Neighbors' stray cat population out of control and affecting neighbors
April 7, 2018 12:04 PM Subscribe
(From my sister in Orlando, FL) The herd of feral cats--roughly THIRTY--that two of my neighbors are feeding have ruined my yard by turning it into an enormous toilet, made my dogs ill... ruined several of my screens, and live in my yard (I have trees, and the two feeder/complicit/enabling neighbors do not), despite me not feeding them and actively trying to shoo them when I see them (This results in them moving from the front to backyard.).
The two neighbors "promise" they are working it, while still actively feeding and encouraging this colony to continue to live and to breed. A call to Animal Control resulted in (a) on the phone: Someone will come out within 48 hours to see the situation and (b) in reality: They emailed me that they had sent one neighbor a letter and closed the case without any intention whatsoever of sending anyone out to "see the situation." Also, I'm allergic to cats myself.
This is the issue posted by my sister recently on Facebook. She did not seem to get much concrete advice there, so I am putting this one to you folks! The neighbors in question are across the street and over one, rather than directly next door, and in their 60s. Houses in this neighborhood are close to each other but not on top of each other - maybe 40/50 ft between them. My sister lives on a corner so her yard is a bit larger than some.
About ten years ago when I lived with my sis, the cat total was closer to 10 - a sometimes annoyance but not a full-blown crisis as it seems to be now.
The two neighbors "promise" they are working it, while still actively feeding and encouraging this colony to continue to live and to breed. A call to Animal Control resulted in (a) on the phone: Someone will come out within 48 hours to see the situation and (b) in reality: They emailed me that they had sent one neighbor a letter and closed the case without any intention whatsoever of sending anyone out to "see the situation." Also, I'm allergic to cats myself.
This is the issue posted by my sister recently on Facebook. She did not seem to get much concrete advice there, so I am putting this one to you folks! The neighbors in question are across the street and over one, rather than directly next door, and in their 60s. Houses in this neighborhood are close to each other but not on top of each other - maybe 40/50 ft between them. My sister lives on a corner so her yard is a bit larger than some.
About ten years ago when I lived with my sis, the cat total was closer to 10 - a sometimes annoyance but not a full-blown crisis as it seems to be now.
I trust that you have googled? Here ("how to repel feral cats" from Havahart) is something I found when googling, and it includes things that I would try (e.g., motion-activated sprayers, granulated repellents).
posted by sheldman at 12:14 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sheldman at 12:14 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Can she get a sprinkler system?
posted by dilettante at 12:14 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by dilettante at 12:14 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is there a reason she can't just trap them and take them to the shelter herself? I feel like I'm missing something.
posted by HotToddy at 12:15 PM on April 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by HotToddy at 12:15 PM on April 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Call a cat rescue org or two and talk to them about sterilizing all the cats, at least. That would keep the population from _increasing_. This should be done with conversations with the colony caretakers, too. They should understand and be involved in the process; they can help make sure that newcomers are also spayed/neutered, and kittens are placed in caring homes.
posted by amtho at 12:25 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by amtho at 12:25 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
hire a trapper. trap cat, call animal control, they take cat, reset trap, repeat till cats are gone.
posted by patnok at 12:26 PM on April 7, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by patnok at 12:26 PM on April 7, 2018 [13 favorites]
she can call a tnr place without having to deal with the unhelpful neighbors; if they're being fed regularly they'll be responsive to food left out in traps on her own property.
posted by poffin boffin at 12:33 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by poffin boffin at 12:33 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Spay N Save is a local organization that I think is involved with TNR efforts.
posted by Gymnopedist at 12:37 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Gymnopedist at 12:37 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Orange County has a Trap Neuter Return program that can help. There is another organization called Care Feline TNR that can assist as well.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:40 PM on April 7, 2018
posted by Stewriffic at 12:40 PM on April 7, 2018
Best answer: Also, just FYI, organizations that do Trap Neuter Return (TNR) do not like having neighbors angry about community cats, so they will probably be grateful to hear from your sister. I'm thinking that some interventions that could work out at the very least would be to get your sister information about how TNR works and also some pointers on how to minimize the impact the cats have on her space. It may be that this is not a "managed" colony (i.e. the org doesn't have someone trapping, feeding, monitoring) yet. It could just be the neighbors acting on their own. If that's the case, it will be helpful to get the neighbors some education and maybe other support.
