I was wondering how others felt about this issue because in my heart, i just believe a shelter (unless it is a no kill shelter) will just put the animal to sleep more likely than not due to the overwhelming number of cats who need homes.

As a result of my feelings, I would definitely not take a cat there and if I couldn´t take it in my home, would rather see it fend for itself as I feel a cat has a better chance that going to one of those places.

I think that most healthy cats are quite resilient and find the homes that put out food and are good hunters. I know I am thinking of adult cats.

Kittens are another problem and I would definitely feel I have signed their death warrant if I took them there which I guess is to say I would if I couldn´t find them a home......it is such a conflict in me.......

Everyday I just hope I never have to face such a problem and so far, have been able to adopt any strays that come into our yard.

Is anyone else feeling this conflict in their souls.....????

Well I agree, shelter´s are overrun...what you could TRY and do if you wanted to be charitable....take the cat in temporarily...worm it, flea it and advertise it in the paper. it´s a LONG SHOT as you may end up with it in the long run...but I guess there is a chance someone will adopt it in the end.

Unfortunately here in the country...many stray cats are killed by farmers as they kill chickens ans beat up the local domestic cats. I would ask all my friends and family first and see if they wanted a cat. Also check if anyone had posted a "lost cat" sign in the paper.

it´s a hard choice but am a spongeheart and would most likely take the cat in and then advertise it to a good home already wormed and fleaed.

I don´t believe letting it be free and fending for themselves is the answer. I would think that would add to the bigger problem. Wouldn´t that cat then be breeding and adding to the huge population of homeless cats and fighting with others spreading diseases? I don´t know what an alternative answer would be either though.

5555, you are right but I have heard, somewhere, someone talking about catching a cat, getting it fixed and then, letting it go.....don´t know if I imaging that but I think I heard of that on some news program.......??? It just sickens me to think of a cat being killed just because someone doesn´t want it and I know there are way too many cats for everyone to take in..........what a dilemma......

I must confess I have done that then. I have taken ferrel and stray cats and had them sterilized then let them go. They had the choice to live with me but they declined unfortunately. They could have been owned by someone I don´t know but they shouldn´t be allowed to be out wondering unsterilised.
If I could have any wish in the world granted it would be that there be no unloved and homeless cats in the world. I wish I could save them all.

You already do your bit 5555! I would love to help and truth be known if a cat did just show up on the property...I would ignore mu hubby´s pleas and take it in...at least until I could pass it on to another house. The only problem is you have to segregate them from your other cat as can carry disease and make them sick. But would still do it to help out.

I agree Tegan and 5555 but it is terribly risky......Years ago, I took in a dog that was running loose. It had a nasty disease, although it didn´t look that ill. The vet said it could live or die....I kept it isolated from the dogs and cats I had at the time (I ´nursed it´ according to what the vet said to do). Once it survived, I thought all was well.....I found it a good home but was shocked to realize that it was a silent carrier of that disease, forever, and it infected one of the older dogs in its new home and that dog died.......I felt so guilty......but I couldn´t bring myself to take it to a shelter because I know they kill most of the animals.....and with that disease that wonderful dog wouldn´t have had a chance......

In regards to cats.......I think they can handle life better than a dog, so, frankly, I just pray that few stray cats show up as I have been up to 5 in our home and it is too many for our lifestyle. We are at 4 right now due to the latest stray being in love with my Deelee.......and I pray, no more come as I am unable to condem any to a shelter........

