It was really wonderful to have a reprieve from the frigid air yesterday. The thermostat said 14 degrees celcius (57 degrees Fahrenheit) and watching the squirrels frolicking yesterday as if it were Spring was a lovely change. I imagine that the homeless cats who live outside felt the same way.
Today, I woke up to blustery gusts of freezing wind and my heart hurts for the cats outside that are (no doubt) huddled under cars and dumpsters. I wish I could enjoy cold weather like other people. I end up worrying about animals outside. My 140 year old house bravely stood up to the wind last night as my cats snuggled into the quilts on our bed. It isn't fair.
I feel like I've been glued to the computer over the past few days. Between closing out the books on 2012 for the rescue, adding more cats to our website AND going into Petsmart two days early, it's been an insane couple of days. I'm always so grateful for our volunteers. There's no way I could do everything myself.
I'm spending the afternoon picking up cats and kittens from volunteer foster parents and bringing them to our Petsmart Adoption Centre. It's a stressful time for both foster parents and the cats. We have some foster parents that say "NO WAY is my foster baby going into a Petsmart store." I'm way ok with that - we're a foster-home based rescue FIRST. Petsmart is a luxury :)
David and I rescued 8 cats over the weekend. It's hard to believe that I used to rescue 20+ cats alone, because rescuing 8 seemed like a big deal to me. I love that David's retired and can help me. Certainly it's nice to have somebody to moan and groan with when a startled cat poops in his carrier. :)
At the risk of an already dull blog post this morning, I'm going to push the "Publish" button and hope for something interesting to write about tomorrow. Lack of sleep last night has dulled the mind!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Thinking about Dexter
There are so many things I don't say about my life in cat rescue. Things I wish I could say but I'm not an "anonymous" blogger. :)
I woke up to my cell phone ringing by the bed a few days ago. It was 8:30 in the morning. Nothing good happens at that hour and by the time I cleared my blurry eyes the call had gone to voicemail. I remained in bed and listened to the message. At first all I heard was a foster parent trying to announce her name through tears.
My heart broke.
"Dexter died last night of a cardiac embolism"
The worst part is that the foster parent had JUST adopted him. This particular foster parent has been fostering with me for TEN YEARS. She never adopted one....until now.
At least Dexter died in his Forever Home. He was truly loved.
Sometimes I wish this blog could just have cute cat pictures or videos. Certainly I have enough material with just The Sherminator:
The last picture was taken when we had an alarm company installation yesterday. Sherman wouldn't leave this guy alone and insisted on sitting on his paperwork, biting the ends of his pen and knocking his brochures to the ground. Fortunately, the installer had 2 cats of his own and was amused with Sherman.
For a long time I had wondered which cat was playing in the toilet. Sitting on a wet toilet seat when I occasionally use my son's washroom is disturbing. I could never catch the little bugger that's playing in the toilet until yesterday....
It feels good to talk about something that makes me laugh. Cat rescue is a lot of things - but usually not funny. As I've always said, it's one big emotional rollercoaster.
I'll try to focus on "funny" today, but my heart will be thinking about Dexter and his Mom. This is a cat rescue after all.
I woke up to my cell phone ringing by the bed a few days ago. It was 8:30 in the morning. Nothing good happens at that hour and by the time I cleared my blurry eyes the call had gone to voicemail. I remained in bed and listened to the message. At first all I heard was a foster parent trying to announce her name through tears.
My heart broke.
"Dexter died last night of a cardiac embolism"
At least Dexter died in his Forever Home. He was truly loved.
Sometimes I wish this blog could just have cute cat pictures or videos. Certainly I have enough material with just The Sherminator:
For a long time I had wondered which cat was playing in the toilet. Sitting on a wet toilet seat when I occasionally use my son's washroom is disturbing. I could never catch the little bugger that's playing in the toilet until yesterday....
It feels good to talk about something that makes me laugh. Cat rescue is a lot of things - but usually not funny. As I've always said, it's one big emotional rollercoaster.
I'll try to focus on "funny" today, but my heart will be thinking about Dexter and his Mom. This is a cat rescue after all.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The *Unusually* Rude
I'm back from my four day family visit with The Parents. It's always nice to see them, but just like any trip that takes me away from home, I'm happiest when I arrive through my front door. As always, my son took care of the family pets and our hardworking volunteers took care of the rescue in my absence. It's definitely getting easier to leave knowing that everything will be *handled*.
Very few things in rescue make me visibly angrier than when an adopter mistreats one of our volunteers. While I was away, we had an adopter not show up to an appointment to meet one of our kittens in their home. No phone call. Nothing. Just didn't show up. People don't realize that our volunteers MAKE TIME for the appointment. They clean their house, and fret about their beloved foster leaving their care.
Yesterday, we had an adopter stay at a foster parent's house until after 11 pm - FOUR HOURS! In the end, she pulled out catnip and the cat became overly stimulated and bit her really hard - drawing blood. Needless to say, she didn't take the cat home. But c'mon - FOUR HOURS? I had to wonder how long she would've stayed if the cat hadn't bit her. (*snicker*)
I suppose this blog post isn't a plug for fostering. But I must say that in the 20 years that I've been doing this, I think that we've only had about 5 unpleasant incidents like this. People are generally kind, courteous and very very polite. I have no qualms about telling an adopter that the "interview is over" - especially if they aren't going to adopt.
The good news is - we had NINE adoptions while I was gone for the 4 days! I was busy updating the files and working the administrativecrap stuff today. So much going on and the rescue phones have been busy.
As I'm about to push "Publish" on this blog post, I hesitate because of the negative comments (above) regarding fostering. But I've always given honest viewpoints in this blog and will continue to push "Publish" without soft-pedaling the text.
