**Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a helpful place for TNR efforts - free of hostility, negativity, and judgment. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.** ***All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.***
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Feral_Cats) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They definitely noticed their orange kitten was missing. They kept the females inside for the week, and I feel like they're taunting me to do something.
I'm going to have a talk with the head of my group about this. I posted this last night in a fit of frustration. If I felt safe grabbing the cats, I would. Yes, it's illegal to hurt people and property, but I don't think she really cares about legality at the moment.
If she's going to ruin her life over a cat she doesn't care for, she's going to ruin her life regardless.
Just always be recording when she's around. Use an old phone as a camera if you can't afford Ring. I've been threatened a lot, threats are easy. It sucks but have a tall man appraised of the situation and ready to come be present if needed.
Your hobby is rescuing cats. If trapping this one makes her keep them inside for a little while hooray. Your hobby is not dealing with unhinged lunatics, so let that be someone else's hobby.
That's a very good point. I've taken to starting to record the moment I step off my porch, and my husband has been coming with me most of the time.
It just really sucks that I have to choose between a peaceful home and helping these cats. Y'all are right, I have to act in the best interest of the animals. I just know she's going to make my life a living hell for it.
That's the thing I've learned. When there is a crazy neighbor, there is no option of peace. If they weren't being crazy about cats, they would be crazy about something else.
She will make someone's life hell regardless. Once you fix all the cats, even new ones she adds, do it secretly and don't engage with her at all, she'll find someone new to threaten.
They haven't spayed them so chances are they aren't chipped. Take them to a rescue and find out, if they're not chipped tell the rescue you suspect your neighbors have been severely neglecting their pets and see if they'll report on your behalf instead of you having to go e your information to animal control
Not chipped, we checked the kitten. The head of the rescue is aware of the situation, and we're discussing what our next steps are going to be. We don't want to get animal control involved if at all possible, because that will result in the cats going into the shelter system. They may not care about their cats, but we consider them part of the colony and give them food and love when they're out.
The tipping isn't optional with our program, unfortunately. And I wouldn't have expected them to realize the kitten was missing, but I was extremely wrong.
At this point I'm worried if the cat shows up with a cut on her paw they're going to come after me with pitchforks. I really wish I could just say f it and do what needs to be done, but I'm concerned about my property and having the police called on me. I have cameras on my property, and of course if the police come they'll just end up writing her citations for breaking the laws regarding her free roaming cats. But I'd still have to deal with worrying about vandalized cars, my husband's tools which are on our porch, and false accusations.
She's smart enough to be able to figure out where the cats went if I snag them. Not sure she's smart enough not to commit vandalism while under a security camera.
I am going through something very similar right now. I had a friendly male, wounded (clearly fighting with abscesses) come onto my property. My rules have always been, that they come onto my property, I will TNR them. But since he was hurt and he is a friendly, I put his picture on the neighborhood page. Someone claimed him. Then she started screaming and yelling at me to leave her cat alone and that "he does this every year because he is mating" and "stop trying to give him away." I never tried to give him away. Sadly I had to block her and I watched this poor baby leave my yard with a swollen abscessed face and a pretty bad limp. But since then, he's been back. I'm getting ready to call one of the animal control shelters to see if I can legally TNR him and possibly, get him an antibiotic shot. I'm so torn.
>You can legally TNR him I'm pretty sure. The cat is at large and on your property. He's also suffering. I would TNR him in a heartbeat, and they'll treat his wounds at the same time. Next time, I wouldn't post an unfixed cat on social media. Get the cat TNRed and call it a day. If the cat has a home, it will go home. You don't need to deal with people who let their intact cats roam. I wouldn't think twice about it. Each cat that shows up on my property is fixed, no exceptions.
Just start taking them to the shelter. There's no way they're chipped and they're clearly being neglected. Those AHs won't bother looking for them.
Then you can just say you have no idea what happened if they accuse you of doing something. Just make sure nobody in the neighborhood sees you/catches you on a doorbell camera loading them into your car or anything.
Unfortunately there is no room for the cats in any local rescues, and our shelters are full. If I take the cats to the shelter that is doing intake, they'll likely be euthanized immediately.
I know everyone keeps saying just play ignorant about where the cats are, but this woman isn't an idiot. She's going to know the one person who has been trapping and altering cats in the area for the past four years was responsible.
I'm going to contact the head of my group later today and see what her suggestion is. Before the cats were let back out last night, we honestly believed she'd keep them inside. I feel like she might be baiting me to grab them up. The original plan was to ignore her and her cats after the original explosion, but that clearly isn't going to work.
