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Lunabell

(5,920 posts)
Sun May 26, 2019, 12:42 AM May 2019

Please help feral cats if you can.

For the last ten years I have lived in a rural neighborhood in Midway, Florida, filled with feral cats. I rescued and adopted as many as I could afford. But what I really needed help with was trapping, neutering and releasing (TNR) the feral cats. I went to local city council and did what I could to get funds. But, they wouldn't help.

Finally, this organization, It's Meow or Never came to my rescue. To date we have TNR'd 12 adult cats and the wonderful people of It's Meow or Never are fostering a litter of 6 I found in my yard. I recently found another little guy that I'm keeping. This is Freddy. He has 6 toes.




These are some of the kittens they are fostering.



I am hosting a fundraiser on my Facebook page for this organization, It's Meow or Never, they could really use some help with food, litter, medicine and doctor's visits. Even 5 dollars would be of help. Thank you.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10219272966597950&id=1323137605


Here is their direct link:
https://www.itsmeowornevertally.com/

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Please help feral cats if you can. (Original Post) Lunabell May 2019 OP
Anything other than facebook? alittlelark May 2019 #1
Same here. Rhiannon12866 May 2019 #2
Right there w you on that. Chin music May 2019 #3
Here is the direct link. Lunabell May 2019 #6
You've donated $8.00 USD to Its Meow or Never for Ferals Inc. trueblue2007 May 2019 #10
Thank you! Lunabell May 2019 #18
Thanks! Rhiannon12866 May 2019 #13
Same here. nt Duppers May 2019 #8
There were a lot of feral cats TlalocW May 2019 #4
The first time I saw a feral cat w/ a notch I felt extra-bad, b/c I thought it was just wounded RockRaven May 2019 #5
Yeah, it's a necessary evil not fooled May 2019 #12
Lmao Lunabell May 2019 #19
I have several feral cats in my neighborhood. pazzyanne May 2019 #7
Try to find/contact rescue groups catchnrelease May 2019 #11
I live in a very rural area where the nearest Humane Society is 40 miles away. pazzyanne May 2019 #23
Thank you for including a direct link. Duppers May 2019 #9
Thanks Lunabell! democratisphere May 2019 #14
Florida has NO spay/neuter laws. It's a free-for-all secondwind May 2019 #15
There are no more MFM008 May 2019 #16
I have a feral dining at my place spinbaby May 2019 #17
Maybe there's a TNR Group near you. Lunabell May 2019 #20
One of my local vets does low-cost spay/neuters for feral cats. femmedem May 2019 #21
Cost isn't the issue spinbaby May 2019 #24
Yes, that's tricky. femmedem May 2019 #25
i have caught several cats in the yard & 4 kittens 1 winter. i have the best catnip. pansypoo53219 May 2019 #22
❤️❤️❤️ My Freddie was an orange tabby Freddie May 2019 #26
Keep up the good work! MLAA May 2019 #27
Barn cats matt819 May 2019 #28

alittlelark

(18,886 posts)
1. Anything other than facebook?
Sun May 26, 2019, 12:52 AM
May 2019

Seriously - some ppl want nothing to do with facebook.


I donate to any pet in need, but have nothing to do with facebook

trueblue2007

(17,138 posts)
10. You've donated $8.00 USD to Its Meow or Never for Ferals Inc.
Sun May 26, 2019, 02:36 AM
May 2019

thanks for posting this.. my hubby cares for feral cats. all 5 of our cats are rescue cats and 3 of them were feral kittens. God Bless you Lunabell.

TlalocW

(15,358 posts)
4. There were a lot of feral cats
Sun May 26, 2019, 01:12 AM
May 2019

In an apartment complex I used to live at. Some of my neighbors and I got together and rented the traps from the local animal charities and got them spayed or neutered on our own dime.

It kind of bothered me that they put a notch in the ears of the cats though... I didn't like the idea of a bunch of asymmetrical cats running around my neighborhood.

TlalocW

RockRaven

(14,783 posts)
5. The first time I saw a feral cat w/ a notch I felt extra-bad, b/c I thought it was just wounded
Sun May 26, 2019, 01:45 AM
May 2019

and then I learned what it meant, and I felt a different sort of mixed-up bad/good.

I suppose the people who do this have thought long and hard about how to make it obvious without examining the cat by hand which ones have been fixed or not, and this is the best they can do...

not fooled

(5,791 posts)
12. Yeah, it's a necessary evil
Sun May 26, 2019, 02:47 AM
May 2019

Someone dumped an adult female in my rural area. I trapped her and took her to a feral spay-neuter clinic. Poor thing got anesthetized and cut open, whereupon the vet found that she was already spayed. She got her ear tipped that day. There is literally no way to know otherwise with a feral.

pazzyanne

(6,518 posts)
7. I have several feral cats in my neighborhood.
Sun May 26, 2019, 02:22 AM
May 2019

They are fed daily, given medication when health issues arise, and have a open door to my garage, especially in the winter. I do not "catch and release" due to the fact there are no spay-neuter clinics in my area. The vets in this area do not give a break for spaying at $175 per cat and neutering at $100 per cat. I can't handle that on my Social Security budget. Thanks for the link. I am going to look into this a little more.

