Second-Guessing My Good Intentions...Opinions Welcomed

leesali · Oct 11, 2005

Long story short: Over the last few years, I have been caring for a feral colony which lives in my backyard. A few months back, one of the adult females had a healthy litter of 6. Working on the TNR...one down...two to go.

When the kittens were approximately 5-weeks of age and started to wander from the "nesting" area, I became nervous for their safety (and health) and started bringing them in.

Out of the six kittens, I have two which I am keeping, two went to foster homes and two remain outside. The two outside, I was never able to catch and they are now 10-weeks of age. Without an excellent foster home to go to with dedicated socialization, I feel it is best that they remain with the adults from the colony.

I volunteer with my local Humane Society at their adoption center and do some in-home fostering for them whenever possible. The two kittens that went to a foster home are now at the adoption center. Both of them were sick 2 weeks ago and now one of them is back at the vet's with a bad URI.

I am truly 2nd guessing my decision to take those kittens from the colony. I am starting to think that I (we) should leave those babies alone out there if there is a mother to be found unless we have a good definite home for them to go to.

It makes me wonder which of these sets of kittens are better-off?...the 2 kittens waiting to be adopted sitting in a cage and taken out here & there during the course of the day...that are sick every-other-week OR the 2 outside that are free to romp and living with their blood-line colony. I watch them through the window as they chase leaves, sprawl out in the sun with their family, learning new things & getting bigger everyday and are just plain free. I watch them with a genuine smile and warm-heart.

I'm a firm believer in "nature will take care of nature"...really second-guessing what I have done. Feeling very guilty.

valanhb · Oct 11, 2005

You did the best you could. Honestly, I think it was probably a good thing to try to find them homes. In the long run, you've taken two, well four really, out of the feral colony and broken the cycle with them. They will know human companionship, a warm bed, and never ever know hunger. Of course, the two who remain with the colony may also have a long and happy life, we can't possibly know the future. But they have so many more risks than the ones you brought in, again in the long run.

I'll move this to Caring for Stray & Ferals.

lakeriedog · Oct 11, 2005

I agree.

keith p · Oct 11, 2005

I think if you can find decent homes for the 2 outside then do that when its possible. You will be giving the local stray cats better oppurtunity for more food, and the 2 kittens a good home so they wont have to compete for food. If you cant get them in now than wait until you can, but make sure you try to get them social in the mean time, like interact with them outside, leave a few cat toys outside for them to play with if they want.

eatrawfish · Oct 11, 2005

I think though you feel guilty now, what you have done is better in the long run. Once the little guys up for adoption get good homes, they will have long, cushy lives. It is hard to say what will happen with the outdoor guys.

nebula11 · Oct 11, 2005

Don't second guess this desicion.....If we had more people like you out there...possibly this feral problem...wouldn't be such a ...errr...problem.....

I totally admire what you did, those two kittens will not reproduce, they will never go hungry.....and who knows...these kittens may and up being a lifesaver for the lucky person to adopt them...giving that person a lifetime of love ad devotion, and recieving the same in return.....

I think you are an incredible person, you did what you felt was right, and really thats all we can ever do

laureen227 · Oct 11, 2005

Originally Posted by Nebula11

Don't second guess this desicion.....If we had more people like you out there...possibly this feral problem...wouldn't be such a ...errr...problem.....

I totally admire what you did, those two kittens will not reproduce, they will never go hungry.....and who knows...these kittens may and up being a lifesaver for the lucky person to adopt them...giving that person a lifetime of love ad devotion, and recieving the same in return.....

I think you are an incredible person, you did what you felt was right, and really thats all we can ever do

it's hard right now, but when they get a loving home, you'll know you did the right thing

leesali · Oct 11, 2005

Originally Posted by eatrawfish

I think though you feel guilty now, what you have done is better in the long run. Once the little guys up for adoption get good homes, they will have long, cushy lives. It is hard to say what will happen with the outdoor guys.

I would definitely feel better if those 2 in the adoption center would be adopted & kept together.

