Thanks, George. I've done a little research into some of those things that will keep cats away, but I don't think my neighbor would appreciate me telling him that he needs to take care of the problem by putting stuff (such as orange peels or red pepper flakes) on his property. It's my responsibility, I guess, but the only thing I can do is stop feeding the cats, and I really don't want to do that. I shouldn't have started, I know, but here I am.

I'm not wealthy, not by a long stretch! But I might be able to get my boyfriend to help if the kitten comes back. I looked for it, and drove around the neighborhood, but didn't have any luck. No, these cats are not really mine. They're neighborhood cats. While most are pretty obviously feral, a few are very friendly and might belong to other neighbors. At least one is pregnant (probably due any day now), and the one cat we'd tried to keep as an indoor cat (after rescuing her from an injury) until she escaped, is in heat (I caught a male trying to mate with her)--again. She doesn't seem to have gotten pregnant from previous matings. Yesterday, I held the door open (again), and she carefully stepped inside for a moment, and did it once more after that, running back outside after a few seconds. I think she'd be happy as an indoor/outdoor cat...but letting her outdoors puts her at risk for diseases and fighting. None of them (to my knowledge) are spayed/neutered. We were going to have Cozy (the girl I've been talking about) spayed, but my bf put it off, and she kept having heat cycles. Then she escaped. My bf really liked her (and so do I), but since she's gone back outside, she doesn't approach him when he comes out. I'm pretty sure it's because he's tall and large, whereas I'm short and less threatening.

I would have liked to get all the cats fixed, but I can't afford it, and if they are other people's cats, I could get in trouble. Although I will say, if anyone owns any of these cats and doesn't have it spayed, they're irresponsible.

Funny you should mention dumping cats and dogs, because as I pulled out the other day (to get dinner and go to the store), I noticed a car parked on the side of the road with at least two people in it. It actually crossed my mind that maybe they let the kitten onto our property, and were watching to see if I accepted it...or something. I could be totally wrong. I really do hope that kitten comes back, because it needed help. I'm afraid my cats chased it off. I say "my" cats because I think of them that way, but I'm fully aware they may belong to others, and I wouldn't mean to take any away from their homes (as long as it was a good home).

loveyouhun, I had a kitten named Jewel (orange and white) for a little while, but she died of a respiratory infection before I was able to find her. I'd bought a crate to take her to the vet, but she disappeared for about three days...until I found her. I'm still heartbroken over that. I don't know the answer to your problem, but if she's feeling overheated, she needs to rest and cool down. Too much heat can kill anyone.