Need advice - stray cats

[Dia]

I'm at my wits end here. Over the last couple of months 4 different stray cats have moved into our yard. They howl at ALL hours of the day/night - waking up the kids & driving the dog crazy. Some/all are using the kids playground as a litter box & I'm cleaning it out every day.

It started with the mom & 2 kittens and now it seems their family is growing.

I don't know what to do. We've left nothing out for them to eat & they cannot get into the trash.

What can I do? They scatter when approached & seem very skittish.

Help!

 

[ASH]

Contact animal control with your concerns. perhaps they can live trap them and move them elsewhere.
The cats are probably finding food nearby and merely using your home as their home. Can you cover the sand in the playground with plywood to keep them out?
I've heard of a sprinkler system that shoots water accurately at anything that triggers the system. It's non-lethal and trains unwanted animals to stay out of your yard.
Google cat repellants and you'll find many scents you can get cheap that they don't like the scent of that may also run them off.

 

[bogieman]

Late christmas gifts.

YouTube - How To Wrap A Cat For Christmas

 

[sunspotbaby]

what kind of dog do you have? You want to borrow mine?

 

[Dia]

lol - we have a dachshund. If I let him loose to chase the cats - we'd have 5 stray cats & one stray dachshund.

This afternoon we are at 5 cats (1 white, 1 black, 2 grey & 1 orange) - it appears a neighbor is feeding them near an empty lot (right near our house)

 

[Dia]

anybody want a kitty? for free?

 

[scooterbug44]

There is a spray that is supposed to keep them off the furniture, but your best bet is to keep running them off, find ways to deter them, and to get your neighbor to stop feeding them.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Gross. You have got to let your neighbor know they are creating a nuisance. It is only a matter of time before litters appear, compounding the matter. Get a nuisance animal removal service to round them up. I made a trap once out of a pet crate-opened it, put a plate of food in it, and had a string tied to the open door. When the cat goes in (and they will for food) just pull the string and 'snap', you have the cat. Feral cats are a huge problem around here. They tug at our heart strings, but these guys live miserable lives, are dangerous to kids and kill native birds and small animals. Someone needs to step up, adopt and spay/neuter them or they need to be euthanized.

 

[zip3]

Call animal control and have them trapped. I love cats and have a cat but this is out of control. One cat is fifty cats. Feral cats will just kill your birds and will never be loving house pets. Our neighbor feeds feral cats but our cat runs them away from our house. I fear fleas, ticks and disease and so should you for your dog.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Call animal control and have them trapped. I love cats and have a cat but this is out of control. One cat is fifty cats. Feral cats will just kill your birds and will never be loving house pets. Our neighbor feeds feral cats but our cat runs them away from our house. I fear fleas, ticks and disease and so should you for your dog.

Great point. I wouldn't say they have no potential to be good pets. We had a wild one come around our house, but he had a nice disposition...we fed him and took him to the vet for neutering. He is now a great pet. Before he was fixed he was so wild-he killed a dove, a rat, some sort of mouse, innumerable lizards and did his best to get after a non-venomous snake. Now he is just chilled out. Some of those ferals are too far gone though.