I couldn't complete this post without saying how much I appreciate those of you who give an opportunity for a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th...) chance for any animal to be loved once again. Every foster parent who gives their time, their home, and their heart to the unloved, unwanted and homeless animals deserve to be treated with respect, care and kindness. In our rescue, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Very few things in rescue make me visibly angrier than when an adopter mistreats one of our volunteers. While I was away, we had an adopter not show up to an appointment to meet one of our kittens in their home. No phone call. Nothing. Just didn't show up. People don't realize that our volunteers MAKE TIME for the appointment. They clean their house, and fret about their beloved foster leaving their care.
Yesterday, we had an adopter stay at a foster parent's house until after 11 pm - FOUR HOURS! In the end, she pulled out catnip and the cat became overly stimulated and bit her really hard - drawing blood. Needless to say, she didn't take the cat home. But c'mon - FOUR HOURS? I had to wonder how long she would've stayed if the cat hadn't bit her. (*snicker*)
I suppose this blog post isn't a plug for fostering. But I must say that in the 20 years that I've been doing this, I think that we've only had about 5 unpleasant incidents like this. People are generally kind, courteous and very very polite. I have no qualms about telling an adopter that the "interview is over" - especially if they aren't going to adopt.
The good news is - we had NINE adoptions while I was gone for the 4 days! I was busy updating the files and working the administrative
As I'm about to push "Publish" on this blog post, I hesitate because of the negative comments (above) regarding fostering. But I've always given honest viewpoints in this blog and will continue to push "Publish" without soft-pedaling the text.
I couldn't complete this post without saying how much I appreciate those of you who give an opportunity for a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th...) chance for any animal to be loved once again. Every foster parent who gives their time, their home, and their heart to the unloved, unwanted and homeless animals deserve to be treated with respect, care and kindness. In our rescue, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
More Unwanted
I'm leaving tomorrow for 5 days - Heading to Seattle to visit my parents. I wish it wasn't such a hassle to get out of town - I'd travel more often. Fortunately, my youngest son is babysitting cats and our senior dog. David is coming with me. It'll be nice to see my parents and just as nice to see "Buddy", their overly spoiled Rat Terrier.
I had a disgusting moment today when I heard that there is a woman who is currently searching the online classified for kittens to use for her birds of prey - for food. I wonder how many people she's fooled into giving her sweet defenseless kittens only to be used to train her red tailed hawks. We've all heard the rumours about people collecting kittens to use for snake food. But kittens to be used to train hawks?? That's a new one for me. Those of you in the Greater Toronto Area - please spread the word about this woman.
We rescued a Mom cat and two kittens today. They came from the public - something I so rarely do. When I arrived at their "home", it was a nice young man that (for a variety of reasons) could no longer care for this little family. It was the Mom cat's 7th litter. SEVENTH litter and she is only 2 years old. Disgusting. I kissed her little calico face and whispered to her "You'll never have to do this again." When I picked her up, it's very apparent that she's pregnant again. *sigh* I hope I'm wrong - a vet will be able to tell me. But it sure looks that way to me.
I'm feeling a bit melancholy tonight. I think going into other people's homes and seeing firsthand their lack of care for their animals saddens me. What would this guy have done if I hadn't bailed him out? He had the Mom cat since she was a kitten and didn't seem remotely sad that she was leaving his home. I just don't understand that.
While I'm away, our volunteers will be back to the shelter to rescue. I like to hear who they end up with and to hear their enthusiasm. It's contagious!
I had a disgusting moment today when I heard that there is a woman who is currently searching the online classified for kittens to use for her birds of prey - for food. I wonder how many people she's fooled into giving her sweet defenseless kittens only to be used to train her red tailed hawks. We've all heard the rumours about people collecting kittens to use for snake food. But kittens to be used to train hawks?? That's a new one for me. Those of you in the Greater Toronto Area - please spread the word about this woman.
We rescued a Mom cat and two kittens today. They came from the public - something I so rarely do. When I arrived at their "home", it was a nice young man that (for a variety of reasons) could no longer care for this little family. It was the Mom cat's 7th litter. SEVENTH litter and she is only 2 years old. Disgusting. I kissed her little calico face and whispered to her "You'll never have to do this again." When I picked her up, it's very apparent that she's pregnant again. *sigh* I hope I'm wrong - a vet will be able to tell me. But it sure looks that way to me.
I'm feeling a bit melancholy tonight. I think going into other people's homes and seeing firsthand their lack of care for their animals saddens me. What would this guy have done if I hadn't bailed him out? He had the Mom cat since she was a kitten and didn't seem remotely sad that she was leaving his home. I just don't understand that.
While I'm away, our volunteers will be back to the shelter to rescue. I like to hear who they end up with and to hear their enthusiasm. It's contagious!
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Stack
As I type this, Boo-Boo is still at the shelter. I never heard back from the woman who showed interest in her. Fortunately, she will not be euthanized at this shelter unless she becomes unadoptable or seriously ill. But she continues to become depressed in a cage and I think she's adorable - in a homely-fat-cat -sorta-way. Many thank you's to all who inquired about her. I won't give up on her until she's out of a cage.
I rarely get really angry at any of my cats or dog. But when I heard a huge CRASH yesterday in the kitchen, I knew that nothing good had happened.
I was right.
Walking downstairs, I saw a scatter of cats with *poofed* tails. Only Sherman remained at the scene of the crime. On the floor was my favourite vintage etched mirror. I spent (what I thought was) a small fortune on it and it had been laying on the kitchen counter waiting to be hung later this evening. There was glass everywhere and Sherman looked ridiculously guilty. My favourite mirror - oh how I LOVED that stupid mirror!! I'm so angry with Sherman!
It's hard to be angry with something that cute. *sigh*
I spent the majority of the day closing out 2012 in my office. The amount of paper that accumulates with this rescue astounds me! Adoption files, veterinary files, tax stuff, foster applications....blah blah blah! But looking at my "stack" of adoption agreements from 2012 was a proud moment for me.
