Misadventures of a novice cat trapper

For once these aren't my misadventures. This has happened to a family member that I have probably nagged into becoming a cat trapper since if you just feed feral cats, you end up with lots of feral cats.

She has trapped her first feral, a young kitty she's called JJ. JJ is a teen cat, and probably a pregnant teen cat. She took JJ to a vet's office "down the road." As I haven't had a chance to speak to her yet, it sounds to me like it was a random vet she took JJ to. I have suggested links to vets and clinics who specialize in TNR, so I don't know if this vet was from this list or not. I have a feeling that they're not.

JJ was anesthetized so they could do the feline leukemia test (negative.) She came round as one of the vet techs was handling her, so she bit the tech. The vet told my family member that JJ would have to be taken to Animal Control and quarantined. (And this is why I'm thinking it's a random vet. My vet wouldn't do this, nor would the TNR clinic I take the ferals to.)

My poor family member is extremely distressed. Crying, she took JJ to Animal Control and explained what was going on. They are going to keep JJ and actually see if they can spay her. The problems arise as this family member has some medical issues and won't be able to pick up JJ or care for her when the quarantine is up. I think she has been planning to keep JJ, but at this point won't be able to work on socializing a feral cat. One option is to release JJ (that's the R of the TNR - return) back where she was captured. My family member and some other co-workers have been feeding the ferals, so JJ will have food and be in a familiar place.

Or, she can work on her husband, who puts on a really gruff front, but he may cave and help her socialize a feral at home. I'm not sure if he will, but the one cat they have now is a friendly feral he brought home from work a few years ago. That's the option I'm hoping for.

I feel so sorry for her (both JJ and the family member.) I had some misadventures with my first captures, Momcat and her 2 kittens, but nothing like this. I did have to quarantine Lily after she bit me, but I was able to do this at my vet's office. Have I mentioned how wonderful I think my vets are lately? Expensive, but wonderful. And for the record, Lily gave me an agitated, playful bite, not a bone deep, horribly frightened bite. I know now to feed Lily until she stops eating, and she's had her shots so the bites don't bother me.

Speaking of ferals, Mr. Chubby has been sticking his head into the doorway to see what's taking so long for breakfast. We're wondering just how long it will be before we find him sleeping on the bed.