Sorry to hear about this. I have buried my own share of old cats in the yard over the years.
Well... big progress here. Almost exactly two years after she arrived, this feral cat began letting me pat her. It just built slowly from that, and now she's an affectionate, sweet cat that just loves to be petted. Still different from a cat that was domesticated as a kitten, but her progress is remarkable. The other cat has been jealous to have this new "competition", but generally they are getting along well.
in 2020 a hungry feral cat showed up and I couldn't resist the urge to feed her. [...] Still too afraid to allow me to touch her, but I think that is about to change.
Well... big progress here. Almost exactly two years after she arrived, this feral cat began letting me pat her. It just built slowly from that, and now she's an affectionate, sweet cat that just loves to be petted. Still different from a cat that was domesticated as a kitten, but her progress is remarkable. The other cat has been jealous to have this new "competition", but generally they are getting along well.