- Joined
- Aug 31, 2021
- Messages
- 8
- Purraise
- 5
This cat (I named him the first day I saw him- Hawkeye) has been around our back yard for months now. He doesn't often leave our yard anymore, and when he does he's usually close enough that he'll show up if I call him. We already feel like he is our cat and that we should adopt him, and there is urgency to this decision because we are about to move out of state. So unfortunately we can't continue to take the time for him to get even more comfortable with us, we'd have to catch him and put him in a box and he would have to travel for 2-3 days that way, which sure doesn't sound ideal. He trusts us enough to come right to us and will sniff our hands and sometimes rub against our legs but he's not ready to be touched. I've been giving him all the time he needs until now. I can't just leave him here. He's used to getting fed here, who knows what would happen with new tenants in the house we're renting. I asked around the community looking for someone who wanted to give him a loving home but came up short. Also this is BIG coyote country. He's lucky he hasn't become coyote food yet. Of course we have two other cats and a dog. There is the real problem. Our dog chases him and barks his fool head off. But he is small (he weighs less than our other cats) and he is totally harmless. It would take a bit of time and effort but I think he would calm down. The other cats, one in particular, are also a huge problem. One of my cats is just plain mean. She bullies the dog and he is afraid of her. I love her and will always take care of her but she is seriously just a downright mean cat. Both of my cats are girls, and this feral is a boy. We are planning to get him neutered no regardless of whether or not we take him though. But I'm wondering, how can I socialize this cat with our animals? Right now it seems like it would be world war 3. It breaks my heart the idea of parting with him, he is just an awesome cat. I would take him to a shelter but here there are so many ferals that what they do is trap them, get them spayed/neutered, then release them. I don't think they will house him and try to get him adopted. Do you think the cats might chill out on him a little after he is neutered? Is it unfair and too traumatic to have to catch him and put him in a box for several days? Sorry so long winded but it's complicated. (ps- he's pretty easygoing. He's figured out the dog is full of bs, so although he runs from him sometimes the dog corners him and all he does is bark and Hawkeye just ends up sort of sitting there looking bored. He also isn't too phased by our mean cat. He tries to avoid her but doesn't seem to let her interfere with him doing what he wants to do.