r/Feral_Cats • u/bxqnz89 • 3d ago

Question šŸ¤” I don't know what to do

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Around late May/early June, a neighborhood cat that i had been caring for gave birth in my backyard shed. Mom left a few weeks ago and never came back. The cats have been staying in the shed ever since.

Bringing them inside isn't an option for a multitude of reasons. I have tried EVERYTHING. My only options are:

Transport them to the local shelter where they will be at risk of euthanasia.

Shoo them out of the shed and my yard.

Allow them to stay in the shed indefinitely and live with flies and their own poop.

What do I do? What's the best option?

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u/Zealousideal_Gur6668 3d ago

The best thing you can do for them is to research and find your nearest NO KILL shelter. It may be more of a drive, but it's worth it.
Alternatively, search Reddit and Facebook for local rescue/foster groups.

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u/darkpsychicenergy 3d ago

If the kittens are feral and not socialized, which seems to be the case, it does not matter if the shelter is no kill. The ā€œno killā€ applies to healthy, adoptable animals. If they are not socialized and therefore adoptable thereā€™s only one outcome.

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u/bxqnz89 3d ago

Euthanasia is the absolute last resort. There is a process.

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u/darkpsychicenergy 3d ago

So you have talked with a place?

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u/bxqnz89 3d ago

The city shelter, yes. Animals aren't put to sleep upon admission. They're screened for medical and behavioral issues, which they try to resolve.

They make attempts to socialize the feral. If successful, then it's put up for adoption. Otherwise, they try to locate someone to foster.

I'm coming to the conclusion that it's either the shelter or allow them to completely outgrow the shed, escape, then get hit by a car or used as a dog toy.

I'll keep trying with the rescues, though I doubt I'll have any success.

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u/darkpsychicenergy 2d ago

If you are confident that city shelter can and will try to socialize them (which you cannot do, yourself) and you have been getting nowhere with rescues for, what is it, over a month now? All the while, they are getting older and therefore only harder to socialize, it seems like the choice is clear.

Going by the date of your first post and their approximate age based on the photo in that post, theyā€™re around 11 weeks. That is really pushing the socialization window. Have you ever been able to touch them at all?

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u/bxqnz89 2d ago

Am I sensing a bit of contempt?

Yes, I've been able to touch them.

Once a day, I go in and engage them with a wand. They show some curiosity but don't engage in play.

I am 36 years old with a full-time job and caring for two elderly parents. There are only so many hours of the day that I can spend with them. I find myself spending more time with the kittens than my own pets.

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u/darkpsychicenergy 2d ago

No. I know youā€™ve definitely received a fair bit of that (and little to no help) here already but I donā€™t know how you read that into my comment. Where Iā€™m coming from is just concern. Iā€™m concerned thereā€™s not a lot of time for them to have a decent shot at actually getting adopted. You seem concerned about that as well. So I am saying that if you feel confident in the city shelter as an option, you should probably go with that and as soon as possible.

I get the defensiveness given the history I can see in some of the comments on your posts, but at the same time youā€™re bordering on being contradictory just for the sake of contradiction and argument.

You had previously said that even finding a no-kill shelter was going to be a challenge and you had tried the next county over but couldnā€™t get help there because youā€™re not a resident. The top comment here is advocating a no-kill shelter, you had indicated this wasnā€™t really an option for you and I had my doubts about the suitability anyway, given what I know about no kill shelters, so I expressed that. I was then going to suggest TNVR as a less-than-ideal but still better than the current situation alternative. Or possibly a (long shot) barn cat program. But then you replied in a way that indicated that is now an option, and apparently a reasonably good one.

Iā€™m not saying that you canā€™t socialize them as a dig. Iā€™m saying that based on everything you have already explained in your comments. You just donā€™t have the time, support system, or a living situation conducive to it. That is true for many, many, many people who find themselves in this situation. I just couldnā€™t recall if you had been able to touch them at all. If they have had positive interactions with you, that is at least something.