Looking for feedback from cat people I guess...

One of my neighbor's cats practically lives in my yard. Then there are her three remaining kittens (now cats) who hang out there sometimes, and a neighborhood Tom that chills out under the hedge between our yards. I don't have a problem with them being in my yard... but I'm really having some concerns with the "mama cat" aka Tiger who spends almost all of her time on my porch.

For the last 6 months or so Tiger is almost always in my yard or on my porch. She looks pretty skinny- like for a while I could feel her spine pretty easily. I'm afraid she's only fattening up again because she's gonna have more kittens. Obviously she is not fixed (and although I tried to broach the subject the neighbors did not want to talk about it). She's usually on my porch when I get home so I pick her up and rub her back for a min or two while I check the mail. Did I mention she's really friendly? She purrs. Then, because I have the two dogs, I put her back down, and go inside. For the last two weeks or so she's started meowing pitifully through the screen door. She tries to run inside before I shut the door.

I have to shut the (solid) front door and let the dogs in-- I can't take it!!! Poor cat- I feel like the neighbors have good intentions but cannot afford to take care of the animals they have; I don't have any proof of their financial situation. I'm also wondering if Tiger spends so much time at my house because her grown kittens are running her out? I've seen this happen a time or two- she always ends up under the hedge at the opposite side of my front yard. I feel so bad for this cat that now when I go to buy dog food I think about picking up some cat food...

Help! Somebody talk me out of this, lol. If I feed her I'm done. I don't need a cat, I really don't have the resources to care for another animal. I couldn't keep her inside because of the two dogs... but I feel like she could sure use a lot better care than she's getting. I'm pretty sure she doesn't get any heartworm or flea meds. The only time I remember them taking her to the vet was when she brought them a dead rat and they ran in to get her a rabies vaccination.

Any thoughts...

I would not feed a cat which is not fixed and likely to breed; you will just be contributing to what sounds like a growing little cat colony.

Is there anything on her - like say a collar w/her tags - that definitively proves she is your neighbour's cat? Although you have talked to them about her. I'm just wondering if there are any low-cost spay/neuter clinics in your area if you could bring her in if there is no clearly defined ownership.

The other alternative is, if you want a cat , saying to them 'hey, she seems to spend a lot of time at my place....would you mind? I'm growing attached to her'. I know someone who got her cat that way.

I've thought of that Alyssa... but the downside is that they're not no-kill yet. the animal has 2 days while they decide whether it will go towards adoption or if it will be "humanely euthanized".

I think they have good intentions... I would be willing to help them take these cats in to get fixed. I think if the cats disappeared they would be upset... I'm just not sure how to approach this. I don't want to piss off my neighbors but we just CANNOT have any more kittens. There are too many now. I would totally keep Tiger if I felt like I could provide a good home. Everything I read says that having an outside cat is just asking for trouble though...

I'm glad you both responded as it reminds me that the main problem here is the potential cat colony! I need to try talking to them again.

eta: No they don't wear collars. There are no identifying marks. When their son got Tiger as a kitten I bought her a collar (one of the cat break-a-way kind with a bell) as a present. It lasted about 3 wks and disappeared.

It really is a catch-22.

Could you tell a little white lie?
Tell her there is a free spay/neuter clinic in town, and you're taking one of your pets to get fixed, and offer to take their cat too? You know, since you're already going?

I agree with Jennifer and wouldn't feed it; it just encourages more of the same.

Do a google search, I found a no-kill shelter and a low-cost spay clinic.

http://www.snapus.org/site/PageServer

http://www.animalfriendsforever.org/index.htm

If you want the cat, you could just install a doggy door, and teach her how to use it

Are there any cat rescue groups in your area ? Sometimes these groups work with feral cat colonies on a spay/neuter release basis. They might be able to help you.

I know it can seem like they're just a couple of cats, a mom, 2 kittens, and a tom, but there is this statistic that I have often seen cited:

 Quote:

A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period,

from: http://www.feralcat.com/

Cats that are well-fed are able to produce more litters per year than cats with less caloric resources. It might sound cruel, but IMO it's actually kinder to not feed the cats then to create a huge colony.

Depending on your relationship w/your neighbours, would they be open to learning about how easily colonies can be created, and how quickly the number of cats can get out of hand?

Another great website about feral cats is http://www.alleycat.org. Alley Cat Allies is, IMO, one of the best orgs there is out there. A lot of the information is slanted towards what to do with colonies which already exist, and TNR, but it still might be helpful.

 Quote: Marj Remland

Are there any cat rescue groups in your area ? Sometimes these groups work with feral cat colonies on a spay/neuter release basis. They might be able to help you.

If you do go this route though, be prepared to foot the entire bill (even if they are able to arrange for you a discount). I very very very very rarely paid the entire bill for any cats outside of my rescue's designated colonies (it had to be serious extenuating circumstances) b/c even though we were lucky and had a couple of grants as well as donations, all rescues and groups that work with ferals are generally doing so on a basis of limited funds.

Nothing - nothing - peeved me off more than people who would call up and say 'I have these cats in my yard, can you spay/neuter them? I can't help w/recovery (post-surgery), money, etc, etc' and just had an attitude like we should be jumping up to help them with their little problem.

I'm sure you wouldn't come across that way - but if that is the route you want to go, offering up front to pay all costs will be SOOOO appreciated, and to help in any way (doing the trapping, recovery) is also amazing.

I can give you advice on trapping though it sounds like they're all tame, so not really an issue.

I have a on going problem with unfixed cats in my apartment.
That people own so somewhat of the same issue.
If you have the mean take the male which ever one it is ad get him fixed thats what we do with our ferel collinys I work with. to fixed one female does not help the rest to fix one male helps all the females.

Or fix her have her shots done at a low cost clinic if you can afford it. And keep her outside no worry about babys from her at least. I have one neighbor who came over and knocked on my door looking for her cat. I told her it is at the vet getting spayed and I will call animal control if she has a problem with it. She smiled and said I will come get her tomorrow.
I said thank you for your time.

Most clinics have some sort of ferel spay and nueter program. They are considers ferels if you tell a little white lie. I have not payed for one cat spay or nueter besides my own animals.

Usually you have to bring them in a trap I own 3 for this reason.
There has been people that come to me and ask if i can help with there conilly.