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When I lived in the country we had 4 house cats and a dog or two. When a stray cat would come around I would feed it and let it shelter in our garage, which had a service door that was left cracked and a warm bed to sleep in when it was cold and snowy outside. If it stayed around I took it to my local small county animal shelter which had an agreement with a vet or two for less costly spaying/neutering. This wonderful, small county animal shelter paid the difference of what an owner or rescuer could not pay. I always paid $20.00 to have them "fixed", and also paid for several vaccinations to keep them somewhat at a lower risk for disease. Plus I had indoor cats and the garage was attached to the house at the kitchen, so didn't want my house cats catching anything.
I loved them all during the 27 years I lived in the country. Many are buried on the property, as my home was theirs.
May all be blessed who help, care for and love all the innocent creatures who cross our paths.
I picked him up after surgery and put him in our enclosed porch. He had cryptorchid (one of the testicles was in his abdomen and he needed stitches to remove it) so I'd hoped to keep him in there a day or two.
However, after letting him out, he panicked and was climbing the blinds, falling, jumping everywhere, just trying to escape. I was afraid he'd hurt himself! I managed to get him back in the carrier and kept him there overnight. He did eat several cans of food. This morning, he would not eat the food I left for him, so I decided to release him in our backyard.
I admit I had some hope of seeing if he could become a pet. But, I figured it was unlikely. It took me two years before I gained enough trust to pick him up (outdoors) and now, neuter him. He is wary of all humans and, being that he's around 3, there's little hope of changing him.
He received a neuter, a rabies shot, and an ear notch. He will get fed anytime he comes to our house. I think he lives a couple of blocks away, but i'm not entirely sure.
It is a strange feeling to care about cats like these. You know you're helping, but you wish the outcome were different.
Rene: to this post & your next after this one you just wrote, I say -- KUDOS to you & hubby!!!
Can't rep you but will soon
Your guy is like our feral Blackie, he comes daily morn & nite to eat RadCat. He lets me feed thru a fence opening only. Won't let me touch, or should say, I will NOT breach his trust tho been feeding for 18mos. or so. He has been around too for 3- 4yrs, hard to recall. I know he never meows thus he's FERAL, no doubt. Has a tuxie kitten following him somedays but unsure if it is his??
Anyway, TY for sharing & CARING!!! Too many to care for -- yet not enuf of us to help.
Rene: to this post & your next after this one you just wrote, I say -- KUDOS to you & hubby!!!
Can't rep you but will soon
Your guy is like our feral Blackie, he comes daily morn & nite to eat RadCat. He lets me feed thru a fence opening only. Won't let me touch, or should say, I will NOT breach his trust tho been feeding for 18mos. or so. He has been around too for 3- 4yrs, hard to recall. I know he never meows thus he's FERAL, no doubt. Has a tuxie kitten following him somedays but unsure if it is his??
Anyway, TY for sharing & CARING!!! Too many to care for -- yet not enuf of us to help.
Ok, keep up good work!
Repped you for your good work!
About 5 years ago, I TNR'd my first kitty, a tabby girl. She was truly feral and I could not get within 10 feet of her. After a couple of years she disappeared.
Diamond isn't entirely feral because he does approach us and meows at us. In fact, he'll meow at the back door until we come out with food, LOL. I know he was in a house for a little while as a kitten but was tossed outside (we heard this from neighbors) so he clearly has trust issues. Not that I blame him.
Imagine if everyone did a little to help stray/feral pets. . .how much better of a place the world would be!
Diamond did not appear for food this morning, despite me checking and calling three different times. I left a bowl of dry out just in case (I usually feed wet but it would only freeze in this weather.). My husband knows to keep a lookout too.
Update: It's been four weeks and we've only seen Diamond once (after dark, crossing our street). He has not come once for food, despite my checking every morning. This makes me very sad. I hope, in time, he'll come back for some grub. The weather has already turned cold and we've had snow twice.
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