I hope I am doing the right thing.

About two months ago,  I was asked if I would take over a colony of cats.  The caretaker was moving and the cats lived in her yard.  They were all trapped and spayed/neutered.  They ranged in ages.  I immediately brought in the four youngest kittens, they were about 3 to 4 months old.  Within the next few weeks, I started to bring in the older kittens, they are about 6 to 7 months old.  I have 3 of them and am hoping to bring the remaining kitten next weekend.

Three of the younger kittens have been adopted and are doing really well.  That leaves 2 older females at the house with the older kitten.  I go everyday to feed and check on them.  Another male showed up about 3 weeks ago,  he has been trapped and instead of releasing him, I have him in a room at my husband's business and am hoping he will adjust and be able to stay there. He was food aggressive with the cats  and they were nervous with him around.

The older kittens are doing well. Two of the three are letting me pet them now and one of them has a great home to go to when he is ready.

At first I was so overwhelmed at taking these cats and bringing them inside.  I was worried someone would buy the home and not want cats there and call animal control.  I was already at my limit for cats here at my house, but I did what I thought was best.

I have the colony cats in a spare bedroom at my house.  It is a nice sized bedroom,  twin beds to hide and sleep under, room to play, a large window with a bird feeder attached.  I go in several times a day when I am not working, and I am in there every evening playing and interacting with them.  I cannot help but feeling so guilty about keeping them in the bedroom.  I really do not think my resident cats would adjust well to them.  They are still shy but are progressing.  I am going to be very particular about who gets to adopt them.  So they will stay with me as long as necessary. But I am so worried about them just living in one room.  Will this affect them in a bad way?

Thank you all so much for the encouragement and kind words.  It is very much appreciated.  I have stressed over these kitties and their well being.   Leaving all of them outside was just not an option, especially with winter coming.   I am really relieved everyone feels they are okay in the spare bedroom,  I have just felt so guilty over it.  I do love going in and spending time with them.  What a great feeling when I go in and they come and greet me!  For the first month they hid under the bed.

I am hoping to bring another older kitten in this week,  my friend's drop trap has been in use but is now free to use.  That will leave 2 at their original place, but my dream is to eventually bring them here too.  I will be picking everyone's brain with some ideas and advice for outside enclosures.   That way, I will know they are all safe with the exception of the male.  He was trapped, neutered and released.  I have only seen him once or twice.  He is very strong and healthy looking,  I am hoping he is someone's pet and just came around on occasion.

Thanks again for the encouraging words.

Thank you again!  I am planning to catch the older kitten this Saturday.  Praying that I get her.  I think she would transition inside very well, she comes very close to me when I go to feed, and meows and rolls on her back.  Won't she be surprised to see her litter mates again?

I am so excited that 2 of the 3 older kittens are letting me pet them, they are actually coming to me instead of me approaching them.  One is such a shy calico, just so sweet and demure.  For months she has just watched me, but always outside of arm's length.  This morning she came to me, arched her back, and let me pet her all over.  What a break through for her!   And of course, the guilt returns that she is living in one room.   But hopefully she will continue to become more social and I will find her the perfect home.

The outdoor enclosure I am hoping to build will mainly be for the two remaining cats at the house.  I spoke with the real estate agent, she wasn't happy with my feeding station or shelters there at all.  I explained that I "inherited" the cats,  only met the caretaker a few days before she moved across the country, and that there were originally 11 cats there and now are only 3.   She wants them all gone as she said it will be difficult to sell with the cats there.  I explained I am doing the best that I can, with the cats' welfare first on my mind,  and I think she understood.  But I think the sooner I can get the enclosure built and the cats relocated, the better.   They will just stay with me, no worries about trying to find them homes, and perhaps they will become more social with time.

I am fairly certain the real estate agent or her employers will not in any way be helping.  She was not happy at all about the cats being there,  but did understand when I explained to her the owner was the one responsible for having the cats there in the first place.  I have tried to keep in contact with the owner/caretaker to let her know how the cats are doing and to ask if there is any activity on the sale of the house.

It is a nice location,  and the cats are safe there,  they seem to stay on the back porch most of the time.  Tomorrow I am getting the last older kitten and bring her in.

If I have to relocate the cats sooner than planned,  if someone buys the house and wants them removed,  I will definitely use the dog crate method.  I have one at my house and my niece has one that I could borrow. 

I have 2 ideas for the outdoor enclosure although I am really leaning toward one of them.  That one would also give them access to inside the house.  I really have to sit and think over this,  and I don't know how much time I will have.  But for now,  the cats all seem to be doing well,  the inside ones and the outside ones.  It is so amazing how attached I have grown to them.  They have been such a blessing to me,  despite the guilt over them being in one room and the worry about finding them forever homes. 

What is the worst that could happen if I can't find them homes?  They stay with me!! 

Well,  I did not get the older kitten.  She just would not go into the drop trap.  I left it there propped up and will try again this week.   It makes me think that it may be very difficult to recatch the 2  remaining cats when that becomes necessary.  I certainly would rather have them here when an enclosure is done, and not have to rush them here because someone bought the house.

I may have to really get active about starting the enclosure.  More decisions to make!

Good news!   The last older kitten has been trapped and is now here with her litter mates!  She is hiding under the bed which I expected.  But she is here, safe and warm.

i also have someone very interested in the last of the youngest kittens.  They have 4 other cats and would love to give her a good home.  They are coming tomorrow to see her.

Now there are 2 cats left at the house, hopefully one day I can bring them here too in my dream enclosure.

Well the last of the younger kittens will be going to her new home!  The family adopting her are wonderful.  They fell in love with her despite her shyness.  I think  this will be a great home for her.   My concern is getting her into a carrier.  They did not want her traumatized by grabbing her but she was reluctant to go into it.

I don't want to grab her either,  not even sure I could as she is fast.  She eats out of my hand, let's me pet her while she eats and will crawl on me when playing but does not like to be picked up.  I left the carrier in the room with her.  I almost had her inside but she bolted before I could close the door?

Any suggestions?

Tonight the family called and they have changed their mind about adopting her.  They were concerned about her not going into the carrier.  I explained at great length yesterday when they were here the history of these special cats.  In my mind, they have come so far.  They come to greet me when I walk into the room, they are letting me pet them, not constantly but a good bit of time.

As I have written when I started this thread, I have felt such guilt about them living in one room.  I was so excited the last of the younger kittens would finally find her forever home.    I will be praying the perfect home comes along for her, and the others although I know in my heart the older ones are not ready just yet.     

My husband has been so understanding of me bringing them home, we were already at our limit.    But he said they will just stay with us until the right fit comes along for all of them.  The weather here is nasty and I am relieved they are inside safe and warm and all together.

I must sound like I am crazy, I worry about the two still outside and I worry about the ones I brought home.   I can only hope that as much as I would always try to help out a kitty in need, the next time it isn't ten at one time!