Paws of Adam's County Community Cat Coalition

02/16/2026

$50 to fix community cats.
Click on the link for more details!🐾

Operated collaboratively by Humane Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, this program utilizes a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) model and strives to humanely catch, sterilize, rabies vaccinate, microchip and ear-tip free-roaming and stray cats.

02/03/2026

I see this conversation come up constantly — people saying community cats should be killed, dumped somewhere else, or “just taken away.” I get the frustration, but here’s the honest truth: those ideas don’t work and usually make the problem worse.
Community cats exist whether we like it or not. They always have, and they always will. When cats are removed or killed, new cats move in. It’s called the vacuum effect, and it’s been proven over and over again. You don’t end a cat population by removing cats — you just reset it.

👉 The only method proven to actually reduce community cat populations is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return).
Neutered cats: • stop reproducing
• fight less
• spray less
• yowl less
• and colonies slowly shrink over time
That’s not opinion — it’s backed by decades of data.

Alley Cat Allies explains it well here:
https://www.alleycat.org/resources/why-trap-neuter-return-feral-cats-the-case-for-tnr/

Dumping cats is not only cruel, it’s often illegal. Indoor cats dumped outdoors almost never “figure it out.” Many die from starvation, predators, cars, or territorial attacks trying to get back home.

ASPCA on abandonment and community cats:
https://www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/community-cats

And here’s something that rarely gets said loud enough:
One thing that almost never gets acknowledged in these debates is the role of community cat caregivers — and honestly, that’s a problem.
Caregivers aren’t “creating” cat colonies. They don’t cause overpopulation. They step in after humans already failed — after pets were dumped, unfixed cats were allowed to roam, or kittens were born because no one intervened.
Most caregivers are ordinary people. They didn’t wake up one day wanting responsibility for outdoor cats. They saw animals hungry, injured, or reproducing endlessly and chose to do something instead of nothing.
What caregivers actually do:
• pay for spay/neuter out of their own pockets
• trap cats (which is time-consuming, stressful, and not easy)
• transport them to clinics, often hours away
• provide food so cats don’t scavenge in trash
• monitor health and injuries
• coordinate with rescues and animal control
• prevent hundreds — sometimes thousands — of kittens from being born.
That’s unpaid labor. Emotional labor. Financial labor.
And here’s the part people miss: stable, cared-for colonies cause fewer problems.
Fed cats are less likely to:

• dig through garbage
• fight over food
• roam long distances
• bother neighbors
Caregivers are doing what municipalities often don’t have the resources to do — population control and nuisance reduction, quietly and effectively.
Alley Cat Allies explains the caregiver role really well here:
https://www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/caregiver/
The irony is that when caregivers are harassed, threatened, or driven away, the situation almost always gets worse. Cats don’t disappear — they reproduce again, new unfixed cats move in, and complaints increase. Everyone loses.
Humane Society on why caregivers are part of the solution:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/community-cat-caregivers
You don’t have to love cats to recognize this: caregivers are reducing suffering, not increasing it. They’re filling a gap left by irresponsible pet ownership and underfunded systems.
If the goal is fewer cats, less noise, less mess, and fewer kittens — caregivers are allies, not enemies.
And maybe the real question isn’t “Why are there people feeding cats?”
Maybe it’s why more people aren’t stepping up to prevent the problem in the first place.
People caring for community cats deserve gratitude, not hostility.

If cats are bothering you on your property, there ARE humane solutions that work — no harm required: • motion-activated sprinklers
• deterrent plants or scents
• fence toppers
• adjusting mulch and soil
Humane Society has great tips here:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/humane-deterrents-community-cats

No one is asking you to “love” community cats. But learning to coexist responsibly is far more effective — and far more humane — than repeating ideas that have already failed everywhere they’ve been tried.
We can do better than cruelty. And honestly? We already know what works.

Download: PDF What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)? Trap-Neuter-Return is the humane and effective approach for stray and feral cats. Now in practice for decades in the US after being proven in Europe, scientific studies show that Trap-Neuter-Return improves the lives of feral cats, improves their relat...

12/12/2025

10/25/2025

09/21/2025

WHAT TO DO IF THE CAT WON'T GO IN THE TRAP

Vary the way that you are covering the trap. Some cats prefer to be covered, but some will only go in if they can see out the far end. Other cats prefer to be uncovered, but you'll want to be nearby to cover the trap quickly to calm the trapped cat. The uncovered trap should be a last resort to catch the last cat of the colony.

Try using different bait. If possible, heating the bait will increase the aroma and attract the cat.

Trapping within the same colony, try to use the same base and cover as used on previous cats, provided they're not soiled. When using fresh bases and covers, prior to putting them in the trap, rub them through the dirt in the area to make it smell familiar.

Trapping in a new colony, rinsing down the trap with extremely HOT water 30:1 bleach dilution to disinfect, rinse thoroughly. Since you can't over rinse, please be thorough as to avoid an overwhelming odor to the cats senses and possibly cause nausea. When using fresh bases and covers, prior to putting them in the trap, rub them through the dirt in the area to make it smell familiar.

