Can you feed some ferals in South Carolina?

David Bell, 69, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, who has been feeding feral cats on the Isle of Palms for the last decade is searching for someone to take over his role due to his declining health.


Friend Shawn Amick, of Summerville, said she has called numerous cat and animal groups hoping to find someone willing to take over his daily route once the day comes that he can no longer make the trip.


Bell travels to the island each morning feeding cat colonies that live around Wild Dunes. He started feeding the cats after he noticed the thin cats running around the resort while ferrying Wild Dunes tourists around. When funds are available he has them spayed and neutered and returns the animals to their beach homes. 


Anyone interested in helping Bell could contact Amick at 901-0721 or atshawna@sc.rr.com.

Oh no! An opossum!

Last night, when I went out to feed my outdoor kitties, I decided to stay outside and see who came to eat.  I heard some crunching of leaves and waited to see who it was.  I was sitting there and saw a grey tabby kitten come to the top of a slope to the parking area. The kitten looked to be about 4 months old, judging only by it's size, of course.  I watched the kitten standing there making sure the "coast was clear" and I heard more leaf crunching.  I waited, expecting to see one of the cats I was familiar with but to my horror a huge (and I mean huge!) opposum walk in front of the kitten.  The kitten and opossum seemed to not even notice each other.  I saw the opossum walk right past the kitten and straight to the food.

I watched very anxiously not knowing what to do as the kitten walked past the opossum and went to another plate.

I went upstairs to my apartment and worried about what to do.

Tonight, I walked outside and saw a large grey tom cat staring right at me.  I walked down the stairs and tried to approach him (I am just guessing it is a male because of his size but that might not be a good idea to guess gender by size).  He kept his distance.  So, I figured, I better just back off and not try to push it.  So, I sat down and about 5 minutes later, put some food down and walked a short distance away and sat down to watch who else might come to eat.

About a minute after I sat down (about 20 feet away), the large tom cat came up to eat and about a minute later, the kitten came up.  The kitten ate with no problems but the large cat was distracted by me and kept glancing at me then going back to his food.

I have to decide what to do about the food situation.  I also need to decide if I am going to trap that kitten out there.  

Freezing dogs and cats!

It is snowing outside this morning. Our first snow of the season. While it is barely an inch covering the ground, it is still unbearably cold out. I am anxious and worried about all of "my" chained dogs and feral cats. Although I need to be studying for finals and getting those last papers written, I am tempted to do my rounds and make sure they are warm. Most people won't even answer the door so I can give their dog some hay so it is probably useless to go out. I cannot enter a back yard without the owner's okay. If I do, I can be arrested. I might take an hour or two later this afternoon if I get enough work done for school. I am really worried about them.

Boy Scout Builds Five Feral Cat Houses to Help Kitties

A Boy Scout on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout has built 5 feral cat houses with the help of his father, a veterinarian, and some fellow boy scouts.  He has donated them to The Cleveland Animal Protective League who will distribute them to residents who feed feral cats. 

The elevated wooden houses have an entrance on one side that will allow cats to go around an interior corner to a compartment where body heat will help them survive the winter. Cedar chips or straw can be added to increase their comfort. The shelters have a removable top so they can be cleaned.
Harvey said, "Lending a helping hand to cats who can't be socialized and will never know the pleasure of a lap or the stroke of a human hand is surely a selfless and model act of citizenship for all of us."

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/11/cleveland_a_boy_scout.html

Consumed by thoughts of cats

I am becoming increasingly consumed by the thought of cats and chained dogs outside in the cold. I live in Kansas City and it is starting to freeze at night. During the day, I am able to push the thoughts of shivering kitties from my mind. As the clock ticks by and evening comes, I become anxious that I can't save all of them.