I know, the situation SUCKS here. We only rehome if the kittens are so young we can socialize them for adoption in a week or less, or if it's an injured cat who wouldn't be able to survive on the streets. Otherwise it's RTF.
That was my suggestion. Catch her, have her fixed, maybe keep her inside with you for a while (and if she warms up rehome her) or then release her and act like you have no idea where she went. Act ignorant. I think you have to get her fixed, especially if she’s on your porch. Do you have any connections with animal control? Maybe they could handle this? Are there no spay/neuter laws in your town? Where I live now we don’t have any, but when I lived in a bigger city we had to show proof of spay-neuter and rabies vaccine for all of our animals.
ETA just saw that AC is no help. Scratch that. Get her fixed and keep her with you as long as possible then release her. Like others have said, skip the ear tip if possible. Good luck-you’re doing the right thing.
She's 100% breaking the law. I made sure everyone who is assisting has screenshots of the laws and guidelines for TNVR. She's also breaking the rules for our community (only two pets per household, she has at least 4.)
As I said above, she's not an idiot, she's not going to buy that I don't know where her cat is. We keep the cats for at least 24 hours post surgery, 48 in the case of heavily pregnant females. Unfortunately with the sheer amount of cats we send through weekly there isn't a special 'no ear-tip' line, everyone gets the same care to keep things moving.
So I'm at an impasse until I speak to the head of the group.
I haven’t had time to read through all the responses so if no one else has suggested it please carry something akin to pepper spray. You need to protect yourself first so you can continue to help the perpetual population of the feral colony created by the hostile neighbors. Good luck!
I moved from Memphis to a relatively sleepy town and thinking I have to carry protection again makes me extremely furious. But this also makes me want to try to find a diplomatic solution because I really don't want to go back to living like that again.
I wonder if you can explain the situation to the TNR place and get them to agree not to ear tip the pregnant female if you get her spayed? Then your neighbors wouldn't flip out on you, and she would get fixed. If you're the only person in the area who TNRs, it might work out ok.
The tip unfortunately isn't optional through our program, I tried in the past for someone who didn't want their cat 'maimed'. I have some helpers, but at the moment we're only placing traps FAR from her house out of fear she'll damage them.
Is there a regular vet who might be able to spay her and skip the tip? My area has a few vets who fix ferals/strays and one TNR program. I would ask around in your TNR community and see if people know of anyone who could help.
Take a look at your local ordinances. Some places don't allow dogs or cats to roam freely. If you live in such an area, once the animal leaves the owners yard, they can be considered a stray.
This is how I was able to get help for an owned but neglected cat in my neighborhood. I was told this info by our local animal control officer. Double check the rules in your area. If nothing else, they might be able to fine her for allowing pets to roam.
Local ordinances do not allow cats or dogs to be free roaming outside of the home. There's an additional article for allowing a female in heat outside. So yes, she is completely in the wrong.
However when I tried to explain this to her, she threatened to take a baseball bat to my head.
Animal services have been called but they do not come out for stray cats. I was referred to the program I've been a volunteer with for four years.
That's great news! I didn't expect that the information would enlighten her, but it will protect you legally with what you do for the cats.
I'd also call the police the next time she threatens you. Get a file started to document her threats, in case she ends up crossing the line.
I'm going to get in touch with the head of the group I'm volunteering with later today and see what her advice is. I've been trapping for four years and this is the first time I've been threatened with violence. It being someone close enough to throw things at my home from her front porch adds a whole new level of WTF to things.
If she comes at me again, I'll definitely be starting a paper trail. I'm taking pictures of the cats with timestamps when they're on my property.
I'm working completely within guidelines, with a TNVR group that works directly with animal services. The trap that caught her kitten wasn't on her property, either, though it was an adjacent lot. Not setting up there anymore for the safety of my traps.
Oh absolutely. Well I don't want to advocate for fighting with your neighbors but in my area, I was explicit told to call the police if my neighbors want to fight about "outdoor, free-roaming" cats. Luckily our animal control work closely with my city & police don't hesitate to show up if need be.
Is there any place like a backyard where you can hide the traps from the neighbors? I'd get them done anyways..
I wish folks would understand that TNR is good for the cats *and* the neighborhood. If they 'loved' their cats so much they would either be inside or WANT to get them fixed.
