Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi I keep my horse on a farm where there is a small colony of feral cats. In the last 3 years I have seen many new additions come and go. Last year 2 kittens were born a boy and girl. The girl would take your face off given half the chance but the boy is totally different. He lives in my stable and likes nothing more than to jump on my knee and go to sleep. He follows me around everywhere. I'm toying with the idea of taking him home would just like everyones opinion on this

It is very tempting isn't it. There are some feral cats that call part of a friend's garden home and one in particular, a lovely ginger boy. If I thought he would settle I'd take him in a heart beat.

You have to ask yourself what can you offer him and would he settle in a domestic environment. Only you know that.

It IS possible, my Tommy was a wanderer for years until he settled with us.

I must admit that I'd be tempted too, and as Bobbys Girl says they can settle, especially if he seems to be a bit of a loner and prefers your company to the other cats. Has he been neutered? Taking him to a vet and getting him neutered/wormed/flead would be a good start if not, and you could probably get vouchers from Cats Protection to get some of the others neutered as well if they haven't been.

Thank you for your replies. No he hasn't been neutered or anything . He's so loving it's unreal. What has bothered me is will he have fiv because if he does and I take him home he would have to be an indoor cat then .and he's used to being able to go outside. Also who should I contact about help with neutering as we seem to have a lot of cats

My Bob is FIV+ and he comes and goes as he pleases along with the other FIV- girls no probs.

Your local animal shelter/cats protection should be able to help with the neutering. Our local vet does work for 'Brighteyes' working with Cats Protection. The vet has loaned us traps before now. They will also treat any cuts/bites they find. The only thing you would have to watch is some vets are still under the impression that FIV is a death sentence. If you want to home this little fella it's best you find out the vets policy first. Best wishes.

I have an FIV+ cat that mixes in with the rest of the gang and does as he pleases too - it's very unlikely for the virus to be passed on unless he bites another cat, and he's a total gent and doesn't get into scraps. There is lots of new evidence on that subject around these days, but it takes a while for some of the vets and rescues to catch up (and they tend to be a bit over-cautious, which to some degree I understand) so do ask about FIV policies first.

Help with neutering tends to vary from area to area, your local Cats Protection is probably the best place to ask about when happens where you are. Good luck!