Having some doubts about feral/stray girl. Should I return her?

I've posted about it before, but I've had this feral girl, Aria, for about two weeks. I'm not the best at judging cat ages, but I think Aria is about one year old. I currently have Aria in a small/medium dog crate with litter and water. I feed her wet food twice a day and give her a little bit of dry in between. Aria does pretty well as far as ferals go. She was already used to humans, though a little skittish, while outside. She will let me pet her, and even came out of her crate the other night and laid against me while I pet her. She has hissed at me but she has never bitten or scratched me, despite having lots of opportunities to do so. She has some comfort in her crate, but I took out her litter box today and she ran off and hid. I managed to get her back into the cage but I know she's still really scared of her surroundings. I sat and pet her for a good while after that and apologized to her.

The shelter owner had said there could be a place for her at the shelter, but essentially wants her to be at an adoptable point once her vet care is finished in three weeks (sitting in laps, and so on) before putting her up for adoption. Like I mentioned, she's done well, but naturally she's still scared. I can work with her for the next year, but I'm not sure I want to keep her. I'd like to continue to do foster work in the near future, and fostering right now along with having my furever baby and Aria has taught my that two adult cats is my limit with the space and time I have.

I'm also discouraged after hearing the doubts of the shelter coordinator I volunteer for and reading some material from alley cat allies. Alley cat allies more or less says that it's more worth it to dedicate the time that would be spent socializing an adult feral to socializing many more feral kittens and TNR many more adults. And it's true, the resources I'm using for her could be used for kittens and fostering.

Her colony is in an okay place. Her an the other cats get food regularly, and have water and small shelters. They have lots of bushes and trees. There are cons though, their area is between two parking lots and threats to call animal control have been made by property owners, though not acted on. There is apparently a way to register feral colonies with the city so that they will not be picked up. The primary caretaker wants to do this, but hasn't looked into it, and I haven't found any info on it yet. The property owners have not made good on that threat for months now, but they have suddenly fixed the sprinklers that are right next to where the feeding area is, so now the food gets soaked. Mind, those sprinklers have not worked for years, but now they have been mysteriously 'fixed.'

So I'm be a little apprehensive to return her until I can figure out how they can be registered with animal control, but property management also made that threat many months ago, and likely because of an argument they had with another caretaker that cares of some ferals half a mile away.

She's in her crate staring at me now. I was really confident about her just a week ago, but now I just have a lot of doubts stirring around in my mind. :/

What city are you in? Where I live, Animal Control will not trap cats, They will loan traps to someone to trap a cat and surrender but usually, people are too lazy to do it themselves. I have several semi-ferals in my house. I can tell you that when they get sick, it can be very difficult to treat them. Some of them I fostered as 8 week old kittens that never tamed up and are now 15 yrs old and still considered semi-feral! Trying all the tricks to get thyroid meds, give insulin shots, cardiac meds into them on a daily basis is very stressful. Just keep that in mind. They all seem very happy in my home, lounging in the sun, lapping up canned food, treats, sleeping with their eyes closed (both of them!). In other words, it may be a good life for them, but will it be for their future mom?

Working with an adult feral is very very challenging and takes tons of time and patience.  Yet the rewards for the cat are the best.  If you return her who will take the time and effort to work with her.  Yes, she is just one cat instead of  a litter of kittens, but you are making a difference for her.  That is what is important.  If you send her back, who knows what will happen to her.

She may never ever ever be a lap kitty, like to be help or snuggly.  But that is ok.  She has a safe home off the streets and hopefully some love too.  Two weeks to work with an adult semi feral/feral cat  is not long at all.  I brought a feral 3 year old male into my home almost 3 years ago.  It took one solid year.  Now he is very sweet, but still not a lap kitty, still scared of others, still hides from loud noises.  But he is safe and loved and enjoys our other cat and the humans that live in the house.  He will never want to be social with other humans or sit on laps. 

How are you working with her?  It takes many attempts over each and every day when working with an adult.  She needs to see you and have contact throughout the day.  Is there a reason she is still in a cage?  Do you have a spare room instead that is cat proofed.  THat would mean either no bed or the bed flat on the floor and other areas blocked off.  I think she might be happier than stuck in a cage all day/night.  Do you play with her or use food rewards to help her?

