Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 67

Gina has a former coworker who called her one day about the free-ranging cats on acreage she’d just bought. The woman was a lifelong dog owner who’d never paid that much attention to cats, but suddenly she was dealing with a dozen of them every day. The cats expected her to pick up the feeding duties that the previous homeowner had taken on.

The woman didn’t know what to do. “Can you tell me who to call?” she said. “I need someone to pick up these cats and find them good homes. I’ll be home this weekend, if that’s convenient.”

Gina let her know as gently as possible that she was pretty much on her own with her new cats, and told her about the choices she would have to make on their behalf. She guessed the advice would fall on deaf ears, and she’d never hear about the cats again.

Gina guessed wrong. The woman did her research and decided to trap, neuter, and release the cats. A year later, their numbers had stabilized, and the cats were doing well. And the woman came to enjoy their presence!

Cats are creatures of habit. If they know that food appears in a certain place, at a certain time, you can be sure they’ll be there. Pick a time that’s convenient for you and a spot that’s away from high-traffic areas.

Feeding your cats and then taking the leftover food away makes them more interested in turning up on time for dinner. Removing food after your cats are done also prevents wildlife from getting into it and helps keep rodent populations in check.

Once you start feeding them, they’re your responsibility — every day. And that’s why you’ll find the role of caretaker much easier if you find someone with whom to share the job. That way, illness and vacations won’t mean hungry cats, and you can reduce your chance of burnout.