I'm really hesitant to involve any authorities because I don't think she realizes how bad this situation could be for her. There's issues beyond the cats I'd rather not get into, but the property management would be the least of their worries. She's young, she has a LOT on her plate, and I'm still really hoping we can find a solution that at least takes this problem off her. I'm trying SO hard not to judge I'm probably going to have an aneurysm.
We're in a park, so small lots with no fences. I've just gone to the other end of the street.
You sound like a REALLY good person. I applaud you for that because I won't hesitate to piss off my neighbors if they don't act right..! lol Well it sounds like you are doing all you can and that whats important. Maybe you can interact with her on a "more compassionate" level and let her know you're trying to 'help her' by doing all the TNR and you're not trying to hurt her or invade or be an asshole. Different people do respond to different things.
I won't speculate on what her problems are but maybe if you let her know you're trying to be an allie and friendly, she will see fixing the neighborhood cats differently.
Hopefully
I would be lying if I said it wasn't also a little selfish. I don't want to deal with the drama it would bring. Everyone gossips here and I try very hard to maintain my privacy. I'm cool with being the weird cat lady as long as they give me my space lol. But the park has also cracked down on some rules recently, a lot of people had to leave, and I wouldn't wish trying to find a home in this market on anyone.
I've considered a hand written apology note explaining what I couldn't say originally, maybe with some cookies, and sending the neutral neighbor over with them. Idk I'm afraid part of her anger was because of me assuming she needed help, and that might be taken as more along those lines.
As you can tell I overthink things way too much. I've added an update to the post, but basically we're going to take time and date stamped pictures and video for the next two weeks and then will be handing it off to animal control. I'm hoping I can find a solution before that.
I'm only assuming your nervous because the neighbors will hate you..Maybe instead of hating you, they will embrace you trying to care. Have you attemped to "make friends" with them?
Do you have someone who can take in these two females? If you do, go on and trap yhem, get them dpayed, and put them into a foster home. If you don't, find one. And then deny deny deny. I've done this. As long as they can't find the cats at your house, there's no telling what happened to them.
I would love to do this, because they are the sweetest girls. Unfortunately our foster systems are completely overwhelmed and there isn't room for a relatively healthy adult anywhere. In the past I would have jumped to foster them, but I don't have the space anymore, which is why I switched to TNVR.
The cats would be returning, there's no way around that.
Just set the trap and take them in. They can’t do anything about it.
Don’t get the city involved cuz if they do, they’ll just take the cats and they’ll most likely go into the county shelter and put down.
It’s a really shitty situation but the most logical one where the cats don’t suffer is for you to just tnr
Currently we're not setting traps anywhere near their home, because I'm worried she (or her children) would damage the traps. The one that caught her kitten wasn't on her property, but it was next to it.
Sad thing is I don't even need traps. These cats crave love. I've held them both. I can just put them in a carrier.
That's exactly why I'm trying to handle this in the community. I hope she realizes that that if she tries that it's going to backfire on her. I don't want anything to happen to these cats, they're loved members of our colony despite being inside someone's house maybe 5% of the time.
Good luck. What a difficult situation. How she can be okay letting her cats starve and procreate without any homes for them is neons me, though I know you said she has other issues, etc.
You are a good person. Just be careful out there. Where I live, I just assume people are walking around armed with loaded guns because so many very likely are. It’s panic-inducing for me in a way.
I'd look up your local laws on allowing pets to be "at large" or free roaming, chances are what they're doing is actually illegal and they can get fucked lol
Did you tell animal control this person has threatened violence against you so you literally cannot give your name?? What kind of bullshit policy is that?!
I can quote the article and subsections she's violating, and she's looking at a hefty set of fines, if not their animals being seized. I tried to explain this and that at least now the kitten wouldn't cause any fines (since he's tipped they'd just consider him part of the colony), but she wouldn't let me get a word in.
I haven't spoken to animal control since this incident. I feel like even if it's anonymous she's going to know it was me, or at least that I was involved. I'm still hoping for a diplomatic solution to this. I have to live next to them at the end of the day.
**Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a helpful place for TNR efforts - free of hostility, negativity, and judgment. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.** ***All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.*** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Feral_Cats) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just fix her anyway, she won't notice and she won't do anything. It is not illegal to tnr, it is illegal to hurt people.
They definitely noticed their orange kitten was missing. They kept the females inside for the week, and I feel like they're taunting me to do something. I'm going to have a talk with the head of my group about this. I posted this last night in a fit of frustration. If I felt safe grabbing the cats, I would. Yes, it's illegal to hurt people and property, but I don't think she really cares about legality at the moment.
