Thinking about adopting stray mama, but I'm leaving for conscription soon. Should I abort the idea?

[masteryouda99]

It's the neighborhood stray cat.. cute, lovely, and very sweet and demands pets all the time. it's a bad neighborhood though, so the streets not always safe for he, and she definitely eats from the trash thrown in the neighborhood. I think the neighbors though love her! I saw one of them feed her. She's probably a popular girl in the street
3 days ago, She gave birth to 3 kittens in front of my apartment door. I made her a small cardboard home to make her safe and comfy, and I feed her everyday, but somehow I feel inside myself I have more responsibility to give to this cat, but all I think of is that in few months I will be -unwillingly- drafted for at least 1 year and I don't want to let her in then let her leave again because I live by myself and no one will care for her. And sadly, I know for a fact that no family member / friend would host her until I come back because she's just a stray shorthair.. some people here judge cats by their coat and breed, sadly my family are from this kind of people.
The more I write, the more I realize I shouldn't take her in. It's cruel to get a cat into the house life then kick her later.
It's just the fact that she choose to give birth in front of my apartment instead of everywhere else is just making me feel guilty not letting her in, especially that winter is coming.

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks for caring about this cat, and wanting the best for her. I agree, though, bringing her in, then putting her outside again isn't a great idea.

However, would you be able to care for her while she's nursing, and maybe get her spayed before she gets pregnant again. And also, if they're old enough, get the kittens spayed/neutered before you leave for conscription. At least that would prevent more unwanted kittens from being born.

Again, thanks for caring about them. And sorry adopting her isn't a good possibility at this time.

 

[fionasmom]

I completely agree that if you could get the family fixed before you go, you would have done them a tremendous favor.

 

[Avery]

Yes, getting them all fixed would be a wonderful thing to do! It sounds like the mama cat has fans in the neighborhood who feed her. Could you talk to them and see if they would be willing to also set up some kind of shelter for her for winter? If mama cat stays on the street, could you eventually find homes for her kittens so they don't end up as street cats, too? Do you have any rescue organizations that might help? Would they even find a home for the mama cat as well? Thank you for caring about these cats.

 

[masteryouda99]

Thank you for your comments!
Yes I will be able to care for her while she's nursing. She gets pregnant frequently yes, but there are no TNR programs here to spay her, it will be an individual effort that I hope I can accomplish sometime soon. The area has so many unneutered cats, it just feels the effort is not gonna change a thing. 3rd world countries are not fun for animals, and any effort is just done on an individual level that is hard to accomplish due to lack of resources.
I still got like 8 months left for conscription, but I really doubt I'd find a home for these kittens and the mama before I leave. As mentioned, she's a street shorthair breed. Sadly most people just take in fancy Persians and siameses. Terrible culture.
There are few rescue shelters, but they only take extreme cases (I even had an extreme condition injured cat and I offered I'll cover his bill but they didn't respond to me)

 

[rubysmama]

It's really sad that there aren't TNR programs there, but if you can get that one particular cat spayed, you may not be making a big difference to the overall feral situation, but it will make a difference, nonetheless.

And getting her spayed will make an enormous difference to her, as she no longer will be constantly pregnant or nursing kittens. And maybe, since she's already street smart, she'll be waiting for you when you get back after conscription.

 

[Punxpunx]

The area has so many unneutered cats, it just feels the effort is not gonna change a thing.

It might not change anything for the numbers/stats, but it will change everything for this particular cat who seems to have a special bond with u