This is one of those divisive topics that can absolutely rev peoples' engines up (Cats versus humans! Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare!) Most people want to find the right balance between being able to enjoy your own home while not doing so by just rounding up and killing all the cats. I hope your both your sister and the neighbors can remember that. Best of luck.
posted by Stewriffic at 1:01 PM on April 7, 2018 [10 favorites]
This is one of those divisive topics that can absolutely rev peoples' engines up (Cats versus humans! Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare!) Most people want to find the right balance between being able to enjoy your own home while not doing so by just rounding up and killing all the cats. I hope your both your sister and the neighbors can remember that. Best of luck.
posted by Stewriffic at 1:01 PM on April 7, 2018 [10 favorites]
Best answer: I work with a local cat shelter nowhere near Florida, but TNR is the way to go. Generally when you drop a cat off at a shelter you are expected to donate to help with costs, and for thirty cats that doesn't seem right to make your sister do. Also, if these cats are partially feral, they will not be happy in a home even if they are adopted. Also as mentioned above, it's kitten season so shelters probably don't have the room. I answered the phone Thursday for the shelter I help and I had to turn away adult cats from seven different people. It was heartbreaking but that's the reality.
Your sister needs several sprinklers around her property on motion sensors. You can also buy lights that look like eyes. Cats find them unsettling. Cats are predators but they're also prey, so something like coyote urine could also be something worth looking into.
I'm so sorry this is happening to your sister. I love cats so much it hurts but her neighbors are helping themselves, not these cats. This is probably a breeding ground for kitty incest and illnesses. She is helping these kitties by having this resolved. I think if she runs this by her neighbors as helping the cats out and not wanting them gone, and also by pointing out how much they'll save by spending less on food, I think she and her neighbors can get this under control and maybe even keep their relationship civil. If you have any more questions, please contact me.
posted by Bistyfrass at 1:12 PM on April 7, 2018 [10 favorites]
Your sister needs several sprinklers around her property on motion sensors. You can also buy lights that look like eyes. Cats find them unsettling. Cats are predators but they're also prey, so something like coyote urine could also be something worth looking into.
I'm so sorry this is happening to your sister. I love cats so much it hurts but her neighbors are helping themselves, not these cats. This is probably a breeding ground for kitty incest and illnesses. She is helping these kitties by having this resolved. I think if she runs this by her neighbors as helping the cats out and not wanting them gone, and also by pointing out how much they'll save by spending less on food, I think she and her neighbors can get this under control and maybe even keep their relationship civil. If you have any more questions, please contact me.
posted by Bistyfrass at 1:12 PM on April 7, 2018 [10 favorites]
Best answer: If she can't find a group that is able to handle that size of cats (and I suspect she can't), she needs to visually document the issue and reopen it with animal control and then escalate to her city council or the like if they don't start taking the issue seriously. I love animal too, but her neighbors are effectively animal horders but externalizing parts of the damage they cause to your sister. They're not going to change until they're forced to.
posted by Candleman at 1:39 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 1:39 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: If your sister is negatively affected, perhaps other neighbors are too? If possible, contact others who are also dealing with the feral cats and coordinate efforts - hopefully resulting in more impact and shorter time to resolution.
(Also, I'd assume the neighbors feeding the cats might be vulnerable and not at full mental capacity. The suggestion to get them on board with helping the cats find a healthier home is great. If they are resistant I'd assume there's a deeper problem that she won't be able to address, and soldier on without their support).
posted by bunderful at 1:49 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
(Also, I'd assume the neighbors feeding the cats might be vulnerable and not at full mental capacity. The suggestion to get them on board with helping the cats find a healthier home is great. If they are resistant I'd assume there's a deeper problem that she won't be able to address, and soldier on without their support).
posted by bunderful at 1:49 PM on April 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: So many great and helpful responses, thank you! I just wanted to clarify a couple things:
Two other neighbors contacted local Animal Control. One of them on two occasions. Neither heard back from them in any kind of helpful manner.
My sister has called all the local cat rescues she could find, and every single one was already overfull and apologized but could not help.
She would never poison the cats! And these neighbors are not terrible people, so I am sure they can all agree that any arrangement that helps the cats will help everyone.
Many cat deterrents also negatively affect dogs, so of course many are a non-starter as she has two (rescue) dogs. But also, just keeping them mostly out of her yard doesn't address that this is a larger neighborhood issue and as they go further afield can cause auto accidents and kill lots of songbirds, etc.
posted by Glinn at 2:39 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Two other neighbors contacted local Animal Control. One of them on two occasions. Neither heard back from them in any kind of helpful manner.
