Torn between leaving them outside or bringing them in

Hi I have been taking care of 4 kittens now 6 months old.  The mother bought them around shortly after weaning them.  I got all four and Mommy TNRed and re released them.  I had a dog at the time and could not take them in( he has recently pasted)  I have since then been caring for them.  I feed and water them once a day.  They are at my place of employment.  I have recently built them a waterproof insulated shelter along the wood line where they reside it will be their first winter. Two of them will not come near me only when feeding.  One of them will get close sniff my hand but will not let me touch it. The last one however is totally in love with me and very affectionate toward me.  Letting me scratch her and touch her constantly.  I am torn on whether I should trap her and try to give her an inside home or let her live free. They all are very happy and healthy and hang out together. Mama only shows up once in a while but usually leaves for days.  As she has been a feral for a while.  The kittens however were fixed at a young age and only seem to be hanging out together.  I am sure their is a colony around but they seem to only hang around me and the home I have made them.  Would it be wrong of me to take in one and leave the others out in the wild (with me taking care of them of coarse) the little calico female seems to be the exception to the rule with her loving nature but I am afraid if I decide to give her a home she would be unhappy indoors.  Just looking for some guidance.  I would love to grab the two friendliest and give them a home but feel bad leaving the other two out in the wild.  Or I could be biting off more then I can chew. I wouldn't want then shredding my home while at work.  Any input or opinions would ease my mind.  Thank you!

Feral cats can get used to being house kitties.  The cat in my avatar and his sister were six months old when we brought them in.  We did everything wrong (I had no clue) but they've adjusted well.  Both are still shy and hide when company comes but otherwise, they are happy inside cats.

I believe all cats deserve a good home and you are providing that by caring for these four (and mommy).  The TNR, the shelter and food are more than many people would bother with.

If your bring any of them in, there will be a period of adjustment.  Change is bad as far as cats are concerned, even good change.  So be prepared for for frightened, hiding cats for at least a few weeks.

Personally, if you can afford it, I'd bring the two friendliest cats home.  They should be vet checked first - fleas and worms, vaccines if they need them.  When you get them home, a room of their own is a good way to help them adjust.  Make sure it is cat-proofed; no places they can hide where you can't reach them.

If you continue to provide support to the others, their lives will be enriched far beyond being left on their own.

The only other thing I can think of is a biggie - build an enclosure for all four of them in your backyard.  If you attach it to the house, they will have the best of both worlds.

Thank you for responding.  I will take everything into consideration.  And a vet check will def be in order if I do take one or two in.  They were all vaccinated and tested for feline luk when they were TNR a few months ago.  I have wormed them recently also.  I have always said to myself I would step in and force a home on one of them if they get injured or appear not to be thriving.  I find I am getting seriously attached especially after losing my dog three months ago.  I just want to do the right thing   Thanks again for your input. 

I have two cats at my workplace I trapped and socialized. They were approximately 2 months old when I started feeding them and around 5 months old when I trapped them. It was a bit of work and a lot of patience to socialize them but well worth it in the end. They live inside the building I work at and keep the building free of mice and moles. I would take them home but have two cats at home and Taz is not good at sharing. I sleep well at night knowing nothing can get the cats and no chance of getting hit by a vehicle. I don't allow my cats to roam, all my cats are indoor-only.

I am fortunate that my two work cats have adjusted well to living indoors and they don't seem eager to get outside. I managed to be quite successful with the two feral cats with help from Ondine and others on this site. I feel you should get them all inside somewhere but of course I am biased as all my cats are indoor-only. All inside somewhere but not necessarily together.

I am a sucker and would take all 4 of them if I had no other pets, but like I said, I'm a huge sucker.

I have 2 inside and 5 outside my house right now that I am feeding, and only the fact that my 2 indoor cats hate the outside cats prevents me from bringing the friendly ones inside to live (that, and my husband telling me I can't save the world).

Do you have the option of relocating them to your home, outdoors, for the wilder ones you don't bring in the house to live?

No. I wish I lived in a quiet low traffic neighborhood if I did I would of done it immediately after tnr. I did try to find homes for a week or 2 but no takers. The women who runs the townships cat rescue said they would do well back in thier own setting as long as I was a caregiver for the colony. I didn't have the option of taking them in myself at the time. I had a 17 yr old dog I was nursing. I would love to take them all in now but afraid 4 ferals might be to much for my tiny home. There are so many mixed thoughts on what's good for them and whats not. The perfect scenario would be if I could relocate the 4 to a safe indoor outdoor option. My home wouldn't be. I would feel guilty only taking 1 or 2 in. For now they seem to be thriving and happy. Thank you so much for your in put

I wish I had the option of bringing them indoors at work. I work for the state they don't allow that. I have to sneak in on weekends just to feed and water them I worry every night about their well being. I would love to take them all in but my house is very small and I feel they would be miserable. Thanks for responding I appreciate it.

I think as long as you are their caretaker they will be fine! I understand the guilt thing. I really do. But just think, they are doing okay now...as long as you make sure they have the necessities, they are much better off!!

Thank you! I am in love all ready so I will do my best to keep them from harm. If I need to step in and take one that maybe struggling I am prepared. If for some reason I need to remove them I will take them all (God help me lol) Thanks for your reply. I apologize if I posted 2 responses. I am new at this