Hmmm, maybe your granddaughter's friend would be interested, if she hasn't obtained a kitty from the HS yet??

Is there a no-kill shelter in your area that you could call?

alisande - you are not being mean! We have 7 -yes that is seven- outside cats because DH would feed them when they would show up begging for food. It is so hard to not feed something that is hungry. But once you feed them they don't go away! We learned the hard way. And that won't change anything. If something needs food, he feeds. Then, you have to have them spayed/neutered, and shots. We have one that showed up late fall that needs to be neutered.

I've rarely seen a stray cat.....thank goodness or I might become the cat lady....and I'm not even a cat person! Poor kitties.

Do you live in the country? I'm wondering if someone is purposefully dumping cats there, except for the ferals.

I'd find a no-kill shelter if possible, or call your vet to see if he/she could take it and try to give it away.

As long as there's shelter, food and cats there, it won't go away. lol Poor baby.

Yes, I live out in the country--on 31 acres on a dirt road. It's certainly possible someone is dumping them. The only no-kill shelter is full (the downside of no-kill shelters). The county is so overrun with cats. April is Cat Adoption month at the regular shelter. Kittens and cats galore!

I'm happy to report that my granddaughter's friend adopted a sweet grey male cat from a shelter. He has a deformed foot from a birth injury. Good girl!

I employed the squirt bottle, and for now the latest arrival has disappeared. Because she's so friendly, someone might take her in. If it's one of my farming neighbors, though, they won't get her spayed. And that's a shame.

I'm beginning to suspect that there's a billboard in your area that directs owners of unwanted cats to dump them in your yard.

I wonder how many you've encountered while living there.

I wonder how many you've encountered while living there.

Hmm.......our first cat, Barni, showed up on the property. I didn't think I could have a cat because I'm allergic, but we kept her. I've since learned that cat allergies vary by color; I tolerate some colors (especially black and orage) very well. Buddy (named because he was everybody's buddy) turned up in the barnyard with a badly injured foot. Cyclone and Smidgen were given to us by a neighbor. Amigo was a kitten who began following my husband around. Ditto Honcho. The rest were either adopted from shelters or taken from horse barns, etc.

Back in the day when my family lived here, we had lots of cats. My husband kept several in the downstairs barn, where he had a large office area, and there were enough of us in the house to take care of however many we happened to have. We also had dogs. And horses.

Be strong and resist Susan! :D You can only take care of so many, even though, like many of us, you want to save every animal you come across.

Trust me, Jasdip, I will. I have had it--at least for now. :-)

It occurred to me that given the cat's ravenous appetite and filled-out appearance, she's probably pregnant. I haven't seen her today, but the unkempt longhair spent the night in Bonesy's dog house, despite being chased out twice before I went to bed. I don't know where Bonesy is, but I'm sure she hasn't gone far.

I think the cats can tell you will take care of them and feed them. They can tell a good household when they need to have some food. I would just leave some sort of food out doors for those who want food and water. Your a good friend to these cats. You are loving and kind. Animals have an instinct about people. You are one of the best. My sister had 4 strays in her home. All in separate rooms. She loved them all. They learned to ring the bell she hung on a doorknob to let them in and out. Sometimes they would bring her something they had caught. A treasure to them,a gift they thought for my sister. My sister loved all of her cats.

I think the cats can read the billboard!

I'd feed her....and put an ad on CL! That would be my strategy. She sounds wonderful....

I think cats spread the word, telling other cats "Go to that house for food and shelter." It sure seemed that way when we lived in Ohio and had many, many stray cats come to our house. We had a "cat door" in our garage door so they could come and go, provided food and water, blankets, and heaters in the winter. Luckily we were both working and could afford the feed. Our Humane Society provided the "Catch them alive" traps for us and they spayed/neutered them, then returned them to us. We raised and "humanized" any kittens, then the Humane Society found homes for those we didn't keep. They wanted me to continue doing that work for them, but we were moving. I would have loved it though.

I've done the trap-and-neuter thing, again when my situation was different. I don't have the funds or energy for it anymore. I suspect this cat is pregnant. In 2011 a cat gave birth in my ice house. The mother is now my (spayed) outside cat, Bonesy, and one of my indoor cats, Peachy, was from that litter. I was grateful to find good homes for the other kittens, but I think that maxed out the available homes. I really do not want to have to deal with another litter. I'm surrounded by dairy farms--not the best situation for stray cats, but not the worst either. Sorry to have to say it, but I hope she went up the road and is enjoying some raw milk right now.

Re Craigslist, I learned when I volunteered for humane societies that Free to Good Home ads often result in a cat or dog being taken by people in the dog-fighting business. They're looking for fighting dogs or bait. Disgusting but true. There's no way I would ever place one of those ads anywhere.

Those people, BTW, will show up with a child in tow, spinning a story about how the animal will be a beloved family pet. It's a horrible con.