Need advide on rescued cats

Hello, this is my first post, so I hope I am not posting this in the wrong forum (I apologize if I made a mistake!).

I really need advice and perspective on this. About eleven week ago I found a pregnant cat, I took her in and, a couple of days later, five beautiful kittens were born. I started placing them in good homes at about eight to nine weeks. One went to my brother, another to a good friend of my brother, a couple of them went to another home, but I've been getting regular updates on how they are doing. I am now left with the mother and one of the babies. Both are just adorable and really bonded to me. The problem? I am on vacation visiting my parents! I actually ended up staying three months longer than expected just to care for them, get them spayed and neutered and to find them good homes.

I really wanted the mother and daughter duo I still have with me to be adopted together because they seem to be bonded. So far, it looks like it won't happen and I can't stay with my parents forever. I am due back at work  and my husband and other pets (two dogs and a cat) are all back home over 5000 miles away. I have two potential adopters, one for the mother and one for the kitten. Both are strangers. I have screened them, but still, I do not know them.

My question is, should I keep them both just so that they stay together, even if that means risking air transportation for them as checked baggage in a trip that takes almost 24 hours and several transfers? or should I let them be adopted, even if it separates them just to avoid the trauma and potential death or loss risk associated with them traveling?

Please, any advice or perspective is welcome! This is really keeping me up at night. I just want to make sure they have a the great life they deserve. I am attaching a picture of both, the kitten is on the left and the mother on the right (they look like twins!).

If the flight transportation IS an option (both in costs, the actual passage, and your situation in your own home)  I would say, it should be a hot candidate.  After all, people DO import cats.  both breeders and owners of pets...

The cats manage this better than you think.   Look, if you take home a shy cat, it often hides under the sofa in perhaps even 48 hours, not eating, not peeing....  So their transport box is as a nice hidey hole for them.

But I wonder, couldnt the stay with your parents?  They lived there, they know your parents, and I presume, have some attachment to them too...

Otherways, adopting them out to two persons whom want them, and there are no alarming bells ringing, is no bad option.   Its not always everything can be solved optimally.  Sometimes we must be happy with good enough.

Thanks for the input! The cats staying with my parents was my first choice, sadly neither of them will care for them properly. They are both elderly and already have two dogs. I am afraid two cats will just be too much.  I think instead I am going to take them to their new homes, tell the adopters to give them a few days to adjust, but if for some reason something is not working out, give them back to me, no questions asked.

That way I give them an easy way out in case they decide they don't want the cats after all. In any case, I think I am the problem. I just got too attached to them, knowing all along that they would be adopted at some point. There are no alarms ringing with either adopter, but I just can't help thinking that I should keep both cats just to know they are o.k.  and I guess that is my biggest problem with either option (giving them to the adopters or taking them with me). If I give them to the adopters, I won't know for sure how they are doing. If I take them with me, they'll be treated like luggage and I won't be there to care for them in case something goes wrong. I just feel it is my responsibility to ensure their safety, since I took them in.

You are one of us!  Every one of us has either failed at fostering or had second and third thoughts about adopters.

This is a good thing - we need more compassionate people in the world.  I would allow the cats to settle in and see how things go.  If your instincts say they need to be returned, then follow them.  I am praying they have each found their forever home.

The bonus there is that it leaves you free to rescue more, if that's something you feel called to do.

Blessings on your for all you are doing.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I do think though that a mother & offspring are easier to separate than siblings.

BTW, the ribbons around their necks are very dangerous. They can strangle them.

Primula said:

BTW, the ribbons around their necks are very dangerous. They can strangle them.

Click to expand...

 I think Nahui probably just put them on for the photos. 

 I don't think  I could say it better than Ondine.  You're doing a wonderful job, @Nahui.

Beautiful cats @Nahui  They were so lucky to have found you.

I always have qualms about handing over cats to their new homes too. One thing you could do is write up a simple contract for the new adopters to sign, stating that if they ever need to re-home the cats for any reason they will return them to you, rather than give them to a shelter or a third party. That way if things don't work out you will know exactly where the cats are.

I think mothers and kittens get over being separated fairly quickly as long as the kittens are weaned. My mother and daughter cats are 6 and 5 years old now and spend most of their time pretending the other doesn't exist.

Thank you to everyone for their advice! In the end I decided to go ahead and place them in the homes I found for them. Traveling with them over the busy holiday season just seemed too dangerous to do, especially if I already had potential adopters.

Mother and daughter had to be separated, but I did ask each of their adopters to let them settle and if anything happened, no matter how big or small an issue, I would take them back, no questions asked. I also asked them for pictures.  This was about a week ago and they seem to  be doing fine and adapting to their new homes, so I'm hopeful I did the right thing for them, although I am still heartbroken to have found them so far from my own home. Otherwise I would have kept them without question. I just became so attached to them, but yes, I do intend to keep helping any cats that I can.

While trying to place this litter and their mother in new homes I realized that, at least in this part of the world, most rescue efforts go to helping dogs and there are very few people helping cats. I love dogs too, but I just think I would be more helpful with cats, since there are less resources devoted to helping them. Lastly, @Primula and @Mani, yes, I only used those ribbons for the pictures.

Again, thank you to everyone who commented. All of you have really helped me feel better about my decision. I thought I was doing a horrible thing separating them from their mother, but now I feel like it was me who did not want them to give them away. At least I have pictures of them to look at and see how they are growing. Thanks!

Thanks for the update @Nahui  I'm glad to hear they're all settling into their homes. It's great that you are getting pictures of them.

I agree, the cats of the world do need more help. At least you know that this little family all got the help they needed.