That stack represents more than 600 cats who are now Forever Home in 2012! SIX HUNDRED! I leafed through the names and fondly remembered most of the cats. It's strange how quickly I can forget cats that had such meaning to me 8 months ago.
I wish I had taken a picture of the OTHER stack on the floor near the adoption agreements. That's the Veterinary bills for 2012. It's twice the size of the adoption stack.
C'est la vie!
I rarely get really angry at any of my cats or dog. But when I heard a huge CRASH yesterday in the kitchen, I knew that nothing good had happened.
I was right.
Walking downstairs, I saw a scatter of cats with *poofed* tails. Only Sherman remained at the scene of the crime. On the floor was my favourite vintage etched mirror. I spent (what I thought was) a small fortune on it and it had been laying on the kitchen counter waiting to be hung later this evening. There was glass everywhere and Sherman looked ridiculously guilty. My favourite mirror - oh how I LOVED that stupid mirror!! I'm so angry with Sherman!
I spent the majority of the day closing out 2012 in my office. The amount of paper that accumulates with this rescue astounds me! Adoption files, veterinary files, tax stuff, foster applications....blah blah blah! But looking at my "stack" of adoption agreements from 2012 was a proud moment for me.
I wish I had taken a picture of the OTHER stack on the floor near the adoption agreements. That's the Veterinary bills for 2012. It's twice the size of the adoption stack.
C'est la vie!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
"Boo-Boo"
I was back at the low-kill shelter this afternoon. I knew I wouldn't leave with any cats today, but was there to make some choices for our foster parents. We're fortunate enough to have a volunteer driver that will pick up the cats from the shelter this evening and deliver them to their foster homes.
My shoulders sank when I saw that "Boo-Boo" was still there. Boo-Boo is a homely overweight black and white girl whose owner died and the family left her there. She came in with a very handsome brother who was quickly adopted. (YES...*ADOPTED*....they have adoptions at this shelter...what a brilliant idea! (end sarcasm)
Over Christmas, the shelter was loaded with people hoping to take a cat home for the holidays. But nobody was noticing "Boo-Boo". She sat in her cage wondering what happened to her "mom" and her brother.
Even though they have adoptions at this shelter, Boo-Boo's plight was starting to really get to me.
As I type this blog post, I've been doing some matchmaking on Boo-Boo's behalf. One of our adopters who called in is looking for a particular type of cat and I think Boo-Boo might just be her girl. I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for a call back to find out if the family wants to go to the shelter to meet Boo-Boo.
Our rescue won't get any adoption money for BooBoo, but the thought of this chubby girl with tiny feet going to a home is making the effort worthwhile. It's always worthwhile, right?
Sooooo...why haven't I rescued Boo-Boo and put her in a foster home? I haven't had an available foster home that can take her! But I like her so much that I'm about to bring her home myself. "Bowling Ball Cats" are a huge favourite of mine! (Bowling Ball Cats = Chubby, round body with tiny legs and pea-sized head)
I also wanted to thank those of you who sent encouraging notes privately and public comments about this blog. I've definitely missed writing. We had 98 (!!!) adoptions during the month of December and I wanted to blog about it so badly. LOL
4:30 pm....no call yet about Boo-Boo. UGH! (Call...call...call)
My shoulders sank when I saw that "Boo-Boo" was still there. Boo-Boo is a homely overweight black and white girl whose owner died and the family left her there. She came in with a very handsome brother who was quickly adopted. (YES...*ADOPTED*....they have adoptions at this shelter...what a brilliant idea! (end sarcasm)
Over Christmas, the shelter was loaded with people hoping to take a cat home for the holidays. But nobody was noticing "Boo-Boo". She sat in her cage wondering what happened to her "mom" and her brother.
Even though they have adoptions at this shelter, Boo-Boo's plight was starting to really get to me.
As I type this blog post, I've been doing some matchmaking on Boo-Boo's behalf. One of our adopters who called in is looking for a particular type of cat and I think Boo-Boo might just be her girl. I'm sitting here on pins and needles waiting for a call back to find out if the family wants to go to the shelter to meet Boo-Boo.
Our rescue won't get any adoption money for BooBoo, but the thought of this chubby girl with tiny feet going to a home is making the effort worthwhile. It's always worthwhile, right?
Sooooo...why haven't I rescued Boo-Boo and put her in a foster home? I haven't had an available foster home that can take her! But I like her so much that I'm about to bring her home myself. "Bowling Ball Cats" are a huge favourite of mine! (Bowling Ball Cats = Chubby, round body with tiny legs and pea-sized head)
I also wanted to thank those of you who sent encouraging notes privately and public comments about this blog. I've definitely missed writing. We had 98 (!!!) adoptions during the month of December and I wanted to blog about it so badly. LOL
4:30 pm....no call yet about Boo-Boo. UGH! (Call...call...call)
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Still Alive in 2013
It's been a LONG time since I've written in this blog. I don't think I've ever gone this long without writing. Certainly I would usually do a "year end" wrap up and a 'Happy New Year' thing. I'm not really sure what's changed for me.
I've been writing in this blog diligently since 2008. It was intended to be a blog about my life in cat rescue. It was never supposed to be an ongoing rant about the shitty shelter I was rescuing from, but I was looking at the videos posted and the comments I made (and were made about me) and realized that even *I* was getting bored with the despair and lack of control that I had about the shelter.
When I started a more positive rescuing experience for myself and the rescue, I didn't realize what a shit storm of ugliness from (of course) anonymous posters who thought I had abandoned the high kill shelter. But that really wasn't so. One staff member from the shelter told me to STOP RESCUING from the shelter if I was going to bitch about the illness in my blog. :)
When my rescues became more positive and encouraging, they also became boring for the reader and myself - the writer! "Yes, I rescued 5 cats from the low-kill shelter, they're healthy, cute and friendly."
So I thought that perhaps it was time to discontinue the blog.
