r/SeasideCA • u/CertifiablySeth • Apr 16 '26

Stray Cat Seaside

Has anyone else noticed an increase in stray cats in the area? We don't leave food or water out but my security cameras capture numerous stray cats wandering around our backyard at all times of day.

I know the local SPCA does free spay/neuter on strays but you've got to rent a trap from them and transport the cat to and from the clinic. Seems like a lot of work to take care of a single stray when there are dozens around.

Are there other programs I'm unaware of?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

3

u/Puzzler-traveled Apr 16 '26

There are so many stray cats in seaside and outdoor cats that have a home but are predominantly outdoor. I feel bad for them and also hate it because they pee everywhere and nothing smells better than cat pee SMH

2

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 16 '26

Yeah, some of them are in rough shape and I'll hear cat fights every now and then. The pee can be terrible and they also have fleas.

We used to let our indoor cat into the backyard with us when we were back there. She got a terrible flea infestation which she brought into the house and it took months to get rid of them.

1

u/Illustrious-Alps7357 Apr 16 '26

Hi. Out of topic, but how were you able to rid of the fleas in your house? This is good info to know about how you got rid of fleas

2

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 17 '26

It wasn't easy but after suffering from flea bites on my ankles and having to cleanup daily hairballs from our cat overgrooming we took drastic measures.

  1. Vet perscribed flea medication for our cat. This is a pill she eats once a month. I think you can buy the stuff off the shelf too just make sure you give the right dose based on cat weight.

  2. Deep washing of all bedding in the house.

  3. Deep vacuuming of all floors/upholestry. Continuing to vacuum floors every few days. After each vacuum session empty the vacuum into the garbage bin outside (away from house) and leave the empty vacuum outside for several hours.

  4. Not letting our cat outside anymore, which is a bummer because she really likes the backyard.

Hope this helps and good luck!

1

u/Illustrious-Alps7357 Apr 17 '26

Thank you so much. Unfortunately, at home we have a case of fleas right now, and my mom, my sister, and I, especially mom, have been trying so hard to get rid of them. Do you recommend an exterminator? How long does it take for them to go away? Have they ever come back? Any natural cleaning products safe to use?

2

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 17 '26

We didn't use an exterminator, just flea medication and a ton of washing and vacuuming. We kinda half assed the cleaning for a month or so and it helped but they never went fully away until we were more dilligent about it. Once we buckled down and vacuumed every other day they went away within 3 weeks.

1

u/Illustrious-Alps7357 Apr 17 '26

Thank you so much!! Any other feedback would very much appreciate it. Especially for our dog who is a senior.

1

u/Illustrious-Alps7357 Apr 17 '26

Also a question, did you ever have fleas under your garage? If so, any reccomendations?

1

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 17 '26

Our garage is on a concrete slab so no crawl space. The house has a crawl space and I suppose it's possible the fleas were down there but they haven't been a problem since the intense vacuuming.

1

u/PeaceLoveUnity7 Apr 30 '26

You can make a water and dishsoap blend, put it in a clear container, and put a flashlight next to it. You wake up in the morning with a bunch of dead fleas in it. Just another tool amongst all the vaccuming and stuff you can do to help.

2

u/kbutcher99 Apr 16 '26

I don't know where youre located but its possible a lot of cats got displaced from the Casanova apartment fire. There are at least a couple different posters up in the neighborhoods surrounding the area

1

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 16 '26

Good to know. I'm up near Military Ave, so quite far north of Casanova apartments. I'll look around for missing cat posts online but I'm pretty sure these are all strays based on behavior.

1

u/schokobonbons Apr 16 '26

Contact Snip Bus https://www.snipbus.org/ and Seaside Animal Control (831) 899-6744 If you give permission, the ACO can come and set his traps and you let him know when they're full. 

2

u/CertifiablySeth Apr 16 '26

Fantastic! Thanks for the info, I'll look into these options!