Should I take an outdoor cat living in a yard with 16 cats & turn him into an indoor cat?

There's a house near my mom in Phoenix where people seem to dump their cats when they no longer want them. The homeowner makes sure they're all neutered & fed. Several of them are extremely friendly and will sit on my lap when I visit. 

One of the cats has very thick beautiful white fur. I don't know how the summers go for him, but I assume OK since he has been in this yard for 4 years. He runs to greet me whenever I walk by and when I get up to leave, he sits on my feet then follows me and watches me until I'm out of view. I had considered taking him & one of his friends home when I first met them 4 years ago but didn't because I already had 2 cats. Unfortunately, when I was visiting in December, I found out that his friend had been missing for several weeks.

My older cat died recently and I am considering bringing home the white cat in March as a companion for my 9 year old indoor declawed cat. This would require putting the white cat in a bag for a 5 hour flight, plus the trip to & from the airports. Then it would require keeping the white cat in a room in my house for 2 weeks while he & my 9 year old get used to each others' smell, etc. 

Does anyone know if it would be a good idea to have him become an indoor cat? Would it be worse to leave him half-cared for in a yard full of other cats? There are lots of feral cats in that neighborhood with sketchy health conditions. But then, there are lots of cats in Northern Virginia who also need homes. If I take him, should I also take his friend Calico whom he always hangs out with?

I plan to take my 9 year old to the vet for shots beforehand. I'd also make an appointment to take the white cat to the vet in Phoenix to make sure I don't bring a cat health issues onto the plane, but then there's the logistics of what to do after the vet. I'd probably have to put him back in his yard until I'm on the way to the airport so that there wouldn't be any problems between him & my mom's cat.

I think if would be wonderful if you could take this sweet boy (and his buddy if possible) home with you. It seems like you have given this ample thought on how to go about everything.

I would make sure to have him combo tested for FIV/Leukemia and for intestinal parasites. I would also look at boarding him/them at the vet instead of returning them to the yard. This will prevent him picking up something after he has been tested.

As for the flight home, I'd suggest getting some Feliway spray or wipes and giving the carrier a good wipe down 30 minutes or so prior to loading him up. This is a non-medicated synthetic pheromone that can help calm him.

I am attaching a copy of an article about introducing cats to cats and is definitely worth the read, even for those that have done it before. The most important thing is to go slow and take cues from each cat to determine when they are ready to move to the next step.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

I look forward to an update on what you decide to do!

Gosh, I REALLY hope you decide to take him!  As a property manager for several apartment complexes I feel as though I'm absolutely drowning in stray/feral cats.  I do a lot of TNR but not as much as I wish I could.  The idea that you're going to give this cat (and possibly his companion) a fur-ever home makes me happy to the point of tears.

All cats deserve a home. 

I ended up returning poor SuperFluff to his yard with all his cat friends. After a long but successful struggle to get him into a carrier and to the vet, he tested positive for FIV. The vet made it seem as though it may be very difficult and risky to bring him home and keep them in separate areas of the house for a few months to make sure Phineas doesn't pick a fight with him. Then I'd have to administer medicine that would require I never leave the house for more than 12 hours at a time. 

I felt so sad about bringing him back to a yard where he will receive no medical care. But his friends were so happy to see him return, they came over to greet him and rubbed cheeks. I hope to see all of them again next time I visit.

What type of medication would need to be administered?

I don't remember what the drug was called. I asked where I could get it & the vet didn't even know. She said she prescribes it, then the pet owner goes on their own to obtain it.

There are several members here that have FIV+ /FIV- homes. If you are interested in bringing SuperFluff home, they would be more than happy to share their experiences.

@LDG has several FIV+ kitties and others that are FIV-. Several of her FIV+ kitties came in as stray adults.

I've already returned from my trip to Phoenix, although I intend to visit again around Christmas. However I'll likely adopt a local cat before then.

My vet had told me to screen SuperFluff for FIV before bringing him home, but I never asked what to do if he tested positive. I didn't have enough time to research it before my flight home. 

I feel awful about leaving him there, but I'd also feel awful about taking him away from all his sweet friends, or taking him without bringing home his friends too. They were so happy to see him return that as soon as I let him out of the carrier, they came over and gave him head bumps and cheek rubs.