The size of a trap is very important. The larger the cat, the larger the trap. Also cats can be claustrophobic and will be more apt to go in a larger trap and some just don't care, they want the food.

IF, AND ONLY IF, you are trapping in a secure area (your own backyard, inside a building, etc.), you can rig the trap to have both ends open for a few days with the food in the center of the trap. On the day of trapping, simply set as required for trapping.

If you're going after one specific cat and others are entering, prop the door open with a stick and a string attached to pull when the right cat is in. Just make sure the cat is far enough in for the door to close.

If you're fortunate to have two traps. Open and secure the non-setting doors and secure the traps together. Open both setting doors and secure for daily feeding inside. On day of trapping, set doors as usual, leaving non-setting doors open while non-setting doors are still open and both traps securely attached to each other.

If these tips fail, as a last resort you may want to try a drop trap.

Not recommend until you are down to your last 2-3 cats that refuse to enter a trap. Be sure trap is on flat ground, any little hole for the snout to go under will be used to escape. AND PLEASE, wait patiently for cat to be fully inside to prevent a hurt appendage and immediately cover trap, not only to prevent escaping, but to calm cat.

When transferring cat, keep drop trap covered, attach covered transfer cage/trap to drop trap and line up with door, open up both guillotine type doors, allowing cat to enter trap. You may need to uncover far end of trap, as the cat may see this an escape to enter. Never uncover the drop trap fully. You want the least amount of anxiety as possible.

Why not use drop trap from the beginning? Much like regular traps, if cats are watching and see the trapping experience, they’ll avoid the traps, making it harder to catch the remaining few. Cats are EXTREMELY smart.

09/14/2025

In most cases, cats will figure out how to use shelters on their own. Here are a few things you can do to attract them if it doesn't seem like your cats are using the shelter:

▪️Be patient. Some cats need a lot of time to get comfortable with a new shelter.

▪️Loosely fill the shelter ½ to ¾ full of straw, NOT HAY. Replace the straw as needed.

▪️Remove any door flaps on the shelter. While doorway flaps help keep cold air out and warm air in, they should not be added until after your cats are used to going in and out of the shelter.

▪️Do not place food in or near the shelter. Cats instinctively avoid sleeping near food as it attracts other cats and wildlife (predators).

▪️Location is important. Place the shelter where your cats are already hanging out. More feral/less social cats typically want to shelter farther away from humans. The more secluded the shelter, the more likely cats are to use it.

▪️Place the shelter near natural cover, as opposed to out in the open where your cats may not feel safe. Cats prefer to move along walls, hedges or other natural barriers and boundaries. Place the shelter under or up against a building, fence, tree, porch, bush or some type of overhang.

▪️Place the shelter with the entrance facing away from the wind, rain and snow.

▪️Make sure the shelter is on a flat surface. A wobbly shelter could discourage cats from entering.

▪️It’s possible that your cats have another shelter where they feel safe. They may already have a shed, crawlspace or some other shelter they prefer.

▪️When all else fails, try a new location, but only after giving your cats plenty of time to explore and get used to the current location.

THANK YOU to the caregivers who have taken the time to build a feral cat shelter. Protection from the elements is critical, especially during the cold months, and your thoughtfulness will no doubt save many lives this winter.

07/17/2025

🤎🤎DECATUR, IN🤎🤎

Hey there Decatur! We will be back on Monday July 21st to spay and neuter some kitties! Shelters are full, fosters are few, and we need YOUR help to spay and neuter the cats of the community.

Cost is $100 for a cat spay or neuter and $10 for a rabies vaccine if your kitty is not up-to-date. Thank you for your ongoing help in controlling the pet population and your ongoing support!

Thank you and we hope to see you all soon!

03/24/2025

⁉️ Are you feeding stray or feral community cats and want to learn about trap/neuter/return (TNR) to help end the breeding and suffering these cats' face when they don't receive vet services?

Be a lucky charm for your neighborhood community cats - Learn how to TNR and support TNR organizations in your area.

🍀 Over the next 10 days, we will be breaking down the TNR steps so you can help these neighborhood felines be "lucky cats." 🌈
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STEP 1 of 10:
Before anyone can Trap, Neuter, & Return (TNR), a PLAN MUST be in place.

Preparation -

PLANNING:
💬 Talk to Neighbors - Before you start trapping, talk to your neighbors to find out if any of the cats are owned. If not, let them know what you are doing. Many times, cats are being fed by other people as well. Reach out to neighbors, post flyers, etc. to see if anyone else is feeding the cats. It is very important that all feeders are on the same plan so the cats aren’t fed prior to trapping. Cats that are not hungry will not go into traps.

🐾 Get the Cats on a Feeding Schedule - Cats fed at the same time in the same place every day are much easier to trap. Do not leave food out for extended periods of time or leave food out overnight. Remove any uneaten food after an hour. Cats will learn the feeding schedule and will then show up at the expected time each day.

🐈‍⬛️ 🐈 Document the Cat Colony - Take note of all the cats that are being fed. Kittens have to be 2-3 lbs to be spay/neutered. There may also be other options for kittens between 8 and 16 weeks of age.

