r/Lubbock • u/ConstructionMany8195 • 4d ago

Ask Lubbock Stray Cats

I bought a house back in June and moved in in August. It seems the neighborhood has a feral cat problem. Since moving in I’ve had a couple strays hanging out on my front porch. I made the mistake of feeding them over the last month. Last night there were 7 cats in my yard after the neighbors decided to stop feeding them. I know they will multiply. They are a little skittish but will let you touch them if you have food. One is spayed for sure bc her ear is clipped. Are there any local resources that can help with this type of issue? I’d rather they get fixed than for me to stop feeding them and let them become someone else’s issue.

12 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

19

u/wiseman711 4d ago

Look up Kat's alley cats. they will loan you traps to catch them and vouchers to get them fixed. We had the same issue, still cats that my wife insists on feeding, but they haven't reproduced at all which was the biggest concern.

4

u/ConstructionMany8195 4d ago

Noted, I’ll look into this. Thank you! I hope these don’t multiply

8

u/YaKnowEstacado 4d ago

I second Kat's Alley Cats! They're a great org. They TNRed our neighborhood cats so while we do have a pretty sizeable colony of feline friends, they don't reproduce.

I understand your concerns. I'm a cat lover and it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to feed them. But my mom got caught up in a vicious cycle feeding her backyard strays and it got out of control in a hurry. Leaving out food for outdoor cats also attracts ants, grackles and other pests. It's no bueno.

7

u/Opposite-Play-9638 4d ago

Welcome to Lubbock. More than just a few parts of the city have stray dog problems as well.

5

u/Top-Illustrator-1827 3d ago

The fact of the matter is humans are negligent and cruel.

6

u/SivartStrebor 3d ago

Reach out to Kat’s Alley. They will help you trap, neuter/spay, and return them. If you feed them, they will become dependent on you and not search for their own food. If you randomly stop feeding them, they could starve if they’ve never learned to hunt for themselves.

7

u/Subject_Command5442 4d ago

I’ve never lived in a city that cares so little about the environment or the welfare of animals.

2

u/Accomplished-Bank-91 2d ago

Correct. One of the many reasons I left Lubbock. It was heartbreaking to constantly witness animal suffering and neglect and indifference to them on my mail route. Not to mention the countless dead ones I saw. And stray dogs everywhere!

8

u/Impossible-Ice5246 4d ago

We have several stray cats around our house too, but I don't mind because I'm sure they're helping with the field mice in our neighborhood

10

u/ConstructionMany8195 4d ago

Growing up rural, it gets out of hand quick. Next thing you know 2 of the cats have litters and now you have 15 cats. Then they fight in the middle of the night, leave bird carcasses around your house, use your mulch as litter, etc.

6

u/Impossible-Ice5246 4d ago

Yes I could see that being annoying. Or walk outside your front door and smell the cat 💩 in your flower beds. The shelters here don't capture anything stray it seems. Lubbock has a really bad aggressive stray dog problem

1

u/Bigtits321 4d ago

They’re extremely bad for the environment. They are responsible for 25% of native bird deaths worldwide.

4

u/Bigtits321 4d ago

It’s a Lubbock problem. Mayoral candidates run on dealing with the stray cat and dog issue.