My sister has called all the local cat rescues she could find, and every single one was already overfull and apologized but could not help.
She would never poison the cats! And these neighbors are not terrible people, so I am sure they can all agree that any arrangement that helps the cats will help everyone.
Many cat deterrents also negatively affect dogs, so of course many are a non-starter as she has two (rescue) dogs. But also, just keeping them mostly out of her yard doesn't address that this is a larger neighborhood issue and as they go further afield can cause auto accidents and kill lots of songbirds, etc.
posted by Glinn at 2:39 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Have she ever seen inside the neighbors' house? Animal hoarding can get pretty intense and unsanitary. In some situations it might be appropriate to involve adult protective services.
posted by bq at 3:41 PM on April 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by bq at 3:41 PM on April 7, 2018 [6 favorites]
This is going to be a bit outside of the box, but she could get electric fences, of the type that people use for chickens to keep predators out. They are easy to set up and the shock is minimal, but a good deterrent.
posted by Toddles at 7:26 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 7:26 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's unclear to me what outcome your sister desires, and on what time scale. Trap-Neuter-Release will take years to reduce the population, since you have to wait for the existing cats to die off. (I'm assuming they'll be released back into her yard, or find their way there due to the continued feeding.)
You say that some other neighbors have tried reporting this colony. What's the lowest level of government in this place? You may be pleasantly surprised by how attentive the local alderman (or whatever) will be if every voter on the block starts complaining about this cat colony.
posted by d. z. wang at 9:45 PM on April 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
You say that some other neighbors have tried reporting this colony. What's the lowest level of government in this place? You may be pleasantly surprised by how attentive the local alderman (or whatever) will be if every voter on the block starts complaining about this cat colony.
posted by d. z. wang at 9:45 PM on April 7, 2018 [5 favorites]
Build a fence? Perhaps a cheap chickenwire fence would be adequate? If the neighbors want to continue with this behavior they really should chip in...
posted by xammerboy at 5:49 AM on April 8, 2018
posted by xammerboy at 5:49 AM on April 8, 2018
It looks like Care TNR is the TNR organization local to Orlando. They don't appear to have volunteer trappers and expect colony caretakers to trap and bring in cats, but maybe someone in the organization would be willing to contact the neighbor to educate them and help them trap the cats. I know that TNR will not keep the cats out of her yard, but the situation will only get worse if they keep having kittens.
posted by sherber at 11:22 AM on April 8, 2018
posted by sherber at 11:22 AM on April 8, 2018
Check with your friends and borrow a dog for a while that is "very territorial."
Keep contacting the authorities, ideally with your other neighbors in tow, verbally and in writing. Insist on action within a specific time frame. Let them know that you will be checking back on a weekly basis until this is resolved.
Contact the local newspaper or TV station, with documentation about the extent of the problem and the actions that have been taken.
Contact animal-hording neighbors and begin presenting them with bills for veterinary care for your pets, damage to your property, medical appointments for allergies, receipts for over-the-counter allergy relief.
Push back.
Thirty cats is not a healthy environment for people or animals. Rabies, FIV and feline leukemia are problems. A kitten that is blinded by an easily-treated infection is frustrating.
My daughter just learned the hard way about heartworm and her dog (she will be adding preventative treatment from now on). She is a responsible pet owner who keeps up with her Lab's needs, but one infected mosquito was enough.
Either the neighbors take responsibility for the medical and physical care of these cats, or they give up "ownership" to someone who will.
posted by TrishaU at 6:51 PM on April 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
Keep contacting the authorities, ideally with your other neighbors in tow, verbally and in writing. Insist on action within a specific time frame. Let them know that you will be checking back on a weekly basis until this is resolved.
Contact the local newspaper or TV station, with documentation about the extent of the problem and the actions that have been taken.
Contact animal-hording neighbors and begin presenting them with bills for veterinary care for your pets, damage to your property, medical appointments for allergies, receipts for over-the-counter allergy relief.
Push back.
Thirty cats is not a healthy environment for people or animals. Rabies, FIV and feline leukemia are problems. A kitten that is blinded by an easily-treated infection is frustrating.
My daughter just learned the hard way about heartworm and her dog (she will be adding preventative treatment from now on). She is a responsible pet owner who keeps up with her Lab's needs, but one infected mosquito was enough.
Either the neighbors take responsibility for the medical and physical care of these cats, or they give up "ownership" to someone who will.
posted by TrishaU at 6:51 PM on April 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Mizu at 12:13 PM on April 7, 2018 [7 favorites]