I also have a young gold/yellow female that I brought into my home last November because she was too little/ young to survive in our harsh winters.

catchnrelease

(1,942 posts)
11. Try to find/contact rescue groups
Sun May 26, 2019, 02:38 AM
May 2019

Your area may be different, but here in SoCal there are many rescue and TNR groups that can get discounts for spay and neutering that an individual can't get from a vet. They will often offer vouchers or coupons for you to use at certain vets or at mobile s/n clinics. Or you can set up appointments through them on certain days etc. Lots of different scenarios to help people get their own or feral cats fixed at affordable prices.

pazzyanne

(6,518 posts)
23. I live in a very rural area where the nearest Humane Society is 40 miles away.
Sun May 26, 2019, 07:40 AM
May 2019

There are no dog or cat rescues in this area. Already checked vets in that same area for use of discounted spay/ neuter surgeries. Nada! Spay/ neuter clinics are in the twin cities area which is on the other side of the state (almost 200 miles away).

secondwind

(16,903 posts)
15. Florida has NO spay/neuter laws. It's a free-for-all
Sun May 26, 2019, 04:58 AM
May 2019

down there. They sell puppies at fairs, etc. there are numerous kill shelters and rescue shelters all over the state.

We lived there for several years, I saw dogs kept in the back of thrift shops, waiting for adoption, everyone trying to pitch in, etc.

I could go on, but I won’t

spinbaby

(15,073 posts)
17. I have a feral dining at my place
Sun May 26, 2019, 06:01 AM
May 2019

A young feral tomcat has discovered that we have a cat door and an endless buffet. He looks hungry and I’m perfectly willing to feed him and pretend I don’t see him, but he needs a visit to the vet and I haven’t figured out how to do that.

femmedem

(8,188 posts)
21. One of my local vets does low-cost spay/neuters for feral cats.
Sun May 26, 2019, 06:51 AM
May 2019

Now I can bring them in when they show up, but when I was too broke to do that, I would start GoFundMe's, post on facebook with a photo of the cat and the cat's story, and I always received enough to bring the cat in to the vet within a couple of hours.

femmedem

(8,188 posts)
25. Yes, that's tricky.
Sun May 26, 2019, 11:17 AM
May 2019

Most of the cats I've TNR'ed have actually been strays or cats who I'd been feeding until they came to trust me a bit, so that I was able to put out a have a heart trap in the morning at the usual feeding time, watch, then bring the cat directly to the vet. My vet supplied me with the trap and knew to expect me.

One time I found a litter of kittens and was able to get the mom into the carrier by putting the kittens in there. The mom's love of her kittens was stronger than her fear of being trapped.

pansypoo53219

(20,906 posts)
22. i have caught several cats in the yard & 4 kittens 1 winter. i have the best catnip.
Sun May 26, 2019, 07:35 AM
May 2019

no strays lately. i had 2 or 3 cats at the time. i should have kept the one that looked like poirot. he loved the car trip.
the stray my epal was feeding at work turned out to be female, not male & had 2 kittens at his plant. he took her home + she had a 3rd. he is kwepping mom + a kitten. the other 2 already have dibs. THEY ARE HUGE.

Freddie

(9,232 posts)
26. ❤️❤️❤️ My Freddie was an orange tabby
Sun May 26, 2019, 11:58 AM
May 2019

It’s the best ever name for an orange baby! We have 2 cats now and DH says that’s all. Most of the time I agree but if an orange one found me I would not resist.

MLAA

(17,165 posts)
27. Keep up the good work!
Sun May 26, 2019, 12:28 PM
May 2019

Maybe because I didn’t sign into Facebook (I don’t use it), but I couldn’t see where to donate, so I went to the direct link you posted and made a donation. So glad you called it to my attention!

😽😺😸😼

matt819

(10,749 posts)
28. Barn cats
Sun May 26, 2019, 01:52 PM
May 2019

Two shelters in my area have TNR operations. And if the cats are deemed unable to be domesticated they are available as barn cats.

We eradicate five, three of whom went walkabout. Two have been together now for 7 years. Still feral. Can’t get much closer than 10 feet of them. They keep the mouse population down and we also feed them.

Like most cats, they are very funny and ridiculously cute, even if they are feral.

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