A few farms up from us, there has been a home long standing empty. Not any more. Renters have moved in with a whole pack of animals including twelve cats (so far as I have counted) Most of these are toms 🙁 I don’t quite understand why renters have so many animals when their lives seem to be always in transition? Already, the front yard is littered with debris and there is loud music playing at all hours..sigh…..
I have brought all the cats back inside now. They are all restless and looking at me as if I have betrayed them. But with the toms running around and probably also fertile queens being that is kitten season, I am soon to start hearing the sounds of the matiing season. I don’t want my cats tangled up in this mess.
I know better than to talk to the newcomers. The empty beer cans on the lawn serve as a reminder of what these people value most. The pit bull in the back is also another deterrent. Boy some people do suck.
The cats are restless. I managed to catch all of them except for the barn cats. But my barn cats are savvy and hopefully will not be involved in any fights. Most of them stay out in the barn and shop and hopefully Gretchen will prevent any new cats from coming into the yard.
I already know from experience that when these people move out (usually in the middle of the night) they will leave the animals behind.
Maybe it’s time to bring over a 6-pack and see if they need help spaying and neutering any of their cats. Since it sounds like you’ll end up with the cats after they move anyway. Good luck!
Sounds like another lovely bunch eh?
Took me months to get caught up with this blog.. and many a tears were shed for the kitties and older cat that didnt make it for some reason or another.. I cant imagine the amount of work you must do to take care for all those little furry purring balls.. greatest of respect to you my dear. Im always eagerly awaiting an update to this blog.
On the flip side, a woman in her late 40’s has been feeding strays near my sons home. He has had to lock his gates, and remove the water faucet outside because this person thought he wouldn’t mind if she helped herself to water, also left feeding trays laying in his garden. Cats everywhere. At least 20 of them. My sons yard smells like a litter box, and asking her to cease this has been met with an unbelievable arrogance that rules of polite society are for everyone else. Perhaps a happy medium could be reached, so why doesn’t this person take these animals home if she cares so much for them?
Ginger, sadly this sounds like a hoarder and not a rescuer. These type of people are misinformed and believe in their hearts if they do not feed the cats, the cats will die. The truth is if the food stops, the cats (the strong ones) do not die. They simply leave to find other food sources.
This type of situation to be monitored by perhaps a local rescue outfit, because if the woman is feeding them on her property and not spaying and neutering she is creating more of a problem than already exists. Most hoarders have some sort of chemical imbalance that makes them collect and feed cats. For her to feed on other people’s property is more than strange which leads me to believe that the woman is misguided in some way.
I currently live with twenty cats. All have been neutered, they are formally ferals and now live in trust between my husband and myself. They are not “tame” you cannot tame a feral cat. You can socialize them though which is what I do. When I find the proper homes, I will rehome them at a small adoption fee, but I am non-profit and do this out of respect for the cats who otherwise would be abandoned by people.