Hi. I sometimes lurk here - but now I need to know what other think of this:

I use/watch over an old auto shop of friend who moved away. Its often been a
temporary home of stray cats who come and move on (the location is in-town).
About 6 weeks ago I was there and saw an orange tabby who hissed at me -- and
then fell down. I knew she was weak and hungry. Fed her and discovered a
kitten with her later that day. I've been feeding and socializing them for
weeks. (And it was working too. They were both following me around).

That is in the past tense, because last Tuesday I showed up to feed them and
the woman next door said her sister took them home. -- Now, I was looking for
a home or foster home for them, especially with winter coming in New England
--
but I'm ****ed that someone just decided they were there for the taking --
even if the intentions were good.

But I'm also bothered by the thought that this mother was not a stray. She
socialize with me in a matter of days. She went from shy to running to me when
I showed up -- which I thought was unusual and makes me think she was owned
and loved by someone before. And there is more; for most of the first few
weeks I was feeding them, the mother stayed there near her kitten. Then
starting a couple of weeks ago, I would show up and the mother would not be
around. At first I thought she was just stronger and wondering some -- but on
one of these days, I went looking for her mostly through back yards in the
area. A couple of blocks away a woman to told me she had seen 'that cat,'
wondering through her yard a few times, and it ran when she tried to get close
to it. -- But she didn't run towards the shop -- but in the opposite
direction. At the time I thought that was odd, and wondered if it had a home
in that direction and that is why she was there in the first place.

So I guess I asking about cat behavior here; is it possible that this cat was
pregnant and maybe the owners were off on vacation or something and she
became lost and she had her kitten in an old car, and stayed for a few weeks
knowing she didn't know the way home or couldn't travel with a kitten, etc.

Should I just forget about this whole thing, or make an issue about it? I
know they might be better off with this woman, but they might not be either. A
admittedly I'm guessing at that simply because I know there are two other cats
and two people in a small trailer. But at the same time, I keep having this
thought some little kid is still missing his orange cat.

I also had made arrangements with the local humane society to get help with a
vet -- and picked one that would be the most likely to know if someone as
looking for an orange tabby. I have wondered over the past few days 9since the
abduction) if I was just attached and missing them, but the fact is I also
keep an eye out for someone missing a really pretty, friendly cat.