Feral Cat ?
 

Twice in the past week, a dark colored animal has come up to the door of our lanai and our 2 (indoor) cats have been terrified and VERY aggressive. We live in the Killington Loop area and were wondering if it is a local cat that has been let out, a feral cat in the vicinity or some other small animal. If anyone knows anything , we'd love to solve this mystery...Thanks

Anne
(and TC & Charlie, too !)

There are many feral cats in The Villages, so that would be my guess.

A very fat, multi-colored, pregnant? cat spent last night in my garage in Lynnhaven. Haven't had a problem with feral cats in a while. Last time I took matters into my own hand and I don't mean harming the critter in any way.

If this is your cat, please let the poor thing sleep in your house.

Exactly how did you take matters into your own hand?

I said the cat wasn't harmed. It was relocated by the county.

Relocated by the county? The pound will be putting that cat down - and the unborn litter - real soon. Feel good about that? Don't bother to reply.

And you would have done what?

Cat owners, don't let your cat out to run loose. Buggy...that's your reply.

There is a black cat that runs around. We think someone dumped him/her. The first time we saw it, it looked well fed and healthy. My husband tried to pet it the other night and it was all scabby and dirty. It appears to want in and then runs away. We have neighbors that will take it if we can catch it. I feel sorry for the poor thing. Anyway that may be what is making your cats crazy, ours gets nutty every time the black cat comes around. We live on Dalkeith just at the end of killington loop by the pond.

Please don't let your cats out. Sadly, there are feral cats all over TV, living on golf courses and in parking lots. They are no match for coyotes.

You can buy a Havahart trap on Amazon.com that uses food to spring the door shut. They go for about $45.

That's the kind of trap Sumter county uses.

Many counties in Florida have a TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) program designed to comply with Florida law and regulate the feral cat population more humanely.

Abandonment laws such as FL. Statute 828.13, state "Any person who willingly abandons an animal and allows it to suffer injury or malnutrition is guilty of a 1st degree misdemeanor and may be fined up to $5000 in addition to imprisonment.

TNR programs are in Gainesville, Orlando, Seminole county and Tampa, in this area.

Most counties, such as Sumter, have leash laws that apply to all domestic animals allowed in the home. Sumter Code 4-10 states the animal must be confined on the owners propery at all times or under control or on a leash when off the owners property, otherwise a citation will be issued for the animal running free.

Our Villages Deed Restrictions state "when not within the confines of the home, shall be restrained by a leash.":spoken:

That sounds like eremite06's reply.


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Feral Cats
 

There is a big difference between a feral cat and a domesticated cat that has been let outside, by the way. If it truly is feral it will probably run when you approach, though you may be able to lure it with food.

Either way, a loose cat will kill hundreds of birds. They are natural predators.