In another thread, I posted the story of Sonny, a stray I rescued from a group of semi-ferals who roam around my work campus and the neighboring blocks nearby. I was initially concerned about a starved looking black and white cat, so about 3 weeks ago I started leaving food out between bushes of a house on a corner for them (with the house owner's permission). I found a woman on Facebook who wanted the cat if I trapped it. I spoke with a few neighbors on that block and they were okay with my feeding the cats and told me no one cared for them and they ate from garbage. Instead of taking home the skinny black and white cat, I ended up taking home a white cat with orange spots--Sonny. He ran after me when I opened a tin of food, rubbed against my legs and purred, and I simply picked him up and carried him to my car and put him in a carrier. That weekend I had him neutered, vaccinated, and SNAP tested. It did not work out for the woman to take him, so he has been living with me the past two and a half weeks, and is adjusting. I have not found him a home yet, and he may very well end up staying with me.
I'm in a dilemma about what to do about the other cats. I've been home from work sick the past few days and thought about bringing them food, but didn't feel up to driving to work to feed them. I called and spoke with one of the neighbors on that block, two houses down from where I've been leaving them food, and he said there's a woman who feeds them during the winter. Apparently there are several of these cats--a big white one, a few gray ones (I've never seen these) in addition to the black and white one I initially tried to help, and a very young black and white one. So there is a entire semi-feral community. I said semi, because they walk around during daylight and are somewhat socialized to people. I have been leaving out a generous amount of dry food between two bushes in front of a man's house for almost 3 weeks, and I feel guilty about not having left food out the past two days because maybe they've already come to depend on that food? On the other hand, I do not want the added responsibility of caring for a cat colony that is not even in my home community. So maybe it's better I stop feeding them altogether and allow them to exist as they had before I came along? I don't know how much longer I'll be at this particular job (I've been looking for another one) and taking on an additional responsibility is overwhelming. I now have 5 indoor cats and an outside feral, Muffin, to care for.
I called my local Humane Society. They still do not have a vet, and do not have a TNR program in place, though they added my name to the list for when they get one. I don't have the financial resources to pay the vet costs to trap these cats and take them to my feral cat vet, and I'm not good about releasing cats after I've trapped them--my neighbor and I end up taking them in, and we are filled to capacity.
I know I can't save all these cats. Sonny got a home because he was the cat to run after me and rub against me and basically beg to be cared for. He had a bad flea infestation, parasites, and was malnourished and desperate. I feel badly for the other ones, but I don't want to be caretaker for them if I can't follow through with after care. Still, I am in a quandary about what to do.
I'm in a dilemma about what to do about the other cats. I've been home from work sick the past few days and thought about bringing them food, but didn't feel up to driving to work to feed them. I called and spoke with one of the neighbors on that block, two houses down from where I've been leaving them food, and he said there's a woman who feeds them during the winter. Apparently there are several of these cats--a big white one, a few gray ones (I've never seen these) in addition to the black and white one I initially tried to help, and a very young black and white one. So there is a entire semi-feral community. I said semi, because they walk around during daylight and are somewhat socialized to people. I have been leaving out a generous amount of dry food between two bushes in front of a man's house for almost 3 weeks, and I feel guilty about not having left food out the past two days because maybe they've already come to depend on that food? On the other hand, I do not want the added responsibility of caring for a cat colony that is not even in my home community. So maybe it's better I stop feeding them altogether and allow them to exist as they had before I came along? I don't know how much longer I'll be at this particular job (I've been looking for another one) and taking on an additional responsibility is overwhelming. I now have 5 indoor cats and an outside feral, Muffin, to care for.
I called my local Humane Society. They still do not have a vet, and do not have a TNR program in place, though they added my name to the list for when they get one. I don't have the financial resources to pay the vet costs to trap these cats and take them to my feral cat vet, and I'm not good about releasing cats after I've trapped them--my neighbor and I end up taking them in, and we are filled to capacity.
I know I can't save all these cats. Sonny got a home because he was the cat to run after me and rub against me and basically beg to be cared for. He had a bad flea infestation, parasites, and was malnourished and desperate. I feel badly for the other ones, but I don't want to be caretaker for them if I can't follow through with after care. Still, I am in a quandary about what to do.