Stray kittens !

[samnickgodber]

Hi all,
Not sure if anyone can do anything to help them but there are deffo 3 but possibly 5 small stray / wild kittens on a small patch of waste ground at the side of the San Fransisco houses in Calleo Salvaje, they looked to be around 8/10 weeks old, we couldn´t get any where near them as soon as they saw us they ran into some scrubland that they wa near x

[gandt2000]

Not sure if she is going to be able to help, but it is worth contacting Sharon from Cats Welfare charity.
She is 'cat woman' on the forum.

[Suej]

If the Mum is with them and they are in no real danger then there's not much anyone can do unless they want to take them in! You can get in touch with Sharon (Cats welfare) here...http://cats-welfare-tenerife.com/index.php?main=data/blocks/funding.html she just might be able to sort out neutering when they are old enough. There's just too many cats and kittens to rescue and find homes for especially feral. Do you know if anyone is feeding them?:(

[samnickgodber]

I don´t know if the mum is with them, we didn´t see her around but it don´t mean to say she isnt, i´ll send Sharon a message thanks x

[Mia]

I do love cats and have had them myself, but I think it is wrong to feed feral cats, but as these kittens have been born, I agree that they do need help.

Well fed feral cats will only breed more, and in the end they become vermin!
Sorry to say this but I think it is a fact of life

If these cats are the ones between San Francisco and the Callao Gardens complex we have spoken to holiday makers from Callao Gardens who said that the stray cats were a problem to them. This is not good for the tourist industry.

[Suej]

I do love cats and have had them myself, but I think it is wrong to feed feral cats, but as these kittens have been born, I agree that they do need help.

Well fed feral cats will only breed more, and in the end they become vermin!
Sorry to say this but I think it is a fact of life

If these cats are the ones between San Francisco and the Callao Gardens complex we have spoken to holiday makers from Callao Gardens who said that the stray cats were a problem to them. This is not good for the tourist industry.

Sharon of Cats welfare, Dave of Cats Aid and many others do try to trap as many feral cats as possible to get them neutered (the cat will always have an ear clipped) they are then returned from where they were found! this is the best anyone can do! but it still takes time and money! The Spanish Government or Tourist office don't help in any way! All they do is hinder attempts of caring foreigners trying to do their job for them! Sad but true!

[Mia]

Sharon of Cats welfare, Dave of Cats Aid and many others do try to trap as many feral cats as possible to get them neutered (the cat will always have an ear clipped) they are then returned from where they were found! this is the best anyone can do! but it still takes time and money! The Spanish Government or Tourist office don't help in any way! All they do is hinder attempts of caring foreigners trying to do their job for them! Sad but true!

Thanks Suej.

I did know about the neutering and ear clipping, which is a wonderful thing these caring people are doing.

I really feel sorry for these poor creatures but unfortunately the people who are feeding them do not realise that they are causing a bigger problem.

I know it sounds harsh to ignore these cute cats and kittens but it has to be said that is wrong to feed them.

Sorry folks - but I really am a cat lover who is facing reality!!!

[tracy hampshire]

we found a beautiful coffee & ream hanging round the bar i worked at in puerto de la cruz, she was very small, with no sign of a mother, after a few days we started to feed her, in a about a month & alot of scratches later she let us handle her, we borrowed a cat box, & took her to be nutered, she still lives outside, but comes to the bar for her food everyday, and the kebab shop nextdoor for chicken, the cafe for fish on friday, altogether a very happy friendly little cat & a hit wiyh the customers , hope these little kittens end up having a happy life x

[Suej]

Yes! cats are really self sufficient whether they are fed freely or not they soon find ways to keep themselves alive!

[admin35]

Cats are not vermin, rats mice and other rodents are, cats are seriously loving animals which make fab pets, if these were caught and socialised they could be rehomed, also with patience the adults also.

[moonlady]

I don't agree with you, Mia! Of course, the first thing to do is to neuter any stray cats that are around. But, after that, letting them to starve to death is NOT the right thing to do. It's enormously cruel! Hungry under-fed cats get sick and spread diseases to other cats and that only leads to more and more misery...

[admin35]

I don't agree with you, Mia! Of course, the first thing to do is to neuter any stray cats that are around. But, after that, letting them to starve to death is NOT the right thing to do. It's enormously cruel! Hungry under-fed cats get sick and spread diseases to other cats and that only leads to more and more misery...

I didn't say let them starve to death, after being neutered why can't they find them homes, this would happen in the uk why not Tenerife.

[karinagal]

I didn't say let them starve to death, after being neutered why can't they find them homes, this would happen in the uk why not Tenerife.

I don't think Moonlady's post was aimed at you but at an earlier comment from another member called Mia....

[Mia]

I did not say to starve them to death. I just suggested that if they are not fed they will hopefully go elsewhere to find food. I agree it is not the animals fault they have been abandoned. But if cats come on to a complex and people feed them they will stay and if they are not neutered they will breed. The place then can become overrun and have problems.

We have too many cats on our complex. Many of them are pets of the owners who do not seem to care where they roam. Some may be neutered but not all of the owners can be bothered to have them done.

Here are problems we have:

1. There are piles of “Poo” everywhere (on the walkways, on the steps, in the communal garden, in house doorways, on walls and on people’s private terraces).

2. Urine and the spray from male cats are frequently on our terrace furniture. It smells very bad and we have the fun of cleaning it up.

3. They also do this on our entrance door which runs down the door. Again we cannot get rid of the smell.

4. We had a plant either side of our door but the cats used them as a toilet and killed the plants

5 .Seeds and small plants have been dug up and soil spilled out of the plant pots on our terrace.

6. Dirty paw prints are all over the small painted walls at each house which makes the place look bad.

7. Cats often make a lot of noise during the night.

After having to clean up the poo and urine up a few mornings each week I think most people would wish they did not have cats roaming around their complex.