The outdoor kittens have an uncertain future...true. I have to admit it would break my heart to take them from their mother (and adult aunts who have been also nursing them) to bring them into a room with 20 other cats & kittens...be put in a cage with a small box & towel to sleep in...I don't think I can do it.

They are very close to 10-weeks of age. They don't need a foster home at this point...they need major socialization which is very hard to find in a volunteer enviornment. I won't bring them to a shelter and as mentioned, I am having a hard time even bringing them to the adoption center.

I will try to spend some time with the 2 little girls that are waiting for a home at the adoption center. Hoping they are both healthy and not looking so sad. Breaks my heart.

eatrawfish · Oct 11, 2005

Originally Posted by leesali

I will try to spend some time with the 2 little girls that are waiting for a home at the adoption center. Hoping they are both healthy and not looking so sad. Breaks my heart.

I understand that feeling, when I fostered for a shelter I had to bring them into the adoption center. I'd visit them all the time but it broke my heart to leave them there, especially since they'd meow so pitifully.

But the rush of happiness when they got a good home was pretty intense as well. Try to remember, the cages are only temporary, tell the kittens that too.

tnr1 · Oct 11, 2005

Originally Posted by leesali

I would definitely feel better if those 2 in the adoption center would be adopted & kept together.

The outdoor kittens have an uncertain future...true. I have to admit it would break my heart to take them from their mother (and adult aunts who have been also nursing them) to bring them into a room with 20 other cats & kittens...be put in a cage with a small box & towel to sleep in...I don't think I can do it.

They are very close to 10-weeks of age. They don't need a foster home at this point...they need major socialization which is very hard to find in a volunteer enviornment. I won't bring them to a shelter and as mentioned, I am having a hard time even bringing them to the adoption center.

I will try to spend some time with the 2 little girls that are waiting for a home at the adoption center. Hoping they are both healthy and not looking so sad. Breaks my heart.

Leesali...you did a good thing....even if it takes a while..these 2 have a very good chance at a wonderful future. There are loving people out there who are willing to work with feral kittens (we've seen some post here) and enjoy watching them become more social.

As you catch and spay the remaining cats....you will not only be impacting your numbers...but the shelter numbers as well. TNR has a direct impact on shelter #s, giving domesticated cats/kittens a better chance as well.

Katie

anya · Oct 11, 2005

I think you made the right decision. Those kitties that are poorly would probably have have become poorly if left outside as URI is so common in the cat population. At least now they are getting proper medical attention. And since you brought them in they will probably have a greater life expectancy with less worries. 2 of my cats were kitties from a feral mother. If they had'nt been brought in they would have died as the mother was only a young cat herself and did'nt know how to look after them (they were dehydrated when rescued).

Dont secong guess yourself you made the right decision and i commend you for your work with the feral colony.

beckiboo · Oct 11, 2005

My first foster litter was Festus' litter. I took in her preggers Momma, and then decided to keep them as fosters. The one we decided to keep ended up dying of FIP. For a while, I tortured myself, since it seemed if I had not joined the foster agency, and just raised the kittens myself and adopted them out to friends, she would not have been exposed to so many illnesses.

But then, I never would have met Garfield. And likely, some of the kittens would have been adopted, but not speutered. And I would not be fostering now.

I think you can always second guess. You have done a great thing with these kittens. If you never tried to find homes for any, you would end up overrun with cats and kittens. You are doing the best you know to do. Leaving the two wild kittens outside after speutering is fine. But to leave tame kittens outside seems wrong, somehow.

I hope they are adopted soon. Sometimes it just takes a little longer.

blueyedgirl5946 · Oct 12, 2005

You made the right decision. Don't second guess it.

Second-Guessing My Good Intentions...Opinions Welcomed

leesali

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valanhb

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lakeriedog

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keith p

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eatrawfish

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nebula11

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laureen227

Darksome Duo!

leesali

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eatrawfish

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tnr1

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anya

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beckiboo

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blueyedgirl5946

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