I am in a place in my life where I just want to do TNR and not take on longterm maintenance of any colonies or work longterm with socializing individual ferals. If they won't come around in a couple weeks, I need to re-release them. Anyway, without going into the details, that's how I am comfortable working where I live right now. So I do sort of "roving TNR" in various colonies. Apparently nobody has done any TNR out here before!
But the colony that is my latest project is my first not-so-healthy colony and I'm feeling conflicted. Here's what I've caught so far:
1. Persian covered in matts and very bony. I thought he was "somebody's pet" (see my other post) and released him before I saw his sad state. Trying to retrap him but don't know what I'll do with him then.
2. Female with pyometra--a uterine infection. Spay solved that health issue but it could have been fatal to her! She turns out to be friendly. She's in my bathroom now awaiting a permanent home.
3. Teenage female with blood clots from apparently aborted litter, one eye permanently clouded by untreated herpes, a healing limp, serious URI, and very bony. She is the daughter of #2 and is also friendly. She is in my bathroom and has a home to go to soon.
4. FIV+ definitely feral that vet recommended euthanasia. He was euthanised, poor guy. Had pellets in his ear from being shot vet said and other battle scars.
5. Apparently feral female with some kind of eye injury to left eye. Doctor said injury is healing nicely but vision permanently compromised on one side.
These cats live in a relatively quiet, old residential area. Mixed rental houses and owned houses. Large student population that is gone for the summer, but also lots of lower income families and some middle-class families fixing up old Victorians and such. So to me this is a pretty "nice" place for ferals to live, as opposed to a freeway underpass or what have you.
Sigh. I've never had such a batch of sad cats. I feel bad for them.
Their feeder loves the cats. To her credit, she puts out straw bedding for them on her porch in the winter. But her idea of "feeding" is dumping a bag of cat food on her porch when she noticed the previous pile is gone. Their water isn't always fresh. She lives this roller coaster drama-queen life and could up and leave tomorrow, or be here for another 3 years. I don't consider her entirely reliable, but she has been feeding for 2 years.
I guess I'm just wondering are these cats living an okay life? Should I be putting them back in this neighborhood? I'm tapped on relocating cats out here and frankly the "barn cats" in this part of the country don't seem to be treated well for the most part--to me that isn't an option.
Just wondering I guess what you've done with some of these sadder colonies you come across.
But the colony that is my latest project is my first not-so-healthy colony and I'm feeling conflicted. Here's what I've caught so far:
1. Persian covered in matts and very bony. I thought he was "somebody's pet" (see my other post) and released him before I saw his sad state. Trying to retrap him but don't know what I'll do with him then.
2. Female with pyometra--a uterine infection. Spay solved that health issue but it could have been fatal to her! She turns out to be friendly. She's in my bathroom now awaiting a permanent home.
3. Teenage female with blood clots from apparently aborted litter, one eye permanently clouded by untreated herpes, a healing limp, serious URI, and very bony. She is the daughter of #2 and is also friendly. She is in my bathroom and has a home to go to soon.
4. FIV+ definitely feral that vet recommended euthanasia. He was euthanised, poor guy. Had pellets in his ear from being shot vet said and other battle scars.
5. Apparently feral female with some kind of eye injury to left eye. Doctor said injury is healing nicely but vision permanently compromised on one side.
These cats live in a relatively quiet, old residential area. Mixed rental houses and owned houses. Large student population that is gone for the summer, but also lots of lower income families and some middle-class families fixing up old Victorians and such. So to me this is a pretty "nice" place for ferals to live, as opposed to a freeway underpass or what have you.
Sigh. I've never had such a batch of sad cats. I feel bad for them.
Their feeder loves the cats. To her credit, she puts out straw bedding for them on her porch in the winter. But her idea of "feeding" is dumping a bag of cat food on her porch when she noticed the previous pile is gone. Their water isn't always fresh. She lives this roller coaster drama-queen life and could up and leave tomorrow, or be here for another 3 years. I don't consider her entirely reliable, but she has been feeding for 2 years.
I guess I'm just wondering are these cats living an okay life? Should I be putting them back in this neighborhood? I'm tapped on relocating cats out here and frankly the "barn cats" in this part of the country don't seem to be treated well for the most part--to me that isn't an option.
Just wondering I guess what you've done with some of these sadder colonies you come across.
