Neighborhood Feral Caretaker

by Sherry
(Horsham, PA)

I moved to my neighborhood almost five years ago. I took ten feral cats to a local spay/neuter clinic and had them all fixed and vaccinated for rabies and distemper.

Seven ferals remain and there are a few (maybe 3 strays) that come around, but they are owned by people.

The strays are the ones that start fights because they usually aren’t fixed. My feral cat colony is probably better taken care of than the strays because they have all been fixed and vaccinated.

They eat on my front porch every morning and at dinner time. They know what time I feed and then they leave.

They don’t bother anyone or anything. I keep water on the porch for them 24/7. I have been fortunate that they have all been healthy and have not needed any further veterinarian care.

I really enjoy taking care of them and my own cat likes to look at them from the window. She actually runs to the front door every morning and stands on her hind legs like a little dog and taps on the window as if to say “breakfast is coming”! It is really cute.

She enjoys watching the ferals just as much as watching the birds. Oh, and my own cat “Angel”, was a stray in my neighborhood I took in a few years ago. Somebody abandoned her and she almost died. I nursed her back to health and she is a real sweetheart!

I find it very rewarding to take care of these sweet, innocent forgotten feral cats! I just wish more people would understand how important it is to have their pets spayed and neutered.

Sherry

Comments for
Neighborhood Feral Caretaker

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Jul 08, 2011 Response on the way you handled your feral cats.
by: Elf alias Joy Lynn Rosser

I really like the way you handled this situation. I have taken in three cats that were abandoned or feral. Two are neutered, and regularly and they get regular vacinations and check-ups. i also treat them for fleas and ticks. The third is too wary to let me pick him pu or trap him. I wish I could find a way to get him to the vet for neutering and treatment, but he;s just too smart for his own good in this matter.

I just entered a post about these three. I hope it will be up soon so you ccan read it.


Jun 12, 2011 Perfect – Almost
by: Michael

I think what you do is perfect in terms of how to help feral cats, cats that should really be domestic cats but for irresponsible cat “ownership” as you imply.

It seems that there are people like you who care and who are responsible and those that don’t care and who are irresponsible. The former pick up the pieces left by the latter!

Education is the ultimate way to reduce the feral cat population and manage the so called “feral cat problem”. Either that or legislation (which is a form of education).

Overall, there is bias against the feral cat in the USA I feel.


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