, but there are a couple that dash into hiding upon the sight of people. Two brother kittens adopted me & have become permanent front yard residents. The rest come & go at random...sometimes just one, other times 5. I used to feed at the same time every evening, but I had to change to the mornings because I discovered that I was hosting a feast for a raccoon that decided to move into one of the tall hollow cosmetic pillars on my front porch (I wouldn't have ever known he was there if I didn't see him come out one night).
Since I have been feeding the kitties, the neighbors (same ones that I initially questioned & who have voiced their acceptance of the cats), have indirectly complained to me about "my" cat problem (one neighbor left a note in my mailbox, though I knew exactly who it was, telling me to stop feeding the cats because they're using her yard as a cat box. And another neighbor complained to my husband that "I" have too many cats) - neither had the balls to confront me, personally, so I ignored them both. (People are fickle creatures...always changing their colors).
None of the cats enter my back yard, but sometimes my cats will go out front, which I discourage because they don't need to - back yard is plenty huge - & it still does sort of concern me that they might not recognize the car danger. So, they've had interaction with the strays.
My question is, how am I to know if any of the strays have illnesses that my cats can contract that could prove to be a concern? My cats are healthy & up to date.
Thanks for drudging through this long post for just one simple question.
- Shangrala
This is my first post to all you wonderful kittypeeps & after nosing through this site, I have no worries that I won't receive awesome advice.
I recently moved to a new neighborhood (only 5 miles from my last home, but an incredible 180 of upgraded difference). And with this new neighborhood came a variety of strays/partial ferals. My last place was located in a very busy, centralized area & I couldn't let my 3 cats outside for fear that they'd end up road kill (like many others), or that my nextdoor neighbor would poison them (as he has admitted to doing to the random strays in the area, 5 of which I was caring for at that time). So, for 9 years they were strictly indoor cats.
After the jackass neighbor admitted to poisoning cats, I stopped feeding strays for fear that they'd make their way into his backyard, eat the poison & end up dying in my yard (as the 5 I cared for had done). A year or so had passed (& about 6 months before I moved), a stray wandered into my backyard & despite that I wouldn't feed her & that she defied my attempts of scaring her off, she remained in my yard. After a couple weeks had passed, I noticed that she was still hanging around. I felt horrible for her, so I caved in & began feeding her....& just prayed that the neighbor wouldn't notice that another stray has homesteaded there. I became attached to her & gave her a name: Tac ("cat" backward). She was clearly processed through the spay/neuter program as her ear was clipped.
When it came time to move, I posted in my local NextDoor.com, asking if anyone in my area would adopt or care for her once I was gone. I included pics of her in hopes that her beauty would convince somebody. One response I received informed me that she was the very same cat that they fed & tried to trap for several years, eventually being successful. Shortly after that, she vanished & they hoped she didn't fall victim to a car on those busy streets. No one wanted to take over her care, so I asked a neighbor friend if he'd take over - I'd supply the food & all he'd have to do is stroll down the street every evening & put food out for her in the spot she was familiar. He agreed, but a few days later upon my visit to check on her, I discovered that she had no food or water out. So, I resumed her care...it was only 5 miles away, so it was no big deal.
I eventually wanted to rehome her at my new place - huge yard, no traffic, QUIET & she'd have the entire backyard to claim as her own. So, I researched several cat sites searching for ideas & everything I read claimed that it's not a good idea to relocate a stray from their familiar surroundings...but, if it cannot be avoided then there were steps required for a successful relocation.
I did everything that the suggestions offered & she's since become a part of the family, except she's outdoors (she won't come inside, no matter how I attempt to entice her). So, I constructed a sound, weather-proof house for her & she's been using it on & off, depending on the elements.
Tac & my 3 boys, Eli, Toto & Digit have accepted each other, except Digit has periodic issues with her, but she takes care of it herself just fine....she even chases off the raccoons that frequent the area! She's become a great watch cat!! (I think Digit tries to bully her because he can't with his brothers. lol. And Digit is the biggest of the 3).
On to my initial reason for creating this post....
When I first moved here, there were several strays that were clearly hungry & no one seeming to be feeding them. I asked the neighbors about them & some told me that one was abandoned & the count increased over time because no one cared for them. But they were okay with them around because they kept the (then problematic) mice population down (my backyard adjoins a bird sanctuary, so lots of field mice, I suppose).
So, I began feeding them. I fed one cat at first, which very quickly increased to 7 within a couple days. Most are strays, allowing me to pet them, but there are a couple that dash into hiding upon the sight of people. Two brother kittens adopted me & have become permanent front yard residents. The rest come & go at random...sometimes just one, other times 5. I used to feed at the same time every evening, but I had to change to the mornings because I discovered that I was hosting a feast for a raccoon that decided to move into one of the tall hollow cosmetic pillars on my front porch (I wouldn't have ever known he was there if I didn't see him come out one night).
Since I have been feeding the kitties, the neighbors (same ones that I initially questioned & who have voiced their acceptance of the cats), have indirectly complained to me about "my" cat problem (one neighbor left a note in my mailbox, though I knew exactly who it was, telling me to stop feeding the cats because they're using her yard as a cat box. And another neighbor complained to my husband that "I" have too many cats) - neither had the balls to confront me, personally, so I ignored them both. (People are fickle creatures...always changing their colors).
None of the cats enter my back yard, but sometimes my cats will go out front, which I discourage because they don't need to - back yard is plenty huge - & it still does sort of concern me that they might not recognize the car danger. So, they've had interaction with the strays.
My question is, how am I to know if any of the strays have illnesses that my cats can contract that could prove to be a concern? My cats are healthy & up to date.
Thanks for drudging through this long post for just one simple question.
- Shangrala
