Thursday, July 5, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Hiro's almost odyssey
It's been a while since my last post. Internet troubles have kept me offline for the last few weeks.
Shortly after my last post, I had a good friend from Toronto contact me about possibly adopting Hiro.
I've mentioned that my partners in crime were housing him at great risk to themselves since their lease stipulates that they cannot have cats. It was coming down to crunch time for them - they weren't going to be able to keep him for much longer without being discovered. But we still needed more time while I negotiated with my friend to make sure he knew what a large project he was potentially taking on. So after double checking with the vet to make sure that I wasn't endangering the health of the brood or my fosters, I made space for Hiro here at the home for wayward cats in the temp sanctuary.
We'd had everything all arranged to transport him to my friend in Toronto. They were completely willing to work with him, even knowing that he would not be an easy socialization. But at the last minute, I made the executive decision to release him. I had been observing him carefully now that he was under my direct care, and had come to the sad conclusion that he was just too feral. He's tolerant of those of us that are caring for him, but only barely. I've been feeding him for months.... one of the other couples has been feeding him for over a year, and he still doesn't trust either of us enough to come any closer than it takes to set food down for him. =/ Not to mention that he'd already proven himself to be difficult to trap and quite the escape artist. I was terrified that he would escape from my friend's place and find himself lost, in a city he doesn't know, with not a tooth in his head and a bum leg. And I knew that if he did ever escape, he'd be impossible to recapture. And so, with an admittedly heavy heart, I made the decision to release him again.
Shortly after my last post, I had a good friend from Toronto contact me about possibly adopting Hiro.
I've mentioned that my partners in crime were housing him at great risk to themselves since their lease stipulates that they cannot have cats. It was coming down to crunch time for them - they weren't going to be able to keep him for much longer without being discovered. But we still needed more time while I negotiated with my friend to make sure he knew what a large project he was potentially taking on. So after double checking with the vet to make sure that I wasn't endangering the health of the brood or my fosters, I made space for Hiro here at the home for wayward cats in the temp sanctuary.
We'd had everything all arranged to transport him to my friend in Toronto. They were completely willing to work with him, even knowing that he would not be an easy socialization. But at the last minute, I made the executive decision to release him. I had been observing him carefully now that he was under my direct care, and had come to the sad conclusion that he was just too feral. He's tolerant of those of us that are caring for him, but only barely. I've been feeding him for months.... one of the other couples has been feeding him for over a year, and he still doesn't trust either of us enough to come any closer than it takes to set food down for him. =/ Not to mention that he'd already proven himself to be difficult to trap and quite the escape artist. I was terrified that he would escape from my friend's place and find himself lost, in a city he doesn't know, with not a tooth in his head and a bum leg. And I knew that if he did ever escape, he'd be impossible to recapture. And so, with an admittedly heavy heart, I made the decision to release him again.
He was so depressed when we had him inside, all the light had drained from his eyes. The joy and hope I saw in his little face when I finally brought him back outside to release him was almost heartbreaking to see. But it was the light returning to his eyes that told me I was making the right decision in releasing him.
Those of us that have been caring for him (myself, my partners in crime, and the other couple mentioned above) have all agreed to continue to do so. We will make sure he has plenty of food and water, and will be purchasing a couple of cat shelters so that he has a place that is protected from the elements that he can call home. And should he ever require further medical care, we will make sure that he gets it. We're not giving up on him just because he has proven himself to be too feral for rehabilitation. If anything, we will be working harder than ever to make sure that his life is as comfortable as possible. He is our little hero - we can do no less.
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