First Case of Rabies Confirmed in Tom Green County

We have lots of feral cats around our neighborhood and all the cats did was have kittens and spray and scratch your cars. Several neighbors have call rescues,& the pound for help getting rid of these cats but no one wanted to help. Our neighbors have worked for over a year to get rid of these cats any way we could. Now we have to be careful of the stray cats having rabies yet not a single person is willing to help catch them. We still have one female cat that we have been unable to catch because she has been chased and hunted by all the neighbors that she has gotten to smart to catch. We even tried putting her last bunch of newborn kittens inside a cage tin hopes she would go in. Nope, not a chance. Neighborhood need help getting rid of the cats.

Chances are, the cats in your neighborhood are not carrying rabies. On the other hand, chances are next to none of them are vaccinated either.

Unfortunately, simply ridding of the cats will do nothing, as the "vacuum effect" occurs, when strays from neighboring areas eventually move into the vacated ''territory". Animal control won't be of any help, as they'll only come pick up an animal which is already contained, so any efforts to trap will have to come from those willing to dedicate the efforts needed to successfully remove/relocate the cats.

Hav a Hart live traps are about $50 at ACE Hardware. For those unfamiliar, these are live, cage traps which are triggered once the cat goes inside to retrieve the food. If you go this route, either buying or borrowing a trap, the best results can be achieved by placing the trap, covered with an old blanket within shrubbery or areas of your yard most frequented by the cats in question. The reason for the blanket, is the cat will be less likely to be discouraged from entering with any visible objects or distractions they'd see on the other side of an otherwise uncovered trap.

Ideally, TNR (trap neuter release) would be the most effective, though it takes time and patience, and a resolve to accept the sterilized strays as a part of the neighborhood. The payoff with TNR, is no new litters and no new strays.

Before attempting to trap the cat/s, I'd urge you to Google local area "Barn Cat" programs or possibly speak to someone at Concho Valley PAWS, who may be able to find you alternatives to simply turning over the animals to be killed at our local pound. Many strays, while unadoptable and feral, can lead happy and productive lives on ranches, earning their keep by culling the rodent population.

Keep in mind, the feral cat problem isn't the cat's fault, rather that of irresponsible pet owners who allow their unsterilized cats to roam free, or worse, abandon them altogether, for the rest of us to deal with.

I have a trap and have trapped about 15 cats and their kittens and they are living out in the country on friends places. So i know that works. I cant believe others are so selfish to not take care of their animals. I will look into barn cat program. I can not afford to fix all the cats around here. Thank you for ideals. PAWS wont help with feral cats.