Sorry this is long!
Right I live rurally. Since living here I have always had 2 or 3 cats as pets as rodent deterrents. I know the mice and rats are there but if I can't see them or any evidence of them they can go about their lives and ill go about mine. My current cats are spayed / neutered and frankly never leave the house through their own choice. They are pretty useless as anything other than furry paperweights.
About 3/4 years ago a feral cat showed up. Horrifically skinny and injured. Cats Protection trapped it for me, spayed it and under their trap and release policy released it back at mine. Tbh it wasnt a big problem. I put biscuits and water out in the stables and it hunts the rodents. Over time it learnt to tolerate me but its a yard cat not a pet. Great.
But ... a couple of years ago another cat turned up. Heavily pregnant and completely deranged. Wouldn't go in a trap. Disappeared and then came back with several juvenile kittens. All also feral. Short while later some of these also spawned kittens which went on to spawn more kittens. At one point there was over 40 (!) cats of varying ages roaming around.
Over time the majority of them have been befriended but cats protection still class them as a feral colony (even though they no longer are feral) and so won't take them to their centres for rehoming and neither will the 2 other local smaller charities I asked. I understand why they have other more urgent cases and these are fed and looked after. When discussing with them about trying to find some of them homes, they advised me NOT to advertise them because they had seen increased cases of kittens / cats being used for dog baiting! As a result i have been terrified of selling them, I know not to advertise them as free to good home and so all friends and family who can be have been persuaded to have kittens/ cats. This leaves me my 3 original pets, 10 ex-feral which now come in the house and 2 which tolerate me but live outside.
Just before lockdown another cat turned up. Shes pretty friendly so we thought perhaps she was lost. Advertised and put her on Facebook but noone claimed her. Arranged to have her spayed but lockdown happened (she was booked in for that first wed!) and so it was cancelled. She became pregnant and had 5 kittens. I really struggled to find people we know to take them but in the end managed. When the warmer weather came she vanished again. She returned about a week ago with 4 kittens aged about 4 weeks id guess. I've asked everyone I can think of and asked them to ask people but I cant find anyone willing to have them.
Whilst logically I know if I advertise them (for money) the chances of them going to a dog baiter is small I just panic at the thought that they might. So ..
AIBU to keep all 4 myself if I can't persuade anyone else I know to have them .....