I stepped on a huge pile of cat barf this morning in my bare feet on the way to the washroom. It was during that not-so-delightful-half-asleep moment that I realized perhaps I have more to offer this blog. It might end up being more of the same, but I'm hoping it'll continue to give those few some insight to what we do and encourage those who are in the same boat.
It's been 5 years. More to come....
I've been writing in this blog diligently since 2008. It was intended to be a blog about my life in cat rescue. It was never supposed to be an ongoing rant about the shitty shelter I was rescuing from, but I was looking at the videos posted and the comments I made (and were made about me) and realized that even *I* was getting bored with the despair and lack of control that I had about the shelter.
When I started a more positive rescuing experience for myself and the rescue, I didn't realize what a shit storm of ugliness from (of course) anonymous posters who thought I had abandoned the high kill shelter. But that really wasn't so. One staff member from the shelter told me to STOP RESCUING from the shelter if I was going to bitch about the illness in my blog. :)
When my rescues became more positive and encouraging, they also became boring for the reader and myself - the writer! "Yes, I rescued 5 cats from the low-kill shelter, they're healthy, cute and friendly."
So I thought that perhaps it was time to discontinue the blog.
I stepped on a huge pile of cat barf this morning in my bare feet on the way to the washroom. It was during that not-so-delightful-half-asleep moment that I realized perhaps I have more to offer this blog. It might end up being more of the same, but I'm hoping it'll continue to give those few some insight to what we do and encourage those who are in the same boat.
It's been 5 years. More to come....
Friday, December 21, 2012
Attention Mr. Mayor
I never include this kind of propaganda, but the video below totally *rocks* and expresses my sentiments about this "high kill" shelter. I don't always see eye-to-eye with this group, but whomever produced this video was right on the money this time:
Turn on your sound and let's hope the Mayor of this ass-backward city will do something positive for the animals for a change.
I understand that this shelter had a large "kill day" yesterday. No rescues were aware that the cats would be killed on an unusual "vet day" and couldn't rescue any of the little souls in time.
Turn on your sound and let's hope the Mayor of this ass-backward city will do something positive for the animals for a change.
I understand that this shelter had a large "kill day" yesterday. No rescues were aware that the cats would be killed on an unusual "vet day" and couldn't rescue any of the little souls in time.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Sick Ward
I've been SO sick all week! It happens every year - always the worst time of the year. It's probably just a cold - but holy crap - it's a cold that has really knocked me on my ass for the past 4 days.
I'm not half as sick as the poor souls we recently rescued from the high kill shelter last weekend. Every goddamn time we rescue from that place I throw my hands in the air and say, "I'm *DONE*" But how could I ever say "no" to a volunteer who wants to help one, two or more from there?
The majority of these cats are brought into this shelter healthy. If they don't leave the shelter dead, they usually are brewing some sort of virus or infection. Here's the picture I received this morning from a distraught foster parent who chose "Zeke" a week ago.
Zeke has been to the vets twice in 7 days. He was left at the vets today to be on IV, and get more intensive care. He's going to die unless he receives this care. He stopped eating a week ago - right after rescue. The blood you see in his nose is due to Calici virus - ulcers are all over his tongue.
If I lost my cat and picked it up at this shelter 2 days later (they are able to kill them on day #4) and I got stuck with $1000.00+ vet bills because of a f*cking virus that runs rampant at that shelter, I'd be royally pissed.
Truthfully? I *am* royally pissed. So are the other rescues who want to help the cats at this shelter. I received a lovely donation recently and every dime of it is going to go to help this one cat.
I feel like billing The City for the care of this cat. Ha.
It's been a while since I vented about this shelter. Maybe I was due. We've rescued 30+ cats and kittens in the past 14 days from the low-kill shelter. The majority of them were adopted IMMEDIATELY because they were healthy.
Why can't this shelter stop this constant barrage of sickness? I want to help them. I desperately want to be on their side. I want to be enthusiastic when a volunteer wants to rescue a cat from this facility. There are DOZENS of sweet cats like Zeke in this Animal Services that need rescue. I don't want to walk away because "I can't afford it."
/rant
I'm not half as sick as the poor souls we recently rescued from the high kill shelter last weekend. Every goddamn time we rescue from that place I throw my hands in the air and say, "I'm *DONE*" But how could I ever say "no" to a volunteer who wants to help one, two or more from there?
The majority of these cats are brought into this shelter healthy. If they don't leave the shelter dead, they usually are brewing some sort of virus or infection. Here's the picture I received this morning from a distraught foster parent who chose "Zeke" a week ago.
If I lost my cat and picked it up at this shelter 2 days later (they are able to kill them on day #4) and I got stuck with $1000.00+ vet bills because of a f*cking virus that runs rampant at that shelter, I'd be royally pissed.
Truthfully? I *am* royally pissed. So are the other rescues who want to help the cats at this shelter. I received a lovely donation recently and every dime of it is going to go to help this one cat.
I feel like billing The City for the care of this cat. Ha.
It's been a while since I vented about this shelter. Maybe I was due. We've rescued 30+ cats and kittens in the past 14 days from the low-kill shelter. The majority of them were adopted IMMEDIATELY because they were healthy.
Why can't this shelter stop this constant barrage of sickness? I want to help them. I desperately want to be on their side. I want to be enthusiastic when a volunteer wants to rescue a cat from this facility. There are DOZENS of sweet cats like Zeke in this Animal Services that need rescue. I don't want to walk away because "I can't afford it."
/rant
Monday, December 10, 2012
*Home*
It's definitely been a few days of happiness for me and the rescue! I'm trying to wallow in some rescue happiness while I have it!
After writing about the purebred Bengal named Seamus at the shelter, one of our own foster parents came forward and offered to give Seamus a temporary home. It was obvious to this doting foster parent that Seamus was not just stressed but very depressed. My heart sank whens he told me that she thought that Seamus came to realization that he was never going back home again. God, how I hate hearing that.
