I have posted this before, but it’s worth reading as it is very real with practical ideas.
The article: https://www.humanesociety.org/news/keeping-neighborhood-cats-safe
This part, below, is a wake-up call, that no matter how annoying the intolerant people are, no matter how infuriated we are with them, our approach still matters and will make a difference to the success of what we do. Patience, tolerance (of those people), perhaps even empathy and wisdom are what is needed.
“Digging in your heels and saying, ‘Well, the cats have a right to be here, and too bad for you,’ is not a good approach,” Richmond says. “We just said, ‘We understand. This is your home. You don’t want them here. They are fed and sheltered next door, but if their presence is disturbing to you, let’s see if we can find a solution.’”
Neighborhood Cats installed two motion-activated sprinklers, and the cats quickly learned to avoid the man’s yard. “That was pretty much the end of the problem,” Richmond says. “As soon as he understood that he was being listened to and we stopped the cats from going where he didn’t want them to be, it was fine, and they’re still successfully in their colony.
In the 13 years that she’s been caring for community cats in Montgomery County, Maryland, Connie Markwood has successfully negotiated with cat lovers who didn’t want her help, cat haters who blamed her for the animals’ existence, as well as property developers, business owners and city officials. She’s had a few tense conversations, but she’s found that most people applaud her work, and many of them want to help.
