Cats are becoming literal pests in complex. What can be done?

This is something I hope someone can provide some ideas on. We have a gated complex that has been drawing more and more cats from the outside (some seem feral, others are probably neighborhood cats) that seem to like the relative quiet and safety of the complex. It's gone from 3 or 4 cats to over a dozen and now it's a problem that they are using people's yards as bathrooms and also gives a low-class feel to the place. It's getting to be that it looks like the place was constructed as a cat preserve.

I was going to try and trap some and find someone to adopt them, but those who said they would initially adopt backed out. No-kill shelters don't return calls (assuming these are run under volunteer energy).

Now that spring is here, you can hear the obvious mating of cats in the bushes, etc, which means were about to have a kitten boom.

Do regular pest control agencies handle cats? Are there services that trap them? Ideally, we don't want to euthanize them, but at the same time, no one bought into this complex because they hoped to share the common area with feral/other people's cats. We're being overrun and need a real solution, and if it comes down to euthanizing them, frankly, we will consider all options.

If there are repellants that people know of, that would be great to know about. If anyone's dealt with this before, it would be great to hear from you.

For the love of god. Did I read something about poison? DO not even go down that road. It completely puts someone's child or beloved pet at risk for illness or death!

Stick with the human society approach if all other options have been exausted. Don't give up, get neighbors involved, especially the animal lovers may be happy to help with traps ect.

Unfortunately ferral kitties are a problem in many areas or are they? Who keeps the vermin at bay?

I prefer RobertR1's advice from another thread. "If they have to use a shotgun instead of a rifle, so be it"

Irene are you calling Robert a redneck?????

biologically speaking, capturing and relocating won't work. there is something in your area that allows the cats to populate it, an ample supply of food, shelter, water, and safe places to raise a litter. If you trap and move one cat, another will move into it's place. trap that one, and another will move in. It's like draining a swimming pool with a bucket... take all the buckets you want out of the pool, but the hole fills in immediately.

You need to remove one of the key components (food, water, shelter, or mates), which can be tough to do. OR, you have to trap and spay, then release the feral BACK to its' home. That feral/neutered cat will defend its territory against all others, and keep the number "constant". If you trap and release BACK enough, you will have a steady population of feral cats that keep others (young males from nearby litters) from moving in.

Of course, it can't hurt to remind EVERYONE in the HOA to spay their OWN cats... one of the things the incoming cats are seeking are fertile mates, so any cat in heat will draw a dozen males into the area.

Karen, we've tried the red pepper and it has it's limitations. For one, you need to reapply after every rain, and we've had a lot these past few months.

Besides that, it only covers very small areas.

Anna, we use Animal Control as well.

Hope you have luck with it. Sounds like an awful problem!

Coyotes seem to helping here in Northern Virginia where the Coyote population is making a comeback. Not only are the cats taking notice of the coyotes, but the hoards of Non-transient Canada Geese are now being controlled somewhat by the Coyotes.