Extended Warm Streak Extends Feral Cat Breeding Cycle - Long Island Shelters Filling W. Kittens

[hatrack]

The recent spate of unseasonably warm temperatures have led to what seems to be an extended breeding cycle for some feral cats -- meaning a bump in the local kitten population and full cages at several local shelters and rescue groups. So many new kittens have come into the Long Island Humane and Dog Protective Association, a private, no-kill animal shelter in Freeport, that the shelter has had to turn away callers wanting to bring in kittens for adoption.

"We have just been inundated with calls" about kittens, said Maria Cross, one of the shelter's workers. "Usually, by November, December, it ends. It just hasn't this year."

And the calls about kittens have come so fast and furious that Linda Stuurman, director of Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation on Long Island wonders if the group will have to rethink its rhythm. "From an animal rescue organization's perspective, January and February have always been our regrouping months because animals weren't really reproducing," Stuurman said. "But we're having kittens being born all year round."

Experts said the warm temperatures may be responsible for the increased fecundity of feral, or undomesticated cats. The balmy weather this winter has induced some female cats to breed when they normally wouldn't, Cross said.

EDIT

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licats0108,0,6306581.story?coll=ny-longisland-homepage

[htuttle]

1. Kittens for everyone! Hooray!!

Enjoy it while you can -- the next animal inundation is just as likely to be huge centipedes crawling north from the Gulf Coast...

[Nihil]

5. And if the worst comes to the worst ...

... treat it as a new food supply!
:evilgrin:

[pitohui]

6. is that legal?

if i thought i could get away with it i would consider your advice

save the birds, save the earth, eat free -- pretty much the trifecta if you ask me

:evilgrin:

i just googled a recipe for a slow-cooked beer-roasted cat that seems like it would make those end of the world survivalism blues a little more endurable

[Dead_Parrot]

7. Must be time to pull this out again, then:

Pass the cat-sup...

[pitohui]

8. ok that's a new one on me EOM

.

[demnan]

2. Follow Bob Barker's advice

and spay and neuter. Hey and adopt if you can.

[iconoclastic cat]

3. Yep. I've caught 3 feral kittens so far.

Chicago always had a huge feral cat problem, but I can tell you that I've never seen it like this. Lucky for the cats, there are people who are willing to help. It's too bad we have five already, or I'd keep a few myself!

By the way, "feral" kittens will turn themselves into domestic cats about five minutes after you feed them indoors. Older cats may take longer.

[pretzel4gore]

4. 'Perfect Stranger'

he's a big long haired guy who first sneaked in a couple (cold) winters ago...he's been visiting every since, and for a couple years i am PS's main meal source, and port-in-storm if weather too bad. But it's almost hilarious his (pretended?) fear - PS isn't stupid, as a homeless cat, and fairly healthy despite feral, still maintains skittish fear, though he obviously knows he's in no danger....

[NNadir]

9. Bertha Katzennagel over in the lounge works with feral cats a bit.

I think she does one of those catch, spay, release trips.

[pitohui]

10. well perhaps we won't show her this thread then

i know several people into this and we just agree not to discuss it, what is the point?

it's the "release" part of it that's morally objectionable to those of us who care about our native small birds and small wildlife but the catch/release types don't really care about birds and are in complete denial about it because it would make them feel bad to recognize the harm done


catch, skin, clean, and roast would be a hell of a lot more socially responsible but our society goes with what is popular and with what coddles people's egos and plays to their prejudices, so there it is

[NNadir]

11. Alright then.

If you want to take up cat hunting, just don't tell Bertha. I kind of like her as a person and, in one way you're right, there wouldn't be much of a point in it.

There are lots of people in my area who want to shoot the deer as well, and this is also controversial.

[kestrel91316]

12. I did have more fall kittens than usual this year, it seemed like.

BUT.............cats are seasonal breeders with onset of estrus triggered by increasing day length. They start coming in heat after winter solstice (those evil pagan kitties!!!!). It has nothing to do with temperatures.

Maybe survival of early/late litters is improved with the warmer climate?

[Boomer]

13. Bumper crop of mice, perhaps?

There was a surge in the mouse population in my area starting a few months ago. Not sure why, but in conversations with neighbors and with people in other parts of town we've confirmed it wasn't just our house that had to fight against the invasion.

And yes, our local animal shelter is filled with kittens.

[kestrel91316]

14. Lol, this is Los Angeles. We don't HAVE mice. We have rats!

But I don't think their population has jumped. At least not that I have noticed, and there was nothing about it in the news.