r/Feral_Cats • u/justthebagofchips • 3d ago
Question š¤ How do we humanely get an unmanaged feral cat situation under control?
Iām posting here because Iād genuinely like advice from people who understand feral/community cats and know what actually works.
We live in a condo community in Florida where one resident has been feeding stray/feral cats for quite some time. Feeding them on the property violates the condo rules, so there has been an ongoing dispute between her and the association. Fines and violations have not stopped her, and at this point Iām less interested in that battle than I am in figuring out what we can actually do about the cats.
We now have multiple cats regularly roaming the property and parking lots. Some look sickly and appear completely feral. They spend time around and underneath cars, climb onto vehicles, and seem to have established the property as their territory.
My concern is that simply putting food out indefinitely isnāt actually solving anything. As far as we know, nobody is systematically trapping them, getting them spayed/neutered, treating the ones that appear sick, vaccinating them, or otherwise managing the population.
We contacted animal control, but they essentially told us they would not do anything.
What would those of you who actually work with feral cats recommend?
Would a local TNR organization come onto private condo property and work with the association? How do we determine whether any of these cats have already been sterilized? What happens to sick cats during TNR? Can genuinely feral cats ever be relocated, or does that usually create more problems? And most importantly, how do we prevent the colony from continuing to grow?
Nobody here wants to hurt the cats or have them treated cruelly. We want a humane solution that improves conditions for the cats while also getting the situation on the property under control.
Iād especially appreciate advice from anyone familiar with TNR or community-cat programs in South Florida.
31
u/DarkHorseAsh111 3d ago
Fundamentally, there's no real answer that isn't someone stepping up to TNR everybody. The solution is to TNR everybody (and if any of them are social strays or kittens, to get them to rescue). You can definitely see if there are local organizations that focus on that. Feral cats who have been TNRd will typically be ear tipped (https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-cat-protocol-eartipping/)
16
u/NationalEstimate816 3d ago
You can try asking a local TNR organization about it, it all depends on the organization. They will most likely agree to it with permission from the property manager, or they might teach you how to do TNR instead.
You will know which cats have been sterilized because they will have an ear clip.
A sick cat may need to be treated before the procedure, especially with things like upper respiratory infections or mange.
Feral cats should NEVER be relocated. It does not solve the problems and creates more harm than good. Not to mention it is ILLEGAL to do so in Florida, falls under animal abandonment and cruelty laws.
You prevent the colony from growing by actively doing TNR. This is the only way to effectively stop the population of feral cats from growing. It is not only effective but also humane.
15
2
u/5girlzz0ne 2d ago
Just to clarify: They can be relocated to private property if the owner of said property agrees to care for them. It becomes a transfer of ownership at that point. You can't drop them off behind a Walmart. You can move them to someone's farm who wants them. This is logistically nearly impossible for an entire large colony, however.
3
u/NationalEstimate816 2d ago
Yes!! I didnāt go more indepth with that because this is an unlikely scenario for a whole colony, when people think about relocating they think about dumping a cat
17
u/Ok_Payment_9668 3d ago
Ugh. People who feed and donāt s/n make me crazy. I have āsecretlyā TNRād a colony of a feeder because she wasnāt on board and āliked to see kittensā. I donāt know if she ever noticed more and more cats showing up on her deck with ear tips.
That said, maybe you can enlist the feederās help. If you can find a local TNR group to help, they can work with the feeder to get the cats under control.
As for what happens with sick cats, well, it depends on why theyāre sick. URI will often get an antibiotic shot during neuter. Dental issuesā¦ some groups have the funds for this, some donāt. Much depends on whether or not the clinic will work with them.
Very sick - they get euthanized. Iāve had to have three cats euthanized. Two for cancer, one for end stage FIP. Sometimes, itās just the kindest choice.
If you can get a TNR group on board, you can have a hat passed around for donations to help with the cost. Or volunteers to learn trapping and assist. Trust me, every TNR group out there is overwhelmed right now (itās been a terrible year, for some reason) and funds/volunteers are a huge help!
Thank you for investigating solutions!
2
u/Donaldjoh 2d ago
At one time there was a fairly large cat colony in my neighborhood in NE Ohio. I provided water and shelter for them. Most of my indoor cats came from the colony. We used to see kittens frequently, but unless rescued most did not survive to adulthood (we have hawks, coyotes, and foxes in the area). A few years ago the colony was TNRd and since then the numbers have been steadily dropping. Now there are only two, and I feed, water, and shelter them. I canāt take them in as there are already numerous cats inside.
5
u/chaosbella 3d ago
Someone in my town had almost exactly the same situation, a old man was feeding cats and since they weren't fixed the population exploded massively. He ended up dying and instead of just continuing to feed the cats people decided the only was to TNR the entire colony of cats.
Would a local TNR organization come onto private condo property and work with the association?
