- Joined
- Jul 7, 2022
- Messages
- 4
- Purraise
- 14
Hi Everyone,
I just joined the forum. Here is my situation. I started caring for a colony at my workplace in 2007 with 5 original cats. The original 5 have passed away and I was left with two cats who I took up for as they sort of took the place of the original 5. Lots of trials with them: driving through hurricanes to get them fed, climbing locked fences, dealing with unpleasant apartment people, etc. It is tough some days getting out to them on off days and weekends (I live 10 miles away) but as the years have gone on this task has become really important, something to be proud of, particularly with other issues in life that I am dealing with. So here is my question: the older of the two, an orange tabby named Saturday, has been getting sick the past month or so: matted fur, losing weight, can't do the speaky meow that was so endearing about her, one of her eyes was running. She was still moving about OK and still in the routine of waiting for me to show up to feed them. But clearly she was ill. Here is my dilemma: you don't want them to suffer obviously. But she is still active, and I don't know if she was trappable. I am torn about what to do: she is probably at the end of her life, but trying to catch her would stress her out, and if I did putting her in a carrier/trap and taking her to a vet to euthanize somehow didn't seem right. She has lived in this quasi wooded area her whole life, it is her home and taking her away would somehow steal what is rightfully hers. The moment may have passed as I haven't seen her since July 4, but she has disappeared before and I thought she was gone, and she turned back up. Anyway I am interested in anyone's opinion or similar story. I know feeding ferals and colonies is gut wrenching but Saturday is extra special. Thanks for allowing me to join the forum.
I just joined the forum. Here is my situation. I started caring for a colony at my workplace in 2007 with 5 original cats. The original 5 have passed away and I was left with two cats who I took up for as they sort of took the place of the original 5. Lots of trials with them: driving through hurricanes to get them fed, climbing locked fences, dealing with unpleasant apartment people, etc. It is tough some days getting out to them on off days and weekends (I live 10 miles away) but as the years have gone on this task has become really important, something to be proud of, particularly with other issues in life that I am dealing with. So here is my question: the older of the two, an orange tabby named Saturday, has been getting sick the past month or so: matted fur, losing weight, can't do the speaky meow that was so endearing about her, one of her eyes was running. She was still moving about OK and still in the routine of waiting for me to show up to feed them. But clearly she was ill. Here is my dilemma: you don't want them to suffer obviously. But she is still active, and I don't know if she was trappable. I am torn about what to do: she is probably at the end of her life, but trying to catch her would stress her out, and if I did putting her in a carrier/trap and taking her to a vet to euthanize somehow didn't seem right. She has lived in this quasi wooded area her whole life, it is her home and taking her away would somehow steal what is rightfully hers. The moment may have passed as I haven't seen her since July 4, but she has disappeared before and I thought she was gone, and she turned back up. Anyway I am interested in anyone's opinion or similar story. I know feeding ferals and colonies is gut wrenching but Saturday is extra special. Thanks for allowing me to join the forum.