Neutering a cat that isn’t technically yours

[BatCoach]

OMG this makes me so happy. What a fairy tale ending for ole Chessie!!

We had a a great vacay, and the vacation fosters did a great job. one litter even got spayed and neutered while I was gone, so they are now microchipped and 100% ready to get adopted! Their ads are on petfinder and I have been circulating them like crazy.

Buzz https://www.petfinder.com/cat/buzz-52412808/ca/tustin/a-pawsitive-approach-ca1876/
Bo peep https://www.petfinder.com/cat/bo-peep-52412782/ca/tustin/a-pawsitive-approach-ca1876/
Woody https://www.petfinder.com/cat/woody-52412768/ca/tustin/a-pawsitive-approach-ca1876/
Jessie https://www.petfinder.com/cat/jessie-52412720/ca/tustin/a-pawsitive-approach-ca1876/

I’m still struggling with trying to find out the best thing to do with the colony in our housing complex which apparently is now “my” colony since the HoA has been cracking down on people feeding them. They definitely remember me as the food lady, even after 7 days away. They still hang out by our house.

I’ve posted ads for them as barn cats, but lets face it, I live in an urban area that struggles with feral cat management and there is not a demand for feral kitties to be re-homed. I’m just frustrated that our local shelter is zero help. At least all but one are all fixed and ear-tipped so there will not be any street babies on my watch.

[trubandloki]

@BatCoach

I’ve posted ads for them as barn cats, but lets face it, I live in an urban area that struggles with feral cat management and there is not a demand for feral kitties to be re-homed.

Do you happen to have a local facebook group related to horse activities?

In my part of the world there are not infrequent things about barn cats (people looking for and people trying to find homes for) in that type of group.

[Peggy]

I’m not all that far from you.

Are you on Facebook? There’s an Orange County Horse Network group and probably some others that I’m just not thinking of at the moment. Thermal Classifieds? I’ve seen dogs advertised there.

There’s a woman at my barn who knows someone who does something with placing cats at barns, but I know that some of those groups work with shelter cats, not ferals. I’ll try to ask her in the next day or two if I can get a word in edgewise while she’s doing summer camp.

OK to share the kittens’ fliers on social media? I can post one a day so as not to overly saturate.

[BatCoach]

I’d love it if you shared their flier! that would be tremendous. Thank you!

I wrote a post for the OC horse network group, but it got rejected since the FB algorithm flagged it as selling animals, which is prohibited. Maybe I can try again with no cat photo? Maybe I just had bad luck LOL.

There is a barn cat placement program in Burbank, I’ll reach out to them to see if they have any ideas.

[BatCoach]

Quick update:

We hit a bump in the road. Turns out the kitties contracted feline calicivirus and fleas from their vacation foster home so Marlow’s litter could not be spayed/neutered this week as planned. I’m treating w/ doxy 2x a day and most are showing signs of improvement. Of course, my 2 older kitties have caught it as well since it is SO contagious.

I’m hyper-sensitive to any insect bites, so my feet and calves are covered in bites. I spend all my interactions with the kittens flea combing them to get what the advantage dose missed. I bought 2 flea traps and plan on flea bombing the garage this weekend.

Just when the fleas seem to be under control (fingers crossed) Woody started to limp and would not put any weight on his right front leg. He would just lay in a a box w/ a fluffy blanket looking sick. At first I thought he sprained or broke his leg, but it turns out some strains of the virus present as lameness. Poor baby’s joints are sore. I am really hoping that he makes a quick turnaround since there are potential adopters coming over to meet him tomorrow.

I cancelled a weekend trip for later this month. I don’t want to send them to a vacation foster, and I have a feeling I will still have lots of kittens on my hands at that time. I just want to get everyone healthy and fixed so they can find a real home - these babies deserve so much better than living in my garage.

On the plus side – we made progress with the HOA!!! There was a community meeting that fortunately Mr. Batcoach was able to attend (I was at work) and he had a fruitful discussion on the
‘community cats.’ Essentially, everyone now understands that there are zero municipal or county or shelter resources to help us. Neglecting and not feeding the cats won’t make them go away. There is no place for them to go. Given our location within this urban area, we are a target for dumped pets and true ferals. The best we can do to manage the population is TnR.

People actually thanked us for the work I’ve done! While it wasn’t exactly a “go ahead and manage and feed the cat colony with our written blessing” their acknowledgement that the cats are a part of our housing complex is huge. I’ve started to feed in a different corner of the parking area at night, trying to keep them away from houses. So I’m counting that as a win. I’ve seen several other people feeding as well, so there are several kitty warriors out there.

I just feel glad that many residents and board members were grateful for the TnR work I have done, and were open and receptive to the facts that Mr. Batcoach presented. Many were happy to learn more or just be educated on feral cats. Its a small win and I am happy to take it!

Now if I can just get these kitties adopted!

[ThreeWishes]

Oh no! When I am battling a flea issue I will hit them with advantage, and also give them a capstar. Then I bomb. Take care ! You are such an angel.

[swmorse]

oh my goodess @BatCoach what a mess.

Glad your husband explained the situation to the HOA. Sounds like a lot of folks in the neighborhood realize you’re doing a good thing

[ravenclaw]

Ugh! One step forward, one step back. You are awesome for doing right by these kitties. They’re lucky to have you. I’m glad your husband had a good talk with the HOA. Sounds like they are a little more sympathetic now.

Are Daisy and Marlow still coming to your place? I have been wondering about them and I hope they’re doing OK.

[shiloh]

Poor little critters. I hope they get better soon. Jingles.