If you turn a cat loose here, you are feeding the coyotes. All of my boys have come from the shelter and people do adopt some of them. There are some no-kill shelters too. I know several people who take in any cat they find and they are very overworked and broke but at least the cats are okay. Here in town there is a feral cat society that has volnteers go to the colonies of feral cats with baited live traps. One by one they catch the feral kitties, neuter them, then take them back to their feral colonies. Kittens don´t fare well in the wild. Tom cats kill them to get their moms to go back into heat. I´m kind of lucky that I haven´t been sought out by a needy cat too many times. One time one came in through our cat door, when we had one, and slept on my ottoman at night. I always want to take a strange cat to my vet to get checked before thinking about integrating him with my cat household because of diseases. I thought this was maybe a pregant female but turns out it was an old neutered male who was at death´s door with a big stomach tumor. My vet´s wife said he had a good instinct for where to go to be comfy but they did put him to sleep. I trust them and I know they would not have done so if they´d thought that he could live happily for awhile longer. One cat had survived in the neighborhood on her own for awhile and she became my Popsicle when she spent part of one winter in my window sills, crying. She looked so well fed I thought she was already someone else´s pet but the neighbors, knowing the buttheads who had owned my house had abandoned her as a baby, were feeding her too. That was before the coyotes got to be such a problem. Not too long ago a little butterscotch and white cat was visiting with the boys at the enclosure. I thought she was a neighbor´s pet too till she kept hanging around so I went out and petted and talked to her, and invited her in, but she declined. Since I knew I´d have to take her to the vet to get checked, I didn´t try real hard but that night, she got up in the window sill and was complaining to the boys about her campsite, when all of a sudden we heard a growl, then silence. I got out of bed and grabbed a flashlight but the poor little thing was gone. So, abandoning an cat here doesn´t save them from death anymore.

That is a tough decision, but I would have to vote for the animal shelter.

At the shelter, at least the one in my town, the animal at least has the opportunity to be adopted, vaccinated, and sterilized. The cats are fed and sheltered. If and when the sad day comes that the cat is put to sleep, at least the procedure is quick and supposedly painless.

However, cats allowed to roam free may not find food and go hungry for long periods of time. They are susceptible to diseases and may endure harsh climates. If they don’t die of starvation or disease, they could be killed by other animals, automobiles, poisons, (mean) people, etc, and all these things would result in the animal’s suffering. Only under the best circumstances do cats get adopted by loving homes, or at all.

I really hate to think about it. I think the best thing to do is make the decision that seems best to you, and help to whatever extent you are able. I know I’m happy that I saved three precious monsters

If cats are left in the wild here in OZ to fend for themselves than you are killing all our precious wildlife.

Cats are the biggest killer to our native birds and especially our Koalas.

Im a huge cat advocate and i would never see a cat be left to fend for itself however if it came to running free and killing our wildlife or having the cat put in a shelter, than i know what i would have to do.

I have resuced Oscar from the wild as he was dumped and left to fend for himself. It does not matter what we do his kill instinct is much much stronger than my other moggie whom has only know the human life so to speak.

Oscar has often caught birds and such and although it is his nature to do this it breaks my heart to think he can kill so thoughtlessly.

Cats are hunters regardless of how cute they are. You have to remeber they are part of the big cat family and they do have the same hunting instinct.

I have had cats eat my pet rabbits and also kill my birds. These were simply becuase their owners didnt care enough to feed them or simply rehouse them so therefore my pets suffered.

If cats were desexed and look after properly than there would be no need to turn a cat loose.

I have rescued cats often and they have turned out to be such loving little things. Its hard as each persons circumstances are different but i beg you not to let the cat run free.

In the end the cats life will not be one of happiness. and would you be happy thinking each day "oh i hope its ok, i wonder how it is"

IN the UK the best charity is Cat Protection (and I support them financially) as they never put a healthy cat (or even a disabled but healthy cat) to sleep. They also take in Feral cats and neuter them before releasing them again. I don´t trust the other - including the RSPCA - as a friend of mine took a cat to them to get some medical attention of an infected eye and they put it to sleep because it had FIV. Now cats can live a happy long life with FIV. CP (cat protection) don´t kill cats just because they have FIV.

We have some strays in London, living in parks, and some of the back gardens. Cat loving people feed them and provide a shelter (I actually brought a cat-cabin for one cat in the park). They are happy there and in a way looked after.

In Australia there is a free service offered to de-sex stray cats. I think it´s funded by the RSPCA or a cat welfare organisation. The shelters here seem to be good because they foster out a lot of cats until they find a forever home.

A friend of mine started to be visited by a cat that was a friendly stray. He took it to have it desexed, and looked after it while it recovered. However, it hated it inside, so now it´s back to visits... he makes sure it´s fed every day and gets some pats, and at least the little cat won´t be having unwanted kittens. He also has had it wormed and vaccinated.

It´s a compromise, and he´s "almost" but not quite got a cat of his own!

I think it should be free. Here in Az I pay about 69.00 and that includes the first shot. That is for the boys. I ahve not done Boots yet but lou and mr are done. Lou was a stray that I fed and I could not bear to leave him behind.

