RIP Pretty Boy

Pretty Boy was a handsome black/white fellow from my feral colony, TNR'd 4 1/2 years ago. He was probably 2 years old at the time. In true feral fashion, he never never let me come close after he was released. The neighbors who feed saw him periodically, but he kept his distance. I only saw him every few months and was always relieved to see he looked happy and healthy - that is until Thurs. of last week. Pretty Boy was actually hanging around the neighbor's porch when I went to feed and it was obvious he was in pretty bad shape. He was skinny, dirty and had runny eyes. I tried trapping him over the next couple of days with no luck. On Sat., the neighbors called saying Pretty Boy had taken refuge in one of the shelters on their porch - something he'd never done. I went over to find him in the shelter, but was still unable to get a hold of him. He bolted out of the shelter and under the porch.  I was finally able to trap Pretty Boy this morning. It didn't take much. He crawled right into the trap. I rushed him to the rescue where he was sedated and examined by our vet. Unfortunately, Pretty Boy was in bad shape, only weighed 5.9 lbs and had multiple health issues. He also tested positive for FIV+. With a gentle touch and surrounded by people who cared about him, we let Pretty Boy go peacefully. He'll be buried on a farm owned by one of our volunteers. I'm just glad Pretty Boy sought help and that we were able to end his suffering. It was such a blessing to finally be able to touch this feral boy and let him know he was, and always will be, loved.