# Live Trap Diaries



## kherrmann3 (Sep 30, 2008)

:grumpy: I have a stray cat problem. I don't know if he's/she is a stray, feral, or someone's pet. I live in an apartment with a nice little porch that looks into some buckthorn and other invasive species and I have TONS of chipmunks out there. Me loves my chippies! This stupid cat keeps eating all of the baby chippies! We've been using a slingshot with cereal bits (so it's not hurting him much) to keep him at bay, and now we have a live trap to combat this problem. I wouldn't normally have a problem with kitties, but he has attacked my apartment window trying to get by my bunny (Toby). Now it's personal . My apartment manager told us to get rid of it if we had access to a trap. 

It's a pretty cat. He seems pretty clean, so I don't think he's feral. He's white with blonde and gray patches (like a calico). He's not skinny or full of burdocks either. I will drop him off at the Humane Society to see if anyone will claim him or if they can adopt him out (if he's not nasty). 

We set up the trap this evening and baited it with some Fancy Feast "chicken florentine". So far, we caught a very ticked-off oppossum. It smelled terrible! :grumpy:

I just wanted to share


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## seniorcats (Sep 30, 2008)

Have you checked with the neighbors to see if she is theirs. Calico's are female and rarely male.


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Sep 30, 2008)

i feel for you and had to laugh at the ticked opossum,lol. I get aggravated with others peoples cats on my property, i have three cats that are all indoors, they pee and poop in thier pans and i have to clean that up so i dont appreciate someone elses cat coming onto my property , where my kids run around an play and touch things, and having someone elses cat using my grounds as a litter box, so i feel for your frustrations. Good luck getting the cat and i hope you dont catch a skunk :shock: .


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## kherrmann3 (Sep 30, 2008)

All our neighbors around here are jerks, or don't speak English. We've asked around and no one knows who's kitty it is. We are afraid to ask the people across the way because when we see them, they are either drunk, or the guy is screaming at his kids... :? No one around here is supposed to let their cats out (in this neighborhood). My apartment manager told us to shoot it if we see it (prefer to trap). I guess a year or so ago there was a BIG problem around here with actual FERAL cats attacking the screens on the apartment buildings (trying to get to people's indoor cats) and causing a ton of damage! I guess the ones that used to be around here were chasing people and bit them on occasion. We just want to get rid of the problem (it already attacked our screen when Toby was sitting next to the window). I also had something eating my goldfishies out of my mini-pond on my porch. I'm 90% sure those were raccoons, though...

Here's my irked opossum...

"All I wanted was your Fancy Feast Chicken Florentine!"


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Sep 30, 2008)

ha ha that is one mad opossum,lol. Ick i think they are ssssssooooooo ugly!!!!



I dont think the answer is shooting it but i would trap and then take it to the humane society. If it is someones cat then they will have to take responsibility of going to the h umane society and getting the cat back and maybe eventually get sick of going to thier to bail thier cat out and keep it in so it is not attacking your house. Oh my, god forbid the cat get in your house with your bun :shock: . If it doesnt have an owner and is adoptable it could have a chance to be put up for adoption.



I hope you catch the cat next time ,lol!!!!!!!


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## kherrmann3 (Sep 30, 2008)

Haha! You think it's just UGLY? You should have SMELLED it! It wasn't happy with our choppy version of trying to figure out how to let it go, so it wee'd all over the cage. It smelled AWFUL. The smell got all over me because I'm the only person here who is small enough to re-bait the trap, and it was all over my arms. I ran inside and took a shower... :grumpy:

I wouldn't shoot the cat unless I knew it was dangerous (ex. rabid). Until we got the trap, we were shooting Crunch Berries at it with a sling shot to pester it into going away. Will and I are both good shots, so we aimed for his kitty-butt. Calicos may almost always be girls, but Will and I always refer to the problem kitteh as a "he". We don't know why lol


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## naturestee (Sep 30, 2008)

Because men are always the problem.:biggrin2:

I'm just sitting at work loling at the Crunch Berries! OMG!

IMO, for live trapping cats try tuna. It's so smelly they can't help but go for it. That's how we trapped my grandpa's ferals. But yeah, whatever you use for bait you'll probably keep getting raccoons and opossums too.

Also, I wouldmaybe put up a poster, saying stray cats will be taken to the Humane Society. Maybe, just maybe if the cat is owned the owner will keep it indoors then.


