There are apartment complexes, mobile home parks, and trailer parks all over the United States, and most, if not all, have cat overpopulation problems. All it takes is one dumped stray, or a cat thrown out of the trailer, to start the overpopulation issue.
Everyone is frustrated over the problem. Tenants see the starving animals, the half-dead kittens, and try to rescue them. Management dictates that no one can feed the strays.
There is actually a very simple and logical solution. But everyone has to do their part.
In the tenant rules, management needs to stipulate that all pets, if allowed, are spayed and neutered. They need to be kept inside only, unless outside on a leash or in a confined yard/area. There are sample contracts available online if needed.
THEN, if a stray cat shows up, it needs to be caught and taken to a rescue immediately.
If a feral (wild) cat is on the property, it needs to be trapped, taken to a vet clinic and spayed/neutered, then returned to resume mice and rat patrol.
The existing population on the property needs to be trapped and altered immediately. Many rescue groups and shelters have a TNR program (trap/neuter/return) for little or no cost, and are willing to help.
Some people in the country want barn – outside – cats to help with rodent and mice control, so if the cats, for whatever reason, should not be returned to the property after altering, advertise onnline that barn homes are needed. Make sure the new home has a cage/shed/room to keep the cat(s) confined for several weeks so they learn this is their new home.
The ideal is to return them to the location they were trapped at – they are familiar with that area. But finding a suitable barn home is certainly an alterative.
Property managers do need to understand the dynamics of cat colonies. If all the existing outside strays are removed, it creates a vacuum, and other cats will move in. creating the same problem. By altering the existing cats and returning them, there is now an existing colony, and giving residents permission to feed them helps keep them healthy as they provide rodent patrol.
Threatening tenants with fines or eviction if they feed the cats is cruel, and so unnecessary. And not feeding animals, allowing them to die inch by inch, is cruel and inhumane.
A simple solution that solves everyone’s problem: SPAY AND NEUTER!
