Hello. I'm new here. I'm reaching out because my heart is so heavy that I need to share with anyone who can understand.
I've been feeding a young cat I named River for over a year. She lived behind a Sonoco service station. I had her spayed, vaccs and returned her to this not so safe area with lots of traffic passing through it's lot.
I didn't like putting her back in this situation but thought this is what you do with TNR cats...it's what she knows.
I was always worried about her but got used to the idea and she was always there, ready to eat. Store employees were also giving her food...she was one pudgy little feral.
I got attached to her. I never could touch her but she would eat with me sitting closeby. After she was finished she would sometimes roll around and twist on her back. She was just precious.
About two weeks+ ago she didn't come up to feed and then no River thereafter despite my calls. She always came up, sometimes a little slow to show up but always did. Until she didn't.
Today I made the brilliant decision to walk into the woods to look for her...there she was, her little body ravaged by the elements. All that was left was her ears, fur, her precious little paws but I could tell it was River. It looks like she had been there all along.
My heart is hurting so much for her...did she suffer horribly before she died when I could have helped her?
I had reached out to a guy whom I met months ago at the station...he does TNR.
He was helping me feed her periodically since he lived close however when I asked him if he'd seen her, that I hadn't seen her for over a week he said he hadn't been there in a while to feed but that he heard animal control was cracking down on the area. What? Do they poison cats? She had an ear clip and there isn't a lot of ferals right in that area. Regardless she was either poisoned by someone or more than likely run over. This just makes me ill to think about. And so so sad for the pain she may have gone through.
I had this precious cat spayed, vaccs, fed her and watched out for her....got attached to her sweetness and appreciated her wild ways only to release her back to a horrific death. Were the months she had worth this ending?
I'm not cut out for this. I'm not sure it's right. PETA doesn't endorse TNR probably for this very reason. But how many of us could just round them up and euthanize them? I couldn't. But returning them exposes them to possible suffering and agonizing deaths.
How do you deal with this dilemna and the emotional toll when you find a perfect little feline you've cared for, nurtured and loved, dead in the woods in her little spot?
heartbroken in Texas,
vicki
I've been feeding a young cat I named River for over a year. She lived behind a Sonoco service station. I had her spayed, vaccs and returned her to this not so safe area with lots of traffic passing through it's lot.
I didn't like putting her back in this situation but thought this is what you do with TNR cats...it's what she knows.
I was always worried about her but got used to the idea and she was always there, ready to eat. Store employees were also giving her food...she was one pudgy little feral.
I got attached to her. I never could touch her but she would eat with me sitting closeby. After she was finished she would sometimes roll around and twist on her back. She was just precious.
About two weeks+ ago she didn't come up to feed and then no River thereafter despite my calls. She always came up, sometimes a little slow to show up but always did. Until she didn't.
Today I made the brilliant decision to walk into the woods to look for her...there she was, her little body ravaged by the elements. All that was left was her ears, fur, her precious little paws but I could tell it was River. It looks like she had been there all along.
My heart is hurting so much for her...did she suffer horribly before she died when I could have helped her?
I had reached out to a guy whom I met months ago at the station...he does TNR.
He was helping me feed her periodically since he lived close however when I asked him if he'd seen her, that I hadn't seen her for over a week he said he hadn't been there in a while to feed but that he heard animal control was cracking down on the area. What? Do they poison cats? She had an ear clip and there isn't a lot of ferals right in that area. Regardless she was either poisoned by someone or more than likely run over. This just makes me ill to think about. And so so sad for the pain she may have gone through.
I had this precious cat spayed, vaccs, fed her and watched out for her....got attached to her sweetness and appreciated her wild ways only to release her back to a horrific death. Were the months she had worth this ending?
I'm not cut out for this. I'm not sure it's right. PETA doesn't endorse TNR probably for this very reason. But how many of us could just round them up and euthanize them? I couldn't. But returning them exposes them to possible suffering and agonizing deaths.
How do you deal with this dilemna and the emotional toll when you find a perfect little feline you've cared for, nurtured and loved, dead in the woods in her little spot?
heartbroken in Texas,
vicki