Last night, I took two kittens over to a possible forever home. I took Charlie and Shasta. I wanted to take Mercedes but the woman called prior to the appointment and asked for kittens instead of grown cats. I wanted to take Turner but he had other ideas.
My alpha cat Charlie was terrified the entire time he was there. He was trembling so hard and didn’t come out of the carrier unless I took him out. Then once I released him, he bolted for the safety of the carrier. Shasta ended up coming out and hiding under my coat some of the time, then trying to get back to the carrier the rest. It always breaks my heart to leave these guys, even when I know the home is a better place than where they are now. The elderly woman was a bit difficult but the daughters helped to buffer her and dissuade her from picking up the kitty and playing with him. I think the woman was about 80 something.
So I left Shasta and the carrier and called this morning to find out she has taken refuge under the bed, which is normal for them to do. I tried to impress upon these people that it is going to take time. With abused kittens, they have a very low trust meter. Shasta’s world has been rocked and he needs time to adjust. I will miss my snuggly kitty- he liked to burrow his head into my armpit every night and sleep.
I received a call this morning about 5 3 month old fully feral kittens. My heart wants to take them because I was told if I don’t take them- they will be euthanized because they are “to old” to be socialized- which just isn’t true! I told the woman that I regretted not being able to take them and hung up the phone and cried for these beauties.
I hope this works out. It sounds like it could be an iffy situation if the elderly woman is left alone with the kitten (might try and hold it, get scratched, daughters get upset, etc.). I wish the daughters would have listened to you about getting an older cat. Ironic, considering it’s for an older woman.
Anyway, sending good thoughts your way. Stay strong–I really do think you’ve made the right decision not to foster anymore kittens/cats at this time. You’ve done so much for so many cats, you’ve definitely earned the right to limit your activities to your own cats (which is no small task itself!).
Bad news! Saw an article in the newspaper this morning that Nebraska is going to okay the killing of feral cats and will even provide a pamphlet about how to successfully shoot cats! Animal activists are protesting and arguing that feral cats do hold down the rat and mice populations. Don’t know yet how this will end up, but I was appalled at the whole idea. Supposedly a study indicates that spay and release doesn’t work…
I’ll tell you why spay and release may not work — it’s all those people who keep dumping their un-neutered pets. We have a new little female part-Siamese who showed up on our deck in heat. We feel sure that she was someone’s pet and was just dumped out here in the country when she came into heat, because she is very vocal. Why the people didn’t just have her spayed instead of getting rid of her I don’t know… although with so many people out of work, perhaps they just can’t afford the surgery… We’ll tame her down — she’s afraid of people right now — and then get her spayed and try to find her a home. She eats like a horse!
Considering how old cats in general can get I do think an older cat would have been better for the 80+ year old woman. I hardly think she will outlive a kitten and it would have to change hands again.
I’m 64 and I have a 16 year old almost blind cat in otherwise good health and 3 younger cats (7, 6 and 5) plus there is a feral cat (ca. 4 years old) who spends the past 3 winters on my sheltered patio. I had him neutered last February just as the mating season started. It took 3 weeks to lure him into the trap. I will wait until they have all died before I consider taking in anymore cats. I would be at least in about my mid 70s by then or even older and I will only take in a couple of older cats past 10 years of age in the hope that they will be able to spend the rest of their lives with me and not have to change hands again.
I shared the same concerns, but the younger daughter assured me that if something should happen to the mom, the kitten would have a home with her. She checks on her mom almost daily and so I didn’t press the issue that an older cat would be best.