But The Seamus' Story wasn't over. A wonderful couple who read my blog came forward and offered to adopt Seamus! They already have a Bengal of similar age and understand all the Bengal idiosyncrasies. My heart soared when they updated the foster Mom that he wasn't hiding and greeted them at the door - totally opposite of what the foster Mom experienced!
Seamus knows he's *home*! Is there any better word than that? Home!
Speaking of awesome adoptions, my own foster kitten "Merry" was adopted within 24 hours of her picture on our website! I hardly got to really know her :)
Merry was my first foster in a long time. Honestly, I think she was probably too young for my house. She promptly tinkled on my new living room rug. (Of course, it's a WHITE RUG - what was I thinking when I bought that stupid thing?) It wasn't her fault. I need a foster cat old enough to make it downstairs to the laundry room litterbox. I don't keep a main floor litterbox.
Our volunteers were back to the high kill shelter on Saturday and rescued 2 adult cats and 2 older kittens and one tiny little 5 week old dude. I laughed when I found out they were ALL tabbies!
I don't think I've stopped smiling :)
After writing about the purebred Bengal named Seamus at the shelter, one of our own foster parents came forward and offered to give Seamus a temporary home. It was obvious to this doting foster parent that Seamus was not just stressed but very depressed. My heart sank whens he told me that she thought that Seamus came to realization that he was never going back home again. God, how I hate hearing that.
But The Seamus' Story wasn't over. A wonderful couple who read my blog came forward and offered to adopt Seamus! They already have a Bengal of similar age and understand all the Bengal idiosyncrasies. My heart soared when they updated the foster Mom that he wasn't hiding and greeted them at the door - totally opposite of what the foster Mom experienced!
Seamus knows he's *home*! Is there any better word than that? Home!
Speaking of awesome adoptions, my own foster kitten "Merry" was adopted within 24 hours of her picture on our website! I hardly got to really know her :)
Merry was my first foster in a long time. Honestly, I think she was probably too young for my house. She promptly tinkled on my new living room rug. (Of course, it's a WHITE RUG - what was I thinking when I bought that stupid thing?) It wasn't her fault. I need a foster cat old enough to make it downstairs to the laundry room litterbox. I don't keep a main floor litterbox.
Our volunteers were back to the high kill shelter on Saturday and rescued 2 adult cats and 2 older kittens and one tiny little 5 week old dude. I laughed when I found out they were ALL tabbies!
I don't think I've stopped smiling :)
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
After the Rescue
As always, it felt sad to be at the shelter yesterday. Although it was a "Vet day" that morning, there were still quite a few cats that were hopeful that their family or a rescue might show up to save their lives. But it's always the EMPTY cages that bother me the most.
It was time for me to pick a foster for myself. We're settled into our new home and the cats seem happy. I may have bitten off more than I could chew with "Merry":
Merry was meowing pitifully in her cage and although I figured she might have a chance at another rescue taking her....why couldn't THAT rescue be ME? She's 10 weeks of perfect cuteness:
I didn't realize it at the time, but the spots on this girl are pretty amazing. She definitely has an attitude and I'm terrified that Sherman might teach her some tricks of the trade.
As promised, I also rescued a sweet Persian that we've named "Feliz":
It never ceases to amaze me what 24 hours worth of love in a foster home can do:
Doesn't that look like THE PERFECT spot for a cat? I feel like getting a cup of tea and curling up with her in that sunny window!
Let's hope they stay healthy...
It was time for me to pick a foster for myself. We're settled into our new home and the cats seem happy. I may have bitten off more than I could chew with "Merry":
As promised, I also rescued a sweet Persian that we've named "Feliz":
It never ceases to amaze me what 24 hours worth of love in a foster home can do:
Let's hope they stay healthy...
Monday, December 03, 2012
Purebred and Hopeless
I was so happy to receive an email from a foster Mom asking me to rescue a specific cat from the "high kill" shelter. Although I don't need an excuse to go, I like knowing that I'm taking somebody that would have no other chance:
I look at her little face and wonder what she's like. Will she be happy to see me? Will she like my little rescue song? Apparently, she's very sweet and everybody really likes her. Poor baby was loaded with fleas when she came in. Of course, she's already sick from the shelter, and Persians don't have it easy when they get an upper respiratory infection. Their stubby noses make it nearly impossible to breathe. Fortunately, she's going to an experienced foster Mom.
At a not-so-high-kill shelter, there's a purebred Bengal that needs help. He's five years old, soooo sweet and handsome:
The shelter contacted me and asked for me to put the word out that this boy needs out of the shelter. Bengals can be a tricky breed and this guy doesn't seem too thrilled with other cats but really seems to like dogs! Go figure! I certainly wouldn't want him to go to somebody who thinks Bengals look "cool". He needs somebody who understands the breed.
I don't know what people are thinking spending copious amounts of money on purebred cats and then dumping them at the shelter. Don't the breeders ask questions of the people who adopt? I suppose reputable breeders do.
People are surprised that purebred cats are at shelters and being killed due to overcrowding. They seem to think that it makes sense that the shelters kill the black ones, or the plain ones. But heaven forbid they kill the purebred cats - the special cats.
I received an email this morning from a woman asking for help with a cat. She's moving TOMORROW into a place that doesn't accept cats. So this guy is going to be homeless tomorrow:
I'm not surprised that this shit happens. People think that pets are disposable. They'll just get another one when they're life "sorts itself out."
In the meantime, that 7 year old tabby guy is killing me. He has no idea that his life is hanging in the balance. He's sitting there all warm and happy in his home and soft carpet. He thinks somebody loves him. Tomorrow he'll be abandoned in a steel cage. I wonder how he'll feel when the door *clangs* shut and he's given food that he's never eaten before.
He'll feel the same way the Persian and Bengal feels. Hopeless.
