can a person get too attached to two touchable adult feral cats that tameing them for my bac

[eliza1950]

have done some research about trapping and taming feral cats and relocating them to my home. would it be selfish to take these two touchable cats from the only home they have known and cage them for several weeks then let them loose in my backyard among my other  out side cats? after careing for these cats for ten years, found one adult  cat dead in a garden like area at my work place next door to their 'home'. the garden is in the middle of a parking lot. every day(rain or not)I go to feed these cats because I care about them. I even told my boss that . was told to stop feeding the cats or get fired from my job. have someone else feed them now. one cat only comes out in the evening  and has started coming to one of the feeding stations in the mornings.the other cat comes out with other cats to feed but not   interact with the other cats. the colony is  on Elks Lodge property next to my work place.

 

[StefanZ]

 
have done some research about trapping and taming feral cats and relocating them to my home. would it be selfish to take these two touchable cats from the only home they have known and cage them for several weeks then let them loose in my backyard among my other  out side cats? after careing for these cats for ten years, found one adult  cat dead in a garden like area at my work place next door to their 'home'. the garden is in the middle of a parking lot. every day(rain or not)I go to feed these cats because I care about them. I even told my boss that . was told to stop feeding the cats or get fired from my job. have someone else feed them now. one cat only comes out in the evening  and has started coming to one of the feeding stations in the mornings.the other cat comes out with other cats to feed but not   interact with the other cats. the colony is  on Elks Lodge property next to my work place.

No, its not selfish. Unless you do steal them from a loving home,of course.  Which isnt not here.

You are doing a purely good deed, the self definition of a pure good deed, by adopting them, fostering, giving them a real life as loved cats among other loved and taken care for.  Giving them a possibility to give love in their turn.

Your attachment and love will be a very strong reinforcement for this process. Both from your side, and to them.  Yes, they do know who is loving them for real, and who is doing helping perhaps just because they get payed for it.

Are you  neutering / spaying these you feed in this garden?  Its much important.

 

[msaimee]

If you're able to touch them, they may not be true ferals, or if they are, you've socialized them to respond to you, and that's great. The first step would be to get them to a vet to get neutered and their rabies vaccinations. You could release them into a room in your house for a few days to recover, and then you'd get an idea whether or not they could adjust to life indoors. If they yowl and scale the walls and windows, then they may not adjust to life indoors.  If they're true ferals, they will go crazy if you cage them, even for a day or two--it's against their nature to be confined that way.  Putting them in a room by themselves would be much better, if that's at all possible. You just never know with ferals. Some are able to be socialized and live indoors or as indoor/outdoor pets after a long period of time and a lot of patience, and others get too stressed and unhappy to make that adjustment ever, and need to be outdoors only. It's worth a try. It sounds like you're in a really difficult situation, especially since your employer has threatened to fire you if you feed them. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you and them, it's wonderful that you've been caring for these cats for so long.  

 

[carrielynn]

It's not selfish at all! It actually sounds in the best interests of the cats in this situation. And since there are only two and you can even touch them, transition to your home could be very successful.

I was in a similar situation with a semi-feral (feral but touchable by only me). I fed her for 6 years until it was no longer safe for me to do it at that location, and then some people who lived nearby kindly took over for me for about a year. I was facing legal trouble but I still took the risk of coming to visit her and hold her on occasion. I loved her so much and thought I was doing the best thing for her, because this cat was absolutely terrified of any enclosure and hated being indoors, so I left her in the only home she had ever known and I kept in touch with these kind people. However, she disappeared two years ago. I do not know what happened. My heart hurts and I know if I would have put her through the transition my beautiful girl would still be with me, and still alive, as I suspect she is not now. I know relocation is not always the answer, and it can be a tough call, but in this case I made the wrong choice and it will haunt me for life. Just something to think about. Good luck and thank you for caring about the kitties. 

 

 

[msaimee]

carrie, I don't think you made a wrong decision and I don't believe you have any reason to be guilty. You knew this cat better than anyone, and that she would have been very unhappy living confined inside. I believe feral cats have the right to decide their own destiny. We do not have the right to take away their freedom by forcing them to live in what would be the equivalent of prison for a human because we feel they would be safer inside. I have successfully socialized two ferals and took them inside--one was only 3-4 months old, and the other was an injured 10 month old--and they are content to be indoors only. However, my outdoor feral, Muffin, has made it abundantly clear to me that he will not live indoors, and that his nature is to be free outdoors. This may change some day as he ages, but for now, I know that if I ever successfully trapped him again and forced him to stay indoors, his spirit would be crushed. You absolutely made the right decision IMO. Ferals need to live life on their own terms, not ours. Also, you don't know for certain that someone else isn't taking care of her somewhere else. Ferals often do have more than one caregiver and more than one area where they venture. Maybe someone else took her in or she joined another colony. Each feral is different, and has a different path to follow, which we cannot always control.

I trust that Eliza also knows her ferals better than anyone, and will know what is the best for them at each step of decision-making. If she gets them fixed and decides to allow them to remain in their present environment, at least for the time being, then that is very likely what is in their best interest.