I am like you Speedgunner and often have a few cat biscuits or dog biscuits in my pocket for any I see on my dog walking. I try not to make too much of a habit unless very snowy because in the past I did the same as you. Luckily they got so tame that I managed to get 4 of my 5 females to the vet for spaying. The other one had learnt what the cat basket was all about by this time. However, I never let the cats in the house so they lived in the barns. This was how an aunt of mine dealt with her brood of cats which she kept on her farm to keep rodents down. Feral cats are very good at hunting and many a time I have had a rat deposited on my doormat. The other thing is, we have to harden our hearts a lot out here because some of my Bulgarian friends think spaying is cruel. Nature takes care of many offspring because they are often weak because the mothers are probably not strong enough to give adequate milk. They tend not to have large litters for the same reason. I won't dwell on what some locals do to keep the population down although in Mindya they are largely a kindly lot and whilst meals might not be regular, they will put out any leftovers in the garden or by the rubbish bins. As for surviving the cold winters, I still see some of the feral cats I used to feed in our old property and they look very well.
Tue Jan 22, 2013 6:59 am