At a not-so-high-kill shelter, there's a purebred Bengal that needs help. He's five years old, soooo sweet and handsome:
I don't know what people are thinking spending copious amounts of money on purebred cats and then dumping them at the shelter. Don't the breeders ask questions of the people who adopt? I suppose reputable breeders do.
People are surprised that purebred cats are at shelters and being killed due to overcrowding. They seem to think that it makes sense that the shelters kill the black ones, or the plain ones. But heaven forbid they kill the purebred cats - the special cats.
I received an email this morning from a woman asking for help with a cat. She's moving TOMORROW into a place that doesn't accept cats. So this guy is going to be homeless tomorrow:
I'm not surprised that this shit happens. People think that pets are disposable. They'll just get another one when they're life "sorts itself out."
In the meantime, that 7 year old tabby guy is killing me. He has no idea that his life is hanging in the balance. He's sitting there all warm and happy in his home and soft carpet. He thinks somebody loves him. Tomorrow he'll be abandoned in a steel cage. I wonder how he'll feel when the door *clangs* shut and he's given food that he's never eaten before.
He'll feel the same way the Persian and Bengal feels. Hopeless.
Friday, November 30, 2012
The First Snow of the Season
The weather forecasters said we would just have a dusting of snow today. I don't mind driving in the snow. For a California girl like me, I find it a bit of an adrenalin rush to drive in my SUV down the highway with white powder gently blowing across the highway.
The forecasters were wrong.
David and I were almost to the shelter for a rescue when the red light on the dash indicated a flat tire. We were able to pull into a car repair place and were practically high-fiving each other that this happened BEFORE we did the rescue and didn't have 10 cats in the car. The repair of our tire took two hours and the snow was already falling by the time we left the car repair location.
We loaded up a Mom cat and kittens, along with 4 more cats and headed out in Friday rush hour traffic with the first snow of the season barreling down. What would usually be a 40 minute drive took us THREE hours. My bladder was about to burst by the time we arrived at the foster Mom's house. I think my car door was open as David drove into the driveway. Damn my menopausal bladder!
When we arrived home, my 21 year old son had shoveled the driveway and put a fire in the fireplace. Pizza was ordered and 3 kittens are safely playing in my spare room as they wait to go into Petsmart tomorrow.
It's hard to believe that we managed all that driving without ONE poop in the carrier accident! (Although admittedly, I almost didn't make it to the foster parent's house! LOL) I wonder if David will be as enthusiastic to come with me for the next rescue? A Flat tire? Snow? Three Hours?
I need to be at Petsmart tomorrow morning by 9 am. Santa Pictures and putting cats into the adoption centre will prove to be an exhausting day. At least Petsmart has a washroom.
The forecasters were wrong.
David and I were almost to the shelter for a rescue when the red light on the dash indicated a flat tire. We were able to pull into a car repair place and were practically high-fiving each other that this happened BEFORE we did the rescue and didn't have 10 cats in the car. The repair of our tire took two hours and the snow was already falling by the time we left the car repair location.
We loaded up a Mom cat and kittens, along with 4 more cats and headed out in Friday rush hour traffic with the first snow of the season barreling down. What would usually be a 40 minute drive took us THREE hours. My bladder was about to burst by the time we arrived at the foster Mom's house. I think my car door was open as David drove into the driveway. Damn my menopausal bladder!
When we arrived home, my 21 year old son had shoveled the driveway and put a fire in the fireplace. Pizza was ordered and 3 kittens are safely playing in my spare room as they wait to go into Petsmart tomorrow.
It's hard to believe that we managed all that driving without ONE poop in the carrier accident! (Although admittedly, I almost didn't make it to the foster parent's house! LOL) I wonder if David will be as enthusiastic to come with me for the next rescue? A Flat tire? Snow? Three Hours?
I need to be at Petsmart tomorrow morning by 9 am. Santa Pictures and putting cats into the adoption centre will prove to be an exhausting day. At least Petsmart has a washroom.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Humbug in the "Bah"
I haven't felt much like posting in this blog lately. It feels like over the past week or so everything I've been doing for the rescue has been incredibly boring or terribly sad.
One of our foster parents was babysitting 3 kittens for a week while another foster parent went on vacation. She called the the other day and had some concerns about one of them with a "Fat belly and a very thin and boney back". My heart sank. We had seen so much FIP lately that I knew it could only be that. The vet took an x-ray, confirmed the kitten's belly was full of fluid and was he was lovingly euthanized shortly after that.
I feel awful for BOTH foster parents. Terrible for the foster Mom who was doing something nice like a 7 day fostering gig and awful for the foster Mom who will return to find her foster kitten gone.
Blah...blah...blah...blah.
Last night I did an adoption (I was the meeting spot for foster parent and adopter) at my house. It was fun to sit by the fire and chat about kittens. The adopter brought "Jordan" a kitten she had adopted a week ago from us. Jordan was NOT impressed with Maggie (our 14 year old dog) and promptly bit my finger as I tried to pick him up.
I've only been doing this for 20 years....you'd think I'd remember that picking up an arched-back-spitting kitten is a bad idea. It was a knee-jerk reaction. ugh. Hopefully, I won't need antibiotics. I've kept the wound clean. All part of cat rescue, right?
I declared that today would be a huge catching up day. I had a bunch of pictures to put on our website, emails to answer and a foster list that needed some care. People forget that even though a cat is in our program, I still have to look after the little guy to insure he/she is fixed at an appropriate time and touch base with the often-neglected foster parents.
Waking up at 9:30 this morning was NOT a good start to my ambitious plans. Why on earth am I sleeping in so late? I've always been an early riser, so I feel like 9:30 is the middle of the afternoon. I came running downstairs like there was a fire, only to find David sipping coffee in front of a roaring fire, and reading the newspaper. He smiled cheerfully and said he fed the cats and thought I might enjoy sleeping in for a change.
I mumbled something about needing to getshit stuff done today.
Wow. I can be such a jerk.
