As many of you know, I have 5 cats indoors and 1 feral, Muffin, outdoors. Long story short--4 years ago, when I didn't know the difference between a feral or a stray, I trapped Muffin and took him inside into a spare room for 3 days. I should have taken him directly to the vet to get neutered, but I thought I would have time to do that later when he got settled in. Well, he literally climbed the walls and windows of that room and went nuts, and I was unable to get him to a vet, so I released him back outside. Over the past 4 years I've tried to re-trap him in a variety of ways, and haven't been successful, even when he was sick or injured. He is trap savvy. Two summers ago he brought his kittens and girlfriends to me, and my neighbors and I trapped, fixed, socialized and adopted all 5 of them (which was difficult because whenever Muffin was around, he would nudge them out of or away from the trap). He has not brought any new kittens or girlfriends to us for 2 years. He's about 6 years old now and has slowed down. There are still a few male ferals who occasionally come around who are not related to him, but they come and go.
Monday night, a woman almost ran over a cat a few blocks from me. The cat was very friendly, but thin and dirty. She picked him up and put him in her garage. The next evening she was driving around and asking people if this cat belonged to anyone (she already has 6 cats of her own and does not want another). When she described him as being a black and gray tabby, someone directed her to my house (Muffin fits that description). When I saw the picture, I thought it might have been another tabby male who occasionally comes around my porch, but then I saw that it wasn't him. However, he does look as though he could be one of Muffin's sons from a few years ago. He looks exactly like my Harry, who definitely is Muffin's son. This cat is very friendly and personable, so someone must have socialized him and been caring for him. I've never seen him on my block before. The woman wanted me to make a decision on the spot because if I wasn't going to take the cat, and if I didn't say for sure someone was caring for him, she was going to take him to the Humane Society in Pittsburgh where she volunteers. I told her to take him, that at least he'd get neutered and wouldn't be running the streets anymore. She took him, and he's there now.
The next morning I started feeling very guilty about this cat being put in a shelter. Someone must have been caring for him because Muffin and all of his other offspring have been feral, not friendly. I posted pictures of him on telephone poles near where he was found with the number for the Pittsburgh HS, and I posted his picture and story on the FaceBook local pet lost and found page. But I'm wondering if I did the right thing. Should I have instead suggested to this woman that she return him to where she found him? Should I have pushed the TNR route with her? I didn't feel I could take this cat in since I already have 5, and since one of my 5, Chablis, is in end stage kidney failure. I don't want to put Chablis through the stress of bringing in a new cat when he only has weeks or months to live. But I feel responsible for this cat because I believe he's Muffin's offspring from a few years ago. I keep feeling that I sent this poor cat to kitty jail. I'm not good at making decisions on the spot like that. What should I do? I guess for now I'll see if someone adopts him in the next few weeks and take it from there?
Monday night, a woman almost ran over a cat a few blocks from me. The cat was very friendly, but thin and dirty. She picked him up and put him in her garage. The next evening she was driving around and asking people if this cat belonged to anyone (she already has 6 cats of her own and does not want another). When she described him as being a black and gray tabby, someone directed her to my house (Muffin fits that description). When I saw the picture, I thought it might have been another tabby male who occasionally comes around my porch, but then I saw that it wasn't him. However, he does look as though he could be one of Muffin's sons from a few years ago. He looks exactly like my Harry, who definitely is Muffin's son. This cat is very friendly and personable, so someone must have socialized him and been caring for him. I've never seen him on my block before. The woman wanted me to make a decision on the spot because if I wasn't going to take the cat, and if I didn't say for sure someone was caring for him, she was going to take him to the Humane Society in Pittsburgh where she volunteers. I told her to take him, that at least he'd get neutered and wouldn't be running the streets anymore. She took him, and he's there now.
The next morning I started feeling very guilty about this cat being put in a shelter. Someone must have been caring for him because Muffin and all of his other offspring have been feral, not friendly. I posted pictures of him on telephone poles near where he was found with the number for the Pittsburgh HS, and I posted his picture and story on the FaceBook local pet lost and found page. But I'm wondering if I did the right thing. Should I have instead suggested to this woman that she return him to where she found him? Should I have pushed the TNR route with her? I didn't feel I could take this cat in since I already have 5, and since one of my 5, Chablis, is in end stage kidney failure. I don't want to put Chablis through the stress of bringing in a new cat when he only has weeks or months to live. But I feel responsible for this cat because I believe he's Muffin's offspring from a few years ago. I keep feeling that I sent this poor cat to kitty jail. I'm not good at making decisions on the spot like that. What should I do? I guess for now I'll see if someone adopts him in the next few weeks and take it from there?
