I am sorry to bombard everyone with so many questions but I need advice please. I have 2 ferals who came along in late August & have taken up residence in my backyard. They were both skin & bones & very skittish but I suspect they were still in the kitten stage - 6 months or so when they arrived. One is male & one is female & they are both tabbies. I assumed they were siblings but don't know for sure. They are quite healthy now after regular feeding & they now come look in my back door to let me know they are there & ready to eat. One will rub against me when feeding him & the other doesn't get that close but she doesn't run away if I stay outside with her - she just keeps her distance. They are very active & climb over the 6 foot fence in the yard many times a day. I live next to a shopping center with a busy street and I am terrified they will be hurt. I have provided them shelter under my deck this winter & they do use it. One disappeared for a week a few months ago but returned and they both show up at least once a day but they usually hang out off and on all day (when they aren't climbing over the fence).
We do have a trap/spay/neuter program here but its a good 6 weeks to get a spay/neuter appointment. I am afraid if I try to trap them & only one gets trapped it will frighten the other one away. Should I be trying to trap them both at the same time and have any of your found any trap to be better over another? They seems to be pretty intelligent & I am not convinced I will even be able to trap either of them. I know I need to have the traps in place for a few weeks for them to get used to them being around. I am also concerned about releasing them in frigid temps 24 hrs after the procedure as advised by the program. Couldn't their stitches be harmed by climbing the fence/trees immediately after surgery? What if it gets brutally cold at that time?
If they are siblings, will they still mate? I am afraid by having to wait for an appointment, the female will get pregnant.
The male has a cataract on one eye that has been there since he arrived which concerns me. The vet told me about glaucoma and I know I do need to have both of them checked out & vaccinated as well as spayed/neutered.
They spend a lot of time right next to the glass at my back door, looking for me or my indoor kitty & looking as though they either want to come in, have me play with them or both. None of which has ever happened but they seem like they want to so badly! Once I solve all the health issues, I am concerned they may be so frightened over the trap & vet experience they will run away once released & never come back which would really make me worry. Should I be thinking about some type of large outdoor enclosure for them on a permanent basis? They love to climb high into my trees and run the length of the yard playing so putting them in an enclosure, even a decent sized one also seems kind of cruel to me.
Any advice would be appreciated from those of you with experience in these matters with ferals. I would love for them to remain at my home, i just don't know what is fair for me & for them & what to expect. Thanks so much!
We do have a trap/spay/neuter program here but its a good 6 weeks to get a spay/neuter appointment. I am afraid if I try to trap them & only one gets trapped it will frighten the other one away. Should I be trying to trap them both at the same time and have any of your found any trap to be better over another? They seems to be pretty intelligent & I am not convinced I will even be able to trap either of them. I know I need to have the traps in place for a few weeks for them to get used to them being around. I am also concerned about releasing them in frigid temps 24 hrs after the procedure as advised by the program. Couldn't their stitches be harmed by climbing the fence/trees immediately after surgery? What if it gets brutally cold at that time?
If they are siblings, will they still mate? I am afraid by having to wait for an appointment, the female will get pregnant.
The male has a cataract on one eye that has been there since he arrived which concerns me. The vet told me about glaucoma and I know I do need to have both of them checked out & vaccinated as well as spayed/neutered.
They spend a lot of time right next to the glass at my back door, looking for me or my indoor kitty & looking as though they either want to come in, have me play with them or both. None of which has ever happened but they seem like they want to so badly! Once I solve all the health issues, I am concerned they may be so frightened over the trap & vet experience they will run away once released & never come back which would really make me worry. Should I be thinking about some type of large outdoor enclosure for them on a permanent basis? They love to climb high into my trees and run the length of the yard playing so putting them in an enclosure, even a decent sized one also seems kind of cruel to me.
Any advice would be appreciated from those of you with experience in these matters with ferals. I would love for them to remain at my home, i just don't know what is fair for me & for them & what to expect. Thanks so much!