New House came with "Feral" cat colony

[Tiny]

I'm looking for advice for a relative.  They just bought a house (as is and let the previous owner leave some of their stuff behind - cool stuff like fish and tanks and a pool table and odds and ends). 

It looks like the previous owner also had a cat colony that they fed and that live under the deck and in the yard shed.      No mention of the cats was made. 

Relative is kind hearted and doesn't want to intentionally hurt the cats - but they cant stay. 

Any suggestions for an organization to call or way to re-locate/re home the cats?   I'm told they are fairly friendly and not particularly afriad of humans (but they do not think the cats will willingly come into the house - could be because a dog now lives in the house). 

[Tennesseer]

You/your relative would have to find a local cat rescue group.  Worse case scenario:  animal control, which would not be a good outcome for the cats.

[TheOtherMe]

They will need to be TNR'd.  Find a rescue group to help.  If need be have your sister join Instagram.  There are a lot of cat rescue groups there that will help or find another group to help.

[Tiny]

Thank you!  that word "Rescue" makes a big difference - we weren't thinking that.    Found a bunch of possible local places to contact once we started searching on Cat Rescue.   

Thanks again... and it's highly likely the yard cats thank you too.   


ADDED:  The cats got fed and watered today - they went a couple of days with no care but seem to be in good shape - there's  5 of them (so far)  they do have shelter from the weather/cold.    They are friendly and interact well with humans.  They do not like the dog.   

[oped]

Cat rescue is very good. Depending on the surrounding area a farm might take them as barn cats as well. It’s not a cushy pet life, but it is a life, and if they are kind of wild anyway?

[TheOtherMe]

Here the local Humane Society lets farmers "adopt" feral cats as barn cats.  Unless you get them while they are young, they can't be turned in to pets.

[thyme4change]

If nothing else, make sure they are fixed. We have a colony in our neighborhood, and a few neighbors have been trapping them, getting them fixed and bringing them back. She found a group that will fix em cheap, but you have to take them back. We aren't sure who is feeding them, but there are suspects.

Also, if she has a big dog, even if it is gentle, just the act of the dog being in the backyard may push cats to another house.

[gambler]

Do not feed them they will after  while wonder off,they only one to the good were they go you will no not. This takes a while

[moon/Laura]

gambler - nice to know you advocate for animal cruelty. They've come to depend on the food and water they get there, so you're saying to just let them starve, basically. Not cool.

Tiny - why can't they stay?

We have a number of ferals where I live as well, most of which have been trapped and fixed by animal control, then released. Yes, I do take care of the ones near me (about 6 of them).

[Tiny]

Feb 11, 2021 17:39:20 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

 

Tiny - why can't they stay?

 

The family has dogs. the dogs are barking because of the cats. It makes letting the dogs out unattended more complicated.

The dogs bark at the cats which they can see thru the windows. Not sure how long it will take the dogs to stop barking at the cats.

The shed and deck the cats seem to be living in/under are going to be removed in a couple of months and not replaced. They are rotted/falling apart. The house is in rough shape.

The yard is filled with debris/trash which will be removed as soon as weather permits (and a permit/dumpster rental can be arranged).

The cats will no longer have "housing"/shelter.

My relative (and their family) didn't plan for a cat colony coming with the house.

My relative will be working on the house/yard for the next couple, three months (as weather permits) and so the house may be empty for days (or a week) at a time. It's a Fixer Upper so there may be many days when no one is at the house. The cats might have to fend for themselves for days (or a week or two).

It's an urban-ish area - there's a chance the cats actually "live" in someone else's yard and just visit this house for food and pets. More will be known this weekend when they spend more time at the house (and maybe get to talk to neighbors).

There was general panic when the cats were discovered! The cats are currently getting fed and watered (and they apparently have someplace out of the cold snowy weather). At this point, it's what's the best, kindest way to handle the cats that fits into the "our new home" plan.

If the cats are just "visiting" for food and pets (and have another care giver) - that makes this easier to deal with. If the cats are truly living in the shed/deck and yard debris - it's more complicated.

I don't think anything drastic will happen to eliminate the cats.  They were just an unexpected Surprise!  (and believe me - everyone expects more "surprises" with the yard/house but more of the "omg! what kind of plumbing kludge is this!  or omg! you don't see that kind of a creative electric 'fix' - good thing the house hasn't burned down yet! variety  - it's in rough shape - but an awesome house and yard and neighborhood!) 

[moon/Laura]

Fair enough!