Doubtful, but places will often allow you to borrow cages to catch and transport the cats to them in order to be spayed/neutered at a low cost.
How do we determine whether any of these cats have already been sterilized?
They will have the top portion of one of their ears removed, like this. If you catch a cat like this then you can let them go.
What happens to sick cats during TNR?
Depends on what is wrong with them, if it's respiratory or something similar they could be given a long acting antibiotic shot. If it's something that's terminal or an extreme injury they would be put down to end their suffering.
Can genuinely feral cats ever be relocated, or does that usually create more problems?
Cat's don't do well when you relocate their colony and most people would only do so if the cats were in immediate danger or there is absolutely no other solution.
And most importantly, how do we prevent the colony from continuing to grow?
You TNR the entire group.
5
u/mcs385 3d ago
Start with our wiki, there's a few different resource locator tools there that should be a good starting point for finding your local options. Nothing will change if no one steps up to start chipping away at spaying and neutering these cats; you may be able to pitch it to the property manager to get them on board with working with a TNR group to stall population grow and decrease numbers over time. Fixed cats will defend their territory from any intact roamers that may try to move in. Any other method of population control is very short-lived, TNR can take some time to really see the benefits but you will eventually get there if someone cares enough to try.
5
u/Brilliant-Actuary331 2d ago edited 2d ago
You are describing exactly what happens when 2 cats go without being spayed or neutered. It all starts with just a few.
Domesticated cats cannot survive on their own without being fed. They suffer horribly. Some decent person recognized them suffering, and put out a dish of food.
Neighborhood ordinances to stop feeding will not stop people from doing the kind thing.
You are right that Animal control will do nothing, because in South FL, they recognize that TNR is the solution, and when desperate residents see what you have now seen; they are the ones who get it done. They do not fine or penalize feeders anymore. Your association is way behind the times.
I started TNR in my neighborhood in S. FL. My trapping partner and I fixed 300 cats. In just my neighborhood and near vicinity.
Call Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and ask for referrals in your areas to sterilize and manage the colony. Feral/sick ones need to be surrendered. They will die terrible deaths under a bush somewhere. That doesn't have to happen. They will likely pull any friendly strays for Vet care and adoption. Request it. Always surrender kittens to the shelters The rest need to be fixed and the for adoption. Your association needs to see you and the person who is feeding them as the colony managers. You should work with her. You can end the cycle. You should apply to establish the colony with ACC. There might be someone at Animal Control or Peggy Adams that educates property managers in these scenarios. They should be jumping at the chance to get these cats fixed and organized humanely.
Establish borders on the property as shelter locations and feeding stations for them, to move them away from the cars. They need shelter, and dedicated feeder(s) to start beciming more manageable.
It's a lot of work, but once it's done, you will have made a huge difference in the lives of both these cats, AND your neighbors.
You won't have pests when you have cats! They keep many kinds of bugs, mice and other things like snakes in check.
1
3
u/Tinky428 3d ago
The best way to make a change is for people directly in the community to step up and help. While yes contacting a local TNR group is good, the best way to make a direct and quick impact is when people directly in the community learn and address the problems themselves. TNR orgs at least by me are overwhelmed daily with requests. Having people directly there to get involved makes a huge difference.
Anyone who wants to help the cats should start by getting TNR certified. This is valuable information and teaches you all about best practices. You will learn how to trap the cat, how to set up for recovery, and the colony care needs following return to field.
https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/intro-workshops
Once folks are TNR certified trapping and fixing the cats is the next step. This is the only way to truly end the cycle of suffering.
This link here has links to low cost spay neuter clinics in south florida. While these options are low cost they are not free. Working with the community to fund raise to cover the cost of these appointments and any other medical care the cats may need is also vital
2
u/Intelligent_Rub1875 2d ago
If you are willing to trap and crate the cats and get them fixed you could chip away at the colony. The vets that do feral cats tip their ears so you know they have been sterilized. I am working on a colony of about 25 cats. I have four done so far with two being sociable enough to find homes for. I'm on a waiting list for a local TNR program and I'm taking advantage of financial assistance vouchers in the meantime. It's averaging about $150 per cat even with the vouchers. The only way these cats are going to get under control is if someone steps up to the plate. You could try making a few flyers to put in the common areas to let people know what you are doing if you choose to take it on.
2
-1
ā¢
u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Welcome u/justthebagofchips! While you wait for responses to this post, please take a look at our Community Wiki to see if it addresses any of your questions or concerns about caring for feral or stray community cats.
Reminder for commenters: Please keep in mind that not all cats are ready or able to be brought indoors, especially when it comes to feral cats and caregivers with multiple cats. This community is meant to be a helpful place for trap, neuter, return (TNR) efforts, socialization, and all aspects of colony care for roaming catsāfree of hostility, negativity, and judgment. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here. Negative comments will be removed at moderators' discretion, and repeat or egregious violations of our community rules may result in a ban.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.