Shelter workers / volunteers - you be the judge:

[Freedom]

Silver Ghost.

Yes, ferals are always put down immediately. After age 9 weeks or so, it takes a LOT of work, by a very special person / family, to tame the cat. With all the domestic cats in need of homes, ferals are PTS right away. With or without a URI. Dealing with, coping with, handling ferals is quite different from dealing with domesticated cats. the moment I read that he was "quiet" the whole drive to the shelter, I knew where the story was heading.

Ferals won't make a sound in a car; they are trying to be invisible to the "predator," the human. Domesticated cats have learned to communicate with their humans and know that making a racket will get attention: food, water, toys, let up from the cellar, etc. So in the car, they let you know they aren't happy about the situation. (Some few cats do enjoy riding, there are truckers who have cats with them for company; another story for another day. Those cats are not the majority.)

A shelter is not equipped to handle ferals.

Apart from that, if they are full, any cat requiring any sort of treatment becomes high on the list for euthanasia.

I am so sorry to read about this sweet kitty.

[jazzcat]

My Decker was about 9-10 weeks old when we finally discovered him and trapped him. He was at least semi-feral but as wild as he seemed to me I think he was just right out feral. I thank the vet tech who worked with him when we had him neutered. My plan was to neuter him and release him back out into the yard with his feral momma (we had her spayed at the same time) but Whitney the vet tech worked with him while he was coming out of sedation and got him used to being touched. From that point I was able to work with him, along with the help of his sibling Moxie we had found weeks earlier, and now two years later he's a sweet guy. He's still timid and scares easily but he does love his petting. It just breaks my heart to think he would have probably been put down if I had taken him to the shelter.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Thank you so much for your replies. Freedom, your explanation makes sense, but then again, Jazzcat has a good point - couldn't they have held him for a little while on the off chance that he was someone's kitty, or to better assess his temperament? I know for a fact that this shelter is NOT hurting financially; they just got a huge bequest from a local lady who passed away, over a million dollars, and they are building a whole new state-of-the-art facility.

Another question I had, but forgot to ask - what method of euthanasia would be used for a feral? I can't imagine how they could get him held still long enough to administer a lethal injection, but maybe they are experienced at handling strugglers.

I have nothing but admiration for shelter workers and volunteers; they make those very tough decisions every day and still come back to work. Personally I could not take the heartbreak. I hope I never have to make this kind of decision again, that's for sure.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

xx

[lizbud]

I am so sorry you had this experience. I know you meant well & I'd be
heartbroken too if it happened with a cat that I "knew". Rest in peace
little guy.

[shais_mom]

I am so sorry this happened Shari. Of course you didn't mean the cat harm. And just b/c you made a flippant comment doesn't mean you meant the cat to die or knew it was going to happen. You did what you thought was giving the cat a chance.
I have to wonder about the shelter's definition of feral if he came into your yard like that. He may have been sick when you took him, it is really hard to tell.
Our local Humane Society (run by a total wackjob btw) claims that no shelter regardless of what they say is ever no kill b/c animals come in sick and dying and they have no choice but to put them to sleep. And if the shelter claims that it is no kill - then they must send the animal to another shelter to be put to sleep. That's the wackjob's take on it of course.
hugs to you -
and don't be a stranger - I miss Sammy and Dudley!

[KitCat]

You are a good person and did everything you could. The shelter seems untrustworthy. If you were able to catch the cat, how wild could it be?

[lizbud]

Silver Ghost.

Yes, ferals are always put down immediately. After age 9 weeks or so, it takes a LOT of work, by a very special person / family, to tame the cat.

Well, I am certainly not a special cat expert by any means, but I did bring
two feral cat brothers into my house to raise at 10-11weeks old. These were
my first cats ever. It's been over 6 yrs now and they are doing great. So
it is possible.

I do agree that most shelters are way to busy to give them individual care
and attention needed to get them ready for adoption. There are just too
many regular cats needing homes to make taming ferals feasable.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

xx