Here is a great article to read and below I will post some tips from my blog:

http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-cats-how-socialize-very-shy-or-fearful-cat

1.  The first tip is to have a room that is dedicated to the cat.  If possible this should be a room where the cat will be confined for a period of time.  You can use a spare bedroom or even a small bathroom.  If using a bedroom or other room of your home, be sure that the room is cat proofed.  Remove mattress and box springs or place them directly on the floor.  Hiding under a bed is the first place the cat will run and it is almost impossible to get them out.  Also block behind dressers or book cases.  Cats can fit into very small spaces.  You do want to have an appropriate hiding spot for the cat.  This can be an old box turned on its side or a hiding box found on a cat tree.  Also make sure all windows are tightly closed and blinds are up with the cords hidden.  Do not be surprised if the cat throws himself against the window in an attempt to escape.

2.  If you do not have an empty room available or the cat is very wild,  you can use a large dog crate or fasten two smaller crates together.  Just be sure there is enough room for a small litter pan and food.  If you need to use a crate, I would suggest keeping the crate covered with a sheet or towel  when the cat is alone.  This will help to calm the cat.  Eventually you will need a cat proofed space where you can move the cat.

3.  You will want to start with 2 litter boxes.  Many feral cats are not used to urinating and defecating in the same location. When choosing a  litter, you can use fresh clean potting soil mixed with non clumping litter or you can try Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract.  I have found the Litter Attract to work very well.  If the cat has an accident on the floor, sop up the urine with a paper towel and bury it into the litter box.  Do the same with any stool.  Make sure you clean the area very well with a good enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of odor.  Place the litter boxes away from the food and water.

4.  Feliway plugins are a great way to help a nervous cat adjust.  Most cats find the product soothing.  You can find Feliway at most pet stores as well as on Amazon.

5.  Another product I found helpful was Composure treats or Composure Liquid Max.  The first few nights inside are very stressful.  The cat will often yowl and cry all night.  The Composure is very useful in calming the cat at night.  I first tried the treats, but after a week or so, the cat no longer liked the treat.  I then switched to the liquid as it was very easy to mix into wet food.  Composure is available at the best price on Amazon.

6.  No direct eye contact.  Feral cats find this very threatening.  Keep your gaze over the top of their head or look down.

7.  Talk softly.  You want them to get used to your voice.  Carry on a conversation or even read aloud from a book or magazine.

8.  Sit on the ground so you are not looming over the cat.  You also want to keep your movements slow.

9.  Food rewards are the way to a ferals heart.  Find a special yummy treat such as plain cooked chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna or sardines.  I would start by giving them a very small plate with some of the special treat.  I would then have small pieces beside me and begin to toss the treat towards the cat.  Each toss I would get the treat a little closer to me.  I would do this activity each day.  After a few weeks, the cats are often getting quite close as long as you keep your movements slow and gaze down.

A very special food reward I stumbled across is Gerber Stage 2 baby food.  Cats love the chicken or turkey.  The jar is very small with a blue label.  The ingredients are chicken or turkey and water, no added spices.  I started with a bit on a plate and as time went by, I  offered it on a spoon.  When working with young ferals or kittens, they can often be coaxed to lick this off your fingers.  Just remember this is a treat reward and not a meal replacement.

10.  Remember that when working with ferals it is often 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  Just take it slow and steady.  Also celebrate the small advancements.

11.  Jackson Galaxy of Animal Planets, “My Cat From Hell” series is the cat guru.  He has a line of flower essences that are specially designed for cat behaviors.  He even has one for feral cats.  I have used this essence with great success on all of my feral cats.  

I think the issue is I'm not planning to keep her myself, and the amount of time it would take to get her to the point where my shelter or any might take her will take time and resources that I could give to other cats (especially since there are several kittens in that colony and one tom who is very friendly and accustomed to humans).