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## wbeaudry4 (Sep 30, 2008)

I wish we had areas to put up posters... I might be able to put one up in our apartment foyer, but I don't know. I don't think we're allowed to put them up on lampposts here.

By the way, this is kherrmann3's boyfriend


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## kherrmann3 (Sep 30, 2008)

Ha! So far, we've used Fancy Feast's chicken florentine. The next can is tuna florentine  Fancy smelly tuna lol I wish the opossum didn't make the trap smell like rotting poop.


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## naturestee (Sep 30, 2008)

Hmm. Possum smell might keep a cat away. We'll see what happens tonight. Otherwise spray vinegar all over it to help with the pee smell, then rinse with water.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 1, 2008)

*KITTEH UPDATE*

Well, I saw the kitteh again this morning. Something ate the food out of the trap, so SHE went around another way  I ran outside in my pajamas (my neighbors already think I'm nuts :dude and followed the cat. I have started calling HER "Kitteh", by the way... I got really close to her, and was looking at her in detail. I had my Fancy Feast Chicken Florentine in hand, too . 

She has a base coat of white and it looked like blue or amber eyes. She has honey/blonde and grey-ish streaks over her body (mostly her back). She looks like a calico (almost a tortie with how the colors are placed together). *She does not look neglected or dirty.* Her fur is smooth and not matted (no burdocks, either). She is not too skinny, either. Her tummy hangs low(er) but you can see a few ribs (when she is stretched out a bit). You can see more ribs than on a healthy cat, but she does NOT look emaciated. Her ears were intact and no chunks'o'kitty were missing. Her white fur was WHITE. Her face is either unusually small, or she's very young. I would guess under 6 months (no older than a year). She could just have a squishy face, though. 

She is TERRIFIED of people, and hauled a** when I came closer. I did not run at her, I came within 30 yards and knelt down with the can'o'Fancy Feast. I also did my embarassing little noises that people make around cats. She still ran away. If she's not wild, I would think she would be a wonderful pet. The thought actually crossed my mind... I put the rest of the food in the trap, and I am hoping for the best.

As for that "it crossed my mind to keep her", that is me, totally. Every animal I see injured, I want to keep. That is how I have had dozens of cottentail babies, a garter snake or two, several injured toads, a baby squirrel, a chipmunk (that got out in my bedroom), countless baby birds, and my crowning moment, a stray Newfoundland dog when I was 7-8. What bothers me, is, I normally HATE cats (sorry to those I just offended). I am allergic to about half of them (same with rabbits, though), and I was always turned off by the "litter box" thing. Can anyone tell me why bun-poo doesn't bother me as much as cat-poo? I understand the smell, but cats in general turn me off as far as pets go... But, I still would want to keep this little stray "Kitteh". Would anyone else in the Milwaukee area be interested in a "free cat"? lol

She's to pretty to be euthanized! :groupparty:

:rant:
</rant>


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## TreasuredFriend (Oct 1, 2008)

Yay, yippee, hooray. K got her bf to join and begin posting in the Live Trap Diaries!

inkbouce: 

The photo of the opposum was lifelike and adorable . 

From what you describe, kh3, sounds like someone's cat they let prowl. A lot of people don't give a dang either if their animal roams. A neighbor 'bout a 1/2 mile away would live trap the numerous ferals wandering his property. One was pretty nasty and urine-marked him many times when he took it to the humane society. I heard he even got sprayed in the lobby, (you can chuckle or wince) and believe me ~ staff does not want to get cut up by a nasty feral cat. I suspect they would not have tried to tame him/her given they receive so many and shelters become overpopulated with many animals. Aside from being a no-kill organization where ferals are evaluated and then placed into an adoption option.

We have heard of a non-kill cat place in Milwaukee called Second Hand Purrs.

will wait for what you catch next...

I'm so happy you're looking out for the chippies, bunners, fish and squirrels. Unbelievable how domestic animals wreak havoc on wildlife, when their home IS the OUTDOORS.

Be safe crawlin' into the trap ... and in yer p.j.'s. 

pssst, you can use a long handled plastic shovel or something to place the food in the zone. Don't want you to get stuck. Can imagine Will trying to free u from the trap door. lol.

The sight of a neighbor's blonde cat (where he didn't give a d*mn if it roamed) walkin' away with a baby cottontail in its mouth conjures up many emotions,


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## TreasuredFriend (Oct 1, 2008)

Animals become trap-smart too. Another thing to keep in mind. 

Food eaten, the culprit evaded.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 1, 2008)

The chipmunks were in the cage yesterday. I don't think they were eating the bait, I think they were just playing. They better be careful, though, or they will become live bait!


