Stray Insanity

Due to my husband's landscaping business, and hording habit, we have a large amount of stuff in our backyard that makes a pretty perfect environment for animals to hide in, hunt in, and basically be quite happy inhabiting. In this case "animals" primarily means stray cats, and their prey.

For the last few days, hubby has been telling me that there is a group of cats hanging around the house, even on the front porch, which is keeping some of our inside cats, freaked out. Today he got me up out of my sick bed to see the SIX cats in the side garden. Well turns out, it was more than likely five toms and one poor terrified queen in the middle. I didn't get pictures of the huddle in the side garden. But once she streaked off to the lower part of the backyard, I got pictures of some of the toms stalking her. She is completely hidden under the tarp in old carpet batting (will be used under pond liner, everything has a purpose). Some of the toms were under the canoe. All of the toms are bigger than my cats. Vincent still hasn't left the office window where he can keep an eye on the backyard.
Here are the biggest tuxedo and the "snowshoe something mix" that have been the most visible of the stalking toms. The white and brown blob has blue eyes and a somewhat smushed face.



And here we add the large gray mackeral tabby to the bunch. He is one of the few truly handsome toms, and he is HUGE!





Here is another one of the big boys coming out from under one of the canoes. I missed the second emergence of another tuxedo cat.





And if you can make it out, here is that tabby with white trying to follow the queen under the shed when she made a break for it.

I'm curious to know what has happened to our groundhog that lives under the shed or if the queen runs in there when she knows it is out and about or just sleeping. I believe groundhogs hybernate so she should be safe right now.

The biggest question is, where will she have the kittens, and how do I stop this cycle? Hubby and I are looking into low cost neuter programs for the boys. I don't want to take these cats in, but I don't want them fighting and mating and causing problems either. We do not feed them. They have water available from our fishpond, and shelter from our stuff, other than that I have taken no care of them. I don't really want to be responsible for them. I have my own tribe that needs me. But I don't want them getting sick or hurt or overpopulated. So I'm in a quandry as my hubby would put it.

Lots to consider and think about.