On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 11:08:40 -0500, "Curtis Fox"
wrote:

A number of weeks ago, we found this very little kitty meowing in our
backyard by our shed. It looks like the offspring of a wild cat we had
living under our shed last winter (Minnesota, can wild cats survive the
winters here?). Days passed and the kitty was looking very thin and weak so
we decided to feed it. We never ever saw the mother return so we believe it
has been abandoned. We have continued to feed it and the kitty now allows
us to come very close to it. My wife actually picked it up yesterday. My
concern is that this is a wild cat and would be very difficult to
domesticate. And I really hate the thought of bringing it into our home and
having to have it declawed. So our option is to continue feeding it and
keeping it outside, or call the humane society (not my wifes preference).
If we could somehow keep the cat wild and outside, but provide shelter for
the Minnesota winter, I would think this would be a reasonable solution. We
live in a suburb, not even remotely close to woods or farmland, so natural
food source is probably out of the question during the winter. The best
solution would be to try and domesticate without declawing and teaching it
to use a scratching post, but I don't think this would be possible. Any
opinions or advise. This is a really cute cat and we have grown somewhat
attached to it.

Is there a Vet in your area who could look at it and determine
whether it is s wild breed or a feral domestic breed (or combination
of the two)? tThis could help you decide. If it is truly a wild
breed, perhaps a zoo would be willing to accept it. I doubt it would
be able to live on its own in the wild. Good luck. MLB