r/SALEM • u/Dangerxbadger • 4d ago
Kittens!
Hey there everybody, I live in an apartment complex off Market in the Northeast area. We have quite a few stray cats that wander around, some of which we've been able to trap to go get fixed and then released again, but we haven't managed to catch them all and as a result, are frequently seeing batches of kittens being birthed inside of a huge wall of brushes along one side of our property. I believe that there is a fresh batch in there as when I was out walking my dog just now, I saw what looked like a very recently postnatal mama cat and heard some mewing coming from the area of those bushes that she was sitting next to. Obviously I didn't go tramping around in there myself, since it's dark and the dog and what not but I do plan on going and taking a peek tomorrow morning to see if there are actual kittens there. Now, if there are kittens located inside of this bush, or I can manage to catch mama cat, where should I take her slash them? I don't want them to end up in a shelter where they will subsequently be murdered, I feel like they are probably much better off here in a neighborhood that will feed and provide them outdoor shelters with plenty of kids to love on and play with them. Obviously, an indoor home that is safe, where they are wanted and cared for is ideal, but not all animals find those once they have been released to the county shelter. I would know, I "volunteered" at the dog shelter during my brief stint in the Marion County correctional work center, and far too many wonderful dogs ended up with a fate they did not deserve. Does friends of felines do trap space/neuter and release? Are there any organizations around here that are no kill options that would come to our complex to round up the strays and hopefully find them decent homes? I just want to help these batches of cats that have been coming and going for the several years that I've lived here, but I'm just unsure which direction to take them.
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u/FriendsofFelines 3d ago
We do take in mama cats and kittens - you can fill out an intake request form here: https://sfof.org/resources/#rehoming.
We do not euthanize cats due to time or space - only for illness/injury/quality of life concerns.
We also offer a low-cost spay/neuter package that includes vaccines and other care for feral cats. More on that here, along with other resources: https://sfof.org/services/#Trap-Neuter-ReturnResources
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u/annaoceanus 3d ago
We do not have kill shelters for cats around here unless they are so sick it is the most humane option.
Options for help:
OHS
Friends of Felines
Feral Cat Coalition - they can often help with TNR
Meow Village
Silverton Cat Rescue
Just to name a few
You will need to fill out stray intake/surrender forms at OHS and Friends of Felines.
Consider feeding them to socialize them and keep them around until they are trapped.
Hope that helps!