Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I LIVE IN COMMUNITY IN IOWA THAT MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO FEED STRAYS, HAS DONE AWAY WITH ANIMAL CONTROL FOR THE MOST PART, EXCEPT TO LOAN CAGES TO PEOPLE TO TRAP CATS THEMSELVES. THE CITY WILL PICK THE TRAPPED CATS UP AND TRANSPORT TO THE LOCAL SHELTER WHERE THEY ARE EUTHINIZED. I ATTEMPTED TO START A FERAL CAT PROGRAM IN 2003 BUT WAS REJECTED. SO THE STRAYS AND FERALS CONTINUE TO KEEP COMING.

I RECENTLY HAVE HAD 2 STRAYS THAT HAVE BEEN GETTING INTO MY GARBAGE AND THEN EATING BIRDSEED AND PEANUTS I LEAVE OUT FOR BIRDS. I CALLED THE CITY FOR HELP AND OF COURSE THEY GAVE ME A TRAP ON LOAN AND TOLD ME TO HANDLE IT. I HAVE DECIDED TO FEED THE 2 STRAYS UNTIL THE WEATHER BREAKS AND THEN TRY AND TRAP THEM AND TAKE THEM TO THE SHELTER. THEY ARE NOT FERAL BUT SCARED AND ABANDONED HOUSECATS.
HOWEVER, NOW TWO MORE STRAYS HAVE TURNED UP. ONE HAS SOME KIND OF BRAIN INJURY OR PARALYSIS ON ONE SIDE OF ITS FACE, IT HAS HORRIBLE FROSTBITE ON ITS EARS AND BLACKENED EARS FROM MITES, ITS TAIL IS HALF GONE AND IT IS DIRTY AND SO PATHETIC.
THE OTHER IS A BEAUTIFUL BLACK AND WHITE LONGHAIR WITH WHITE FACE AND BLACK NOSE. IT HAS A BADLY MANGLED HIND LEG. NONE OF THESE CATS ARE APPROACHABLE. I AM HOPING TO TRAP THEM NEXT WEEK AND UNFORTUNATELY HAVE THEM TAKEN TO BE PUT TO SLEEP. I HAVE 4 HEALTHY CATS OF MY OWN THAT ARE ALL STRAYS I HAVE TAKEN IN. I CAN'T AFFORD MORE BUT WON'T LEAVE THESE POOR CREATURES TO SUFFER UNFED ON THE STREET IN SPITE OF THE LAW. THANKS ALL FOR LETTING ME VENT

The poor kits! They are lucky to have you and at least if they are put to sleep they won't be starving and in pain. The poor things
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Tessa Onyx, Foudini, Charlee, Spottie, ShyRaven, Buddy, Tuxie, Widdle Attila Sipowitz, Lizzie, Minnie, ET, Mylo, Penny (We be house cats at last), and Salem, Wicca and Marmalade (We iz also house cats, we guess)and the 5 porch kits also Riley da goggie and Alex da baby hamster too
Tabitha and Samantha..always in our hearts
A house without cats is like a garden without flowers

thanks tessa for your kind words.

Hi,

Thanks for doing what you can for these innocent babies. It's hard for some people to understand, but sometimes euthanasia is the best option.

Take care, and good luck in catching these injured kitties.

PHKitkat

Thank you for making the effort to look after these kits, even if it is only to end all the suffering with dignity. If must be royally frustrating to take on all these cats with no community support to share the burden.

MY KIDS SAY THAT I MUST BE A CAT WISPERER OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT SEEMS THEY ALWAYS SEARCH ME OUT. BUT I THINK IT IS MORE THAT I JUST NOTICE THEM ASKING FOR HELP JUST AS THESE SWEET BABIES THAT WERE EATING BIRDSEED TO SURVIVE IN MY YARD.

I WISH THAT I NEVER WOULD SEE AN UNWANTED CAT AGAIN. THEY SHOULD ALL BE AT HOME CURLED UP ON WARM SPOTS SOAKING UP THE SUN LIKE MY LUCKY KITTIES AND ALL THE PHOTOS I HAVE SEEN ON THIS WEBSITE OF VERY LOVED BABIES.

Bless you for stepping forward and doing something... Right now, they have to be suffering in the conditions (medical and weather) you have described.
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

WE HAVE HAD A BREAK IN THE WEATHER IN IOWA AND WE ARE REACHING 40 TODAY. I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE INJURED KITTIES THIS WEEK SINCE IT IS BETTER WEATHER TO HUMANELY TRAP THEM.

I HAVE APPROACHED THE GRAIN ELEVATOR IN MY TOWN TO ASK IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO LET ME START A TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN PROGRAM AT THEIR SIGHT. I WILL NEXT HAVE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND TRY TO GET THEM TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE ABOUT CATS AND CHANGE THE CITY POLCIY.

WISH ME LUCK AS I TRY AND IMPROVE LIFE FOR LOCAL CATS HERE IN MY TOWN. ANY OTHER IOWANS ON THIS SIGHT THAT HAS ANY EXPERTISE IN FERAL CATS?

Hi,

I'm sending the best of luck to you and prayers that all will go well.

Thanks again for being there for these precious babies.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Isn't it awful how some states and towns make it hard for people to help strays? I am an animal science major in college and learned in one of my classes the other day that a cat owner is defined as anyone who "keeps, provides shelter, care or substince" for a cat. They pretty much use that definition soley to get people, because it states that if you feed a stray it is your responsibility, and by law you are responsible for getting its required rabies vaccination. So if a stray, that you happen to feed, bites someone and hasn't been vaccinated technically you are at fault. How nice of the state to punish people who want to help strays!

IT IS AWFUL HOW BADLY CATS ARE VIEWED AND TREATED. IN MY TOWN CATS ARE ON THE SAME LEVEL AT RACCOONS, SKUNKS, OPPOSUMS OR OTHER WILD ANIMALS AND THEREFORE IT IS ILLEGAL TO FEED THEM, HOWEVER...I DON'T SEE THE TOWN ROUNDING UP ALL THE RACCOONS AND OPPOSUMS OR SKUNKS AND TAKING THEM OFF TO BE EXTERMINATED.

I HOPE BEING AN ANIMAL SCIENCE MAJOR THAT PERHAPS ONE DAY YOU WILL BE IN A POSITION TO HELP MAKE SOME CHANGES IN THIS CRAZY WORLD

I HAVE SET MY TRAP FOR A SECOND NIGHT TO TRAP THE KITTY WITH AN INJURED BACK LEG. NO LUCK SO FAR. I WANT TO GET IT OFF THE STREET AND LOOKED AT.

THANKS
DANA