Oh yes, I have done my bit to encourage people to keep their cats indoors, but sadly most of the cats in our neighborhood our semi-feral. 2 of mine are. I merely caught them, fixed them, gave them litterboxes which they use and feed them some. I have one indoor cat I prefer to keep indoors so that she won't do what the feral and semi-feral onces do and shred birds.

Managing a feral cat population is always dicey situation. On the one hand you have people who say they deserve to be free and that to trap and neuter them is cruel. I say it's cruel to let them reproduce, inbreed and go without vet care. Since I moved here we have reduced the feral and semi-feral population by 2/3rds. Just last month I hounded a neighbor as gently as a could to neuter his new male cat whom he allows to roam free. I bought the boy a collar with a bell and a printed name tag and I'm hoping for the best.

We also try every year to post nesting boxes on poles high above where cats can climb and bell every cat we can catch. it isn't always successful. I'd like to do more. i really don't have much pity for the people who lewt their "housecats" out at night and by let, that usually means put them out like fred flinstone and his sabertooth cat. if one of the 2 semi-feral cats I care for gets eaten - oh well. I've tried to make them indoor cats and failing that I have done all I can to prevent them from reproducing or spreading disease.

Good points everyone who brought up the issue of outdoor cats. it really is a problem.