We lost our semi-feral outdoor cat today.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

10 years or so ago we started feeding an outdoor female cat that was hanging around our back yard*. A little later she showed up pregnant and then gave birth, so we captured the two surviving kittens and took them in for adoption, and captured her and had her fixed, and then released her back into our back yard. We continued to feed her, made her a little house (in which she only rarely slept) and did nothing further for her medically. My SO took the trouble to make friends with her, so she would allow him to pick her up, pet her, etc. I did not take that trouble. She lived always outside and was always skittish around me.

She hasn’t been eating lately and was getting obviously weak, so yesterday we took her into a vet, who did blood tests, and also told us her teeth (gums, probably) were badly infected. The blood tests revealed that her kidneys were failing, probably due to the amount of infection from her gums. Maybe 50% chance of recovery after intensive care and teeth cleaning (and probably extractions). In the best outcome, possible 2 or 3 years of life remaining, during which she would probably need to have her diet closely monitored. The cost of the treatment would have run into thousands. So we decided to have them put her to sleep.

Now I feel guilty for not taking better care of her health. We thought that by feeding her we were giving her a better life, even as she was determined to stay feral - she just didn’t like being indoors at all. But now I see that we were also assuming a greater responsibility, which we did not fulfill, of making sure that she stayed healthy. I never thought about having her teeth cleaned, it just never occurred to me, but at least I guess we could have taken her in for the occasional checkup, and they would have made that suggestion.

So it feels odd learning this life lesson so late in life. We know better now, for what it’s worth.

*We live in San Francisco, on zero-line lots, so there are two rows of houses, backyards back to back, with no space between the sides of the houses. The feral cats around here live in the various back yards and don’t go anywhere else.

2

there is only so much you can do with an outdoor, especially semi-feral, cat. they are their own beast.

3

You did a lot right to get a feral cat to live to be 10+. They don’t last long normally & hunger is constant problem. That you fed her, spayed her and her kittens & allowed her to live a hunger free existence is pretty awesome.

As much as you may have wanted to treat her like a pet with trips to the vet, vaccinations, pills, teeth cleaning, etc….all those things cause incredible stress to a feral cat. You did the right thing to fix her, feed her, and let her live out her life.

4

What **Enola Gay **said.

5

Thanks, guys, for the kind words. I’ve been looking for a photo (it’s the law, I’m led to understand), and I’ll try to post it soon. She was a small tuxedo cat with a Hitler mustache. She could wither you with a glance.

6

I read the OP on my phone 5 minutes ago and by the time I got to the computer to type a response, johnpost and Enola Gay beat me to it, and beautifully done, too.

Only thing I could add: There are TONS of cats out there that need the kind of home you awesome people could give. What are you waiting for? Get going! :slight_smile:

And sorry for your loss.
You do know about catsthatlooklikehitler.com, right?

7

Thanks. Unfortunately, I’m too allergic to cats to have one in the house. There don’t seem to be any unadopted ferals left in our area (which is a good thing). So for now, our little cathouse will stay empty.

As promised, hereare some photos of little Kuro-chan in happier times. Sorry you can’t see the mustache.

8

I’m so sorry. For a feral kitty to live to be ten is amazing. Thanks for taking care of her. You did enough.