Leaving a cat to fend on it´s own rather than taking it to a shelter is not a good idea. A no kill shelter or cat rescue can give it a better life than "living wild". Cats that have been pets have great risks to their lives being outside trying to find food, shelter and protection from other wild animals, toxins etc. Feral cats are another story and often are not adoptable, but capturing, speutering and vaccinating is a very good and responsible thing to do, both for the native birds of your area and to help diminish the chances of increased reproduction and waves of illness.
Many people in this world think that if they take their cat or dog (or turtle or whatever) and "set it free" that either someone will rescue it or that it will survive on its own. Pet turtles and non native fish etc have ruined many a natural habitat by killing off native species and cats and dogs become dinner for coyotes or end up shot by farmers for killing their livestock just to feed themselves.
Domesticated animals are just that, domesticated. It is irresponsible to assume that they can survive in the wild, and even if they do, their lives are not by any means pleasant.
I would rather my animal be humanely pts than starve or freeze to death alone in the wild.

I do have this conflict in my soul. I´d have to think twice before takin in any cats/kitten, cuz there´s diseases to think about it. If I´m able to keep it isolated from my other cats, I´d definitely take them in and de-worm and de-flea them. I did this once with a week-old kitten I found...found it a good home through a local cat forum, thank God. But I think for the most part I hesitate because I know I´d find it hard to let it go...I nearly kept the kitten for myself.

But I would definitely not take a cat to shelter UNLESS it´s a no-kill shelter.

Ok, I am afraid I don´t agree to let them run free. They are un-neutered, feral and wild. They eat the wild life and in a lot of places here they attack the endangered species. They carry disease to our moggies, fight with our moggies. If they get hit by cars they cause stress to people and cost to the vets that will fix them.

Unfortunately euthanasing stray cats is a necessary evil. There are simply far too many cats for homes. The way to attack this is with education. We need to get to the young people today so that when they are buying pets for their families they get them desexed and microchipped.

Sorry but letting them run free is not the answer.

Im with furrypaws! By people letting cats free they are fueling the problem of the shelters being over whelmed. The only way we can reduce the over crowded cat shelters is to educate people on pet ownership and getting their pets spayed and castrated. it will take time.
I hate that they put any animal without a home to sleep but its got to be better then them running wild starving.

hooplady i could not have said it better myself. i agree 100%.

In the USA, the feral cat society (at least there is a chapter in Bloomington, IN, my former hometown) will catch a cat, desex it, microchip it, and let it free again.

These are feral cats which don´t make good pets. Unfortunately, when they desex them, they don´t do a nice tattoo like they do here in Australia, they actually lop the left ear off! They maim the cat. I don´t have a good feeling about that.

It´s done in other countries ,too (I mean lop off a piece of ear) - probably easier to identify a wild living but taken care of cat than looking in the ear for tattoo.
Our shelter is a no-kill one, kittens are kept and given to adoption, ferals are de-sexed and get a great S tattooed in their ear and put free.
Grown up domestic cats are kept and often stay there for years - the same with dogs. Some of them die in this captivity which I find tragic...
Very old dog and cats, that spent their almost whole life in the shelter can be adopted free of charge, but still there are not many that want an elderly animal.
I almost believe, cats can do better when on their own. Greater chance to run in someone who´ll give them family.

This dilemma is what made me become a cat sanctuary. In 1999, there were 70 cats here, many still unfixed, ferals in my woods and recent ones from our county shelter that was not allowed to keep cats. I took everyone found at the shelter. After getting them fixed, they were released on my farm. Some may have found new homes on their own. Few ever get adopted as not many want adult cats. We feed them and care for their medical needs.

If you "save" a cat, please have it "fixed" before letting it loose. We used to have the coyote problem, but we have 7 big dogs now and haven´t seen a coyote in years. We are far from the road, so haven´t had a road kill in years. Cinnamon may have been hit by a car, we don´t know, but his injuries could have come from other sources too. We take any feral, and some get friendly to us, but still no one seems to want them, so they just live here. There are some feral colonies in Lexington, around the University. I´ve taken some in, another lady near there took some on her horse farm, and the others get fixed and turned loose by groups down there. Two of the ladies there are moving closer to me and hope to help more. That will be good if it happens as we have no volunteers.

I will not take an animal to the shelter either. I rescue from the shelter. I just wish everyone would spay and neuter their animals to stop the over population.