Trap Neuter Release can be so tough!

[avebury]

I know that it is good to get stray cats fixed but I have 3 regulars strays on my porch not understanding why I am not bringing food out to them tongith. I have a lady from the Humane Society that is supposed to bring some traps tomorrow to see if we can catch some of them. I am concerned that she might not come early enough to set the traps.

I am taking the morning off hoping that having my car in the driveway and going outside off and on might get the cats to stick around. Hopefully we will be able to leave some traps out tomorrow night as well. One of the cats has two kittens that look old enough to eat cat food so I hope that they will leave a couple of traps next door to try to get the Momma and her kittens. I told the lady next door that I will put cat food out for the kittens if we can't get them with Momma and we will may a play for them later on if we can't get them this time.

[ginnyinWI]

1. good luck!

And thanks for being so kind.

[avebury]

2. Thanks for your good wishes.

It is so stressful because I really need to have the traps set up early to get the cats in the morning. The other best time is anytime now on through the evening. I have now seen four of the strays. One the strays is pregnant and I hate it but she really needs to be caught and fixed. She is my favorite stray and really sweet. I wish that I could bring her indoors but I have two small dogs who would give the poor cat no peace and I am not sure if she could adjust to being an indoor cat. I also have an 18 year old strictly indoor cat. If I didn't have any pets I would leave the door open when I am and until I went to and let her come and go until she became comfortable enough to stay inside. But with the dogs it just isn't going to happen.

[Voice for Peace]

4. they'll probably keep coming back after they're fixed, just as stray and sweet as ever

[avebury]

6. But at least they won't be having babies.

Better the sweet strays you know then the ones that will move in later on.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Yes, it is tough.

And it might be tougher after you get the traps if any of those cats are smart enough or have been trapped in the past. Smart buggers.

Good luck.

[Auntie Bush]

5. You'd enjoy reading the book, "The Dog Who Rescues Cats." by Philip Gonzalez

He also wrote, "The Blessing of the Animals." Both books are about all the cats he and his dog rescues, cares for and feeds...more than a hundred of them. You reminded me of him.

[Walk away]

7. I have seen so many successful TNR programs!

We have one in my neighborhood because of our wooded park and the Feeders who created this problem in the first place. A young neighborhood police officer runs ours with about a half dozen helpers. Our (once stray) out door cats are now happy, healthy, spayed and neutered and an asset to the neighborhood. They have clean warm shelter and no one chases them or tries to hurt them any more. Ten years ago there was a movement to round them up and kill them all. Now they catch our field mice and no longer spray and fight. Everybody is happy!

I love to see a neighborhood with good looking kitties with notched ears, sitting on a stoop and getting some sun.

[blondie58]

8. Be patient!

I am involved with. Cat shelter and I got a call.from my.friend who.knows that.
She.is a dog.person and found a momma cat and her four babies in her window well! The mom was in the process of moving them, but we were able to grab two of the kids.

We set the traps and caught momma the next day. But I was worried because I think.they were still being nursed.

We caught the other two in two days. But I was a wreck until they were all safe.

The shelter named the mom.after me, quite an honor!
I got to give het heat packs to make her mammary glands reduce, so she could be spayed.

Good luck with everything and don't.forget to check the cages to make sure you haven't caught a cat!
If the kittens are caught before 8 weeks of age, they won't be feral. Otherwise, they may spend their entire lives on the street.

[hamsterjill]

9. Tough but Good!

TNR works!

Thank you for participating. And yes, it can be very stressful and frustrating at times. But just remember that every single one that you catch and get fixed is fewer that will not have good homes, etc.

Making them go hungry one night isn't fun, but is a very necessary part of the equation to incentivize them to go into the traps when that time comes. It will be okay!

And yes, our program fixes pregnant cats, too.

Best of luck to you, and thanks again!!!