Stray/Feral Update

Hi All,

Thanks so much for your encouragement and suggestions. I haven't seen the kitty since I fed her on Thursday. I went out last night at the same time in the same spot with a bowl of food and a magazine. No sign of her after an hour. After that it was dark and cold so I walked around a bit and then just went inside (this would be so much easier if we just had our own property!). I've gone weeks without seeing her before, but then, I've never gone out specifically looking for her before this week. I've decided that I am just going to carry a can of food with me at all times so I can be prepared if I run into her unexpectedly again. And of course I'll keep going out in the evenings.

To answer the questions about what I will do if I catch her, the answer is first to take her to the vet of course. I want her to be thoroughly checked out. I am now convinced that the leg is an old injury, so not as urgent as I was concerned about on Sunday night when I feared there might be an open wound or something. But still I want her to have all her shots, get the leg looked at and make sure she is healthy. The we will get her spayed if she hasn't been already. We have a two bedroom apartment, so we can keep her shut away from Mattingly and Harlie while she gets and rest and recuperates from any procedures. If she seems like she can be socialized, we'll work with her on that and then find her a good home. The rescue group offered to help with that. If she is truly feral and not a stray, the local rescue group said they would help us get her into a sanctuary for injured ferals. Unfortunately, we won't be able to keep her long term assuming she is totally healthy. As it is, we have two cats in an apartment that doesn't allow pets (though the landlord isn't a huge stickler about this). We'll keep her with us as long as necessary to get her completely healthy and into a safe home though.

So my plan for today is to carry food with me when I go out for my walk and to the grocery, and also to see if I can track down the people who feed the cats in the neighborhood. She's going to be really hard to get into a routine of feeding with me since she already has another source of food somewhere else. If I can find the regular feeders, I'm hoping to be able to work with them on trying to get her. No matter what, I'll go out again tonight before dusk with food and my magazine (and a warmer jacket this time) and just keep hoping for the best. I have a feeling this is going to take some time!

Thanks again for all the help and encouragement!

Harlie and Mattingly's Mom