Feral Cat Dilemma

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myblackbeauty

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In the summer of  2013 a feral cat gave birth to 3 kittens under the deck in my yard.  I started to feed them and had all 4 fixed when they got a little older.  The mother was very wild and would not let me touch the kittens.   I leave for Florida every October for 6 months. I live in an attached house and was sure one of my next door neighbors would feed when I left for Florida.  Well,  I almost started a riot.  No one wanted to help; one woman said the feral cats that were around were ruining her new deck.  Anyway I left for Florida without being able to make any arrangements.  A cat lover I met told  me there are a number of people in this development who feed strays.   I guess she was right....when I returned from Florida during the summers of  2014, 2015 and 2016 the cats were waiting for me and I resumed feeding.  Out of the  3, now  there's only one cat left:   Midnight who was always my favorite.  I will be leaving in few weeks and I am hearbroken to leave Midnight.   She is used to getting a substantial wet/dry dinner every night.  There's really no solution......just needed to share my hearbreak.   Any comments?
 
ondine

ondine

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The only way to ensure Midnight gets what she needs is to take her in.  If there is a way for you to take her to Florida with you, do so.  I have friends who regularly take their five cats when the winter in Florida.  It is a big endeavor but it the only way they can make sure the cats are properly cared for.

The only other thing that comes to mind is to find a permanent home for Midnight or to find someone who is willing to come to your home every day and feed her.  Does she have a shelter in your yard or on your porch?  That would also help keep her close to your house.

If there any Barn Cat programs in your area, you might try contacting them as well.

It is wonderful that you had them all fixed but it seems with your neighbors, you will need to do a little more.  Good luck.  Keep us posted!
 
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myblackbeauty

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We currently fly back and forth between Florida and New York with my two house cats......the airline rule is 1 pet per person so taking her would not work.  Because the mother cat was so mean I was never able to get near the kittens so Midnight doesn't let me touch her even though she's known me for 3 years.  Last year I thought she had a broken leg.  I had her trapped and took her to the vet.  She was xrayed and found to have just a sprain.  She was successfully treated with a steroid shot.  I have in the past taken in many stray kittens and socialized them and found them good homes but this situation is different.  I don't know anyone here well enough to give them the key to my house.  Even if I did I don't know anyone who lives close enough to me to conveniently come every day.  I did set up a sturdy shelter for her......NY has such bad winters.  I know there are other people in my development who feed stray cats and she must find her way to them.  Right now she looks very healthy; I'll have to pray that she gets through another winter living under the deck and in the shelter. 
 
catsknowme

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 What a dilemma for you 
    while not an ideal situation, you might be able to find a kind-hearted soul who would come by once a week or so to fill an outside feeder - one odd resource would be a caregiver, such as someone who does behavior training for a developmentally delayed person, or maybe contact your local 4-H club or church's youth group and see if they have a group of kids who would be interested in learning feral colony management (caring for one cat is an easy introduction).

And - WELCOME TO TCS!!!
 
ondine

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Also -is there a way to re-home her?  Our area has a Barn Cat program, which relocates cats to work on farms.  If she is too feral to find an inside home for, then perhaps something like that will work?
 
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myblackbeauty

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When these kitties were born in 2013 I contacted Neighborhood Cats.  I paid them to send a trapper to have the cats get their vaccinations and get spayed/neutered.  I told them I was leaving in October and wanted them  rehomed.   The got very upset with me and said it was too difficult to do this.  I then asked about having them be "barn cats" and they got even angrier at me and said this was a terrible idea.  So I gave up.  And of course, them I had trouble with my surrounding neighbors who didn't want the cats around.  That situation has calmed down a lot, especially since Midnight is the only cat left. 

A bit of good news.......I was out walking in my development earlier and saw a neighbor sitting on his porch with his 3 cats. I met him once before.  I told him my dilemma and he said he would consider coming by a couple of times a week to leave food/water for her.  I need to get to know him better before I give him the key to my house.....my husband is not going to be happy about someone traipsing through his "man cave" but I don't have much of a choice.  Last year I approached any cat loving neighbors that live in this development and showed them Midnight's picture and asked them to feed her if they saw her, but no one ever saw her.  At least I now have a ray of hope.

I will keep you posted.    Thanks for your help.
 
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