How to Get Rid of Stray Cats in One (Not so Easy) Swoop

(Note: This post is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. If you need helpful advice about dealing with stray and feral cats, click here for my post about feral and stray cats, plus helpful comments from readers.)


Last summer, I found a huge raccoon-sized cat under the leaves of a hosta in my backyard. He had blue eyes, blond/grey fur, and was abolutely gorgeous--similar to the cat pictured here. It was a hot day, so I brought him water and food. After he ate, he lazed around for several hours before making his way across the street to the forest.

He returned several times over the next week. I can't blame him--my backyard had become his holiday resort. I thought he might have been lost, so I attempted to put him in my cat's carrier to have the vet look for a chip. I gave up on the carrier after 15 minutes of struggling with what must have have one of the strongest cats I've ever encountered. He never bit or scratched--he just put his muscle into the job of staying out of that carrier. Finally, I just placed him in the backseat of the car and left the carrier behind.

Dripping with sweat after the workout, I drove to the vet, while my feline Arnold Schwarzenegger gazed out of the passenger window. The vet said the cat was old, neutered, well-cared for, but without a chip. So back in the car we went. When we reached my house, I opened the car door, he hopped out and took off across the street.

I always imagined that if he could talk, this is what he would have told his owners when (if?) he got home that night:

"Meow! You can't even begin to imagine the kind of day I had. I get invited to lunch and before I know it, BAMM! Some crazy lady tries to shove me in a box, traps me in her car, then takes me to the vet (and you know how I hate the vet). "

Well, surprise, he never came back. Until this summer, that is.

He visited me once more, had a bite to eat and a cool bowl of water then slept in the shade of the garden for the afternoon. I guess the cat's memory was bad (the vet did say he was old), and he'd forgotten all about last year's 'episode'. Nonetheless, I was very pleased to see the big guy was alive and well.