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## Luv-bunniz (Oct 1, 2008)

Good luck trapping!

We had a similar problem a while ago, except our owl was trying to eat the cats lol and she would get freaked out by them, so I put out a live trap with a shin of cow inside it and caught myself 3 cats  took them to a rescue centre and told the owners and they had to pay Â£40 to get them back...they never let the cat out again. So yay me! :biggrin2:

And luvmyzoocrew, I think opposums are adorable - they look like they smile :


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Oct 1, 2008)

*Luv-bunniz wrote: *


>


ha ha cute pic but the adults are stil UGLY!!!!!!! l ol


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## pinksalamander (Oct 1, 2008)

I've never seen a possum before. They are weird. They look like giant rats!

Fran  :hearts :brownbunny


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 1, 2008)

They stink! When they are startled, they release a foul-smelling liquid from their anal glands. This is their defense when they "play opossum" or "play dead". It adds to their faked death by making them SMELL dead, too. It's 100% nasty.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 1, 2008)

Well, we were successful in catching the cat. I feel like the world's biggest jerk, though. It's ADORABLE! Unfortunately, it's feral and very wild. The humane society will probably euthanize it as soon as it comes through the door. It might have a chance if it is given one, but I don't think so... Anyone want to give it a try or make it a barn cat? My heart is breaking thinking about it being killed tomorrow... :tears2:









I don't know what to do (I know what I HAVE to do... but still...)

If anyone wants more info about it, you can call (262)490-5570. I don't care about giving my number out, I will be getting rid of it in December anyways


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## LadyBug (Oct 1, 2008)

she's pretty

i hope you can find something to do with her and come to terms with it


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## naturestee (Oct 1, 2008)

I'm so sorry she's feral. Are you sure she isn't just scared?

I'll tell you what I told the people at the HS here when I had to bring in my (recently deceased) grandfather's feral/barn cats (used to being fed every day). I'd much rather have them euthanized than see them starve, or get hit by a car, or attacked by a coyote or dog, or getting one of the many horrible diseases that are common in stray cats. When I was a kid, the cats at my grandma's farm all got sick and died. For many years after, any new cats that wandered in would get sick and die, especially kittens. It was horrible. My mom had us changing clothes and scrubbing our skin after visits so ourpet cats wouldn't catch whatever it was. Euthanasia is a blessing in comparison.

:hug:

Oh! One other thing you could try. Call the Waukesha and Milwaukee shelters and see if anyone has a TNR (trap neuter release) program and if they'd be willing to accept another cat into a feral colony. They're usually vaccinated to, and also tested for feline leukemia as those cats would need to be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease. It's a slight chance, but it's worth trying.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 1, 2008)

They wouldn't take her in any program. I can't release her back here once spayed due to her attacking screens...


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## Luvmyzoocrew (Oct 2, 2008)

you can check to see if there are any places around you that take feral cats to work with them, or a place that takes in barn cats.

I w as wondering the samething as naturestee, i wonder if she is just scared and not fferal.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 2, 2008)

All the places her are full  I will be taking her into HAWS today. I am not going to say she is feral, though. I will say that I suspect she is someone's pet, and they will put her in the "good back room" for a week or so to see if anyone claims her. If not, she will go to the other back room, or if she's calmed down, put up for adoption. She hissed at me right away this morning. She doesn't like to be touched... I was scratching her bum between the bars. She didn't mind yesterday, but she HATED it today. Also, she wouldn't eat with anyone near her. She ate the tuna and drank the water I left her last night. I couldn't help myself, either. It was too cold outside and I HAD to bring her inside. She's in the trap over 10 layers of newspaper. I moved Berry-Boo to a better location away from Kitteh. I know she's used to being outside, but my conscious would not leave me alone...


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## Becknutt (Oct 2, 2008)

Did you check out http://www.secondhandpurrs.org/as treasuredfriend recommended? hope she can be rehabbed and adopted. She is a very cute kitty.


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## Luv-bunniz (Oct 2, 2008)

Or try local stables/pig farms. Most are happy to have a 'feral' cat that is used to catching its own dinner, its what they are used for and they do get the choice of food aswell!


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 2, 2008)

I called SHP and they were full and won't take any new ones in. Milwaukee shelters would only take cats from Milwaukee county. 

