Dear Boo:

Hi, I don’t live in Chicago but my brother does and he sends me your news letters always, they are very informative. I love cats, I have two and also a beagle, and also…I care for 8 stray cats that live outside. I have built them houses for the winter months

and they have been around going on 2 years now. Most of them are feral but are dedicated dwellers and eaters. I can pet 2 of them but that is it.

Spring is here once again and I ran into a problem last year with bringing fleas into the house even though my “inside family” is treated with Advantage monthly. Is there some way of treating the strays so I don’t run into the same problem this year and are the yard sprays that you can buy safe for animals that you can’t keep out of the yard? I also heard about an oral birth control that strays can take to prevent more litters?

I’d hate to call someone to capture them and just have to wonder if they were just put to sleep. Your advice and help is needed, thank you. I’d also like to thank you for taking care of my brother’s cat so dearly. She recently passed about a year ago. Her name was Bubba and we both loved her dearly. She was also a beautiful stray that I cared for, he took in and from Ohio to Chicago, she lived a great life and touched many hearts.

Michelle

Dear Michelle:

It certainly sounds like you have quite a flea problem even using Advantage with your cats. Fleas can be quite hardy in the environment. Consider some of the following ideas:

• Switch from Advantage to Frontline Plus: this has not only the adulticide similar to Advantage, but also an insect growth regulator (IGR) to sterilize any eggs that are laid.
• The strays are harder to treat because they are harder to catch and they haven’t been seen by a veterinarian, so a prescription
  treatment can’t be recommended for them.
• Regarding a yard spray, I would contact either an exterminator or lawn treatment company and see if they have any recommendations- just be sure to explain the feline living arrangements…

Regarding the feral cat situation in general- bravo to you for becoming their caretaker! Unfortunately, oral birth control is not something that is currently available. What is available in many locations are Trap-Neuter-Release programs. With these programs, cats from stable and cared for feral cat colonies are trapped, tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV, neutered, and vaccinated, and then released back into their “homes”. The caretakers help trap them and continue to care for them after the procedure. This results in a non-breeding, stable, and fairly healthy colony. Check out Alley Cat Allies for more information at www.alleycat.org.

Boo,