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I adopted mama and offspring for 4 months now.  I made a good home with love and considersation for them but honestly I never really wanted the cats. I do care for them the longer they stay but still if I thought I could give them a wonderful home with lot of love and care, I would.  They still run if someone else comes in the house but they trust me.  They still are jumpy at times. 

From what I have read and called about, there are just too many cats and too many kittens.  I never was aware of the bad things done to cats. 

Is there really any hope of placing them safely with a loving, pet savy home and how?  Can they really adapt?

They both are neutered with all shots.  Mom 3 years maybe and offspring close to a year? 
 

bastfriend

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Hi Cat owner again, I think we need more information to give you helpful advice...

- were these cats ever feral?   What condition physically/mentally were they in when you adopted them?   This applies because of how experienced or savvy the new owner you would look for needs to be.

- what is the problem now that is causing you to want to find them new homes?
 
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Thank you for your interest.  The mother cat was abandoned and lived outside at least a year - maybe two litters.  The kitten was very close to her, I called him the mama's boy.  I think that is why he survived while her other two died mysteriously in tact.  They were being fed by a neighbor and he could pet her and the kitten too but they still would not be picked up or anything.  They also were scared of new people like me.  We trapped them and I b rought them to be neutered with the intention that he would keep feeding them. I tried keeping them in a room after I brought them for neutering and followed the feral cat instructions.  After about 5 days the mother was going crazy and was wrecking my screen.  I let her out.  The kitten was scared but also became friendlier to me but after 8-9 days I let him out too.  He acted like a caged animal.  I made the most progress when I left my patio door open and let them come and go.  Then I showed them the doggie door and they had another way to come in and out.  Jump forward 4 months.  They come when I call them at night and I keep them in.  Both have showed me affection.  If another person comes in the house they run outside.  If I make a quick move sometimes they run and hide but never could figure out why except that I have had to make house rules.  The mama meowed all night so I would open my door and squirt her with a spray bottle.  I do tell them to get off the counters, I have a small issue with the big kitten biting me but I think we are making good progress on that lately.  I put a lot of time and energy into them as I work from home.  I also have cat furniture and items in my living room.

Yes I could keep them and probalby will have to.  It just seems labor intensive.  I covered all my furniture and beds due to the white one shedding even though I brush both of them.  I have a 6 pound 15 year old dog who is very important to me and I have had to watch their interactions a lot and spray the younger one for batting and once succeeding in scratching his eye.  I trust mama but when I leave I now have to try and figure out how to keep my dog safe from the younger one.  I think he is getting better but if startled who knows.  I have a litter box for night but I am not keen about a litter box.  I feel guilty now for letting them in and out after I read hours of horrors on the internet about outdoor cats even though I had indoor out door cats years ago that lived to 16 years old.  I am not sure I have the finances to afford the anticipated vet bills especially with my older dog that is on medicine.  I am concerned that I will have to move in a couple of years and won't have a yard and live on a cul de sac where they can go out.  I also hope to have grand children and will have to be away for a couple of days and feel weird about leaving them on their own.  I know it all seems lame.  If I intended to get cats, it would be different.  I take my responsibilities very seriously. I felt forced in opening my home to them because of the other cat deaths within one week.  I called all over and it was kitten season and no one could take them without the chance they would be put to sleep. 

If you tell me there really is no chance that someone good will take them and spend the time to make them a wonderful home, yes I will do it.  My kids tell me they don't believe I would trust anyone to give them to.  I do care about them as now they are part of my home but when I think about 15 years through all the stuff that can happen, I just don't think it is a smart move for me. 
 
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cat owner again

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I think they would need someone without kids and with patience.  They still are a little jumpy.  They were not completely feral as the mother was a pet once but lived outside for more than a year.  We think she had two litters outside.  i was not aware of them and a neighbor was feeding them and he could pet both of them but no one else.  He didn't want them and had dogs that would kill them.  Now they show me affection, hang out with me, the young one gets in my lap (and bites me), they come to their name usually but also run from me if I make sudden moves.  We are still working it out but they do trust me. 

