[LadyJ]

These cats aren't my pets, but a neighbor lady and I have been feeding them for a long time. I have a live trap and caught a big grey male some time ago and the animal control officer picked him up. Then last week, I found one of them that had been shot with a BB or pellet gun and caught him and the animal control officer picked him up, too. He was taken to the vet where he was cared for, neutered, etc., and a woman who worked at the vet's office fell in love with him and took him home with her. Good outcome!

Yesterday, I caught another big grey male cat, very pretty, with a chewed-up ear. Called the animal control officer and he came and picked him up, along with the black and white tomcat we had been feeding for almost two years. The black and white one is a very nice cat, friendly, purrs and talks to you. We could just pick him up without trapping him. Both of them will be neutered and put up for adoption.

So we've managed to get four of the tomcats out of the neighborhood, which is very good. But, I looked out my front door yesterday and counted eight cats, not counting the two we had waiting for the animal control officer. The cats climb on everything, walk on cars, even get on top of a neighbor's mobile home and walk around, dig up everything, fuss and fight in the middle of the night, poop everywhere. I think most of them do have owners, but they don't take care of them, let them run loose and breed, none have collars to identify them, and I'll bet none of them have their vaccinations either.

I wouldn't hurt any of them and wouldn't "steal" anyone's pet, but will trap some more of them because I'm convinced no one cares about them and they deserve a better life! I'm told a neighbor lady has more than 15 cats. The live trap is set right out in the open for anyone to see, so if they don't want the animal control officer to take their cats, they need to keep them inside. All of the cats get vet care and then are put up for adoption. They are checked for microchips, but none have them, I'm betting. The animal control officer said he's kept busy collecting abandoned pets. There's never an excuse for abandoning any pet. Makes me angry and sad.

Jeanette

 

[kimr]

It sounds like your neighbor lady with the 15 cats may be the reason all these cats are there to start with.

I think you're doing the right thing, for what it's worth. They deserve a chance at real home rather than fending for themselves.

 

[svdreamer]

Good for you, you ae doing a great service for those cats. The condo where I used to live had a huge population of feral cats. My Rowdy kitty was an abandoned feral baby I found on the hill behind the condo. She was 4 weeks old and I had to bottle feed her, so she is quite tame. I wanted to start trapping them, but instead fell down the stairs and ended up with a broken leg/ankle and in a cast most of the time I lived there. Just couldn't do it in that condition.

 

[Lin]

Oh Jeanette! You are indeed doing the right thing. We live out of the city half way between town and farm country. People are always dropping cats off here, it is so frustrating.

We have had our boy vetted and fixed. But other cats hang around and eat his food. Feral or stray cats are so dangerous here around our does... and can cause them to have dead kids. :-(

We have also set a live trap, but so far the only one to get in it is our Barney, the silly boy.

 

[LadyJ]

I wouldn't harm any one of these cats and would adopt them all, if I could. I am more a dog person and have two dogs, so can't have any more animals, but I would have adopted a couple of the abandoned cats without any hesitation. The one cat that was shot was all white with a black tail that he carried straight up, so I called him "Polecat." He was beautiful and I'm glad he got a good home. There's always the possibility that any certain cat won't get adopted and will eventually be put to sleep, but even that's better than living on the street with no food provided, no warm place to sleep, no shots, unwanted kittens, and illness or injury a real possibility. There have been a couple of cats killed by cars on the nearby road. I will probably catch someone's cat, like the lady who has 15 of them, but like I said, if they want to keep the cat, keep it inside. And if the owner has the cat microchipped, it will be easily identified and retrieved from the shelter. I don't make any apologies for caring about the cats and trying to give them a better life. It's very sad that I feel that way and don't own a cat while the owners ignore the situation.

Jeanette

 

[Yoshismom]

That is very sad about the owners! You have a good heart

 

[LadyJ]

Haven't tried to trap any cats this week because I'm working in the church office all week. I like to be at home if I trap one, to keep an eye on it until the animal control officer picks it up. I always feel bad about trapping one, but do believe it's better for the cats. Too bad people can't be responsible for their own pets.

Jeanette

 

[rms3402]

Wow! You have so many stray cats! I see a cat or two around my neighborhood every ONCE in a while. They very well may just be a family cat that gets to go outdoors. I'm not sure. But where are you from that you have so many?! Geeze!

You are doing a great thing!

 

[LadyJ]

stray cats

Wow! You have so many stray cats! I see a cat or two around my neighborhood every ONCE in a while. They very well may just be a family cat that gets to go outdoors. I'm not sure. But where are you from that you have so many?! Geeze!

You are doing a great thing!

I'm sure some of the cats have owners, but it sure isn't evident!! There is one that I know lives across the street. He has a short tail and I call him Bob. I live in a mobile home court (otherwise known as a "trailer park" )) and these communities are notorious for stray animals. People seem to think that we who live here will take in any stray. The court is well maintained and a nice place to live, really, but we do get a certain amount of careless people, just like in any community. I used to live in an apartment and at least the neighbors here are separated from you by a yard, not just a wall. I live in Oliver Springs, Tennessee, which is about 20 miles from Knoxville.

When I lived in an apartment, the guy downstairs threw parties and they played loud music and yelled at one another, tossed beer cans onto my porch, and revved his motorcycle in the middle of the night. He bought a young pig one time, butchered it and cooked it over a pit he dug in the yard, after keeping it tied up all night, squealing like crazy. Everyone in the building had called the police about him. He finally got arrested and abandoned his two cats. One got adopted by someone in the building and I took in the other one and found it a good home.

It's a wacky world sometimes!!

Jeanette