Local Feral Cats in Pennsylvania, USA

by Katherine A. Lee
(PA, USA)

Shouldn’t taxes pay for TNR in communities, instead of paying for new light poles or parks or community swimming pools?? Why don’t they do group organizational donations for them? It’s hardly publicized or talked about unless they are discussing how to trap and kill more of them. There are low-cost and even free spay/neuter programs in some areas. Why don’t people try that?

There are feral cats, and abandoned house cats (strays), and also regular outdoor pet cats whose owners never thought to have fixed – *shakes head* or at least keep in because they aren’t fixed and didn’t foresee an issue futuristically, congregationally living behind a building where I work. I’m not mentioning the exact location for their disclosure, but there were 14+ cats we counted last year in 2010, unfixed, living there as far as we are aware.

How many of them are dumped, and what percentage are just wandering pets in heat, and what percentage were born in the colony as feral, isn’t clear. On Thanksgiving day 2010, a man in a truck parked in the back of the store and began to set traps. We know some lady that had been feeding them…several people, actually, and I had called the local shelters myself, asking if they knew about the trapping and if he was associated with them. No shelter had an association with this particular trapping…but said they had trapped at this location and euthanized the cats annually for the last decade.

There were less than 2 cats left at the end of the week, and many people were upset-people that worked at the building there, people who worked with me, and myself included. The cats didn’t do anything wrong!! Where would you live if you were homeless and starving and pregnant or chased away no matter where you went?? People are infuriating. They started the problem, not the cats. Maybe they should set up surveillance and start prosecuting people for dumping cats and fining people who have outdoor cats that are pets and are unfixed. They should push for all pet cats to be microchipped, so shelters can easily differentiate and pets aren’t killed for doing nothing wrong more than being outside at the wrong place and time.

It’s only been a few months since they last caught and killed the last batch of cats, and there are now 5 cats again. Next month, there will probably a lot of new litters and they will come in to kill them all over again, and people will still drop off new cats that have outgrown their ‘interest’.

People think trapping and euthanizing or relocating to a farm is humane, but it’s not, and it’s ineffective. New cats will move in where they removed the old ones, because it’s a well-known drop-off point for careless people, and the old scents of cat will attract more cats, as will the smell of garbage and possible food and the hope of shelter.

My friend I work with took in two of the feral cats, when we called the shelter back and they came to help trap the remaining cats, they volunteered to take and rehabilitate two. They rescue cats and socialize them and adopt them out frequently. I can’t because I already have a maximum of cats at home, and it’s not my house, though I am an avid and determined cat lover.

If they did TNR, they could manage the colony, and if they take get the healthy ones fixed, and vaccinated, they will be cleared and more immune to future diseases, and territorially, less ‘new’ cats will arrive at the site, especially if people are fined and prosecuted for dropping them in the first place. They could be charged with abandonment, animal cruelty, and causing a public nuisance or even endangering the public for dropping off an unvaccinated pet.

The people are the problem, and more effort should be made to stop animals from getting dropped than removing and killing the animals that were thrown out like last week’s trash. Haven’t they been through enough? The cats being there and homeless is just an after-effect from the human’s carelessness.

They should do TNR and then tag or tattoo the cats that have been TNR’d, maybe even microchipped, so they can be more effectively tracked and set up cameras at potential drop sites along with signs posted saying it’s illegal. If it’s necessary maybe law enforcement should patrol the area to ensure no pets continue to be dropped there.

But really, it comes down to the amount of effort we are willing to put into it, and sadly, humans tend to have little to no motivation to help any species other than itself.

Katherine

Local Feral Cats in Pennsylvania, USA to Feral Cats

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Local Feral Cats in Pennsylvania, USA

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Dec 27, 2011 local feral cats pennsylvania
by: Joan Cat ranch rescue

I adopted countless numbers of feral beautiful cats. I live with eight feral cats and feel toward them as if they were one of my own domesticated cats and love them just as much. It still breaks my heart to hear stories of cruelty.