Ok why I would get rid of them?  If I had intentially gone out to select a pet, it would not be a cat.  It has been a lot of work.  I have a 15 year old 6 pound dog that I have had to watch carefully until I could trust the cats.  I trust the mother.  The young one has scratched his eye.  I have worked on him but if I go out I still don't like to leave him alone with the dog.  My dog is fragile.  The young one is white and between the two I have covered all my furniture because they shed and make it dirty.  I do brush them but it has been raining and they won't let me wipe them off when they come in.

I worry about the future vet bills as I don't have a lot of money.  I don't like the litter box even though they go out, I have trained them to be in at night.  The mama still will howl at night to go out and wake me up.  All these things I would certainly not mind if I had intended to get them. 

I called all around and there was no place for them to go at that time except maybe a barn cat.  That was still not a given.

I would have to feel really good about someone treating them as well as I do to give them up.  It seems there is a an abundance of cats and abandoned or feral cats.  I am not sure why someone would want to take grown cats who would need some work to reacclimate and put the time into it to have a relationship with them.

Is it really possible and how do you know they are good people?
 

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Thanks for the info that helps a lot.   It is a tough situation - I too am responsible for a cat now that I never intended to be but circumstances arranged themselves...    I'd say first step is to look into your heart and decide what you want to do.   It sounds to me like you want to rehome these cats but only to a good home.   So why not put forth effort in that direction?   There are probably some local rescue groups you can contact who may be able to give guidance and maybe more.   Some people really do get a lot of satisfaction out of working with stray cats - someone might decide to take your case on.  There are ways of screening potential adopters, interview them about how they treated past pets, ask for veterinary references, charge them some money to go toward the pets care - just don't advertise "free cats" whatever you do.   The process of finding a home for them you feel good about may take some time so in the meantime you can work the other angle - ask for advice on the behavior forums for what to do to help the conflict with your dog and the younger cat, there are all sorts of possible things you can try.   About the hair....covering everything sounds exhausting, you'd probably be better off just vacuuming twice a week with a vacuum with good attachments.
 
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You know when the young one jumps in my lap and looks at me with adoring eyes, I feel extreme guilt for taking this on and really not wanting to. The mama seeks me out sometimes too and lays behine me on the sofa.  She doesn't always like to be touched but she likes to be close.   I just couldn't turn my head when two kittens died and the pound and humane society told me they would put them to sleep because they couldn't even get rid of kittens that jump in your lap and purr.  Feral cat coalition was really busy since I guess it was kitten season.  At that time these cats weren't trusting to people.  They still run from me in the house and hide at times and I can't figure out why.  If I call them they won't come out.  They do what they want on their own terms - maybe that is all cats but especially these. 

Truth is it would be hard for me to get rid of them but I am mad that people put others in this situation.  It is so irresponsible.  There is the one who abandoned the cat and the owner of the male who also didn't neuter their cat.  I can't believe how many people I meet that tell me they rescued cats or feed feral cats.  That situation wouldn't exist with neutering.
 

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Taking an animal in is a huge responsibility. I honestly cannot remember one time that I took a pet in, that I did it because I truly wanted a pet. I always did it because the animal was abandoned or being seriously neglected.

I think it is this way for all who take others abandoned animals into their hearts and homes. I wish I could give you a solution to your dilemma, but honestly, if you want to find the cats a good home, like the one you provide, you will have to be very proactive in doing so. I know that my area shelters are overwhelmed and do euthanize to make room for more.

I can certainly understand your anger because I deal with abandoned cats on a regular basis where I live.

When a new neighbor moves in with a cat or gets one soon after, I just want to scream, because I know they are most likely not neutered or spayed and they will probably leave this pet behind when they move on.

In the beginning, I would try to befriend these neighbors and give them information to make it very easy and affordable, (free) to get their cats sterilized. I have even offered to provide traps and transportation to and from said locations, and still no one has taken me up on it.

I've had to adapt my thinking to fit the reality. Now I don't befriend or offer, I simply wait until the opportunity presents itself and take the cat in to be spayed or neutered myself.

You're doing an amazing job and I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do.
 
