Well, wish us luck...

[RV's mom]

We've feral cats and kittens that have taken up living in our backyard. They don't bother RV, but do go after the birds. We've been feeding them to keep them around, today (monday) no food, tomorrow we place the live traps and hope to catch all of them, will take to the humane society where they'll be spayed or neutered, and then returned to our subdivision to live out their lives. Still wild, still going after my birdies, but no more babies. They are quite beautiful, mom is a calico, mostly wiite with black face and black L rear leg, black and orange splashes. One baby is a dark tortoise shell, one orange and one more yellow/orange. The male has been hanging around too, probably wanting to breed with mom again. So..... wish us luck and success.

teri

 

[Yvonne G]

Good luck with that. My next door neighbor's cat is an entire male who comes over here and picks fights with my neutered cats, male & female. He eats their food and the fights knock over my potted plants, breaking the pots. He pees on my windows and doors. He's just a terrible nuisance! Every night, I lock my cats up and set the trap to catch this creature, and every night he pushes the trap around but won't go inside.

 

[RV's mom]

Good luck with that. My next door neighbor's cat is an entire male who comes over here and picks fights with my neutered cats, male & female. He eats their food and the fights knock over my potted plants, breaking the pots. He pees on my windows and doors. He's just a terrible nuisance! Every night, I lock my cats up and set the trap to catch this creature, and every night he pushes the trap around but won't go inside.

I'm sorry you're having troubles with the neighbors cat. No way to reason with him regarding this felines bad behavior? I know there is a thread about bad neighbors, but there should be no excuse for this... have you mentioned 'animal control' to him? What are you putting in the cage for bait? We plan to use sardines in oil - we're told the smellier the better with regards to bait.

good luck. Hope it works out for you.
the pic below is mom and kits.......

teri

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a real pretty kitty family. My favorites have always been the calicos and tortoiseshells.

 

[Tom]

My wife did this all over the city where she grew up. Fix 'em and put 'em back. It would keep new un-fixed ones from moving in. Works really well and its about as humane as possible.

 

[pugsandkids]

Good luck to you, and thank you for giving these kitties the best chance possible!

 

[Jacqui]

The Mom has a neat face. Good luck. We are working currently on catching this years batch of feral kittens. We didn't have luck with the traps, plus I get worried they will get hurt in them, so go for the old fashioned way and just grab. We got a bonus this year, with the new Russian enclosure on litter enjoys climbing up it to sit on the top rail. Then sometimes they go down on the tortoise side. It's funny, that lip works pretty good on trapping kittens within the enclosure too.

 

[RV's mom]

when I first got home from vacation I actually grabbed on of the babies who was trying to hide on the patio. Silly me ~ my hands are faster than the brain can think...

it was too small for spay/neuter and after she clipped me with a claw, she met the ground running. I really hope for good luck in the morning.

t

 

[RV's mom]

so it begins...

mom is in the cage, chilling.
dad was in the yard, in the cage *didn't trip* - lots of choice verbiage on that one.
one kitten sighted, fingers crossed...

---

dad in the trap.......
waiting on kittens.

 

[RV's mom]

mom and dad in cage, and as I peeked at the row of cages, a door banged shut. we now have the tortoise shell kittie. boy, she's a wild one. All that are left to trap are the 2 orange babies.

thanks for your encouragement and well wishes.

teri

 

[RV's mom]

And finally it is 0430 in the morning and check the cages to find the last 2 babies in one cage. All are spit fires and peeing vinegar. Man, the feral kitties in my neighborhood are baaddd cats! But then I live in the 'hood in South Phoenix, and we don't do any thing else but baaaadd attitude wild ones.

The first baby we caught last night finally settled down and ate some dry kibble. You could hear the munch munch munch of dry food, spaced by warbling "don't look and don't come near me" noises. She sounded so ferocious, thought she'd choke on the food.

So thanks for all your good thoughts and well wishes. We have them all and hope to God they babies are at least 2 pounds so they can be fixed.

teri

 

[Stephanie Logan]

A-plus to you for Altruism in its most perseverant form!

You will be saving dozens if not hundreds of lives that would otherwise have been "nasty, brutish and short."

 

[RV's mom]

Thanks Stephanie. I appreciate your words. All kitties are home again, resting in their cages trying to wake up. Food and water in cage as per OK by vet. We'll hold them until at least tomorrow morning. Todays tally ~ 2 males, dad and kit, and 3 females. Mom apparently was already preggers again.

As you say, life could have been "nasty, brutish and short". Hopefully these 5 will live better lives now they are out of the breeding market.

teri

 

[pugsandkids]

Well done Teri!

 

[RV's mom]

Good morning. It is now almost 6am phoenix time and all is well. The sun is coming up to a mixed cloudy sky and the temperature is 92* in the front yard. All kitties were released by 0530. Babies bolted from the cages and were gone. Mom popped out and stood some 15 or so feet away, reproachful look on her face. Dad hung around a bit to drink some water and then he too vanished over the fence. All plastic sheeting and newsprint in the trash - oh hey! its pick up day!!. Food/water cans are in the sink with water and bleach. Cages are in the back yard waiting their turn for cleaning. Cloth covers are in the washer. All in all a good job. 5 wild suburban kitties taken off the breeding market and released to their 'natural' habitat. We kept them indoors overnight - just too bloody hot for anything else - and this was the kindest time to release. And our cats are now cautiously working their way through the house. There was no contact at all.......... Again my thanks for the well wishes of the members posting. Much appreciated.

teri