05-19-2015, 08:42 PM
Punalover, you should feel free to do what ever works for you. How you deal with the wreckage of somebody else's unhealthy compulsion is entirely up to you. There are of course a few fundamental ethical constraints that we all share. Don't use a flame thrower for example. Nevertheless it was a train wreck before you showed up. Keep in mind that everyone who posts here has their own biases and keep in mind that the irresponsible cat-breeding tenant is somewhere on that scale. I don't really believe that inheriting abandoned pets comes with the territory when you're a landlord. Dealing with them, perhaps. Furthermore these are not pets. As for dealing with them there are many options. It is best to go into this with your eyes open. The absolute last thing that you should do is actively court somebody to live there on the basis of their willingness to accept the cats. You need to remove the cats. You as a landlord need to have at least that high a standard. I can see tolerating a situation the best you can if it develops unexpectedly but now is the time for a re-boot. It sounds like you are already on this page.
So, I consider it a necessity that the cats go, at least as a guiding principle. I don't know how much you can accomplish before you leave. This may be painful and hard and will serve as an excellent lesson in why hoarding cats is a bad idea. Every action needs to be evaluated with this in mind. Trap, neuter, and return (TNR) is a course of action that some will suggest. It is based entirely on wishful thinking and a short sighted desire to avoid the guilt of euthanizing the animals. It doesn't work unless conducted aggressively and competently under ideal conditions which include a concurrent program of removal, usually for adoption although the impact is the same if the cat is removed by an 18-wheeler. In practice all these conditions are never met. Frannie of Hui Pono Holoholona seems to be suggesting it when she offers a win-win solution. She didn't say so in her post but that is what these groups typically offer. I don't see how that would meet your needs unless she can take the cats away to her sanctuary. If she can, I would work with her although it sounds like you would have to do the trapping. It is the returning the cats to your property part that is fundamentally flawed.
So, I consider it a necessity that the cats go, at least as a guiding principle. I don't know how much you can accomplish before you leave. This may be painful and hard and will serve as an excellent lesson in why hoarding cats is a bad idea. Every action needs to be evaluated with this in mind. Trap, neuter, and return (TNR) is a course of action that some will suggest. It is based entirely on wishful thinking and a short sighted desire to avoid the guilt of euthanizing the animals. It doesn't work unless conducted aggressively and competently under ideal conditions which include a concurrent program of removal, usually for adoption although the impact is the same if the cat is removed by an 18-wheeler. In practice all these conditions are never met. Frannie of Hui Pono Holoholona seems to be suggesting it when she offers a win-win solution. She didn't say so in her post but that is what these groups typically offer. I don't see how that would meet your needs unless she can take the cats away to her sanctuary. If she can, I would work with her although it sounds like you would have to do the trapping. It is the returning the cats to your property part that is fundamentally flawed.