We coundn't leave this boy out on the streets

This shows why it is always important to have the right plan in place before attempting a rescue and we so nearly didn't for this chap!

We were contacted by a lady who had been feeding a street cat near her. She had checked with all the neighbours and he was known in the area. There was a suspicion that his elderly owner had died, and although a family member was supposed to be looking after him, they weren't. So he had been effectively dumped and was living on the streets. His condition was getting worse, no one could get close to him, so we got the call.

With the help of the feeder, we were able to catch him in a humane trap and get him off to the vet. He wasn't in a good state and the local vets decided to admit him, and that bought us some time.

This boy wasn't happy at all! He hated it in the vets, although he wasn't aggressive he hated being examined and staying there. After 7 days we had managed to find space for him at our rescue. A £600 bill later from our vets for scans and x-rays confirmed that luckily there was nothing major wrong, he was just constipated through stress! He was a feral street cat, not keen on people at all. Any ideas for him to be a pet suitable for adoption had to be changed fairly quickly.

He was with us, so we needed to get him flea-treated, wormed, health checked and neutered at our vets. Then find a suitable placement for him.

UPDATE:- He has a new home with one of our other feral cats Beauty ( AKA Mrs Morrisons )

There is quite a bit involved in settling a new feral cat into its home. a good set-up is needed for food, litter tray housing and shelter. The cats then need to get used to a new feeding routine and new feeders. It's only after about 3 to 4 weeks that the process of doing a 'soft release ' is carried out so they can enjoy their new home.

Update:

Bowie and his friend Mrs Morrisons ( Beauty ) are now settled together in their forever home. They still keep a respectful distance from their feeders, but they are always about at dinner time and happy in their new roles as ' Pest control operatives'