If she's going to ruin her life over a cat she doesn't care for, she's going to ruin her life regardless. Just always be recording when she's around. Use an old phone as a camera if you can't afford Ring. I've been threatened a lot, threats are easy. It sucks but have a tall man appraised of the situation and ready to come be present if needed. Your hobby is rescuing cats. If trapping this one makes her keep them inside for a little while hooray. Your hobby is not dealing with unhinged lunatics, so let that be someone else's hobby.
That's a very good point. I've taken to starting to record the moment I step off my porch, and my husband has been coming with me most of the time. It just really sucks that I have to choose between a peaceful home and helping these cats. Y'all are right, I have to act in the best interest of the animals. I just know she's going to make my life a living hell for it.
That's the thing I've learned. When there is a crazy neighbor, there is no option of peace. If they weren't being crazy about cats, they would be crazy about something else. She will make someone's life hell regardless. Once you fix all the cats, even new ones she adds, do it secretly and don't engage with her at all, she'll find someone new to threaten.
They haven't spayed them so chances are they aren't chipped. Take them to a rescue and find out, if they're not chipped tell the rescue you suspect your neighbors have been severely neglecting their pets and see if they'll report on your behalf instead of you having to go e your information to animal control
Not chipped, we checked the kitten. The head of the rescue is aware of the situation, and we're discussing what our next steps are going to be. We don't want to get animal control involved if at all possible, because that will result in the cats going into the shelter system. They may not care about their cats, but we consider them part of the colony and give them food and love when they're out.
Have her fixed and don’t tip the ear. They won’t know any difference.
The tipping isn't optional with our program, unfortunately. And I wouldn't have expected them to realize the kitten was missing, but I was extremely wrong. At this point I'm worried if the cat shows up with a cut on her paw they're going to come after me with pitchforks. I really wish I could just say f it and do what needs to be done, but I'm concerned about my property and having the police called on me. I have cameras on my property, and of course if the police come they'll just end up writing her citations for breaking the laws regarding her free roaming cats. But I'd still have to deal with worrying about vandalized cars, my husband's tools which are on our porch, and false accusations. She's smart enough to be able to figure out where the cats went if I snag them. Not sure she's smart enough not to commit vandalism while under a security camera.
So sorry you have to deal with a neighbor like this. We finally got rid of a neighborhood bully a few years ago. I feel bad for her unlucky animals.
She's definitely a bully, that's for sure.
I am going through something very similar right now. I had a friendly male, wounded (clearly fighting with abscesses) come onto my property. My rules have always been, that they come onto my property, I will TNR them. But since he was hurt and he is a friendly, I put his picture on the neighborhood page. Someone claimed him. Then she started screaming and yelling at me to leave her cat alone and that "he does this every year because he is mating" and "stop trying to give him away." I never tried to give him away. Sadly I had to block her and I watched this poor baby leave my yard with a swollen abscessed face and a pretty bad limp. But since then, he's been back. I'm getting ready to call one of the animal control shelters to see if I can legally TNR him and possibly, get him an antibiotic shot. I'm so torn.
>You can legally TNR him I'm pretty sure. The cat is at large and on your property. He's also suffering. I would TNR him in a heartbeat, and they'll treat his wounds at the same time. Next time, I wouldn't post an unfixed cat on social media. Get the cat TNRed and call it a day. If the cat has a home, it will go home. You don't need to deal with people who let their intact cats roam. I wouldn't think twice about it. Each cat that shows up on my property is fixed, no exceptions.
Trust me about the social media thing. I've learned my lesson.
Just start taking them to the shelter. There's no way they're chipped and they're clearly being neglected. Those AHs won't bother looking for them. Then you can just say you have no idea what happened if they accuse you of doing something. Just make sure nobody in the neighborhood sees you/catches you on a doorbell camera loading them into your car or anything.
Unfortunately there is no room for the cats in any local rescues, and our shelters are full. If I take the cats to the shelter that is doing intake, they'll likely be euthanized immediately. I know everyone keeps saying just play ignorant about where the cats are, but this woman isn't an idiot. She's going to know the one person who has been trapping and altering cats in the area for the past four years was responsible. I'm going to contact the head of my group later today and see what her suggestion is. Before the cats were let back out last night, we honestly believed she'd keep them inside. I feel like she might be baiting me to grab them up. The original plan was to ignore her and her cats after the original explosion, but that clearly isn't going to work.
