Roaming cats in San Antonio???
 

I am deathly afraid of cats and a friend of mine mentioned that feral cats roam around the streets in San Antonio. Is this true? Please let me know before I complete my plans. Thanks

I think someone is pulling your leg.

Feral cats are in every city and town. They are just as afraid of you as you are of them. Stay away from dumpsters and you may not see a single one. I don't remember seeing any cats when I was in San Antonio.

I never saw any there, but it's been 10 years since I was last in San Antonio--perhaps they've proliferated in the meantime. I believe it is customary to tip the ones wearing sombreros and playing guitars.
Ole!

I'm so glad you brought up the issue of tipping the cats, E. Those poor cats must make a living somehow. But don't buy tamales from them. That's a mistake you'll only make once. :-&

Maybe it is because I am up at an ungodly hour for a long distance conference call, but the subject conjured up visions of hordes of jazz musicians roaming the streets of San Antonio. And man, those cats are cool.

OK, I must have misunderstood the OP. Are the Feral Cats a band....like the Stray Cats? :-))

Cookie,
No fear, cool cats or no, they're not roaming the streets of San Antonio. We spent time there this summer and didn't see a one.

Cookie, don't be fooled by this! The pro basketball team is the "Spurs" -- not "Purrrs."

Cat Mariachis' favorite song: Una Paloma Blanca, of course!

It is the circle of life. Feral cats eat feral lizards.

Jeez, what a drag, a fear of cats..
although a pussycat in a sombrero might change your mind..((&))

Stay away from alleys and garbage cans..that should do it.
Also, I would suggest no trips to Rome .

You couldn't lay a hand on a feral cat if you tried -- they are outathere at lightning speed if you even begin to move in their direction.

As to the rap group in San A., the Phair-L Katz -- well, you deserve what you get if you stick around to listen. But if anyone heard the Honky-Tonk Woman rendition by the geese on NPR's weekend edition ("Annoying Music" segment), now that's true lyrical beauty!

I just have to put in a plug for Alley Cat Allies, an organization that is doing an excellent job in slowing down the feral cat population. Cats are trapped, neutered, and released in areas where caregivers provide food and water. But no more kittens arrive.

"....when the moon hits your eye.....

.....like a big pizza pie....

.......That's Amore!!"

Yes, Underhill! We also have a local organization called "Planned Feralhood" which does the same thing.

Didn't see any feral cats last summer in SA, Cookie, but stay away from Rome (Italy, not Georgia) and Athens (Greece, not Ohio). :-D Happy Halloween!

You are so right, Marilyn. The only things I didn't like about Greece were a.) Cab drivers in Athens and b.) Stray animals everywhere. Seeing all those strays made me sad.

The University of Florida Vet School has Operation Catnip where feral cats are neutered and re-released. Every other Sunday they do hundreds of cats. The numbers are just incredible!

Feral rats, maybe. Feral cats, no.

Coyotes would do a real good job of thinning the herd of feral cats, and rats. And poodles. Although, now that I think of it, there really aren't feral herds of poodles, are there? Well, maybe in some out of the way place in France.

I believe it is customary to tip the cats in France wearing berets and smoking Gauloises. If you're generous, they'll recite some Proust for you.

Oh, sorry, you said poodles. They don't smoke, and they prefer Sartre to Proust, but otherwise, same advice applies. They can be a bit rude, but if you speak French to them, their attitude improves markedly.

I am off to San Antonio in a couple of days, I will keep eyes open for the pesky critters!!

Also, don't go to Marbella, Spain. Where the fisherman come in, there must be several hundred cats. They are lounging in the sun, grooming themseves, the purring is very audible. - Just waiting for some scraps of fish. I thought it was a riot, but really they should do soemthing.

While it is true that there are feral cats in San Antonio (LOTS of them), they tend to frequent alleys and hang around dumpsters, mainly at night. This isn't unique to S.A., though, feral cats are a problem in most cities and many rural areas. If you have any more questions about them, feel free to reply to me at chris AT sanantonioferalcats.org, or visit our web site at http://www.sanantonioferalcats.org.

I have never met a feral Poodle but the one I know personally, is quite aloof when someone speaks to him in a loud voice and calls him pet names.
He prefers to be called Monsieur Pup.
He occasionally can be found having discussions in the park with a terrier who gets very excited if the topic concerns chateaubriand in Paris.
I would be more concerned about a feral cat, they have no manners.

((@))

the best cat I had was an adopted feral. Big, black and fearless but so totally devoted once her guatd was down and felt secure.
Scarlett, I've never seen a feral poodle, I thought, until I adopted this miniture one, oh -la-la-

LOL, Mimi, a fierce little fellow, is he?

I think the San Antonio feral cat site is great! Too bad we don't have a similar site for feral humans...there are LOTS of them too!

Ha! Binthair, tell me about it !

In my old neighborhood in LA , there was a lady who would put out food for the cats in the neighborhood. I was so touched when I saw that she had put in a small water feature in her back yard, a tiny fountain with a little pond. She told me that the cats could have fresh water that way..

Feral cats ar everywhere. Pere Lachaise cemetary in Paris, Heminway's house in Key West. the Coluseum (sp?) in Rome,
and the purr goes on ;)

Those of you who protest the numerous cats parading along the shores of the Mediterranean, like Greece and Spain, should cool off a bit. After all, these cats still have their bikinis on! Well, most of them do...

I believe it is customary to tip the ones who don't.

The cats we saw on various Greek islands always looked pretty well fed, between the fishermen's leavings and the taverna scraps from soft-hearted tourists. But feral cats don't get any medical care or neutering, so programs like those mentioned in this thread are still very much needed.

I lived in San Antonio for years and I don't know what a feral cat is. Its the roaming dogs that people there are concerned about.

E: a question - how does one tip those cats without a bikini?

Since there's no bra or - um - anything else where one can park the bills, is there a pouch hanging from their sunglasses? Or do they carry purses just for this purpose?

Just a travel related question. I'm always afraid to do the wrong thing when on the road.

easytraveler, I can send you a picture of cats in bikinis if you email me at hotmail,

Feral poodles? Oh my.
Are there feral groomers who look after them?

Hi, cigalechanta!

I'd love to see those cats in bikinis!

Your email address didn't come through completely, so please email me at [email protected].

Looking forward to your pics! ((z))

I know I'll get flamed for this but what the heck...release the Dobermans!

easy, I'm a little out of my depth here, but I believe that when tipping the kind of cat that hits the beach without a bikini, one tucks the bill(s) under the garter.