I already do a lot for cats the that are near me. I live in a third floor apartment. Each night I go downstairs and feed some strays and ferals that I only see evidence of. Usually, there are people getting home or going out for the night and I feel nervous. I don't want them to see what I am doing. If they see and disagree with it, they might tell the landlord. I already know that the landlord doesn't care for cats too much. The maintenance man has thrown away numerous makeshift feeding stations and styrofoam houses. People think that feeding cats somehow attracts wild animals or something. The cats eat all the food-there is nothing left. I do get them first thing in the morning, but I guess the risk of wild animals getting the food goes down once the sun is up.  I probably should go back down after an hour or so to get the bowls, but I am already doing my inside cat work at that point.  I have 3 cats of my own and 6 fosters. It takes a lot of energy to feed all of them and change their 10 litter boxes-twice a day.  I have 4 kittens of various ages with the youngest being 4 months. I have a feral kitten I am working with daily and it requires lots of patience. 

Outside, there is only one cat that actually comes up to me only occasionally, but I see numerous glowing eyes hidden among the brush and under cars and quick movements from between trees. The one cat that comes up to me isn't too thin, I think it's a girl, she is some kind of Siamese cat. She has a bob tail, too. I am not sure what happened there...hopefully it is a characteristic of her breed.

Two nights ago, it was raining. When she came up to me her fur was wet and she was shivering. I felt deeply saddened that I had to leave her outside. I am trying to lure her up to my little house I made for them. I have to keep it by my door, which is on the (inconvenient) third floor. Although I do have one feral cat who comes up for food every night.

I wish I did not have to deal with this problem. It would be so much easier on me-and my pocketbook-if I just ignored them all. I wish that people would be responsible and take care of the animals they have so that they are not having babies and not running around outside. It isn't safe for them. I just can't know they are out there and not do something to help them.

I can tell that it is weighing on my mind, I feel the stress in my body.  I can feel my anger building inside when I think of the chained dogs who have no house or are too thin and have no body fat to keep them warm.  Dogs who have frozen water and no hay to burrow in.  Cats who are left to go into hoods of cars to try to keep warm and meet a terrible fate in the morning.  I know I can't save them all but I just might die trying to do it.  

Can you feed some ferals in Center Moriches, NY?

I found this message in a group I belong to online. I do not know this person or anything else about the situation. If you can help, please email Elizabeth at luv_2_smile4u@yahoo.com

Urgent help is needed in the vicinity of Center Moriches to feed a cat colony.

This colony is located on the property where I was working, but unfortunately I am no longer working for this company. I live in Middle Island and can no longer afford to go there every day, and probably will not be able to go at all when I am working again.

The address where the cats come to eat

MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY Cemetery Rd (just West of Kaler's Pond on Montauk Hwy) Center Moriches, NY 11934
Borders the East side of Kurt Weiss Greenhouses.

The Cemetery has gates which open at 7am and close at 5pm. You can't get in after 5pm. If the gates close when you are inside, they automatically open to let you out.

There are approximately 12 to 14 cats
I usually feed them around 4:30 - 4:45pm

My e-mail address is luv_2_smile4u@yahoo.com (@ yahoo.com)
Phone # is 516-702-9757


Thank you,
Elizabeth

Do you take care of feral cats?

I am just putting this question out here because I am wondering who else who might read this blog is taking care of feral cats. Please leave a comment just saying how many you take care of, how long you have taken care of them and how you take care of them, and anything else you want to say.

I live in an apartment and I am finding it very, VERY difficult to help ferals. People keep throwing my things away, or stealing them. I don't think the other people who live here care about the cats. I started to leave food outside my door, on the third floor and there are cats finding it. There has to be more than one cat because a lot of food gets eaten.

I don't know how many there are, or even what they look like. I want to trap one or more of them soon. I need to get another cage. I still have Annie here, and she is in two cages but she needs both. She is actually out, running around in the spare bedroom right now.

So, let me know if you take care of ferals, I would love to talk about it. I could get some good ideas from others who have taken care of them for awhile. I am new to feral cat care.