You just hadn't said anything besides 'they can't stay' so I was curious. I'm glad that you and your relative are trying to take care of the issue in a kind manner, unlike others would do. <side eye towards gambler>

[Tiny]

Good News!

After a couple of days of phone calls and networking a Rescue organization came out yesterday to assess the situation (and check the neighborhood to see what the word on the cats was.).

All the neighbors said the cats live in the shed/debris in the yard. The cats were friendly to the Rescue people. Rescue people said no problem! We can trap the cats and get them fixed and find them homes - they are people friendly cats (and be former housecats).

As of tonight - 7 of the 8 cats have been trapped and are on their way to getting vet care, fixed if needed and fostered. (there were no kittens and no obvious pregnant cats). The word is the Rescue people think many of the cats may have been former housecats that were abandoned or strayed (so fixed already). The Rescue people will be back tomorrow to get/trap the 8th cat (this one may truly be a 'feral' - it's the one that didn't come around for pets and rubs) and will come back a few more days to make sure they didn't miss any kitties.

There is much relief - it's going to be in the single digits again tonight.

I'm guessing the kitties that were trapped will be happy to be out of the cold.

[Tennesseer]

Good to hear, Tiny.  Good job.

[TheOtherMe]

Great job.  

[toomuchreality]

Hooray!

[Tiny]

Final update:   

There was a "momma" cat and her 3 "kittens" (all boys).   The kittens are probably about 7 or 8 months old.    They have all been fixed and are all in good shape and are all good candidates for potential adoption at this point.   There were 3 fixed male cats ( 2 chipped), all a few years old - no word on their previous people or if anyone wants them back.  They will most likely find their way to adoption.     The last cat has been trapped.  He's an intact male (and possibly the father of the "kittens") and definitely less people friendly than the others.      He's been fixed and is being evaluated - if he wants to "come in out of the cold" and be a house cat it will happen - if he's an "outside cat for life" the Rescue group has a place for him in a colony (or as a barn cat).   

This worked out really well.     

We've had a couple of weeks of very cold weather (20's and lower)  - and then the snow came - and now it's snowing again and  we're looking a more single digit temps for the next 10 days.   The weeks of this kind of harsh weather can not be good for cats living in piled up yard "trash" in a yard or under a deck or in a rotting shed.    

I will be making a donation to the Rescue Group that helped with the cats.    

[TheOtherMe]

How kind of you, Tiny.  

I am happy the cats and kittens are all safe and sound and most will be in homes before long.

[countrygirl2]

I'm sure the neighbors will thank you too. Noone really wants that many strays running around.

Good you got them before this really cold, snowy weather gets them.

[toomuchreality]

The timing worked out really well on this. The cats and the neighborhood are all going to be in a better place now. Plus the house and yard are going to be cleaned up! Win-win!

Good job. Great choices were made. I hope the rest of the renovations go smoothly and that everyone is happy with the outcome.

Well done, @tiny. ♡
And thanks for the update!

[countrygirl2]

Hubs has been busy, we must have 2 ft of snow in our driveway. Hubs was out in 8 degrees cleaning ours and 3 other neighbors driveways. Kind of bad on a tractor, he doesn't have a heat houser on it. But then its his face that was cold, he had on a mask.  Then someone needed a heater to thaw water pipes, so he took them one with an extension cord. He went down to check on our empty rent place to make sure nothing is frozen. Then later taking a tenant to the grocery. These people have known for a week they needed to have something, probably didn't have the money to get groceries. Of course we have alerts saying stay off the roads, emergency only. I'm telling him that, well he has seen cars go by. Ok, go do it, some cop is liable to stop him. Our secondary road looks pretty good, I assume 41 is ok. He won't listen to me. Everything is closed down around here.

I burnt my arm worse then I thought. I'm doing ok, but its a bigger area and some of it is down a layer of skin at least to the dermis. Been covering it at night with nonstick gauze and that's helping it heal. I cut the dead skin off it was kind of hanging. It's more like 4 inches by 2. Just add another scar to the group I guess.

Need to go to the mailbox, brrrr, and feed the birds again, they are cleaning out the seed. Had a woodpecker, blue jays, red birds, and other smaller ones, don't know what they are. Of course some sparrows. Put out finchfeeder but haven't seen anything at it yet.

Sent a report to the state AGAIN for MIL. I don't know how many times they want this stuff. The lady at the nursing home said they do the same to them. Jeez!

I need to do something besides sit around here and eat not good at all.

 

[moon/Laura]

countrygirl, is this really where you meant to post that? It has nothing to do with the feral cats.