I work diligently to help animals and have a heart especially to the forgotten feral. I spend at least twenty percent of my time counseling on the phone with desperate sometime ignorant and often times cruel people who threaten me with what they will do with the cats if I can’t take them on as part of my rescue. I help people solve problems so they can find positive ways to deal with their cat problems so that they do not resort to abandonment or surrender or trapping to kill shelters. I pay from my own pocket to have cats altered and returned. If everyone would contribute even one percent to the problem we would have less of a problem. (the amount of half the cost of a cheap hamburger)


Mar 12, 2011 I agree
by: Kathy W

YOu are so right. Thank God in my area there is an organization called Spay and Stay. Its the greatest program around. You give a deposit on a cage. Take it home trap your wild or stray cats and for 25.00 each they spay or nueter, give the 3yr. rabies shot, distemper, worming, flea treatment, then they tip the ear and microchip. We have 2 cats that came from this program and a 3rd one if he ever comes back. Hes been wandering for 3 days now and Im praying he comes back. The 1st one was living in an abandoned house being fed by me and my neighbor. She had kittens and the landlord managed to find homes for all of them. We took her in and she is part of our family. The 2nd one we found in our backyard last year and noticed her tipped ear immediatly. We contacted spay and stay. We took her in had the microchip read and called them back with the number. She came from a trailer park the nearest one being 5 miles away. The lady didnt care if she came back or not and said shed been missing for 3 weeks. Now she too is part of our family and a very unique girl. She has 8 paws. My boyfriend calls her a Hemmingway cat and he always wanted one since that is his favorite author. She is our goodluck girl and her name is Mariel after the actress of course. Its too bad every state doesnt have a spay and stay. They have local fundraisers and we attended the last one. It was a blast. They had food and a silent auction with gifts that were donated. They had a show by a local dog celebrity named Swee Pea. All in attendance were cat people. They also have workshops such as building shelters for winter, send you tips on things like how to keep the water liquid longer in the winter. A regular newsletter and a spay and stay date about once a month. Im sad for the cats by you that are destroyed. How sad!!


Mar 12, 2011 feral cats – tnr
by: nancy bailey

I trap and s/n as does my brother we pay out of pockets to get these cats done and to stop the breeding in colonies.So many people just don’t care and then you have evil neighbors who see what you are doing and get their own traps trap them and have animal control take them and then they are killed…….Four of my cats are ferals that i have rescued and made into the happiest and fattest house cats ever……My most wild feral who bit the heck outta me for months is now my most loving baby- when he first came in the house he wanted the dog and all the cats DEAD now he worships the dog and other cats…….When he’s sleeping i just stare at him and watch him dream,dreaming wonderful dreams and knowing that he is LOVED,SAFE AND WARM AND THAT HE WILL NEVER BE COLD,HUNGRY,SICK OR HURT AGAIN……


Mar 12, 2011 Legalised Cruelty
by: Michael

I agree with everything that you have written. And the way we behave as a society in relation to feral cats in the USA is very poor indeed.

The authorities, the city administrators and politicians should take the lead and put in place a proper enduring structure that makes people, the public, behave responsibly towards all cats.

As you say, that starts with responsible “ownership” – proactive steps.

If we still have to mop up the mess and patch up our mistakes we should then do it humanely in respect of the innocent cats.

To act irresponsibly in letting cats breed and then dumping them followed up by sneakily killing them and calling it euthanasia (no it is not) is a reflection on society’s poor behavior and I for one have more or less given up on society as this has been going on for decades and with the state the world is currently in I see no sign of it every changing for the better.


4 thoughts on “Local Feral Cats in Pennsylvania, USA”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. We trap the feral cats and kittens get them spayed and neuter . We release the adults back out. But the kittens under 3 months of age we tame them and try to get them there forever homes. We are located in Erie pa .

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  3. It started 5 yrs ago on Thanksgiving 2 kittens showed up in the yard hungry. I fed them..I now have 3 inside but I have around 12 on my porch. I am going broke feeding them and I need help getting them trapped and neutered!!! I am a flight attendant and am away 16 days a month. My fiancé helps when I am gone. BUT, I REALLY NEED HELP. I have become so attached to them, when they die I cry for weeks. My heart hurts just thinking of it.

    Can anyone help me PLEASE….I would be so appreciative..

    Reply

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