⚠️ More TNR preparation steps to follow tomorrow.

03/09/2025

02/22/2025

Sign up now for March 24th Clinic at Riverside Center. There are 10 male cat spots and 8 female cats spots still available for March! There is still 1 male cat spot for this Monday February 24.

😍😍 Hey there Decatur, IN! 😍😍

We are coming back for our monthly clinic on Monday March 24th, 2025. $100 Cat spays or neuters.

BOOK ONLINE at www.4directionsvet.org and hit BOOK NOW.

We LOVE working in Decatur and hope to see everyone soon.

01/12/2025

UPDATE: Let me begin w/trying to offer some damage control on this post. You may have noticed some of the comments are from well-meaning cat caregivers saying salt water is safe for cats and others outraged and insulted that anyone would risk letting a cat take one swallow of salt water. The clincher for me was an emotional DM from a (now former follower) calling me out for my comment agreeing with another person’s comment that ingesting sea water isn’t toxic for cats. I had read recently read that, but at the time of my comment, lacked the foresight to share my source. She no longer considers my page to be a reliable source of information and unfollowed me. I’m disappointed when we are unable (or unwilling) to have a civil exchange and either come to an agreement or agree to disagree. If you’ve been paying attention for more than a couple of months, you know I admit when I’m mistaken & revise or delete a post if I learn it isn’t truthful. I feel as though the “conversation” (comments) on this post about whether salt water is safe for cats to ingest has been taken out of context. I spent time researching & here are my findings: there are MANY more sources that say some salt water (in small quantities and low concentration of salt) isn’t harmful. Perhaps this source is the one the commenter was referencing. The commenter claims to have many years of experience w/hundreds of cats; I’m not going to ask him if/how/why he’s giving them salt water; how he knows it is harmless.🤔

Some viewers of this post seemed to think the water bowl was going to be a continual source of VERY concentrated salt water for an extended period of time. How about CONTEXT: I want to believe that those of us caring for outside cats will be monitoring the food and water bowls as often as possible & if/when we see that a water bottle containing salt has been damaged/lost its lid or other wise dumped the contents into the water bowl, the situation would be quickly resolved. In my opinion, the odds of any cat ingesting any amount (minimal at most) are very small.
📚🐈📚🐈‍⬛️📚🐈📚
REVIEWED & FACT-CHECKED BY
Dr. Paola Cuevas
MVZ (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Written by: Christian Adams

Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by Catster Editorial Team

According to an article published in the American Journal of Physiology, cats have the biological capacity to process salt water in their bodies. Their kidneys are capable of secreting excessive sodium so the water can hydrate them. This doesn’t mean that cats can live on salt water and food alone. While not guaranteed, continual intake of so much salt could lead to the same dehydration that humans tend to experience after drinking salt water. Cats don’t need seawater to survive, but salt water can help them survive when times get tough.

On average, a 5-kg cat needs around 250 ml of water a day. 250 ml of seawater contains about 8.75 g of salt, and the fatal dose of salt for a 5-kg cat would be 20 g of salt. In other words, this ability works within certain limits, so please don’t go out of your way to give salt water to your cat.

A proper species-appropriate diet and fresh, clean water from the tap are all it takes to keep your cat happy. However, since not all cats are effective at drinking water, they might need to get some of their hydration from ingesting moisture-rich food, such as fresh or wet cat food. But don’t worry if you see your cat drinking the salt water out of your swimming pool—unless they seem lethargic or sick afterward.
📚🐈📚🐈‍⬛️📚🐈📚

Much as I’d like to suggest everyone do their own research (many of you do so on a regular basis and we learn from each other), I like to do due diligence, save you the effort and make sure I’m not sharing misinformation or anything less than factual. Finding reliable sources stating salt water IS toxic was much more difficult than I expected. I checked petMD (Chewy) and the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists and aside from a long list of possible signs of toxicity (diarrhea, depression, lethargy, tremors, seizures, shortness of breath and disorientation) and that the most likely causes of pets being affected by sodium ion poisoning are products containing table salt, homemade play dough, paint balls, de-icing salts, sea water and baking soda, the amount of salt water necessary to be a threat wasn't definitive. There was a table showing how much salt would need to be ingested to cause toxicity; a 1-10 # cat would need >0.05 Tbsp, 11_25 # cat >0.5 Tbsp. I think those amounts are a LOT & not likely to be ingested. 🤷‍♀️

If you feel the need to crucify me for this incident, I wish you well.
ORIGINAL POST:
From another page, in case you missed it among the other posts listing suggestions for keeping outside water bowls from freezing. 🥶🐈‍⬛️❄️🐈

A plastic bottle of salt water will keep your water bowl from freezing. Learned this trick from someone who keeps horses.
This water bowl is out for the feral that hangs around our house. Been out for 36 hours in 20 degrees and hasn’t frozen.
Use lots of salt, I put about a 1/4 of the bottle salt and the rest warm water, dissolve, then submerge in the water bowl.
Also works inside a chicken waterer.