Attempt Rehome or TNR?

emmyface

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Hello. I' m new-ish to the stray/feral cat world, although I did pick up some neat injuries in high school going through a bush after a stray kitten (she was placed with a no-kill society and later adopted.)

I'm a bus driver, and was discussing the different cats I often see along the route with a co-worker. He mentioned the "little black cat at KFC who only comes out at night." I investigated and found about seven cats. Two are kittens, and the adults are varying degrees of shy. I have been feeding them regularly in the evenings, and feel that both kittens and one of the adults would be likely to domesticate. But what do I know? Can anyone give some advice on sorting which to rehome and which to TNR? The local humane society is FABULOUS, they haven't euthanized for space in like five years, and are currently expanding. So it's not as dicey as it might be. Still, prioritization seems to favor the best use of resources--better to just snip and release than spend hours on an unhappy cat that could be spent helping four tameable ones.

I've looked up several discussions of stray vs. feral, and am still at a loss to place most of these kitties. It is a large college town, so even the squirrels and wild bunnies will pretty much knock on your door for handouts. Would this make them more tameable (the cats, not the bunnies) or just confuse the issue? Advice much appreciated!
 

StefanZ

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Im not sure about what your question really is. Perhaps also others as nobody had answered yet.

In any case, the three you yourself think are easy fostered (the two young and on of the adults) should get a try for fostering and adopting. The others - TNR.
Once TNR-ed, it may show they are adoptable they too... Not impossible so have your eyes open.

This is the apparent solution.

But talk with the rescue organisation. Tell about the situation.
If they want to give the others a try already now - sure, their possibility, resources and choice.
In Sweden they would be taken in all seven. But we dont have much tradition with TNR. Thus, if we want to help - it is fostering... The trick is to have a lot of fostering homes and jour-homes for shorter keeping.
 

momofmany

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Are you in Lawrence by chance? I have heard the shelter there is pretty awesome (just moved and I'm about 20 minutes from there).

Your best bet would be to contact the shelter and ask for some help to assess the cats. You can't always tell how they would respond to domestication until you trap them, speuter them, and assess them while in their recovery cage. If you are taking care of them daily you can often get a good idea on how easy they will be to place in a home.

My local vet's office keeps the animals for the local animal control and the techs have invited me in to assess the cats that they take in. They will euthanize the truely feral cats and I'm proud to say that I've saved more than one of them by pushing the fact that they were simply scared and not feral.

And I had to laugh: the best food in the world to trap a cat is KFC so it's no surprise that there is a colony behind one of them.
 

keith p

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After cats are fixed they tend to become alot friendlier and calmer, so the ones who are more shy may come out of their shell once they are fixed. But the ones who are already friendly, get them fixed and try to find them homes. Cats that are friendy,fixed, and healthy have the best chance for adoption.

You could also tell the Humane Society in person you are trying to help these cats, so you can keep in contact with them with any questions or help.

Afterall, we still have wild mice, even with all our technology to eraticate them.
 
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