HOW TO HANDLE "THREATS" REGARDING YOUR COLONY CARETAKING

If you are approached by someone who asks you to stop feeding cats in your colony, there are some basic things you should do:

1.   Demonstrate you are a responsible caretaker by ensuring all animals are spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies.  A sterilized colony exhibits far less objectionable behavior (spraying/urine marking, fighting, caterwauling, mating, etc.) and will ultimately decline in numbers if the rate of abandonment doesn't exceed the rate of natural attrition.

2.   Be discreet in your caretaking, and make sure you are feeding in as unobtrusive a manner as possible.  Place food under bushes or behind other barriers.  Do not leave plates, etc. with food, instead feed on broad leaves that are biodegradable.  Use clear or black bowls for water, which tend to blend into the landscape more easily than brightly colored or steel bowls.   Try to feed during a period that has relatively low human activity to avoid attracting attention and potentially increasing the likelihood that people will abandon animals at the location.

3.  Always try to understand the objections the person has, and resolve them to the best of your ability.  Common complaints include litter (see above); excess food that rots and attracts flies, ants, etc. (feed only what can be consumed in a reasonable period of time (one hour) or pick up uneaten food; cats causing damage to gardens, etc. (offer to provide/apply deterrents to keep cats out of particularly sensitive areas - see list of deterrents).

4.   Determine if it is the property owner who is complaining.  If you are on private property and do not have permission to feed the animals, they probably have the legal right to charge you with trespassing.  Unless you are able to persuade the property owner that it is in his/her best interest to allow you to humanely care for the colony, the colony will be at risk.

5.   If you are on public land, determine the actual laws or policies that apply to the location.  In Florida, THERE IS NO STATEWIDE LAW THAT PROHIBITS FEEDING OR COLONY CARETAKING.  Contact your applicable government(s) (city, county, whatever applies, and state if outside Florida) government and inquire as to regulations in this area.  In most cases, there won't be any specific regulations.  If you are told it is illegal, ask for the specific details of the regulations (ex: Florida Statute #xxx.xx).

6.   Get the name and description of anyone who asks/orders you to stop feeding.  Ask to see identification if he/she claims to be with a governmental agency, and write down a badge or identification number if there is one.  Get a description of his/her vehicle, including license plate.  If he/she is unwilling to provide detailed information on the specific law, policy etc. that you are violating, ask for contact information for his/her supervisor.

7.   If you are told to leave the premises by a police officer, politely ask on what grounds you are being asked to leave, obtain all the above documentation, and leave the premises. 

8.   If you are being harassed, bring a camera, camcorder, tape recorder, and/or witnesses the next time to go to the location to document what transpires.  If you are being harassed and there is no legal basis for the harassment, contact the supervisor of the person who is harassing you, and the appropriate head of the relevant government (ex:  for a town or city, the Mayor; for state land, the Governor, etc.).

If these steps fail, then please notify us via the TNR Works listserv, or email us at tnrmakessense@yahoo.com.  If someone is available to provide additional, personal guidance, you will be contacted.