I live in Dubai where there a lot of feral cats, very little animal rights, and not a network of shelters. I am an expat from Europe, about 14 months ago I started feeding a small group of feral cats on a very scruffy and dangerous building site near to the hotel where I live. There is little to eat, I feed them almost every, but not every day, its actually illegal to feed stray cats here. I will in Dubai another 8 months before I go home for good. I know I should have had them spayed and neutered, but I have been worried they will associate me with being trapped, and no longer trust me, also about them not being able to recuperate on a building site properly.
I am really worried about their welfare, particularly as they may well be left to fend for themselves, or worse they will be rounded up by the city authority and destroyed, their lives are quite stressful living on the building site, which is a real mess, and unsafe. They run alongside side me, and follow me to the edge of the busy road when I leave, I feel at moments like that they are looking to me for more than food. I feel guilty when I go out of town, and I avoid doing it.
I really would appreciate some advice, which of the following should I do ?
Option 1: take them in and try my best to tame them and get them homes. I can’t stroke them or handle them, but very slowly after a year I can get a bit closer to them, to be honest I don’t try too hard as I accept it has to be on their terms. My concerns are I don’t have a home here, I could move to an apartment, in order to take them in, but can it ever work taking 4 feral cats into a one a bedroom or studio apartment. Will I be able to tame them in a few months, and what will happen if I can’t tame them, or find them homes.
It is going to be very difficult for me to take 4 cats back to Europe. I am also out working 12 hours every day. Will they be mad at me for bringing them in doors? Saying that they are very sweet little things, so with fingers crossed I could get someone to adopt them.
Option 2: I get them spayed and try to find a colony that is managed that I can put them in, and then contribute to looking after them. I am really not sure these exist here though.
Option 3: I get them spayed and try to do my best for them whilst I am here, feeding them etc. but one day I will have to leave.
I appreciate people may judge or be mad at me for taking on a situation I have no idea how I can resolve, but please understand living here in the middle east is a very difficult and different situation.
I thought about asking the vet when I get them spayed if they believe if they have any chance of becoming pets.
Apologies for he long post, but any advise is very much appreciated.
I am really worried about their welfare, particularly as they may well be left to fend for themselves, or worse they will be rounded up by the city authority and destroyed, their lives are quite stressful living on the building site, which is a real mess, and unsafe. They run alongside side me, and follow me to the edge of the busy road when I leave, I feel at moments like that they are looking to me for more than food. I feel guilty when I go out of town, and I avoid doing it.
I really would appreciate some advice, which of the following should I do ?
Option 1: take them in and try my best to tame them and get them homes. I can’t stroke them or handle them, but very slowly after a year I can get a bit closer to them, to be honest I don’t try too hard as I accept it has to be on their terms. My concerns are I don’t have a home here, I could move to an apartment, in order to take them in, but can it ever work taking 4 feral cats into a one a bedroom or studio apartment. Will I be able to tame them in a few months, and what will happen if I can’t tame them, or find them homes.
It is going to be very difficult for me to take 4 cats back to Europe. I am also out working 12 hours every day. Will they be mad at me for bringing them in doors? Saying that they are very sweet little things, so with fingers crossed I could get someone to adopt them.
Option 2: I get them spayed and try to find a colony that is managed that I can put them in, and then contribute to looking after them. I am really not sure these exist here though.
Option 3: I get them spayed and try to do my best for them whilst I am here, feeding them etc. but one day I will have to leave.
I appreciate people may judge or be mad at me for taking on a situation I have no idea how I can resolve, but please understand living here in the middle east is a very difficult and different situation.
I thought about asking the vet when I get them spayed if they believe if they have any chance of becoming pets.
Apologies for he long post, but any advise is very much appreciated.
floofy, welcome to TCS!
