I was doing TNR at my husbands work where there was lots of strays/ferals with another lady who's the worlds biggest softie. She has about 8 or 9 cats in her small house I believe, plus about 4 or 5 outside cats. The county limit is 3 cats. A bunch of inside cats don't get along, yet she has brought more in since.
There was a stray amongst a feral colony she feeds who was apparently very friendly that she was telling me about that she thought looked sick. It was tame enough to be picked up. I told her she should take it down to the shelter I volunteer at so it can get the care it needs and rehomed. She caught it and took it home. It now lives in her bathroom and won't come out.
When we started trapping, the first cat she trapped she wanted to take home to live at her house, even though it was feral. I convinced her it was a bad idea, and she really shouldn't take the cat from the environment. Any time she caught a feral, she would keep it for days after spay and neuter (even the boys) and get completely attached to it and not want to let it go again.
Now onto the problem... There's 2 cats that she feeds at my husbands work, that she's been feeding for a while apparently. She's gone away for a week and asked me to feed them, and yesterday showed me where they were and where the food bowls are. One of them we've trapped before - she's definitely feral and had a notched ear.
The other one meows at people, and was rolling over showing his belly, and generally acting pretty affectionate. She said she's tried to trap him before, but he won't go into a trap, and he won't actually let you pat him, but he'll come close. I think we should try harder to trap him because he looks like a sweet cat who could be rehomed.
I'm torn because she's been responsible for him, and I feel like I shouldn't try and take over. But I think while she thinks she's doing the right thing, she doesn't do what's necessarily in the best interest of the cat.
The cat is healthy looking though, so I don't know if it's better to leave him in his environment and let her keep feeding him, or have a go at trapping him and keep him in my spare bedroom for a few days and see if he's tame enough to be rehomed.
Anyone got thoughts?
There was a stray amongst a feral colony she feeds who was apparently very friendly that she was telling me about that she thought looked sick. It was tame enough to be picked up. I told her she should take it down to the shelter I volunteer at so it can get the care it needs and rehomed. She caught it and took it home. It now lives in her bathroom and won't come out.
When we started trapping, the first cat she trapped she wanted to take home to live at her house, even though it was feral. I convinced her it was a bad idea, and she really shouldn't take the cat from the environment. Any time she caught a feral, she would keep it for days after spay and neuter (even the boys) and get completely attached to it and not want to let it go again.
Now onto the problem... There's 2 cats that she feeds at my husbands work, that she's been feeding for a while apparently. She's gone away for a week and asked me to feed them, and yesterday showed me where they were and where the food bowls are. One of them we've trapped before - she's definitely feral and had a notched ear.
The other one meows at people, and was rolling over showing his belly, and generally acting pretty affectionate. She said she's tried to trap him before, but he won't go into a trap, and he won't actually let you pat him, but he'll come close. I think we should try harder to trap him because he looks like a sweet cat who could be rehomed.
I'm torn because she's been responsible for him, and I feel like I shouldn't try and take over. But I think while she thinks she's doing the right thing, she doesn't do what's necessarily in the best interest of the cat.
The cat is healthy looking though, so I don't know if it's better to leave him in his environment and let her keep feeding him, or have a go at trapping him and keep him in my spare bedroom for a few days and see if he's tame enough to be rehomed.
Anyone got thoughts?
