It's a Girl... Now what do we do with it?

So little Patches is definitely a girl. Great... just what we need.

Charlie picked her up and looked to determine her gender and to get an idea of if she were too skinny or not. She's really healthy. And for being a stray, she's mighty domesticated. So Charlie thinks she may have been dropped off on our door step. She's not afraid of people at all. She practically ate food directly from Charlie's hand and she understands the concept of eating out of a dish.

He keeps saying that she'll be fine because she's being fed and knows she's being fed. She has the house to live under if it gets too hot. She has plenty of room to play under there and cats mice and bugs to eat. "She'll have a good life", he says. Well I'm not happy about it. I keep thinking about Flora and particularly Cinders. They get to lay around inside the house in luxury. There is no too hot or too cold. When Flora is cold, she gets under the blankets. When Cinders in hungry, he doesn't have to hunt for his food because it comes on time every day in his very own dish.

Okay, so we're also feeding Patches food - twice a day right now. Charlie thinks she's about a month old. But still. She's out there all alone all day. And if she's as domesticated as she seems, then she isn't going to do well out there before long. What happens when it gets cold? Our animals get to snuggle up with us inside while Patches is left outside to fend for herself? That's not fair. In fact, I think it's rather cruel. There is no "OMG wash your hands immediately after you pet that" in regards to our animals. I understand why... more than I think Charlie realizes I do. But it doesn't make me happy.

I know we can't afford to take her in. I understand that the shots she requires and to be spayed costs a lot of money. I know it's money we don't have right now. We have our own pets to take care of - not to mention much more importantly... having money to take care of Hailey. But if we can't properly take care of Patches and give her the home she deserves, then we need to take her to some place where she can have that.

I'd love to take her in and that's huge for me because if you know me at all, you know I hate cats. Cinders is a very different kind of cat. He thinks he's human and he acts like a dog. I like him... most days. haha Usually I'd just be pissed off that a cat were hanging around the house [particularly a female cat], but I feel so bad for little Patches. I wish I could give her a home. I don't know anyone who could take her in besides bringing her to the rinky dinky animal shelter here. I know that's probably what I should do, but I don't know what will happen to her there.

I don't know what to do with her. I feel selfish keeping her around because I'm so smitten with her if I can't at least get her the proper care and bring her into our home.