[Uptown Girl]

///

[Terri TVG]

yes, cats are vaccinated at the time of spay/neuter

[lovinganimals]

If you don't feed and fix them, they still are not going to go away. They will just be multiplying and have diseases. They are vaccinated and dewormed, ear tipped so people know they are being cared for, released, and then fed at food stations. Usually they are fed at a certain time of day so they know when to come eat and the food is gone when they are done. If you don't feed them, don't think they will just disappear. They won't. They will hunt, eat other wildlife and get worms and diseases and spread it. If TNR'd , they will maintain a life without starvation, can not multiply and have been vaccinated. They will live out their lives and keep to themselves, often not being seen much by the public anyway.

[Uptown Girl]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

If you don't feed and fix them, they still are not going to go away. They will just be multiplying and have diseases. They are vaccinated and dewormed, ear tipped so people know they are being cared for, released, and then fed at food stations. Usually they are fed at a certain time of day so they know when to come eat and the food is gone when they are done. If you don't feed them, don't think they will just disappear. They won't. They will hunt, eat other wildlife and get worms and diseases and spread it. If TNR'd , they will maintain a life without starvation, can not multiply and have been vaccinated. They will live out their lives and keep to themselves, often not being seen much by the public anyway.

Okay, so part of my question is finally answered.... that is, that food stations WILL continue to be provided for feral cats after they have been trapped, neutered and released.
Next part of my question is, are these food stations to be situated/maintained on the volunteer caretaker's' own property?

Somebody else's property?
Common areas?

You say the cats usually eat all the food shortly after it is placed out. How long does that usually take? Minutes? A few hours?

Do volunteers stay there to observe?
Do volunteers then remove any leftover food?
How many cats usually show up- 2? 40?

[Terri TVG]

I don't think one person can answer your questions. There are probably different individuals who feed and/or trap and neuter in many different areas of The Villages. Some of the people frequent the board and there may be others who do not.

[lovinganimals]

Uptown Girl, are you asking because you are curious and feel empathy for these animals, or do you feel no one should do this? What Terri says is true, if this is not done all through a group that has protocols, everyone may do it differently. Usually the food stations are wherever the cats have been found and live. If in common areas, they are hidden in bushes or something. If someone feeds them on their own property that is because the cats came to their property and they want to help them. I don't think anyone who knows what they are doing will place food stations on someone else's home property. If its not their own property, it is usually in a bushy area near a parking lot or something. Most of the cats eat and then sit around and groom. Most of the time there isnt anything left to pick up as feeding them is expensive so we only put out enough for them to eat- at least that is me. And the amount of cats that come depend on the colony. If you don't TNR them, you will have more and more. If you can fix them, you will only have as many as are there originally. They are territorial so you don't usually get other cats from outside the colony joining in. They have to find their own territory. Hope I have answered your questions and have shed some light on how doing this can help the situation, not exacerbate feral cat problems.

[Uptown Girl]

I asked the questions because I really wanted understanding of what exactly is happening here in TV in regard to feral cats.
I posted these same questions in another thread on this topic and they were never answered.

No matter how noble the intentions, this is an independent endeavor not sanctioned by the municipality or the developer. As such, no one knows how well it will be carried out.... short term OR long term. There is no governing body, no quality control.
It may well be against the law in Sumter, Lake and Marion counties to feed feral animals out in the open or in public places, neutered or not.
I do not believe feeding stations will prevent the instinct to attack.

I would not want food stations on my property without my knowledge and consent.

Were it an approved program in The Villages, I would be silent.


If one is willing to look at the whole picture, for the highest good for ALL concerned, here is an example of numerous articles one might begin with:

Professional, Ethical and Legal Dilemmas of Trap- Neuter- Release

https://www.avma.org/News/Journals/C...225_9_1365.pdf

P.S. As someone who has/had toxoplasmosis (and can never donate blood), I know what feral cats can do. In addition, my 92 year old step dad was bitten while visiting a Mangrove preserve near Clearwater. The cats were hiding in shade beneath his auto in the parking lot. As he entered his car, he dangled his leg and had a chunk bitten from his calf muscle. The cat swallowed it.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Uptown Girl

I asked the questions because I really wanted understanding of what exactly is happening here in TV in regard to feral cats.
I posted these same questions in another thread on this topic and they were never answered. No matter how noble the intentions, this is an independent endeavor not sanctioned by the municipality or the developer.