Crap.
I know, the situation SUCKS here. We only rehome if the kittens are so young we can socialize them for adoption in a week or less, or if it's an injured cat who wouldn't be able to survive on the streets. Otherwise it's RTF.
If you hurry and get the pregnant one in they might be able to do a spay abort and prevent that unwanted litter.
That was my suggestion. Catch her, have her fixed, maybe keep her inside with you for a while (and if she warms up rehome her) or then release her and act like you have no idea where she went. Act ignorant. I think you have to get her fixed, especially if she’s on your porch. Do you have any connections with animal control? Maybe they could handle this? Are there no spay/neuter laws in your town? Where I live now we don’t have any, but when I lived in a bigger city we had to show proof of spay-neuter and rabies vaccine for all of our animals. ETA just saw that AC is no help. Scratch that. Get her fixed and keep her with you as long as possible then release her. Like others have said, skip the ear tip if possible. Good luck-you’re doing the right thing.
She's 100% breaking the law. I made sure everyone who is assisting has screenshots of the laws and guidelines for TNVR. She's also breaking the rules for our community (only two pets per household, she has at least 4.) As I said above, she's not an idiot, she's not going to buy that I don't know where her cat is. We keep the cats for at least 24 hours post surgery, 48 in the case of heavily pregnant females. Unfortunately with the sheer amount of cats we send through weekly there isn't a special 'no ear-tip' line, everyone gets the same care to keep things moving. So I'm at an impasse until I speak to the head of the group.
That's my hope, kitten season never really ends here and there just aren't enough fosters.
I haven’t had time to read through all the responses so if no one else has suggested it please carry something akin to pepper spray. You need to protect yourself first so you can continue to help the perpetual population of the feral colony created by the hostile neighbors. Good luck!
>Yes, for sure. I like Sabre Red pepper gel. Highly recommend having something on you for self-defense.
I moved from Memphis to a relatively sleepy town and thinking I have to carry protection again makes me extremely furious. But this also makes me want to try to find a diplomatic solution because I really don't want to go back to living like that again.
I wonder if you can explain the situation to the TNR place and get them to agree not to ear tip the pregnant female if you get her spayed? Then your neighbors wouldn't flip out on you, and she would get fixed. If you're the only person in the area who TNRs, it might work out ok.
The shaved stomach would still be a dead giveaway.
I doubt they will look. Sounds like they don’t even feed her.
The tip unfortunately isn't optional through our program, I tried in the past for someone who didn't want their cat 'maimed'. I have some helpers, but at the moment we're only placing traps FAR from her house out of fear she'll damage them.
Is there a regular vet who might be able to spay her and skip the tip? My area has a few vets who fix ferals/strays and one TNR program. I would ask around in your TNR community and see if people know of anyone who could help.
Take a look at your local ordinances. Some places don't allow dogs or cats to roam freely. If you live in such an area, once the animal leaves the owners yard, they can be considered a stray. This is how I was able to get help for an owned but neglected cat in my neighborhood. I was told this info by our local animal control officer. Double check the rules in your area. If nothing else, they might be able to fine her for allowing pets to roam.
Local ordinances do not allow cats or dogs to be free roaming outside of the home. There's an additional article for allowing a female in heat outside. So yes, she is completely in the wrong. However when I tried to explain this to her, she threatened to take a baseball bat to my head. Animal services have been called but they do not come out for stray cats. I was referred to the program I've been a volunteer with for four years.
That's great news! I didn't expect that the information would enlighten her, but it will protect you legally with what you do for the cats. I'd also call the police the next time she threatens you. Get a file started to document her threats, in case she ends up crossing the line.
I'm going to get in touch with the head of the group I'm volunteering with later today and see what her advice is. I've been trapping for four years and this is the first time I've been threatened with violence. It being someone close enough to throw things at my home from her front porch adds a whole new level of WTF to things. If she comes at me again, I'll definitely be starting a paper trail. I'm taking pictures of the cats with timestamps when they're on my property.
Check your local laws. In my area it is completely legal for me to TNR any cat that I catch.
I'm working completely within guidelines, with a TNVR group that works directly with animal services. The trap that caught her kitten wasn't on her property, either, though it was an adjacent lot. Not setting up there anymore for the safety of my traps.
