Dependent Feral Cats - Will they survive when I leave?

chimerical26 · 23-08-2011, 03:23 PM

I am currently leaving out food for a feral cat and two kittens. They are in good health and the cat has been coming to my back door for tinned food for about 8 months now while the kittens have only been coming about 2 weeks.
I am afraid that due to work circumstance in a few months I will have to move away and won't be able to look after these cats anymore. The cat and two kittens are entirely dependent on me for food at the moment. They don't forage for anything themselves. Given the surrounding population of feral cats it seems apparent that others manage to get by without human care.
It is hard for me to leave them but I must. They are completely feral and will not come near me or allow me to touch them but they will eat the food I leave out.
How can I help them become more independent in the coming months and ween therm off their dependence on me? At the moment they sit at my back door and wait for me to come and feed them. They make no effort to fend for themselves. Is it possible for them to survive without my food? Will they ever stop coming to my door and if I stop feeding them now will I have to watch them slowly starve? Are they doomed once I move out? Should I continue feeding them as I am up until I move out and hope they adapt when I'm gone? Will they plague the new tenants? So many questions!!

I had naively hoped they might become more friendly over time but they have continued to be utterly feral. There is no way the could be kept as house pets.
I am sure there is no one who would take over caring for them. Rumor has it some of the neighbors even leave out poison for feral cats.
This is really worrying me and eats a little at my soul every time I look out and see the cats waiting for food. Any advice would be really appreciated.

angieh · 23-08-2011, 04:27 PM

This is a very sad thing to face .... there is a member here who has experience of feral cats and I hope she will be along to offer advice.

My first thought though is do you have a local cat rescue you could contact?

dandysmom · 23-08-2011, 04:52 PM

That's very worrying; wish I had some advice. They've obviously become dependent on you; I hope that when hungry enough the hunting instinct would kick in .......are you in an isolated area, or are there neighbors close enough that you could ask to look after them?

miki · 23-08-2011, 05:43 PM

have you tried contacting local rescue who can lend you humane traps so they could be caught and spayed/neutered (it is of no charge to you) and than maybe they could be found new homes on a farm or something?

I help catch ferals in our area and you'd be surprised how some can turn around and become used to people - they can't avoid you when caged and their trust can be won...Of course that doesn't mean they become lap cat but for outdoor cats it is good they are not too friendly anyway...

dandysmom · 23-08-2011, 05:52 PM

Very good advice from Miki!!

chimerical26 · 23-08-2011, 09:01 PM

I think the two kittens are too young to be neutered. The cat could already be pregnant again. There is no way to get them neutered for free here. I'll have to get a cat trap and bring the cat to the vet. I can't really re-home them to a farm because I'd imagine they would wonder what's going on and just run away. As I said, I've heard that some neighbors leave out poison so I don't think any of them will take over caring for them. I have to get the mother neutered but am afraid about taking her away from her kittens and what if she is already pregnant? I really don't think I have the option to re-home them and I don't think they'll ever stop coming to my back door. My next-door neighbor used to leave out food for the cat months ago long before the kittens were even born and that neighbor moved out around October 2010. If anyone goes to the door of the now empty house and the cat hears them she races round to the back of that house to see if the old neighbor is back and going to leave out food again. I can see the same thing happening when I move out. And if I try weening them off my handouts now I predict they will just sit on the back doorstep waiting and starving.
This experience is making me thoroughly regret ever feeding them. They have never shown me any love or trust and only want food, food, food. And now they are going to break my heart.
I always thought my dad was cruel when he said not to feed an animal or it'll keep coming back. I see the logic in his heartlessness now

dandysmom · 23-08-2011, 09:05 PM

You're not moving for a few months, you said; the kittens will be old enough then to be altered; even if mum is pregnant again if it's early she can be spayed too. I can understand why you're hurting ..........

chimerical26 · 23-08-2011, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dandysmom

You're not moving for a few months, you said; the kittens will be old enough then to be altered; even if mum is pregnant again if it's early she can be spayed too. I can understand why you're hurting ..........

Even if I do neuter them... I see the advantage health-wise for them and the fact that there won't be even more added to the population but the fact remains that they will be left here without food. How do I prepare them for that now?
I smoke but not in the house so ever hour or so I go out the back for a cigarette and the 3 of them are sitting there looking at me wanting food. How do I change that? How do I not feed them? I doubt the mother knows how to hunt and it'd be up to her to teach the kittens. And even if she could I don't know that there is enough good hunting. I live in the suburbs of the city and there are about 5 fairly large gardens that are shared territory among a number of strays. The outlook isn't good. It looks like I'll have to just close my eyes and drive away (Not literally of course)

angieh · 24-08-2011, 10:32 AM

I can hear your anguish about these animals. Just to try a bit of reassurance - my two cats are indoor/outdoor cats and come and go as they please. Of course they are fed regularly and cared for and are gorgeous affectionate animals - but they catch all sorts of rodents which they bring home and sometimes eat - mice, voles, shrews (shrews not eaten). Your ferals will be able to catch rodents, it is in their nature and the mother cat will try to keep her kittens fed. I think they will adapt to not having handouts - after all that is why they've survived and prospered. The extent of feral colonies illustrates that well.

miki · 24-08-2011, 11:34 AM

I understand you feel pain and you seem to really like those cats but the reality is that we (forum members) can't really help you other than give you some options to consider on whom you can contact and such...

I don't want to sound harsh or anything - don't get me wrong, I am not picking on you and feel for you but instead on focusing what you can't do focus on what you CAN. How do you know your local rescue centers wouldn't help? A lot of people think that and don't even try to contact the rescue centers. I live in Slovenia and they don't exactly advertise they offer free neutering of stray cats either...In fact they are not really happy about it but I don't care as long as they do it. You know you sound just like my friend who wanted to help stray cats but didn't cause hey nothing can be done. well but it can...

If your local rescue don't want to help in castrating they still will lend you humane trap, I am sure - what about calling some vets for help (if they'd be willing to operate free of charge)? also wild life catchers have humane traps that could be used to trap cats...
What about writing to a cat magazine, making ads, contacting farms - you know stray cats can be re homed on farms (with the owners agreement of course) and if done properly they stay there and even if they don't they have a better fighting chance in more natural surroundings than in the city.

Are you sure none of the other neighbors would feed them= What if they just think they are yours and don't want to interfere? Have you asked any of them? Just because there is a rumor of someone poisoning them it doesn't necessarily mean its true and even if it is I think that not all the neighbors are against cats?

But to your initial question whether they will survive or not...Well if someone really wants to poison them and they are so used to free food than chances are they will be poisoned...If they don't I think they will probably survive on their own.

Again, I feel for you and I know it must be heartbreaking but you asked what you can do and I just gave you some suggestions. I realize how difficult it is sometimes to help ferals but the sad reality is that we really can't help you much other than giving some (good-intentioned) suggestions and some encouraging words...I know you mean well and I hope you will be able to sort it out so you will feel you've done everything you could and feel good about yourself. Even if things don't work out perfectly don't beat yourself up and even if you feel you can't help them right now just now that they got free food from you till now and I am sure they do appreciate it even if they don't show it....

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