" Edith, One solution is not to feed the cats. They will keep coming back as long as you fee them. It is hard to keep a cat from not roaming the neighborhood unless they are strictly an indoor cat. "

" Cats are smart, you should have been hissing them off your property instead of feeding them. We had a few cats that came into our property, pooped everywhere. Took the cat to it's owner and she slammed the door in our face. Saying she can't control the cat. My Dad has cats and he's trained them to stay in the yard and come when called. I got a dog and never again had a problem. My neighbor got a dog and when that cat came a callin, the dog "got it". Cat owner was ready to call police and sue for the cat. Police said, well cat was on her property and her dog was enclosed within a fence. You should have kept you cat safe.
DON'T FEED OTHER PEOPLE'S CATS! "

" Cats need to be either kept inside or leashed. Otherwise, they will likely end up run over, eaten by coyotes, or sacrificed by satanists in a secret ceremony. "

" Then quit feeding them. "

" Uh....

Break out the hose. That'll cure em.

Sheesh. "

" Airsoft gun. It won't seriously hurt the cat, but it will definitely get the point across... "

" lousy naive ignorant napan, not a good idea for a couple of reasons.
First would be the animal cruelty issue and the second would be that a airsoft gun is considered a firearm and you could end up sitting in a jail cell for discharging said firearm within the city limits. "

" Actually, there's a pretty bad feral cat problem here. This woman says the cats belong to someone; is she sure? I know around my house we've had several litters of kittens by feral cats who are even friendly enough to allow themselves to be petted. The biggest thing here is getting cats spayed and neutered--perhaps trap the mothers in safe cat cages and take them to the free spay and neuter clinic--that way they won’t have any more babies. "

" My parents have the same problem in Santa Rosa. They fed a cat for two years and told me it was homeless. One day I went door to door, and left notes describing the cat. I received a phone call from a woman who was renting her granny unit to a young couple who had moved out a year ago. When they moved they went searching for their cat but couldn't find it. Geeze I wonder where it was at! The mother of the tenant came over and picked the cat up and shipped it to her daughter. They were fairly upset at my parents for feeding and thereby confusing their cat about who it belonged to.

My parents thought they were doing the right thing by feeding the cat but it turned out to be a big mistake. What really annoys me is that they are doing it with yet another cat which they claim to be, once again, abandoned. "

" Call the pound, they'll give you a cage to catch the stray cats and turn in. Why do some peole feel their cats should be allowed to roam free? I know they wouldn't appreciate it if I allowed by dog to climb all over their cars, leave their business in their yards while spreading fleas all over the neighborhood. "

" Well mikeb, I suppose it might be a vengeance thing because they are tired of loose dogs hiding "Easter eggs" on their lawns. Cats carefully bury their "land mines" :-) "

" I think a huge problem is people moving and not taking thier cats..leaving them to fend for themselves and for the neighborhood to deal with...I now have a cat because of that reason. I did not have the heart to take it to the shelter. People if you get a cat, take care of it!!!! "

" Rich
I think you're wrong about an airsoft being considered a firearm. We're talking about a spring powered pistol with an orange tip that they sell at Target. It shoots lightweight plastic ammo. I promise you that it is not cruel to the cats that come into my home and eat my pets' food. It's more startling than anything and encourages them not to come back inside.
Do you have any evidence that this cannot be shot within city limits? "

" Just to follow up, I couldn't find anything official, but it looks like it is illegal to shoot an airsoft gun on public property. This makes a lot of sense. It would be very dangerous for kids to be running around Fuller Park shooting airsoft guns. You obviously cannot shoot somebody with an airsoft gun... that's called assault. I still cannot find anything that says airsoft guns cannot be shot within city limits on private property. Does anybody know of such a law? "

" A fed bear is a dead bear. That's the saying we go by here. "

" What about super soakers... are those considered firearms? Look out for some drenched cats running own the street tomorrow...lol :) "

" Regarding the legality of projectile weapons in Napa...I believe spring-loaded is OK, but compressed gas driven is illegal (like CO2 bb guns). This would also make archery equipment OK in city limits, but make super soakers illegal. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong... "

" lousy naive ignorant napan,
I got my info from a phone call to the PD.
As you well know that does not guarantee the accuracy but there was enough confusion that I would not take the chance. "

" Good info. Thanks. "

" Edith
I do believe that your initial act, of feeding the cats in your yard, was one of kindness. As your letter states, you have had "one year, or more" to take action, demonstrate compassion and gain a better understanding of the options available for these innocent lives. Instead, you continued to feed them- leaving them to feel some comfort and security - only to cart them off to the Napa County Shelter; very different from Napa Humane Society (as you stated in your letter). If these kitties are in fact feral, stray or someone’s pet, they may have only days before they are euthanized, once they arrive at the Napa County shelter. These kitties don’t choose this life. Please don’t take your disappointment and anger out on them. Please consider directing your energy and time towards an effort that will make a difference not only today but for many years to come. I hear your cry and I want to help in whatever way I can. There are so many resources available and networks to help orchestrate a gentler way to “rescue” these innocent lives that have been forgotten.
I empathize with you about the inability to understand why people who have "pets", one day, decide to dispose of them as if they were a piece of garbage or an old piece of clothing no longer desirable.
Edith – there are so many individuals who are here to help you.
Thank you for reaching out. The resources are awaiting your correspondence and I am happy to help you facilitate that.
Please leave the remaining cats in place. We’ll work this out together.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Noel Faith – noelwine@hotmail.com "