I'm having a weird conflict in my head about this. About 2 weeks ago, I met a stray that started hanging around our building. He is an absolute sweetheart; so affectionate, loves kibbles, will hang around for hours if you will. He's clearly in a rough spot in his life, I don't know the circumstances leading to his being homeless but he's very dirty, has a chunk out of his ear and just generally seems to need help (I give him kibbles every day and he gulps it all down so quick so it's clear he's very hungry). I don't have the means or room to take him in, so that's not an option. He cries when I get up to leave him after his meal because he wants more love.
Here's my dilemma. I took another stray cat to the local SPCA about a year ago. While it ended up being a wonderful thing in the end, no one came to claim him so he ended up at an adoption drive at Petsmart and was adopted out, I felt guilty because like A Big Important Human I just came along one day and said, "Get in this cage, I'm taking you away from whatever semblance of a home you've made for yourself, and you'll never see this neighbourhood again." Do I have a right to just do that? I don't know. Is it better to just leave this new guy alone to fend for himself and continue giving him food and cuddles?
ETA: Also, I have one option for places to take him - the SPCA. Every private rescue I contact says that they don't take potentially unneutered adult males and that the SPCA has the contract for all strays within the city.
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
What I would try to do (and I have no idea if this is possible in Canada), is to find a rescue group that places the cats that they take in with foster families and then hope they could take him. I'd give a donation to help cover spay/neuter if I could. It sounds like your little guy is so affectionate and might do well somewhere like that. They'd still be looking to place him, but he wouldn't be in a cage....
ETA: we overlapped. I get our feral cats neutered/spayed for about $40 now at local vet offices. If the rescue groups will take a neutered male, then call a vet and ask if they can do a reduced price for you. I get rabies shot, ear tip and neuter for $40. You can see if they'll do a deworming if necessary as well.
_________________ But on a cold winter night, when the wind whispers through the trees and a bright, white moon hangs heavy in the air, you might hear a sad cry like someone thinking he knows what's best for you, and that'll be the white man a-passin' you by. just mumbles
Thanks, 'fulish. I appreciate it your feedback. He's really captured my heart and I just want to do right for him. After I posted this I came across a rescue group I've never heard of but they seem to do just what needs to be done (http://www.cats-r-us.ca) I'm going to contact them and see what I can do.
Oh, and this is Gus:
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
What a handsome baby! We feed a bunch of ferals, and I'd be very leery of taking them in to the local shelter, as ours has a high kill rate. They euthanize every FIV+ and FLV+ cat that comes in.
_________________ But on a cold winter night, when the wind whispers through the trees and a bright, white moon hangs heavy in the air, you might hear a sad cry like someone thinking he knows what's best for you, and that'll be the white man a-passin' you by. just mumbles
That is a great point LB! With us, a ear clip means the cat is neutered and may be part of a managed feral colony....
_________________ But on a cold winter night, when the wind whispers through the trees and a bright, white moon hangs heavy in the air, you might hear a sad cry like someone thinking he knows what's best for you, and that'll be the white man a-passin' you by. just mumbles
Interesting! I'll try to take a look at his butt tonight and see if he looks neutered. That'd be weird, though, since he is definitely not feral and only seems to be recently strayed, but it IS a pretty clean cut on his ear...and would the city do TNR on adoptable cats that are just stray?
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:26 pm Posts: 1152 Location: santa cruz!
sweet kitty! if he is friendly, I think he would be happier in a home than on the streets. It's my understanding that feral cats have pretty tough (and short) lives - whereas we all know how super cushy the lives of our little kitty pets are. Gus is so beautiful!
Well, it seems that because his ear is tagged like that, he's been TNR and no one will take him since the city has already decided he's feral. Not even the local SPCA. I contacted the big rescue group here and asked what to do and they said their hands are tied since he's been in the TNR program. But he's not feral...like, at all. He's a little housecat. :(
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
You may want to contact any TNR organizations in your area to see if they have any connections to someone who can care for him. The Feral cat TNR place that I volunteer for has a few dedicated people in the community who tame/rehome some of the cats or at the least care for them within their own colonies of cats. Give them a call to see if they have any ideas since they are probably more experienced in dealing with ferals/strays that have been neutered by their programs...and probably more willing to help!
_________________ "Produce pot pie is my loved. I suchlike it with gust pastry on top tho', not a dry crust."
Probably a stupid question, but do you know anyone who would take him in? Two of my cats have tipped ears and were part of feral colonies before they ended up at the shelter. And they are actually the two most laid-back of the entire herd. He's adorable!!
One of the rescues I contacted that does foster homes is potentially going to take him once they can get some cats currently in their care into forever homes! So there is hope yet. He and I had a great cuddle session last night and it just reaffirmed to me that he needs a home with a comfy cat bed and lots of snuggles.
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
You'd make a great mom for Gus! His ear is making problems for finding a place for him. The SPCA and the big rescue here say their hands are tied because he was part of the TNR program and therefore is the city's problem, and the city place that WOULD take him...well...they do euthanization and I'm not going to take him there for fear that he's maybe FIV+ or something else that would make them kill him. So, we wait. And hope that this one rescue I contacted will take him. And in the mean time, we snuggle. <3
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
I'm always wary of the SPCA for adult strays due to space restriction/potential euthanasia, but then if you try to re-home him yourself it might be hard to assess who would be a good fit and is potentially time consuming.
_________________ **Kisses, Licks and Bites** Unfairly biased! -monkeytoes
It's Gus, y'all! (don't mind the voice I use to talk to cats. it's kind of embarassing...)
_________________ Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumbles Is this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface
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