Now that I'm fairly caught up - except for the rescue's bookkeeping, I think I have some making up to do at home. Dinner and a movie tonight - senior citizen's special, perhaps! *Wink*
One of our foster parents was babysitting 3 kittens for a week while another foster parent went on vacation. She called the the other day and had some concerns about one of them with a "Fat belly and a very thin and boney back". My heart sank. We had seen so much FIP lately that I knew it could only be that. The vet took an x-ray, confirmed the kitten's belly was full of fluid and was he was lovingly euthanized shortly after that.
I feel awful for BOTH foster parents. Terrible for the foster Mom who was doing something nice like a 7 day fostering gig and awful for the foster Mom who will return to find her foster kitten gone.
Blah...blah...blah...blah.
Last night I did an adoption (I was the meeting spot for foster parent and adopter) at my house. It was fun to sit by the fire and chat about kittens. The adopter brought "Jordan" a kitten she had adopted a week ago from us. Jordan was NOT impressed with Maggie (our 14 year old dog) and promptly bit my finger as I tried to pick him up.
I've only been doing this for 20 years....you'd think I'd remember that picking up an arched-back-spitting kitten is a bad idea. It was a knee-jerk reaction. ugh. Hopefully, I won't need antibiotics. I've kept the wound clean. All part of cat rescue, right?
I declared that today would be a huge catching up day. I had a bunch of pictures to put on our website, emails to answer and a foster list that needed some care. People forget that even though a cat is in our program, I still have to look after the little guy to insure he/she is fixed at an appropriate time and touch base with the often-neglected foster parents.
Waking up at 9:30 this morning was NOT a good start to my ambitious plans. Why on earth am I sleeping in so late? I've always been an early riser, so I feel like 9:30 is the middle of the afternoon. I came running downstairs like there was a fire, only to find David sipping coffee in front of a roaring fire, and reading the newspaper. He smiled cheerfully and said he fed the cats and thought I might enjoy sleeping in for a change.
I mumbled something about needing to get
Wow. I can be such a jerk.
Now that I'm fairly caught up - except for the rescue's bookkeeping, I think I have some making up to do at home. Dinner and a movie tonight - senior citizen's special, perhaps! *Wink*
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A HodgePodge Of Rambling....
It's 10:00 am and I'm still in my robe working on administrative stuff for the rescue. Since David's retirement, my schedule has completely changed. I wake up at 9 am, and go to bed at about midnight. I'm not sure what on earth possesses me to wake up at 9 am! I feel like it's the middle of the day.
Yesterday, I went into my favourite store (Home Sense!) to buy new towels. David wanted to come with me - believe me - that wasn't encouraged! I came out with 4 new towels and some ridiculous "Kiss the Cat" sign. Admittedly, it was a huge impulse buy. Maybe it was my way of showing my newly retired husband that the house is still my domain and I'll buy a frickin' (albeit stupid) cat sign if I want to. :)
Despite the new changes in my life, I've enjoyed November enormously. There have been very few rescue pressures and little drama. The phones are ringing with adoption calls and the neighbourhood is showing signs of Christmas decorating.
My BIG news is that our other house has FINALLY sold! Soon we will no longer have the burden of both houses and that could be a major reason for my lighter-than-normal mood.
As the holidays begin, I always get horribly sentimental about the homeless animals and wonder if they notice that there's less spotlight on them and more on holiday decorating, shopping and family.
It's time for me to get a foster cat. It's long overdue and now that we're settled...it's time.
Lately, these blog posts have been a hodgepodge of rambling thoughts. Looking forward to meeting whomever my new foster guy will be :)
Yesterday, I went into my favourite store (Home Sense!) to buy new towels. David wanted to come with me - believe me - that wasn't encouraged! I came out with 4 new towels and some ridiculous "Kiss the Cat" sign. Admittedly, it was a huge impulse buy. Maybe it was my way of showing my newly retired husband that the house is still my domain and I'll buy a frickin' (albeit stupid) cat sign if I want to. :)
Despite the new changes in my life, I've enjoyed November enormously. There have been very few rescue pressures and little drama. The phones are ringing with adoption calls and the neighbourhood is showing signs of Christmas decorating.
My BIG news is that our other house has FINALLY sold! Soon we will no longer have the burden of both houses and that could be a major reason for my lighter-than-normal mood.
As the holidays begin, I always get horribly sentimental about the homeless animals and wonder if they notice that there's less spotlight on them and more on holiday decorating, shopping and family.
It's time for me to get a foster cat. It's long overdue and now that we're settled...it's time.
Lately, these blog posts have been a hodgepodge of rambling thoughts. Looking forward to meeting whomever my new foster guy will be :)
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Need More Hours in a Day, Please
This has been a week of not having enough time for anything. I feel like I've been on the clock for 16 hour days. Every voicemail has made reference to leaving multiple messages for me and wondering when I'm going to call them back.
One voicemail came in at 10:18 a.m. this morning. The next voicemail (from the same person) came in at 12:10 wondering why I haven't called. Gratefully, one of our volunteers returned a bunch of calls for me yesterday as I was starting to get behind!
I've been rescuing quite a bit lately. I was at the shelter this morning and pulled 3 really sweet kittens for foster parents asking for them. Since his retirement, David has wanted to come with me on these ventures. It wasn't until we got home today that he said in an exasperated voice, "We've been on the road for FOUR and A HALF hours!!!"
Duh. Does he think these kittens catch a cab and deliver themselves to foster homes and vet appointments?
The inside of my car looks a garbage bin. There's spilled coffee on the console and A&W paper cups in the cup holders, and Mapquest directions on the floor. It was a really long day today and hasn't ended yet. As I type this, I'm waiting for a call back from a worried foster parent.
I think I'm going to leave David home tomorrow. He's been a trooper and gets "The Good Husband" award for hanging out with me and the cats all week. I'm going back to the shelter in the morning. Since David's retirement, I've missed my shopping detours between rescuing cats. I feel like I need a little dose of sanity and Home Sense is calling my name.
