FAQ | eastlakecats

Why Eastlake Community Cats?

Does Eastlake have a feral cat problem?

No, we don’t, especially when compared to other cities. And we want to make sure it stays that way. There are, however, a few neighborhoods with cat colonies (a colony is a group of cats living together) ranging from two felines to more than 10.

Where do these cats come from?

Unfortunately, the majority of these animals are former pets. We do know that cats (as well as dogs, guinea pigs, and rabbits) have been left to fend for themselves after foreclosures or evictions in Eastlake. There are also instances of improper breeding practices, hoarding and kind-hearted feeders that have not had success in catching these cats and providing spay/neuter and vaccination care. Two cats can quickly turn into 10 or more.

How do you help?

We are not a rescue group, nor do we take any funds from the city of Eastlake. In fact, we save the city and county money.

We are focused solely on low-cost spay neuter programs and vaccination (depending on financial circumstances, it may be no-cost), trapping assistance so felines can get to a vet quickly, and TNR colony management advice (including best practices.) We want to prevent problems and help Eastlake citizens – as well as the cats that call Eastlake home – enjoy life together.

How quickly can you help?

All calls and emails to the group will be answered within 24 hours. Trapping and sterilization does take time, so be patient.

Won’t this program mean people will dump cats in Eastlake or simply abandon them?

Not anymore than it’s happening already. Although dumping and animal abandonment are illegal in Eastlake, OH it is tough to catch and prosecute people.

Be aware that programs like Eastlake Community Cats actually reduce the number of “dumped” or abandoned animals in a city since group members are aware of existing issues and are taking steps to ensure that animals are altered, vaccinated, and being cared for properly.

My neighbor has been feeding stray cats, and I’m sick of it. Don’t I have any rights?

Please contact us.

Nuisance behaviors like yowling, spraying, and roaming are dramatically reduced when cats are sterilized. Proper management of a feral colony requires more than feeding. It also requires shelter, appropriate feeding schedules, litter management, and good neighbor relations.

Though we are not in the business of settling neighbor disputes, we can say that proper colony management goes a long way in reducing any neighbor problems.

Be aware that even if you don’t like cats, once the animals that are in your neighborhood are fixed they PREVENT other cats from moving in.

My neighbor has been feeding cats, and I don’t have a problem with it. However, I think he might need some help. Can I contact you?

Absolutely. That’s why we are here. If you have a good relationship with your neighbor (and we bet you do) please tell him to contact us. Again, we are here to help, not penalize anyone for their kindness.

To learn More about TNR and its benefits to the community, please visit Alley Cat Allies. They've put together some of the most frequently asked questions about TNR there.

Caring For Outdoor Cats

How do I care for stray and feral cats?

Five Basic Steps to Care For Stray and Feral Cat Colonies

Conduct TrapNeuterReturn for all cats. The number one priority when discovering an individual cat or a colony of cats is to safely and humanely trap them and see that they are neutered and vaccinated. This ensures that the cats will live longer, healthier lives. Females will not get pregnant or need to nurse, and male cats will not fight or prowl for mates. Kittens and cats who are friendly to humans can be adopted into homes.
Provide food and water. If possible, feed on a regular schedule and remove uneaten food within 30 minutes. Food that sits out may attract insects and wildlife.
Provide shelter. Providing shelter protects cats from the elements and helps you deter them from neighbors’ properties. Eastlake Community Cats can help.
Monitor the colony and keep accurate records. Keep track of all colony members, their health, new cats that might enter the colony, and your ongoing Trap-Neuter Return effort. Monitor the cats and keep their medical records on file.
Help cats and people coexist. As the colony caregiver, you become the cats’ public relations firm and can help maintain their good image and good neighbor status in your community. If neighbors do not know who “speaks for the cats,” they may contact the city with their concerns. Maintain good relations with neighbors by establishing a friendly dialogue and readily addressing their concerns through the use of humane cat deterrents and education. Make sure that residents know you are open to their feedback about the cats.

Eastlake Community Cats is here to help you. Please call if you questions or need assistance.

Neighborhood Feral Cats

I found a cat and/or a kitten(s) outside, What do

I do?

It is important to trap feral kittens and, whenever possible, foster and socialize them until they are old enough to be adopted. Here are some helpful links, courtesy of Alley Cat Allies, with information regarding how to take care of kittens:

How and When to Care for Socialize Feral Kittens

Determining a Kitten's age

How to Care for Neonatal Kittens

How to Find Homes for Stray Cats

Contact Eastlake Community Cats. We would be happy to help.

