One of my 2 TNR'd ferals is gone

chinny

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I, with alot of help from a local agency, TNRd our 2 feral kitties at my workplace. They were almost certainly brother and sister. And they were always together. The female was pregnant when I trapped her in April. She has not been seen now since sometime in May
, so we have to think she is gone. I suspect she was the prey of coyotes or fishers, present in our area. Sometimes I think maybe something went wrong with her procedure, but I try not to think that way; she appeared fine for several weeks after that. The other made himself very scarce for awhile around the same time, sometimes only feeding a couple of times per week. He is back on his regular schedule lately, appearing several times a day. He is very vocal now; he mews alot when he sees us, which he has never done before. He was always the more social of the two, but we still can't get closer than 12 feet from him before he bolts. I can't help but feel he is very lonely and at-risk now. When the two had each other, I felt perfectly fine about supporting them in their feral life, but now that he is alone, I am feeling that I want to do more for him, ie bring him in. I am open to your all advice, pros and cons. Edited to add he is probably about 14 months old, and his name is Luigi.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Chinny

I, with alot of help from a local agency, TNRd our 2 feral kitties at my workplace. They were almost certainly brother and sister. And they were always together. The female was pregnant when I trapped her in April. She has not been seen now since sometime in May
, so we have to think she is gone. I suspect she was the prey of coyotes or fishers, present in our area. Sometimes I think maybe something went wrong with her procedure, but I try not to think that way; she appeared fine for several weeks after that. The other made himself very scarce for awhile around the same time, sometimes only feeding a couple of times per week. He is back on his regular schedule lately, appearing several times a day. He is very vocal now; he mews alot when he sees us, which he has never done before. He was always the more social of the two, but we still can't get closer than 12 feet from him before he bolts. I can't help but feel he is very lonely and at-risk now. When the two had each other, I felt perfectly fine about supporting them in their feral life, but now that he is alone, I am feeling that I want to do more for him, ie bring him in. I am open to your all advice, pros and cons. Edited to add he is probably about 14 months old, and his name is Luigi.
Hi Chinny...I'm sorry that the female is gone...but I know caretakers who have had feral cats disappear for months and then return. I just want to give you an alternative to the gloom and doom thoughts. What you do for Luigi is up to you...but once you take a feral cat to be tamed, he really should not be returned back outdoors..so make sure you are willing to continue to work with him...even if he hides for a period of time.

Katie
 

houseofcats

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You did not do wrong by having her fixed. You prevented more lives from being born in a feral environment. We have had some disappear after having them fixed. I think sometimes they just relocate themselves. Never thing you do wrong by spaying or neutering!
 
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