Friday, July 18, 2008

Do Not Feed Stray Cats Here

I came across this interesting sign outside one of the buildings in my neighborhood. Apparently, someone had been feeding stray cats outside this resident's window and he/she isn't too happy about it. I can understand the sentiment because the smell of cat's pee is something that is almost impossible to eliminate, assuming that is the main reason of the resident's objection.

One person I know who feeds (or had fed) stray cats is fellow NYC blogger, Kitty of NY Portraits. I will have to ask her how she feels about the sign above.

So do you feed stray cats or dogs in your neighborhood?

15 comments:

Mo said...

Fortunately, we don't have strays where we live now. The last cat we took in was a stray. He was a kitten wasn't feral. Sometimes he (Curly) acts like he is still street, trying to drink from the faucet or shower.

PeterParis said...

No, I don't. I wouldn't mind doing it, but my neighbours would probably not appreciate! Have a nice weekend!

MJ said...

I do feed stray cats when I eat at open air cafes / restaurants.

The stray cats just roam freely under the tables.
Sometimes they look at you with those pitiful eyes, mewing gently.. it's hard to say no.

Jilly said...

Love the photo. Beautiful arrangement of bricks. Sometimes there is a stray cut under the lower terrace here and in the past I've left food - usually tho my neighbour takes in stray cats and anyway the dogs wouldn't accept them.

If there was a stray dog, yes, I'd take it in, if only temporarily till I found its owner. We don't have feral dogs around here although we do have feral cats in some of the villages I believe.

Virginia said...

Nope, but I wouldn't mind a stray cat now and then to keep down the chipmunk population in my yard!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes they are hard to resist, but I do. Neighbors on both sides of us do feed stray cats - and then more come. They wander through our back yard or on the fence. Then they pee on our patio furniture, even when covered, or on the barbeque grill cover. It doesn't come off..... we're not so happy with the situation.

Shammickite said...

There are very few stray cats'n'dogs here. But about 6 years ago there was a very tattered and bedraggled stray cat in the neighbourhood, and my next door neighbour took it in, fed it, took it to the vet, and now Keywee is a lovely fluffy healthy family pet. I hope he appreciates what my neighbour did for him!

Anonymous said...

I don't want to harp, but I wouldn't feed strays and I don't think other people really should either. Providing food just continues to encourage them to breed, which leads to more kitties, and thus more strays to feed!

Alexa said...

No, but our super came upon a sealed (!) cardboard box one day and opened it to find a cat inside -- and I'm the sucker who took him in. He's pretty wild, even 8 years later (it was 2 years before he would deign to curl up on my lap and be petted), but very handsome. (And I hope whoever put him in that box gets his just punishment somehow.)

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

I don't see many strays here in Chicago, but in St. Louis, stray cats are everywhere. One showed up on our doorstep one day and stayed for 17 years.

Ken Mac said...

Ming, just read your comment on Eliane's blog re my pigeon post. Excellent! Did she respond? ha ha ha ..Banker>? I thought she was an architect, or maybe that is Kitty..anyway, damn skippy!

Kitty said...

thanks Ming!
lol, you are right about the cat pee. It is something like chemical warfare, it's so concentrated.

They should feed the stray cats and instead post a 'Stray Cats, Please do not pee here' sign. That is, if they are English-speaking cats!

Gecko said...

I was watching TV the other night and an animal rescue was on, and they showed a property with heaps of stray cats hanging around and breeding, because a guy was feeding them. It was like a meeting place for them and they settled in, bred, in-bred...and broke into his house and took over!! He said one had even given birth to kittens on his bed. YERK!!

Todd HellsKitchen said...

Meooooooooooow!

NormanTheDoxie said...

Years ago, when living in Queens, I fed a stray cat and then felt so bad, I took him in as a house pet.... named him Dumpy.