[alabama]

I’ve done it and will do it again, if need be. Poor kitty. He’ll probably stay at your place since you’re helping him. Get him fixed. Your neighbor will probably never notice and if she does, who cares?

[FrittSkritt]

@alabama I know the thread is long, but the OP did it.

TL;DR - Threewishes trapped the neighborhood tom, got him neutered, now he’s claimed her as his human. Fairytale ending!

[candyappy]

@ThreeWishes

So…. Someone lives inside now. Followed what another member advised so many posts ago about introducing cats to keen dogs. (Was it @Marla_100 or @moonlitoaksranch… sorry can’t remember) The suspect female dog looooves Chester. They play like nuts. Chester makes my older dog a little nervous. So I monitor. So much jumping and running and hiding in boxes. This cat is more doglike than you can imagine. Hope you’re doing well @BatCoach. But … a very happy ending to my story.

Now I’m rightly sure this cat is technically mine. Thanks COTH! For all your wisdom.

I never offered advice on getting a dog to accept a cat, but I figured it would work out. Every one of our dogs( over the last 30 years ) would/ will absolutely kill a cat if they get the chance UNTIL they realize the cat belongs to us. Then they are best buddies.

So glad your dog is onboard now.

[ThreeWishes]

You’re 100% right. Funny because said dog still will growl and act menacing towards the neighbors cat when he comes onto the porch. But she loves Chester.
He’s sitting right beside me after playing with scary dog for way too long. Had to turn up the tv to drown them out !

Tired cat and tired dog. Finally some peace.

[shiloh]

Color me intrigued now. You have to post a video of them playing.

Mr Chester looks so happy.

[rubygirl1968]

How could anyone not love Chester?? He’s adorable!

I’m thrilled he and your dog get along so well.

[shiloh]

How are the kittens? I hope little Woody is getting better and that he found a forever home.
Are your flea bites getting better?

[Hippolyta]

My mother was a vet and basically did her own spay/neuter release program. Any tom that started hanging around the property & messing with our resident cats was fixed ASAP. Her brother said it was a good thing she didn’t have sons that fought with the neighbors.

There was a place about a mile down the road with cats that bred willy nilly. Over the years, a few of the males showed up at ours. After she trapped and castrated them, she would release them back into their own yard. They all came back to ours, no matter how many times she returned them.

Not only did they chose to be at our place, they all worshipped her until their dying day.

[BatCoach]

All are greatly improved! No more sneezies or goopy eyes. Woody is almost back to 100%, he can walk around fine again, just seems a tad low energy. He (as always) is super cuddly and full of purrs. His loving personally never changed His appetite is back so I am sure he will be right as rain in a couple more days. His potential adopters will be able to meet him this weekend, so I think the timing works out well.

Between another dose of advantage, deep cleaning the garage, multiple laundry loads, flea traps, a natural house flea spray and flea combing - I think I have most of the fleas under control. By all reports, fleas are terrible in our area this season. My skin is just crazy sensitive and bugs love me.

[BatCoach]

Daisy and Marlow are integrated back into the colony, so I see them all the time. Marlow is back with her BFF - an older siamese female that has already been ear-tipped, and Daisy is back running with her 4 grey (now fixed) boyfriends.

They no longer beg to get into the garage, but I see them when I feed and they like to sunbathe on top of the wall by our house. I keep a stash of sheba treat sticks to give to daisy since she will still tentatively approach me sometimes. I definitely keep a close eye out for her and Marlow and make sure they get enough food and don’t get pushed around by the much more outgoing boy kitties. A friend of a friend said he wants some feral mousers, so I am following up on that lead to see if I can place some of these colony cats to a safer spot.

[BatCoach]

and great news! Little 'Meezer" Randal is the first baby to get officially adopted!

This Saturday I had to take all 8 kittens to get their 3rd round of vaccine and Marlow’s 4 kittens microchipped. I drove them home and was at home cleaning the garage when the head of the rescue gave me a call and said there is a woman at their adoption event who had come to the event for a certain kitten she saw listed, but by the time she arrived at the event, that kitty had already been adopted. She was looking for a siamese-type kitty to be a pal to her other 2 y/o siamese. The head of the rescue immediately recalled that I had one Siamese kitten and gave me a call.

Randal isn’t fixed yet, so he doesn’t have an ad on petfinder, and he is not listed anywhere. So I certainly was not anticipating this - but after talking to the woman on the phone I immediately grabbed Randal and drove to the event.

It was at first sight. He nuzzled her face and started to purr and she thought he as just gorgeous. She lives about an hour away, and is a new driver (previously lived in NYC so never learned until an adult). And the drive from where she lives to me is pretty notorious for terrible traffic. She was ready to pay for and adopt a kitten that day, but it would be hard to get back to my area. I could tell that she and Randal were a perfect match. So I offered to drive him up to her when he had healed from his neuter surgery - come to find she lives in the same neighborhood as one of my friends, so its really no skin off my nose. I’m just so happy that he found his person.

So 1 kitten down - 7 more to go! Buzz and Woody meet their potential adopted this weekend, and I’d be really surprised if they didn’t instantly fall in love with those snuggle bugs. It will be sad to let Buzzy go, he’s been pulling at my heart strings the most, but if its a good match I have to let him go.

We decided that since my cat Artie had to be put down a few weeks ago, I get to keep one of the babies. They are all turning out to be great little cats who love people. I might just hang on to the last one who doesn’t get adopted ¯_(ツ)_/¯ just too hard to pick one right now. Or we will have to see which cat chooses to stay. In typical feline fashion - they tend to pick their people.