No need to apologize for anything! It's just that this got me through so many moods that's it's hard to figure out what to start up with first, lol!
I'm happy my post made you smile and that we have so many things in common! Taking care of cats is beautiful but at the same time hard, heartbreaking, addictive and other bad moods too! We had a period when we were taking care of no less than 10 stray cats + our tom cat but as we all know, cats are more exposed to dangers than other animals and sadly you never know when it's the last time you see one of them... From all those 10 mentioned before, there are only 3 left.. or better said 2 since one we haven't seen for almost 3 weeks and we never stop thinking what happened, which is a constant pain and stress in my heart, especially that he was already blind of one eye from a fight with foxes. But I can only pray to see him soon.
The mother of these siblings we take care of is also going to give birth to another series in March and as much we are looking forward to see the young ones, as afraid we are that they won't live too much as the previous series was entirely killed by a family of foxes visiting our neighborhood pretty often...
I never experienced the loss of my own very cat so I don't know what that feels like, but based on the strong connections we build with our buddies, I'm sure it's very hard to move on from. It's just a different and unique connection from any other one you'll build with a different animal.
But just like you, I have moments when I think that I'll have to move to my own place sooner or later and can't even imagine how would it be to leave them behind. I'll feel like betraying them. I'd rather go for a larger flat with one extra room that I'll turn entirely for cats than leaving them behind...
I hear you! It's heart-breaking and rewarding at the same time, isn't it?
It must be even harder knowing predators are around to hurt them, at least we didn't have that, probably traffic was the biggest danger around.
Oh man, I can feel the worry about the cats reading this, I remember when our dear Mojo (and later Mochi) didn't return after a few days and the only thing I kept doing was checking the window and calling them.. Then we were making rounds around the block constantly, it was so frustrating. I would wake up several times a night thinking I'd hear their meow outside..
That must be a big worry about these babies, is there any way that you can make a cage around the little house outside? Or create a cage for it? I mean they probably don't enjoy it but at least it would mean you can keep them at the same place at night.
The leaving the home will not be easy for this reason, I'm not going to lie. I stood there feeling helpless the very last evening we gathered stuff in our old home.. the two sisters (probably Mochi's sisters as they were from the same colony) were always together and such a joy to watch them arrive and feel safe in front of our window.. they brought a cat that was just new for several weeks and they stood there wondering why on earth we weren't feeding them. We had no food left there, it was all given to them..
I felt horrible but I know for a fact they are all still alive and taken care off, that helps. I see them regularly when I drive back home after dropping off the kid to school. We found it all very rewarding to foster the kittens through an organisation because we knew this was not going to be forever, this way we could help many more than we'd be able to help taking in forever.
One of our ladies was a litter dumped in the garbage and our very first foster litter were 5 also found in the trash :( horrible, but we helped socializing them, get them through horrible parasites and transition to wonderful loving families, these families are so thankful when you send them updates, it was a very rewarding job.
Sadly, we can't do this right now as our ladies are just used to the new order in the home and I finally have my bedroom back (to keep the new treadmill safe from night time terrors, lol) but I bet in the future, we will take some fosters in again, maybe in the next home.. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to help but can't guarantee taking care of animals forever themselves.
I wanted to say thank you for these cats that you're caring for them, you are an angel <3
It's incredible how much we have in common, I swear! We take walks around the buildings pretty often too, looking for the one missing but no results. As well as jump occasionally from the chair of the computer or bed to look outside the window and see if he came to eat from the bowls or if he's inside the shelter. God damn those constant stress, I want it to be over and see Sky's brother again! 🥺🥺
I can build the cage mentioned but the mother always hides them in other place until they are around 2 months old or so and bring them on our window. And I can't lock them in a cage because they need to walk around, explore and learn to live 😭
Reading all the emotions you got through when moving, is not very encouraging but it's a feeling that sooner or later we'll have to face too, sadly. But I'm happy to hear that you keep seeing those cats from time to time and they are okish. I doubt they will remain in the same place if they wouldn't find food and safety anymore.
Thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻 that's a lot more than I thought I deserve but I try my best to make their life easier for sure 🥺
Don't sell yourself short please! I know exactly how stressful it can be to do what you're doing because you start caring for all of them (I did too) and when they are gone for a few days, as you know, you worry as if it's your own cat. It takes a good person who will care for animals that aren't officially hers to take care of.
You have all my respect, and I really hope that the mother and babies will also be ok.. Are there any associations in your area? Maybe if there aren't you can consider trying to raise some funds (maybe here on Hive) with updates on their wellbeing so it's not as big of a financial burden?
And then from the funds maybe even sterilize the mommy cat after this litter? This way you will still help her even after you're not living there anymore. But if there's an association in the area, you can reach out for help, maybe they are organized as they are here in Spain.. Still too many without help, obviously because there are only so many cats we can take in, right?
You deserve a medal and !LUV !LADY
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Thank you, again! You made me smile and get emotional once again! Especially that not many understand the efforts of taking care of so many animals and the mixed emotions comes up with! 🥺
I have no idea about such associations but will definitely look into! Having my own founded partially by Hive sounds like an amazing idea too! Would also be cool to make more people aware of our little chain.