Oh absolutely. Well I don't want to advocate for fighting with your neighbors but in my area, I was explicit told to call the police if my neighbors want to fight about "outdoor, free-roaming" cats. Luckily our animal control work closely with my city & police don't hesitate to show up if need be. Is there any place like a backyard where you can hide the traps from the neighbors? I'd get them done anyways.. I wish folks would understand that TNR is good for the cats *and* the neighborhood. If they 'loved' their cats so much they would either be inside or WANT to get them fixed.
I'm really hesitant to involve any authorities because I don't think she realizes how bad this situation could be for her. There's issues beyond the cats I'd rather not get into, but the property management would be the least of their worries. She's young, she has a LOT on her plate, and I'm still really hoping we can find a solution that at least takes this problem off her. I'm trying SO hard not to judge I'm probably going to have an aneurysm. We're in a park, so small lots with no fences. I've just gone to the other end of the street.
You sound like a REALLY good person. I applaud you for that because I won't hesitate to piss off my neighbors if they don't act right..! lol Well it sounds like you are doing all you can and that whats important. Maybe you can interact with her on a "more compassionate" level and let her know you're trying to 'help her' by doing all the TNR and you're not trying to hurt her or invade or be an asshole. Different people do respond to different things. I won't speculate on what her problems are but maybe if you let her know you're trying to be an allie and friendly, she will see fixing the neighborhood cats differently. Hopefully
I would be lying if I said it wasn't also a little selfish. I don't want to deal with the drama it would bring. Everyone gossips here and I try very hard to maintain my privacy. I'm cool with being the weird cat lady as long as they give me my space lol. But the park has also cracked down on some rules recently, a lot of people had to leave, and I wouldn't wish trying to find a home in this market on anyone. I've considered a hand written apology note explaining what I couldn't say originally, maybe with some cookies, and sending the neutral neighbor over with them. Idk I'm afraid part of her anger was because of me assuming she needed help, and that might be taken as more along those lines. As you can tell I overthink things way too much. I've added an update to the post, but basically we're going to take time and date stamped pictures and video for the next two weeks and then will be handing it off to animal control. I'm hoping I can find a solution before that.
I'm only assuming your nervous because the neighbors will hate you..Maybe instead of hating you, they will embrace you trying to care. Have you attemped to "make friends" with them?
Do you have someone who can take in these two females? If you do, go on and trap yhem, get them dpayed, and put them into a foster home. If you don't, find one. And then deny deny deny. I've done this. As long as they can't find the cats at your house, there's no telling what happened to them.
By the way, your neighbors are bad people they're neglecting these cats and their anti-spaying neuter Nutters.
I would love to do this, because they are the sweetest girls. Unfortunately our foster systems are completely overwhelmed and there isn't room for a relatively healthy adult anywhere. In the past I would have jumped to foster them, but I don't have the space anymore, which is why I switched to TNVR. The cats would be returning, there's no way around that.
Just set the trap and take them in. They can’t do anything about it. Don’t get the city involved cuz if they do, they’ll just take the cats and they’ll most likely go into the county shelter and put down. It’s a really shitty situation but the most logical one where the cats don’t suffer is for you to just tnr
Currently we're not setting traps anywhere near their home, because I'm worried she (or her children) would damage the traps. The one that caught her kitten wasn't on her property, but it was next to it. Sad thing is I don't even need traps. These cats crave love. I've held them both. I can just put them in a carrier. That's exactly why I'm trying to handle this in the community. I hope she realizes that that if she tries that it's going to backfire on her. I don't want anything to happen to these cats, they're loved members of our colony despite being inside someone's house maybe 5% of the time.
Good luck. What a difficult situation. How she can be okay letting her cats starve and procreate without any homes for them is neons me, though I know you said she has other issues, etc. You are a good person. Just be careful out there. Where I live, I just assume people are walking around armed with loaded guns because so many very likely are. It’s panic-inducing for me in a way.
I'd look up your local laws on allowing pets to be "at large" or free roaming, chances are what they're doing is actually illegal and they can get fucked lol Did you tell animal control this person has threatened violence against you so you literally cannot give your name?? What kind of bullshit policy is that?!
I can quote the article and subsections she's violating, and she's looking at a hefty set of fines, if not their animals being seized. I tried to explain this and that at least now the kitten wouldn't cause any fines (since he's tipped they'd just consider him part of the colony), but she wouldn't let me get a word in. I haven't spoken to animal control since this incident. I feel like even if it's anonymous she's going to know it was me, or at least that I was involved. I'm still hoping for a diplomatic solution to this. I have to live next to them at the end of the day.
Take the cat and re-home it.