That is exactly why there are no standard answers to your questions - because it's independent endeavors by compassionate residents.
I understand that you and your father have had awful experiences with feral cats and I'm sorry.
But many of the cats that are now feral were once beloved family pets, or their descendants.
The intent of the TNR Program is to ensure feral cats do not reproduce, and I applaud that goal.

[big guy]

Originally Posted by Petxpressions

TNVR is the way to curb cat overpopulation.
What is TNVR? | Feral Cat Focus

[lovinganimals]

Unfortunately, TNR is expensive and government does not want to take on that responsibility. Every TNR I know of personally is done by rescue groups or individuals. Yes, there are vets who do discounted surgeries and vaccines, but the money for this comes out of individuals pockets, either privately, or through donations from individuals. No government money. That is why there are no protocols. If the government took some steps to help control this, things might get better. But the don't so unless we want those types of cats roaming, ones that bite and transmit diseases, we need to rely on the individuals who do TNR to get them vaccinated. They also get more familiar with people when they are fed on a regular basis (sometimes to the point of letting that person touch them) so they don't attack out of fear when they feel trapped (like beneath a car). Obviously that cat had no interaction with people and felt he had to attack to get out from under the car. I have a cat that I got up at Winn Dixie 2 years ago. She was feral to the fullest. At first she wouldn't let me even see her. As time went on and I talked to her as I put out food, she let me see her, then came closer, then I would hold out my hand and she would bat at it (no claws) to see if she could trust me. I trapped her, and as she was in the cage at my house after surgery, she would slam herself against the top of the cage and hiss so violently I thought she would hurt herself. That's how scared she was- she would have done harm to me if she could. On the last day (day 3) I let her out of the cage into a less confining area. She went back to her old self batting my hand (she felt less threatened out of the cage). I decided to work with her (and her sister). Today she is the most loving cat I have ever had. I have a new puppy and she will let him chew on her ear and face and she will wrestle with him without hurting him. I am so glad I gave her and her sister a chance. If I had not, they would still be out there in the thunderstorms, starving or maybe being hit by a car in the parking lot and my heart breaks every time I think of such a sweet cat living like that. But many do. The least we can do is try to help them. Its not their fault they have to live like that.......its ours.

[big guy]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

Unfortunately, TNR is expensive and government does not want to take on that responsibility. Every TNR I know of personally is done by rescue groups or individuals. Yes, there are vets who do discounted surgeries and vaccines, but the money for this comes out of individuals pockets, either privately, or through donations from individuals. No government money. That is why there are no protocols. If the government took some steps to help control this, things might get better. But the don't so unless we want those types of cats roaming, ones that bite and transmit diseases, we need to rely on the individuals who do TNR to get them vaccinated. They also get more familiar with people when they are fed on a regular basis (sometimes to the point of letting that person touch them) so they don't attack out of fear when they feel trapped (like beneath a car). Obviously that cat had no interaction with people and felt he had to attack to get out from under the car. I have a cat that I got up at Winn Dixie 2 years ago. She was feral to the fullest. At first she wouldn't let me even see her. As time went on and I talked to her as I put out food, she let me see her, then came closer, then I would hold out my hand and she would bat at it (no claws) to see if she could trust me. I trapped her, and as she was in the cage at my house after surgery, she would slam herself against the top of the cage and hiss so violently I thought she would hurt herself. That's how scared she was- she would have done harm to me if she could. On the last day (day 3) I let her out of the cage into a less confining area. She went back to her old self batting my hand (she felt less threatened out of the cage). I decided to work with her (and her sister). Today she is the most loving cat I have ever had. I have a new puppy and she will let him chew on her ear and face and she will wrestle with him without hurting him. I am so glad I gave her and her sister a chance. If I had not, they would still be out there in the thunderstorms, starving or maybe being hit by a car in the parking lot and my heart breaks every time I think of such a sweet cat living like that. But many do. The least we can do is try to help them. Its not their fault they have to live like that.......its ours.

Well said!

[Kitty Litter]

There is no greater reward than helping feral cats. I care for three who have been TNR'd, vaccinnated, wormed and ear tipped. Males cost about $55 for everything - females a bit more if done at the Care Center. My female was in the beginning of a a pregnancy so she cost me $75. It was sad to have her unborn kittens aborted but she was just a kitten herself. I spend about $15-$20 a week for their food. They are fed once a day both wet food and dry. They have access to fresh water at all times. It is the best money I have ever spent. These cats have a better quality of life with my help. I wish I could help every feral cat that calls the Villages their home. Please consider making a difference in a feral cat's life. Thank you Lovinganimals for all your help. We, too, have a feral cat that we got as a kitten. She is the most loving cat we have ever had.