What was i thinking?!!?

my husband and i have been feeding raccoons on our back porch for months, we also feed the wild birds. we have regulars that come up at the same time to be fed. soon after a fat head tom cat came up and we started feeding him (as soon as i catch him, he's neutered!). today we saw a torti medium hair female up on the porch, we went to put her some food out and she took off like a bolt of lightening. well this evening she came back and i opened the door to give her some food, and she came in and made herself at home. the cat is now sitting on my couch sleeping! i already have 2 inside cats, 3 rabbits, fish, a 3 year old son, 34 year old husband, and expecting-- after a few days i'm gonna take her to work (i'm a vet tech), get her started on vaccines, tested for leukemia and feline aids, and get her spayed.
what in the world am i thinking taking in another pet?! i think i've lost my mind!! like i need anything else to take care of!

i know the risks associated with feeding raccoons, and every other animal i feed- i hand raised an abandoned raccoon years ago, and i still love watching them, they are really amazing, and almost human like. i'm an animal nut, and i'll feed any animal and try to help it.

I cant help but laugh i have two dogs (both rescued) a cat (rescue) and a tortoise (rescue) and i just acquired ( rescued) another dog today i think were both just crazy

So put her outside again. You know, she might even belong to a neighbor, if she's so friendly. Strays are usually afraid of people.

If I had the room and an understanding husband my house would probably be a second shelter too... My fiance says that I should be marrying old mcDonald instead of him.. I only have 1 cat & two large dogs & my fiance & my daughter but I would LOVE more if I had the room... good luck

The only thing I'd like to mention, and I mean no disrespect in saying this, but as a vet tech you should really know better than to be feeding raccoons.

The distemper risks alone ought to be enough, even without the consideration of fleas, etc. I won't even list all of the health issues involved. (and again I mean no disrespect when I say that as a vet tech, you should really already know all the health issues involved.)

It's irresponsible is all.

Occupational hazard... I own a 1 lb 12 oz Chihuahua, he is 4 months old. He has no eyeballs, one testicle (yay, cryptorchid surgery) and I am beginning to suspect luxating patellas too. I took him home "just for the weekend"... he came into the clinic at 6 weeks for his eyes not being open. The breeder told us to put him down when we told her he had no eyeballs and was blind... we refused. I have a 4 year old, and will be giving birth myself in about 2 months. He does get along well with the neurotic bottle-fed orphaned cat I own... but what am I thinking? I need this dog like I need a hole in the head LOL!

Ha-ha, sounds like you are the perfect candidate for the job, and thank God, too, because there are so many animals that need a great home. Cheers to you and your family.

Hmm, I think you take her into the vet, and see if they can take her in. Is she a stray??? See if any of you neighbours would like her. I think keep her for a few weeks, and see how you go, but then you could take her to the vet or petshop, or just let her go. Don't go feeding cats again though. If you only want to feed the birds, get and old plastic plate, put three even holes round the edge with string or wire, then join together and tie to a branch of a tree. Then just put in food (it's also good because the big birds can't get it) Or you could get an open pinecone, spread peanut butter over and in it, and then roll it in seed.

Sort of happened to my parents. Cat was stuck on the roof, let it in through a window. Mom fed it some milk after getting it outside, then the thing just stayed around and kept coming inside. Not sure what to do, just post pictures of it on a local missing pet page if you can. Or put it up for adoption. Either way.

You just have a big heart and care about animals...obviously nothing to be ashamed of. I only have one dog right now but would love to have more animals, but just unrealistic for me right now. If having this extra cat is too much consider putting him up for adoption to a good home. I know you can't just put him back outside...I couldn't either....good luck.

I used to feed the stray and feral kitties a few years ago when we lived next door to a trailer park, and that's how I got my youngest two cats (making a total of four). I also had two other strays neutered (my bosses were nice enough to do the males for free) and got a sanctuary to take in a very tame stray who was FeLV positive. I might have more if one of my trailer trash refugees didn't have a spraying problem.
You're just a soft touch for animals, like most of us who work in vet medicine. You can't help it. : )

*lol* Wow! Um...yeah...I think you've got a zoo.
Want a cat?:p

Haha - you sound like me, I'm always rescuing animals - I found two little white kittens playing on the road the other day, took them to the vet as I couldn't keep them (threatened with divorce if I bring another animal into the home - jk, lol!!) and it turned out they were deaf so if I hadn't grabbed them they'd be squished by now...

The only thing I'd be worried about is that cats are so fickle & she's obviously so at home inside she might belong to somebody else... I mean, you know what they're like, they'll "shack up" with anyone who's offering food & a warm couch!! I'm always worried my cats will find a better offer - lol!

Aside from that you are destined to be an animal rescuer & your hubby obviously loves you & all your animals. I'd do the same thing - I lost one of my boy cats a couple of weeks ago, he got hit by a car - he was rescued from an old flatmate of mine who thought feeding him rockmelon was "funny". Another one of my boys has a funny eye after he was "put in to play with a ferret" at his first home. My girl was found dumped at a roadhouse I worked at - the people said they "just let her out for a walk & she ran away" - DERR!! They got back in their car & drove off...I got her back & I've had her for ten years now.

Keep on looking after your (& others!) animals, the world needs more people like you. Bless.

I don't think you're crazy for taking in another cat, but I do think you're a little nuts for feeding raccoons.

YOU SOUND ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE ME AND MY FAM!!!!We have 2 rescued cats an rescued Pit Bull his rescued puppies and we found homes for about nearly 30 to 50 animals over the years!and I would do that stuff maybe EXEPT the spaying because she might belong to a neighbor or somthing and they might have not spayed her for a reason but if you have a male cat that isn't neutered I would keep her in a different room untill someone comes and claims her

I've read all the answers on here and also your full question. And although you say you are a vet tech, do you realize that you are putting your children at risk by feeding the raccoons?
I'm not talking about rabies, (which is a big issue), but the fact that raccoons carry worms that are deadly to humans. They infect the brain in humans, and cause a very ugly death. I worked with a Vet who was a noted parasitologist. He had his soil tested around his house, and ALL his soil was contaminated with raccoon worm eggs. The worms can kill dogs and cats, too. As a vet tech you should know about species specific worms and in an abnormal host the worms will travel to other places they don't belong.
I wouldn't be so forthcoming that you are a vet tech since you don't seem to have any sense.

you just love animals and hate to see a homeless one kinda like me

i have 6 cats three just had kittens and 2 were very prego when we got them and one we didnt realize til to late she was pregnant all rescues
one was nearly ran over along with the rest of her litter thankfully the guy who picked them up thought it was a football in the road and stopped to pick it up what a surprise for him when it turned out to be 4 kittens lol
another was a feral kitten i caught on our porch
two were going to be dumped on a farm and we said just give them to us we will find them homes and
yet another was someone asked if we could take care of her for a few months and never returned to pick her up and
our male was found under a huge peice of concrete after a building explosion

we also have two dogs a pitbull we got when his owner could no longer care for him and a miniature schnauzer that we took because her owner got her then found out she was allergic to dogs

plus a 4 foot ball python

19 month old and 1 month old sons plus a wonderful boyfriend who says he hates cats but still lets me rescue any i happen across so i have a mini zoo of my own and totally understand im probably crazy too lol