I Hope I Did The Right Thing.....

Today I followed my heart instead of my logic, and I hope I all turns out ok.

There is a family who moved into one of the rent houses down the street a few months ago. With them, came the sweetest yellow cat I've even seen. She came over almost everyday to eat with my outdoor herd, and afterward, she would head back home. I know somethings about these people through thier neighbor, who walks by my house daily with her dog. These people, according to her, don't take very good care of thier pets. She told me that the lady of the house asked her to keep the males away from thier cat, because they don't want anymore kittens. Well, we all know that's not possible, so I was going to talk to them, and tell them about the low cost spay/neuter place I've been using for my ferals. I never could get them to the door, so I asked another of her nieghbors when I might catch her home. In fact, I'd contemplated taking her (the cat) to the place myself. When I told her neighbor this, she told me to just do it. She hardly pays attention, and she won't care. That surprised me, so I decided the next day, when the cat came back to my bowls, I was going to take her to be spayed. Well, she never showed up, so I decided to go down there, and just ask the woman if I could take her. I couldn't get the woman to the door, but the door was open, and through the screen I could see her nursing kittens. I'm so glad, I saw that. I'd have never forgiven myself if I'd had a nursing mama cat spayed.
Ok, that was a month or two ago,,,I think. Anyway, I'd been seeing the mama cat, and one baby in the neighborhood. I guess they gave the others away. Either that or they didn't make it.

I just told that background story to give you an idea of what kind of people they are, and how they treat thier pets, and also to explain my present situation. Last weekend, the lady who walks her dog came by. She told me those people had been evicted, and that she hadn't seen them in three days, and the mama and baby cats are still thier, sitting on the porch. I said, that's it, I'm taking these cats. Another neighbor of hers had been feeding them for those three days, and I asked them if they wouldn't mind continuing to feed them until the 4th of July weekend was over, and I could get them in to see my vet. They said they would, so I was planning to call Tuesday, when everything reopened (small town, ya know), and get them an appointment for full check ups before exposing them to my cats. Well, before The weekend was over, and I could do all that, the lady down the street told me that they had come by to get some more furniture, and took the cats with them. I was upset, because I've grown quite fond of them, and I knew they weren't being properly taken care of, and was really looking forward to getting to keep them myself. But, they do belong to them, and they had every right to come get them.

Well today, I made a decision I hope I don't regret later. This evening, as I drove into my driveway, I saw the mama cat in my yard. My heart broke for her, but I went inside, and tried to ignore my feelings. I sat at the computer for the longest time, but I couldn't consentrate on anything, so I went back outside, walked down the street, and as I suspected, the mama cat had found her way to the old house. Without thinking, I scooped her up, brought her inside my house, and fed her....and she's still here, in my house, and exposed to my cats. I didn't know what else to do. I don't have a garage, and my guest room is, at the moment, occupied by my husband's daughter (another long story). So, I here I am, with a strange cat in my house, and hoping I don't regret my impulsive decision. I've been back to the other house, trying to find the baby, but I can't find him. The lady down the street told me that if she sees him, she'll let me know.

Now I have to make a decision. The baby still nurses sometimes, but he is old enough to eat, so I'm going to have the mama spayed. The reason, I know they baby is old enough to eat is because the lady down the street told me that she's seen him eat. She told me that instead of getting cat food, they just would toss a piece of meat or something in the back yard for them to eat. Now my decision is this. I got to thinking about the horrible, lonely feelings I've gotten in the past whenever a cat of mine went missing, and I'm feeling pangs of guilt for bringing thier cat in my house. On the other hand, do I need to turn her back over to people like that? I was thinking of taking her to be spayed, and examined by a vet, then leaving a note on the door of the old house, telling them that thier cat came back to the neighborhood, and I had been taking care of her, and I'd my # in case they want her back, but after finding out the kind of care she was getting, I'm having second thoughts about the note. What should I do?