 
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I have enjoyed talking with you.  The next door neighbors who rented abandoned this cat although when I saw them when they came back one day I confronted them with it and they denied it.  It sure was a co-oincidence.  Previously she told me how her cat had kittens in another neighbor's yard and that he wouldn't let her get them.  I since talked to that neighbor and he said no way.  He told her to get them out of his shed.  She moved.  Fast forward and I think only one is left from that litter.  Mama (what I call her)  must have another litter and that is when I entered the picture.  I also suspect that it is the renter's cat because mama is not afraid of my little dog and the neighbor had pit bulls.  My little dog is nothing to her.  It is the off spring that is new to the whole dog thing and yet he is learning. 

Truth of the matter is I have made a lot of progress with both of these cats.  I work from my home and have a lot of time to put into them.  They both show me that that they appreicate the home I have made for them.  Right now the off spring is snuggled up against me on the couch.  He had been biting me and we seemed to have made progress with that too.  Tonight he opened his mouth to bite me and looked at me without chomping down.  I stopped touching him and that is progress. 

Truthfully I guess they are going to live with me.  I just hope that I can provide them with what they need for the duration.  I am older and may have to move into an apt. at some point.  I also worry about them outside but it has to be that way for now.  At least I live on a cul de sac and as my daughter said the cats seem to love long here.  My last cat was wild too but our friend's kids had carried around the kittens all the time so when we got her, she was not wild.  My friend said she was the only offspring that survived and lived to 16 years.  But it is a lot of money when they need help and a big responsibility if you treat them as a member of the family, which I do all my furry friends.   

So that is the person I would have to find.  One that thinks these cats are as important as any member of their family.  Dream on,,,,,,,
 

purrfectlycat

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I've lived in my neighborhood for over nine years now, and I've lost count of the neighbors who have denied a cat belongs to them even though it does. The house across from me, they've been living there for five years, moved in with three cats. two Siamese, a male and female and a black cat. They decided to make these cats outside cats even though they were almost fifteen years old and had always been inside cats.

The end result, my sister ended up with the female, who kept running inside her house every time she opened the door, because she could not handle being outside. I ended up with the male because he got a really bad case of mites and lost almost all his fur, giving him no protection against the unusually cold winter that year. The black cat disappeared within a few months. My sister and I tried to talk to the neighbors, but were met with hostility, and that was the end of that.

This is just one situation of many that I've personally had to deal with and know there will be more to come.

I know what you mean about the worry of being able to provide for them for the long haul.  I used to torture myself with those thoughts daily, and it made what I deal with almost unbearable. I had to learn to take it one day at a time and accept that I was doing the best I could, which was better than the cats would and did have without my care.

I don't think you need to beat yourself up over them being inside/outside cats. You are providing them the best of both worlds and allowing them shelter when they need and want it. You have given them far more than they would have had out there on there own. They appreciate and love you for all you've given them, and you need to know that you are doing a wonderful and loving thing, in spite of any doubts you may have.

When you think about it, none of us have any guarantees of what tomorrow holds and can really do nothing but take one day at a time, even without pets.

 
 
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I really appreciate your thoughts and I agree.  I take responsiblity so seriously and was better off in ignorance.  When I read all the things about letting cats go outdoors, it now make me feel very strange about letting them out.  They love to go out and even will sit on my covered patio while it rains sometimes.  Right now I have a very good situation for an animal but I know I will have to move in the future. 

I have compromised with a litter box for night time but to keep them in all the time, would be difficult for me and them and my dog.  They are healthy, well fed and happy.  Other things to get used to........I had a baguette out on my counter, bagged and then in a plastic grocery bag.  I planned to toast it and bring to a party with a dip yesterday.  When I woke up the cats had taken it out of each bag, neatly opened one end of the sealed bag and it was on the floor with both ends chewed.  I call it "kitties gone wild" because each morning there is a suprise of what they do at night.  They have pulled things out of the closet from under the door without the door even being open.  We are just getting used to each other.  Christmas will be interesting.  I have my family coming and they are staying over.  It includes a big dog but well behaved dog who lives with 3 cats. I wonder if my cats will even come in.  I don't want them to put them in garage because I park there and I don't want them running in when I back into the garage. It will work out somehow because we are a family that really cares about animals.  They will be quite surprised. 
 

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I know what you mean about the worry of being able to provide for them for the long haul.  I used to torture myself with those thoughts daily, and it made what I deal with almost unbearable. I had to learn to take it one day at a time and accept that I was doing the best I could, which was better than the cats would and did have without my care.
This really helps me with my situation too - thanks for this.   Sometimes I tie myself into a mental and emotional knot over it all.
 
