Just For Today...

With rescue, some days are harder than others and you begin to wonder if you're making a difference. This morning I gave some encouragement to a volunteer who was wondering if we were REALLY making a difference.

I found myself telling her that today is April 23rd, and the shelter is only euthanizing cats TWO days per week instead of the usual THREE days per week. Unless I've missed something, I've never known the shelter to have their "vet days" 2 days per week. But they've been doing it for some time now.

When I was at the shelter yesterday to rescue some cats, I was told that they had to euthanize 10 cats that morning. All of these cats were either totally feral (wild & unadoptable) or very very ill. Again - this is the end of April when things are becoming VERY busy and only 10 cats lost their lives yesterday - and these are cats that were wild or very sick. I'm sad to say that I can live with that.

I had great news when I heard that another rescue had rescued 4 of the "chinese cats". These are the cats that I wrote about in another post. They are terribly overweight - probably 25 lbs each. I agonized over those cute cats. I wanted so badly to rescue them but had NO clue where to put them. But 'lo and behold another rescue took them! I'm over the moon about this news!! The guilt was overwhelming and I'm so happy that they're safe.
Not too long ago, those cats would've been euthanized and had no or little hope for rescue.

While I was at the shelter, I notice that there were FAR less kittens and pregnant Moms than there has been at the end of April in previous years. Could it be more people are spaying, neutering and keeping their cats inside? I'd like to think so. I know kitten season isn't in FULL swing yet, but I'm damn happy that things are pretty slow in that regard.

I'm leaving for Switzerland tomorrow and will take these happy thoughts with me until I'm back next week. I'll stick my fingers in my ears and hum "lalalalalala" on any negative news until my plane takes off tomorrow. I'm going on holidays with the hope that things are getting better and it's not my imagination.

Just for today, I'm going to think we're making a difference. Tomorrow might be a different story.
(Update from the shelter tonight April 23rd 7:30 pm: 20-25 cats PER DAY are coming into the shelter. Looks like I posted too early. *sigh*)