Trying to find somewhere for a semi-feral cat

capybart

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Back in October I rescued a feral cat that I had been feeding in my yard for a couple months and made a post on this site about it. The advice was all very helpful and amazing and the cat (who I have named Beesoo) has been making wonderful progress! However, she still has a very long way to go.

When I first rescued her I had every intention of keeping her and giving her all the time she needs to become properly socialized. Unfortunately life plans never go the way you want them to, and I am going to be moving out of the country in the new year. I don't think I'll be able to take Beesoo with me because I don't think she will be socialized enough to the point of being able to go in a carrier on a plane with me, and I really do not want to traumatize her with that either!

When I first trapped her she was VERY scared and would just curl up and hide all day long. She was so scared that I could even touch her (although I knew not to because I didn't want to make her feel more scared). Since then she has made wonderful progress. She isn't nearly as scared anymore: she will hiss if I get too close to her, she sleeps in very vulnerable yet comfy positions when I am in the room with her, and in the evening she will come out of her box and eat/use the litter box while I'm in the room! She will still go back into hiding if I get up or move around too much, and I still am not able to pet her, but she lets me toss her treats and will eat them in front of me. She even recently began staying out of her box during daylight hours in the morning to sit by the window and watch the birds!

I have grown to love her very very much (despite her not really liking me yet, haha) and I do truly believe if she could be given the time to warm up she would. I am very torn and confused about what to do, because everything I look up online says feral cats should just be released back to the wild. But she's been living in a safe warm home for the past two months, I can't just throw her back out there! I also can't surrender her to a shelter because they would either not accept her or simply euthanize her...

I do not know what else to do or who else to ask, so I am asking here: What do you think I should do? Should I try to find someone in my state that would be willing to take in a beautiful but semi-feral cat? Should I risk making things worse and having her never trust me at all by putting her in a carrier and taking her with me? Should I simply let her back outside?

Here are some photos of Beesoo so you can all see how gorgeous she is (and how chunky and fluffy she's gotten since we brought her inside!)
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Mamanyt1953

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MY LORD, that's a gorgeous cat! I would google feral cat organizations in your area, TNR groups and the like, and ask them for assistance and ideas. They deal with ferals and their special needs all the time. Alley Cat Allies may be a valuable resource for you, as well.

 

Willowy

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With the behaviors you describe, I don't think she's fully feral, just scared and undersocialized. She'll eventually warm up to you. And a scared kitty shouldn't be put back outdoors.

Honestly, I'd take her, unless the country you're going to has a long quarantine (and nowadays most of those can be bypassed with microchipping and vaccination). Yes, she'll be scared, maybe even traumatized, but not as much as if you leave her. And she'll recover.

You can ask the vet about a mild anti-anxiety medication (for before, during, and after the flight), but you have to be careful because if they become sedated they can't thermoregulate and may overheat or get hypothermia, even if the temps on the plane aren't too extreme.
 
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