A SUTHERLAND Shire resident is angry that five abandoned cats have been left to prowl the neighbourhood.
Marilyn Batman of Caringbah said she found the situation "disgraceful".
Mrs Batman contacted the RSPCA, which arrived to set up cat traps in an empty property.
Despite this, the cats continued to roam and yowl for food, she said.
"I haven't seen any cat traps and we've been feeding them," she said.
"They are impossible to catch and they are not friendly.
"I don't know what to do: the developers will soon be knocking down the house.
"What will happen to these animals?"
Chief inspector with RSPCA NSW, David OShannessy, said his team had been working hard to remove the cats but they were proving to be elusive.
"We've been out on a number of occasions but have only ever seen one cat," he said.
"We've had up to four traps set and we put food in the traps to catch them.
"We've asked the informant not to feed to the cats as the best mechanism to get the cats into the traps is food."
Traps were checked daily and were activated when a cat entered to access the food but none of the cats had ventured in, Mr OShannessy said.
There are no plans to prosecute the former owner, he said.
He urged people to be responsible pet owners and ensure their cats and dogs were desexed.
Are unwanted cats a problem in your neighbourhood?