Edit: I caught two raccoons within 12 hours. The best part; I didn't bait the trap the second time lol


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 17, 2008)

So yeah... I haven't caught any more feral kitties, BUT, I had a question regarding local wildlife (for those of you in the US Midwest). I had the trap baited last night, placed on level ground, and this morning, the trap was sprung, upside down, and the bait plate was eaten (we use paper plates, the middle was chewed out). The trap was open, but it did spring (I assume that it opened up once upside down). It either was flipped first and THEN sprung, or was sprung then flipped. There were paw prints on the lever/trigger (which was on the top of the cage, being that it was upside-down).

What the heck could have done this? The paw prints weren't identifiable due to smudges. Would it have been a raccoon or something else? :? Whatever it was, it wasn't happy.


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## kirst3buns (Oct 17, 2008)

Racoon would be my guess. They are VERY clever and very strong. What are you using for bait? If it's something like catfood or tunafish, they like that stuff too.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 17, 2008)

They apparently like Fancy Feast


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## Bo B Bunny (Oct 18, 2008)

If you are trying to catch a coon, put an egg in the back corner of the have-a-heart trap. Works like a charm.

I think opossum are adorable! but we cannot have them around here cause they can carry EPM.

My mom found a baby chippy on the edge of a road, eyes not even open, and she took it home to care for it. That little baby lived for 7 years! which is really long for a little girl chippy! We still miss her.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 18, 2008)

We are just trying to catch the feral kitties. I don't want them eating my chippies! :grumpy:

UPDATE: Sunday night, we caught another cat. Unfortunately, it was our neighbor's cat. lol I heard it meowing when I was in the apartment, looked outside, and there was a HUGE orange tabby in the trap. This thing probably qualified as a puma, not housecat. It was just BIG, not fat, either. We took it to its owners house and asked them to keep it inside. Next time (if) we catch it, we're taking it to the humane society. They can bail their kitty out next time.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 25, 2008)

Yeah, we caught a really mean raccoon. We were going to release it, but it charged and was roaring at us. This thing wasn't even growing, it was ROARING. It was getting its teeth through the cage to bite. I think I am going to discontinue the live-trap usage until spring (if feral kitties come back). 

HAWS came and picked up the raccoon after a lovely argument with the lady who answered the phone. What I don't get is, if they aren't set-up to handle wildlife, why do they have a big van that they take to the location to pick up the animal? Stupid phone-lady. She was a *beep*.


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## Cove (Oct 25, 2008)

Oh lordy that cat is beautiful. I love torby(a cat with tabby and tortie markings)cats. Right now the rescue I'm with is just finishing up with one area of feral cats. But have already found another colony and all the cats are black, shall be fun. I hope she doesn't get put down, alot of times cats that act like ferals are really semi ferals or completely tame pets that are just really scared and have the "I'm going to get you before you get me" thing going on. We'ved trapped a few from the colony we've almost finished up with that have acted like full blown ferals only to surprise us in a couple of days by coming up to greet you in their cages at the vets. Sometimes all that is needed is some time for them to settle.

Here's a link to the colony we're almost done with. Those that were too feral have been fixed and released back while the ones that are OK have been put into foster care. We've caught all of them it seems, but every time we go back we see at least another new one. Good thing is the employees of that company have made shelters for the cats and are feeding them.

By the way, I've found that feral cats LOVE warm turkey. We've caught two in one cage every time we use it. 

Coons can be mean little buggers as are possoms but I think they are cute as heck. I remember when I lived at home my dad would leave to go to work at 3am and as he went to open his door something would hiss at him from under it. Thinking it was a cat he'd step back and try to shoo it out from under the car only to see a very angry possom under it hissing and lunging at his face. It happened more then once too.


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## Happi Bun (Oct 25, 2008)

> I heard it meowing when I was in the apartment, looked outside, and there was a HUGE orange tabby in the trap. This thing probably qualified as a puma, not housecat. It was just BIG, not fat, either.


Your description of the tabby is hilarious! :roflmao:


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 25, 2008)

lol thanks, Happi Bun!

So, we took this raccoon into the shelter this afternoon. I should say, I got HAWS to come out and get it. They took it in the back and it took them about half an hour to get the stupid thing tranquilized. I guess it was fighting and they couldn't do anything with it. It wouldn't even come out of the cage to go into the holding area. I am pretty sure the raccoon was humanely euthanized. Unfortunately, I also think that the feral kitty was put down, as well. It is possible, though, that someone claimed her and that is why she is not up for adoption. She was MEAN. She could calm down until you got near the cage, then she was full-force slamming into the cage trying to get at you. We still have more ferals, but I haven't seen them in awhile. I think we are going to take a break until Spring (if there is a problem again). 

