Tips on bringing a semi-feral into the home? *pictures*

Yesterday, I found a craigslist posting for "barn cats" that included, at the end, a little calico Manx girl looking very unsure of herself.

The poster mentioned that Layla would make a barn cat, but that she could also be tamed down a bit and kept indoors if her new mom were willing to consider her a project and take her time.

I haven't had a cat in a couple of years, and I miss them dearly... I saw a little girl at Petco yesterday whom I would have LOVED to bring home, but wasn't willing to pay her $80 adoption fee... sigh.

Anyway, I e-mailed the poster and she thinks that Layla would do well here with me (I do have a dog but she's the low gal on the totem pole in all situations, and rarely terrorizes anything other than a block of cheese - because the cheese sometimes wins). I know she was hoping that I could pick her up sooner, but this is my last day off for the week and I won't be home again and available to go and meet her until Monday. Also, I need some time to think it over.

She tells me that when crated, she is fine to pet, but tends to still be very shy when loose. Not quite ready to be picked up in your hands yet.

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice for me? I haven't quite decided to take her yet... mostly because I just found another rental house that I'd love to make a move to, and have no idea what my management company will have to say about a cat in addition to my dog.

My boyfriend does have a Manx that I've known for around six years, so I'm accustomed to the "Manx shuffle", haha... the cat he will be bringing with him when he eventually moves in with me is a flame-point Siamese. That's another thing- I have no idea when he'll be ready to move (the next six months, say) and I'm not sure it would be fair to this little girl to be changing her house around so much in the first year.

She is spayed and UTD on shots.

Here she is:

How old is she? I can only speak of my own experience, but I have a (former) barn cat, but I got her at a much younger age. She was about 10 weeks old when I got her. She has tamed very well and is a joy to have. I think you should go get her.

She is very young.

Unfortunately, after speaking to my property management company, I'm going to have to pass her up. I am under the two-pet limit right now with my one dog, but my boyfriend will be moving in with me this year and he has a cat. We could probably get away with an additional cat easily enough, but it's not worth the risk.

Yeah, it is surely a wise decision to pass as now. Wait till the situations is more stabile. And then, after discussing it over with your boyfriend (and his cat) and getting OK from the property manager - you will have new chances.

There is almost always a need both for good fostering homes for semiferals. And also for good adoptivhomes for all sorts of homeless cats.

Back to your questions:

HOW to foster a shy semiferal there are a lots of threads. No big problem.
And the doggy?
A friendly and docile dog is almost never a problem with cats. Especielly not if shehe has positive experiences from cats. Although the dog can get scratched in the beginning....

A friendly homecat is often/usually a good help in fostering a shy semiferal (is your boyfriends cat friendly to other cats?).
But the fact is, not seldom a friendly dog acts as such fosteruncle, and a positive example.

You and your doggy should do well.

Sending vibes that the Manx cutie finds another home very soon