Advice Needed for Rehoming a Feral Cat
Hi wonderful community of fellow cat lovers!
As the title says, I need advice.
I moved into an apartment block a few years ago and have been feeding a feral cat who lives in the shrubs outside of my block.
For context, a lady who also helps feed him says he’s been here for just over 10 years. In that time, he was neutered.
Then, after two years, he’s finally at ease with my presence and allows me to touch him. After I’ve fed him, I sit next to him and he circles me while rubbing his scent all over me. It’s heart warming to see the progress we’ve made.
I’ve become so fond of him and him of me. However, I noticed he had an overgrown toe nail, which then became injured as it was full of dry blood.
This morning, we were able to catch him by putting him in a cat carrier and we got him to the vet.
Thankfully, he does not have any life altering diseases and seems to have pretty good overall health.
I would love nothing more than to find him a home where he can live out the last part of his life knowing love, warmth, and all the other good things indoor cats experience.
Here’s the tricky part though: the lady who helps feed him and has been feeding him for 6 years before I began helping does not think he can be rehomed if it isn’t at my house.
Her reasoning is that because he’s spent over 10 years in this area, he wouldn’t acclimate elsewhere.
I would love to take him in but my apartment block has a strict “no pets rule” and I already have one illegal resident (a sassy calico with a heart of gold).
So, my question is: Do you think it is possible to rehome a feral cat in a place/home that isn’t the area he’s known his entire life?
I just want to do right by him and because this is my first experience with a feral cat, I’d love some advice/guidance.
Thanks so much