My shelter coordinator has taken feral cats, but those cats were much more sociable from the start. She'll likely be always scared of others. If I could find someone who would be willing to do this work and keep her, then I would gladly give her over, but most people want a lap cat and shelters wouldn't put her up for adoption at this point.

The sad part is that she is not a true feral.  She is somewhat used to humans and the fact that she lays up against you is huge.  Most likely she was dumped and has feral tendencies.  She deserves a home.  If you will not work with her then who will?  I feel badly that the answer is to just allow her to be part of a feral colony.  The dangers are great outside.  She most likely will never be a warm and fuzzy lap kitty, but after working with her for 2 weeks, that is just not very long at all.  What have you been trying?  Have you tried any of the techniques above?

I am not judging you, I just want to be sure she has a chance.  If there someone else who could take her and give her a chance to grow?  It will not be an overnight event and may take months to many months to a year for her to be ok.  I just feel badly that it is suggested she be put back out with the colony.  If there aren't any other options as least she is spayed.

Is there any chance you could try some of the techniques and give her another month or so?  Yet if you are only visiting her once or twice a day, it might take her a very long time to come around.  She needs lots and lots of immersion.

I can say for certain that she was born and raised outside, so she's not stray in that sense. There are days when I can give her more time than others, but the time she would truly need is time I'm not sure I have. I'll have her for three more weeks to finish her vet care anyways. I've thought about it a lot, and I don't plan to keep her personally. With socialization, it seems like most people adopt the cat permanently and the cat becomes accustomed to only them.

This kitty is not a feral cat. If she were a true adult feral, she would not be affectionate with you, and she would be yowling and going nuts being confined in a cage. This kitty has been socialized by people at some point, and was likely dumped outside by a negligent owner, and joined a feral colony to survive. From the behavior that you've described, she is not an adult feral cat.  

You've made incredible progress with this kitty in two weeks. It takes time and patience to build  trust with any new cat taken into the household--feral, stray, or domesticated, very few cats are super- friendly right off the bat. It sounds as though she is building a bond of trust with you--I  hope you will consider allowing her to be your cat.

Alley Cats has an amazing program, but I strongly disagree with some of their core values. Time is certainly not "wasted" on an older feral or semi-feral cat. Each cat who comes to us for help is worth all the time and effort in the world--and I do believe God chooses to send certain cats our way, both for us to help, and for them to bless us. I've successfully socialized two feral cats into my home and am working on the third right now. Your kitty isn't even a feral cat, so the process you'll have will be so much  easier, though it will require some time and patience because of the trauma she's experienced on the streets, and possibly from other humans.

It's not important that every cat we adopt into our homes and lives be a "lap cat." I have five cats indoors, all of them rescues, and only one of them has an outgoing, friendly personality. And I will tell you that the cat I've had the closest bond with in my life--a feral tomcat named Muffin, who passed away in March--never allowed me to pet him. Ever. But I loved him with all my heart, and grieve him still. There are many ways to love and bond with a cat. It is a great gift to save one of these beautiful creatures and love it unconditionally, without demanding that they conform to our expectations of how they must express their affection for us.

Please consider giving this kitty more time, and please continue to look for someone with a special heart who would be willing to adopt and work with this kitty. I know painfully firsthand how difficult it is for cats--feral or stray--to survive outside. Their lives are short, even with a caregiver--3-5 years is the average. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to see them injured in fights, or diseased with Feline AIDS, or hit by a car. I believe these cats are brought to us (by God, Fate, Mother Goddess--however you term it) for a reason, and I hope you can continue the wonderful work you are doing with her. 

You should know that the folks on this forum as passionate about feral, stray, and abandoned cats, so it's impossible for us to be unbiased in the feedback we give.

I am certain that she was born in this colony. The colony has several distinct traits and she matches them to a T. Their normal caretaker is there nearly every day of the week, every week, year in and year out, so many of the cats have known her their entire lives and warmed up to her and eventually others.

I don't think their stance is about wasted time, but about how we spend our limited time on the many, many cats in need out there. But I understand that there's a lot of passion around this, so I'll say no more about it.

Thank you all for the resources, they're very helpful and I will absolutely use them now and in the future.