Crap. I have two extra cans of cat food. Bleh.


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## TreasuredFriend (Oct 25, 2008)

kh, Canned food casserole ? ?

Hooray for all you've done.
'Twas a big effort to help those you have, gnarly or nice.:scared:


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 25, 2008)

Haha. I am still curious how we've caught that stupid raccoon twice with no bait in the trap!


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## gentle giants (Oct 26, 2008)

*kherrmann3 wrote: *


> Haha. I am still curious how we've caught that stupid raccoon twice with no bait in the trap!


The trap still smells like the bait. Although I am surprised that you have caught any raccoon more than once, they usually are too smart to trap easily.


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 26, 2008)

This thing is fat and VERY used to people. I don't really know how the bait could have made the trap smell, though. We put it on a plate so that it doesn't squish around onto the ground (so more critters don't show up once the trap is moved, etc.). The first time we caught this guy with no bait was in the beginning of October and the night before (Oct. 03, my birthday!), we had caught a little raccoon in it and it was POURING outside. We just reset the trap quickly and never bothered to put more bait in it. We had Mr. Fatty-McFatFat in the trap the next morning.


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## gentle giants (Oct 27, 2008)

Hmm, mabye the trap is just shiny? LOL Raccoons love shiny things. Or mabye he is just hoping if he goes in there you will feed him!


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## kherrmann3 (Oct 27, 2008)

Haha! Maybe. Next time I need to trap raccoons, maybe I should just throw a bunch of tinfoil in the trap.  Shiny enough? Last year, my roommate's mom had a blue jay ram into the window at top speed. It was trying to get to her (silver-tone) cell-phone. Why do shiny things attract certain critters? It fascinates me. 

I've thrown in the towel on catching any more feral kitties. I just have to drop off the trap back at Julie's! I haven't gotten that far from the house... lol


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## kherrmann3 (Nov 15, 2008)

THEY'RE BACK!

Today, there was a fuzzy little black kitten near our patio, twice. Will saw a huge medium-haired tortie near the apartment manager's porch tonight. I saw a large gray one running around the parking lot last week. Crap. I thought they weren't going to come on my side of the apartment building anymore.

Ugh.

Can feral kitty kittens be tamed or are they pretty much a lost-hope-case? 

This little black one didn't look over a year to me. Maybe even under six months.


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## Cove (Nov 16, 2008)

Kittens came be tamed if there is someone willing to put forth the time. 6 months is older then I'd like for a feral kitten to be caught but it can still work.


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## kherrmann3 (Nov 16, 2008)

I am pretty sure that the last one we caught was destroyed. I feel terrible doing that, but I would rather have them humanely euthanized than to freeze to death in Winter, get hit my a car, starve, etc. The humane society here will keep any strays that come in for seven days. If no one comes to pick them up, they are either put down, or they are put up for adoption (if they are tame enough). I don't think they do the whole "taming" thing here. I won't have a cat (especially a feral one) here with the rabbits/hamsters/finches/fish. I have a kitty buffet in my apartment! I am allergic to kitties, too


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## JadeIcing (Nov 16, 2008)

Aww poor kitties.


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## kherrmann3 (Nov 16, 2008)

One lady that was missing a black kitty (on Craigslist) emailed me back. Not her baby.  *sigh* I feel terrible doing that to the kitties, but I really don't want them around. 

Here is my list of "negatives" for them:
- The original one we saw was attacking our bedroom screen to get by Toby.
- They poop around outside, which is icky/smelly and possibly has nasty critters in it.
- They eat my chipmunks.
- They eat my songbirds.
- They scare away everything but the squirrels... Which leads to...
- The squirrels screaming most of the day because a predator is here.
- They can carry rabies.

The only positive that I can think of is that they are alive, and that is THEIR life.

I feel terrible by giving them to the humane society with a probable death sentence, but I really don't want them around. A few years back, Tracy (apt. manager) was taking in a litter of kittens a week to HAWS. They overpopulate here.


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## JadeIcing (Nov 16, 2008)

:hug:You have to do what is best for you and those around you.


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## gentle giants (Nov 16, 2008)

If they are feral cats, you could contact Alley Cat Allies. They are advocates for feral cats, and may be able to help you with trapping them, and may even be able to find a colony to place them in. That way they would be out of your hair, but you wouldn't have to worry about them being pts.


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