the angst of letting them go

bastfriend · May 28, 2013

So I've started in earnest to find another outdoor home for Hercules and it's so hard. I want to find an option for him that is perfect and safe, but there are no guarantees especially for an outdoor cat. Someone just answered an ad for him and I don't have details yet, but from what I can tell it is someone with a house in a residential neighborhood - not the farm in the country I was hoping for. But do I hold out for that? I worry too if he rejects the new location that if he were in the residential neighborhood he could try to connect with a new feeder at a different house, if he were in the country he'd just have miles of empty land. I'll of course have the new person keep him in a crate for a few weeks to imprint him on the new spot. Just today he's disappeared again, upset because a new cat has wandered by again - he doesn't seem to be able to hold his territory at all. If he follows true to pattern it may be a few days till he comes back and only if the other cat is gone. How do I place such a sensitive beast???

shadowsrescue · May 29, 2013

Bastfriend said:
So I've started in earnest to find another outdoor home for Hercules and it's so hard. I want to find an option for him that is perfect and safe, but there are no guarantees especially for an outdoor cat. Someone just answered an ad for him and I don't have details yet, but from what I can tell it is someone with a house in a residential neighborhood - not the farm in the country I was hoping for. But do I hold out for that? I worry too if he rejects the new location that if he were in the residential neighborhood he could try to connect with a new feeder at a different house, if he were in the country he'd just have miles of empty land. I'll of course have the new person keep him in a crate for a few weeks to imprint him on the new spot. Just today he's disappeared again, upset because a new cat has wandered by again - he doesn't seem to be able to hold his territory at all. If he follows true to pattern it may be a few days till he comes back and only if the other cat is gone. How do I place such a sensitive beast???

My heart breaks for you. Hercules has been so lucky to have you in his life and you are trying so hard to find the best possible home for him. You could always meet or talk on the phone with the potential adoptees and see if you get a good feeling about them. He may do just fine there. Maybe they would like to try and make him an indoor kitty. He sounds similar in a way to my Shadow. Other cats send him into a tizzy and it takes days or weeks to recover. Hercules needs a place all of his own.

Are there any rescues that know of someone looking for a barn cat? I always worry about that because sometimes the barn cats are not fed. They just need to hunt.

I will send good thoughts your way and hope that Hercules finds the perfect home.

bastfriend · May 29, 2013

Awwww, thanks ShadowsRescue! It means a lot to have someone understand, I think people in my real life think I'm a bit of a wacko about this cat. We have a lot of similarities, my indoor cat Big Guy is a territorial orange cat and he's a big part of why I think bringing Hercules in would be unsuccessful. Big Guy has had problems with bullying all his life, and I keep it under control with a lot of work but I think he'd go insane with a full size male rival in his home, especially one that wouldn't stand up to him and would run. Makes me think about your Marvin - gotta go check your thread and see how that's going. The only barn rescue here focuses on relocating groups of cats to barns and has told me they will not relocate a single cat and that he'll wander off without other cats for company. Really I just don't know....all I can go by is what I see outside my window and that is he wanders off the minute any other cat shows up!

shadowsrescue · May 30, 2013

Bastfriend said:
Awwww, thanks ShadowsRescue! It means a lot to have someone understand, I think people in my real life think I'm a bit of a wacko about this cat. We have a lot of similarities, my indoor cat Big Guy is a territorial orange cat and he's a big part of why I think bringing Hercules in would be unsuccessful. Big Guy has had problems with bullying all his life, and I keep it under control with a lot of work but I think he'd go insane with a full size male rival in his home, especially one that wouldn't stand up to him and would run. Makes me think about your Marvin - gotta go check your thread and see how that's going. The only barn rescue here focuses on relocating groups of cats to barns and has told me they will not relocate a single cat and that he'll wander off without other cats for company. Really I just don't know....all I can go by is what I see outside my window and that is he wanders off the minute any other cat shows up!

I know people think I am crazy with all of my cats. I guess some days I think maybe I am crazy!! But I just can't help it. I feel so strongly about helping these poor cats that just don't have a chance. I just wish I didn't get so upset about it.

Did you ever hear back from the person who expressed some interest in Hercules? I am so hopeful you will find a place for him. How soon are you moving?

krz · May 30, 2013

Oh, I hope you can find a safe place for this kitty. I know you are apprehensive about bringing him with you, but do you have a separate place he could stay where he would be away from your cat? Maybe try and ease them together. It takes time, but done with patience, most times can work.

bastfriend · May 30, 2013

Shadowsrescue, thanks for the good wishes - I so hope this can work out too. The person who wrote me the first email hasn't responded and it's been two days so I'm not feeling too optimistic on that one. I'm planning to expand my my ad placement though. I keep pushing my move date back but it's looking like about six weeks from now. Oh and Hercules came back today, guess he decided the coast was clear of the other cat or he was hungry enough.

KRZ, it gets complicated! If I could just bring him in and tame him I would, but there's multiple factors - not only Big Guy's alpha male complex - that make that a difficult option. Not an impossible option but a very very difficult option, so I'm hoping still to find the right home for him.

the angst of letting them go

bastfriend

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shadowsrescue

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bastfriend

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shadowsrescue

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krz

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