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So funny in a way because meanwhile our cats are just living their lives and adapting to whatever comes their way to survive
 

purrfectlycat

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I really appreciate your thoughts and I agree.  I take responsiblity so seriously and was better off in ignorance.  When I read all the things about letting cats go outdoors, it now make me feel very strange about letting them out.  They love to go out and even will sit on my covered patio while it rains sometimes.  Right now I have a very good situation for an animal but I know I will have to move in the future. 

I have compromised with a litter box for night time but to keep them in all the time, would be difficult for me and them and my dog.  They are healthy, well fed and happy.  Other things to get used to........I had a baguette out on my counter, bagged and then in a plastic grocery bag.  I planned to toast it and bring to a party with a dip yesterday.  When I woke up the cats had taken it out of each bag, neatly opened one end of the sealed bag and it was on the floor with both ends chewed.  I call it "kitties gone wild" because each morning there is a suprise of what they do at night.  They have pulled things out of the closet from under the door without the door even being open.  We are just getting used to each other.  Christmas will be interesting.  I have my family coming and they are staying over.  It includes a big dog but well behaved dog who lives with 3 cats. I wonder if my cats will even come in.  I don't want them to put them in garage because I park there and I don't want them running in when I back into the garage. It will work out somehow because we are a family that really cares about animals.  They will be quite surprised. 
"Kittens gone wild"
I've had quiet a few of those situations myself. It's amazing how determined and resourceful they can be when they want something. This is why they're so good at surviving out there on their own.

Yes, ignorance is bliss, but rational logic is a blessing.  I have some cats that have no interest at all in going out, and others who would tear this place a part if they did not have access to outside. I know if someone held me against my will, and I could never go out, I would not want to exist like that, and I am not an animal. I know there are situations where it might not be safe for animals to go out unattended, but there are other options to allow them some outside time while keeping them safe.

I believe quality of life is every bit as important as anything else they need, because that is what these animals have taught me. Listening to them can sometimes be more beneficial in the long run.

Have a wonderful holiday with your family.
 

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This really helps me with my situation too - thanks for this.   Sometimes I tie myself into a mental and emotional knot over it all.
So glad I could help. The first two years rescuing  cats, I had no support system. I wasn't connected with the TNR program at the Humane Society yet, and hadn't discovered any on line cat forums. I had nothing to go on but my pure will and determination. Later when I met others who were doing what I do, I came across some pretty obsessed individuals who seemed to forget these little creatures were animals with their own primal needs. I started to doubt everything  I did and I became an anxious and very stressed individual.

I finally met a women, from my connections at the Humane Society, who I was fortunate enough to spend time with while trapping together. She showed me another side to all of this, which was actually the way I had been handling things in the beginning. I had let others influence my own logic, which has usually served me well in life. If I hadn't met this person, I might have given up on the work I do, because the stress would have killed me.

Just remember, if something seems a bit over the top it usually is.
 
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I don't know if those who answered this will get email updates but already my fear happened.  The mother cat has been sleeping a lot but seemed ok.  This morning and this afternoon she has not eaten.

In fact she didn't move until I moved her.  I fear I have to take her to the vet.  Of course they will have to do tests.  I just can't afford the long term committment to keep these cats healthy.  I will bring her to the vet but I really feel so heavy hearted about the situation I got myself into.
 

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sorry to hear that mama may be sick.

if you need assistance with vet bills please check this out - http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/300198

as far as finding them a good home, please check around with a no kill cat shelter in your area. even if a shelter can not take any of them right now, they may be able to help you find a great home for the kitties. you may be surprised at how many people there are that will treat them as a family member.
 

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I'm so sorry this happened and I pray it's nothing serious, for both you and the poor baby. Please keep us posted on the results.
 
 

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I sure hope the vets can sort out easily what is wrong and the mom cat can get well fast.  It's still not too late for you to talk to local rescue/adoption groups for help if you haven't already.  

Sending healing vibes for you guys
 

purrfectlycat

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I was thinking of you and your little kitty and wondering how things were going. Please give us an update when you can.
 
 
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