What is a neighborhood cat?

Neighborhood cats generally come in three varieties.

Friendly cats who appear well fed and groomed are probably pets whose caretakers allow them outdoors. Some may even wear collars and identification tags. If they look healthy and they’re not bothering you, the best thing to do for these cats is nothing. Don’t befriend them or feed them unless you want them coming around more often! If pet cats already frequent your yard and are becoming a nuisance, please see our information on how to peacefully deter cats from your yard.

Stray cats are cats that have lost their homes, but are socialized to people. Often, they can be adopted into homes, but they can become feral as human contact dwindles. They can re-develop strong bonds with their caregivers.

A feral cat: has either never had any contact with humans or contact with humans has diminished over time. She is not socialized to people. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors. However, these cats also can develop strong bonds with their caregivers.

What is an “eartip?”

We use the word “eartip” to describe when a small portion of the tip of a feral cat’s left ear is surgically removed during neuter surgery, to denote that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Eartipping is done while the cat is anesthetized and is not painful for the cat.

Eartipping is the most effective way to identify sterilized feral cats from a distance, to make sure they are not trapped or undergo surgery a second time.

How Does TNR Benefit the Community?

TNR helps the community by stabilizing the population of the feral colony and, over time, reducing it. At the same time, nuisance behaviors such as spraying, excessive noisemaking and fighting are largely eliminated, and no more kittens are born. Yet, the benefit of natural rodent control is continued. Jesse Oldham, ASPCA Senior Administrative Director of Community Outreach and the founder of Slope Street Cats, an organization dedicated to feral cat welfare, notes, “TNR also helps the community's animal welfare resources by reducing the number of kittens that would end up in their shelters—TNR creates more space for the cats and kittens who come to them from other avenues.

Why doesn't removing feral cats from an

area work?

Animal control’s traditional approach for feral cats—catching and killing—is endless and cruel, and it does not keep an area free of cats. Cats choose to reside in a location for two reasons: there is a food source (intended or not) and shelter. Because of a phenomenon called the vacuum effect, when cats are removed from a location, survivors of the catch and kill effort and new cats who have moved in breed to capacity. Cats have been living outside alongside people for 10,000 years—a fact that cannot be changed.

What is relocation and why doesn't it work?

Many communities have rounded up colonies of feral cats either for euthanasia or to relocate them to another area. This never works. Feral cats are very connected with their territory. They are familiar with its food sources, places that offer—shelter, resident wildlife, other cats in the area and potential threats to their safety—all things that help them survive. “Relocation of feral cat colonies is difficult to orchestrate and not 100 percent successful even if done correctly. It is also usually impossible to catch all of the cats, and it only takes one male and one female to begin reproducing the colony,” Oldham states. “Even when rounding up is diligently performed and all ferals are removed, new cats will soon move in and set up camp.”

I don’t want cats in my yard. How can I deter cats and peacefully live with them in my neighborhood?

Thank you for searching out peaceful solutions to living with cats! It’s important to understand outdoor cat behaviors and what draws cats to certain areas. Please refer to the following website for easy and humane solutions to deter cats and peacefully live with them.

How Do I Deal with Difficult Neighbors?

To help your cats be better neighbors to your neighbors, keep in mind that kindness and patience are key. Find out what about the cats is bothering your neighbors and work with them on those specific issues. For example, deterrents such as motion activated sprinklers, garden rocks and citrus smells will help keep cats away from the people who do not want them digging in their gardens or roaming their property. “It is also important to nicely explain to them that TNR is the most humane and effective way of managing feral cat overpopulation issues. TNR offers a solution that helps both the cats and the human residents, providing first and foremost permanent population control since the cats will no longer be able to reproduce,” says Aimee Christian, ASPCA Vice President of Spay/Neuter Operations. “Let them know that it also drastically changes the cats' behavior—there will be less odor (since they will no longer spray), less roaming, less visibility, and no more yowling or fighting.”

If you need help, call us.

Here are some pointers to consider when dealing with difficult neighbors:

Establish a friendly relationship with people living near a feral cat colony.
Present information in a reasonable, professional manner and address individual complaints by listening patiently.
Always maintain a constructive, problemsolving attitude.
Explain diplomatically that the cats have lived at the site for a long time and that they have been or will be sterilized, which will cut back on annoying behaviors.
Explain that if the present colony is removed, the problems will recur with new cats