That's it. I'm never taking care of stray cats again.

Be strong and feed those kitties.

OP, you know you aren't just taking care of the cats. You're also treating rats, mice, and other creatures. I bet your neighbors just love you!

Maybe you should get an indoor cat.

((Hugs)) OP

You’re doing good work

It's very admirable what you have been doing, but it is a never ending obligation, and there are always more cats to take care of. I used to do this many years ago, but I no longer have the drive to keep doing it.

After 20 years of feral cat TNR, maintaining two fixed feral colonies, many street rescue of strays, and all the heartache that goes with it, I’ve “retired.” The burn out is real. I understand where you’re coming from.

You're acting like a child, OP. This is about homeless animals and their needs, not yours.

This reads like a thinly veiled metaphor for all the homeless dick OP brings home.

OP, I want you to (RE)read T.H. White’s “The Sword in the Stone” wherein Arthur becomes a goose.

When you are tired, someone else will see the need and address it in their own way. We are a team even though we forget that some times.

Good job, eat some grass.

TNR doesn't work but it feels good for people

Where do you live that there are so many strays? If you’re shy to disclose, city, suburbs or country?

R11 where in the world are there NOT cat colonies?

I haven’t seen any colonies around me. There was a single cat that came around. Might have been a stray. No collar. Haven’t seen him for a while and I’ve wondered what happened to him. But colonies? Not around here.

We have 4 senior pets and also help others. We've buried more than a dozen. I can't deal with it anymore. I can barely tallk about it.

I suggest taking a break. It can be overwhelming.

Well, I get your feelings. I also get the feelings of those who say the cats need you, and they do but more than that I wish people would get their doggone cats fixed and also not abandon these little guys so they become strays.

TNR work is rewarding but you definitely get burned out after awhile. I stopped altogether when I helped a family member with a TNR situation that ended in disaster. Not gonna go into details but it depressed me for a long time.

No one should judge you for needing to step away. Be kind to yourself for the work you did do.

R11 Many places have few to no strays

Near certain restaurants, r17?

Some people (and cats) believe they should go outside, but we've always kept them in, except when I would take the most stable, biggest boys out with me. Never beyond our yard. And all our cats are spayed/neutered. It calms them down quite a bit. Keep your babies inside, OP, if you want to make sure they're safe.

OP here. The stray I care for came back yesterday for about five minutes to eat, then wandered off and I haven't seen him since. Maybe this is just his new routine. He used to be here all the time, now it's rare.

R20 he must be getting regular meals elsewhere; good for him! (And you)

r21 I don't know. He wasn't neutered until I took him to the vet, plus he needed stitches for an injury last year. I feel like if he had another home, they would have taken him to the vet.

He's done this before (randomly vanishing for a while, but every time it happens I worry and think I'll never see him again).

R22, the cat will be nicer and wander less after being neutered.

I'm taking care of 4 now (had them spayed and neutered). I just imagine if mine were lost and hope someone would feed and water them as I do.

Since we're not all lunatics like you and some other posters here are, OP, tell us, do, what the "unhelpful" TNR you have performed just to feel good about yourselves is.

You know, while leaving feral cats to run around killing birds and spreading FIV, toxoplasmosis, feline leukemia virus, distemper, rabies and so many parasites you probably have an excuse for your own conditions. At least you can feel special about your sad selves.

The Circle of Life holds many mysteries, OP.

Imagine: the "missing" cats are reincarnated and return to your tender care. I like the thought, and will discuss it with Miss Peanut during tomorrow's daily session.

Keep on keeping on. They need (and love) you. 😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻

We adopted three feral cats fed by a cat lady over the course of Covid and we had a financial crisis and can no longer afford the cats. They are still here, but I don’t know what will happen.

R27 This is another reason not to feed cats, now the cats are dependent, you did not adopt them, you fed them, I hope you didn't bring them in and turned them out now?

Pics, OP!

[quote]TNR doesn't work

How so?

There have been multiple studies showing it doesn't work and is cruel, once again it makes people FEEL good, it's cruel and stressful, then you throw them back out. Look it up.

r31 How is it cruel?

Am I needed here?

Yeah, how is spaying/neutering a feral cat not helping? It greatly reduces the feral cat population.

I ended up trapping a stray my friend had been watching on video that would come around his place. We thought it was a lost cat on a poster in his neighborhood.

It wasn’t. It turned out to be the absolute most loving, affectionate little baby. Of course, I kept him. I already had one cat and he had been wanting a companion.

Now the once stray wants to be carried around constantly like a baby or sit in my lap. I don’t think he’s a cat at all.

[quote]Now the once stray wants to be carried around constantly like a baby

My cat's like this. I've been wondering whether I should buy a baby sling or something.

[R20] I'm glad it came back.

Plenty of links it is cruel and not effective.

[quote]Now the once stray wants to be carried around constantly like a baby

That means he was once a pet, not a feral. He was socialized by someone.

Well, whoever it was didn’t have him chipped and let him escape as a kitten, since he was only a year old when I trapped him.