One voicemail came in at 10:18 a.m. this morning. The next voicemail (from the same person) came in at 12:10 wondering why I haven't called. Gratefully, one of our volunteers returned a bunch of calls for me yesterday as I was starting to get behind!
I've been rescuing quite a bit lately. I was at the shelter this morning and pulled 3 really sweet kittens for foster parents asking for them. Since his retirement, David has wanted to come with me on these ventures. It wasn't until we got home today that he said in an exasperated voice, "We've been on the road for FOUR and A HALF hours!!!"
Duh. Does he think these kittens catch a cab and deliver themselves to foster homes and vet appointments?
The inside of my car looks a garbage bin. There's spilled coffee on the console and A&W paper cups in the cup holders, and Mapquest directions on the floor. It was a really long day today and hasn't ended yet. As I type this, I'm waiting for a call back from a worried foster parent.
I think I'm going to leave David home tomorrow. He's been a trooper and gets "The Good Husband" award for hanging out with me and the cats all week. I'm going back to the shelter in the morning. Since David's retirement, I've missed my shopping detours between rescuing cats. I feel like I need a little dose of sanity and Home Sense is calling my name.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Oldies But Goodies!
When I had an opportunity to rescue THREE senior cats from the high kill shelter, I jumped at the opportunity. Who needs drugs, when you can rescue a three "oldies but goodies" scheduled to die at the shelter?
Two of the cats were well over 12 years old. They came from the same home where the owner passed away. Whenever senior humans sound insulted (when they want to adopt) when I ask about their "Plan B" for the cat;...THIS is the reason. Grandma dies and the family dumps her poor senior cats at the shelter. I hope the old lady haunts them. I really do. The fear and sadness emanating from these cats is immeasurable.
The other cat was 12+ years old too. There was an urgent plea for this cat by a fellow blogger at Sparkle the Designer Cat. Because "Sparkle" is a Somali cat, they really wanted to help this little old fella too:
We don't know why he was really there. He was brought in as a stray and left there unclaimed. He was to be euthanized. Fortunately, for this handsome old guy, a lovely woman named Mandi came forward and offered to give him a FOREVER home!
It's been a long time since I've taken a video at the "high kill" shelter. I'm so happy I brought my camera! :)
Sadly, my camera's batteries cut off. I'm always very cautious when I reach in to a shelter cage to a cat with dilated eyes. But our frightened boy turned out to be a lover-boy! The updates from his new Mom have been wonderful! He's eating and purring. I couldn't be happier!!
I'm thinking about these sweet older felines tonight and hope that they continue to thrive in their new environments. I wish they could ALL have a 2nd chance....or 3rd chance...What an important reminder as to why I do this work.
Two of the cats were well over 12 years old. They came from the same home where the owner passed away. Whenever senior humans sound insulted (when they want to adopt) when I ask about their "Plan B" for the cat;...THIS is the reason. Grandma dies and the family dumps her poor senior cats at the shelter. I hope the old lady haunts them. I really do. The fear and sadness emanating from these cats is immeasurable.
The other cat was 12+ years old too. There was an urgent plea for this cat by a fellow blogger at Sparkle the Designer Cat. Because "Sparkle" is a Somali cat, they really wanted to help this little old fella too:
It's been a long time since I've taken a video at the "high kill" shelter. I'm so happy I brought my camera! :)
Sadly, my camera's batteries cut off. I'm always very cautious when I reach in to a shelter cage to a cat with dilated eyes. But our frightened boy turned out to be a lover-boy! The updates from his new Mom have been wonderful! He's eating and purring. I couldn't be happier!!
I'm thinking about these sweet older felines tonight and hope that they continue to thrive in their new environments. I wish they could ALL have a 2nd chance....or 3rd chance...What an important reminder as to why I do this work.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Finding Some Energy
I still have so much to do today but desperately need a day off. I don't think I've ever worked so hard as I did at our last adoption event. I think I was there twice a day, every day - only coming home to feed my own pets.
There was no "easy adoption" last weekend. Every adoption needed more than the usual careful thought or had a special circumstance, situation or an adopter that didn't feel quite right for the cat they wanted to adopt.
We had 18 adoptions. I was on the phone the next day calling all of them to insure that everything was ok. Maybe I was just tired. I always worry more when I'm tired.
Gratefully, David was in Montreal for the weekend for a geek-fest Bridge Tournament. This allowed me some guilt-free time to spend at the adoption event. He proudly came home with a trophy, but I was too tired to give it any big fanfare.
The staff at Petsmart reminded me that we have Santa Pictures coming up in a few weeks at their store. It's a big fundraiser and I wanted to cry when I heard that another weekend could be spent at the store. I think I may have to pass on this one and leave it to our dedicated volunteers. We desperately need the money so I'm not comfortable passing it up.
We need a Santa. Anybody? Bueller?
I think it's time to take the day for myself. I've been living on Halloween candy and coffee for almost a week now. I've hit the ground running since I returned from my daughter's wedding. My roots are dark and my nails need a manicure. We have two new foster parents that need phone calls and I'm anxious to do another rescue to fill in the spaces for cats recently adopted.
Next week. For SURE next week I'm going to take a day for myself! :)
There was no "easy adoption" last weekend. Every adoption needed more than the usual careful thought or had a special circumstance, situation or an adopter that didn't feel quite right for the cat they wanted to adopt.
We had 18 adoptions. I was on the phone the next day calling all of them to insure that everything was ok. Maybe I was just tired. I always worry more when I'm tired.
Gratefully, David was in Montreal for the weekend for a geek-fest Bridge Tournament. This allowed me some guilt-free time to spend at the adoption event. He proudly came home with a trophy, but I was too tired to give it any big fanfare.
The staff at Petsmart reminded me that we have Santa Pictures coming up in a few weeks at their store. It's a big fundraiser and I wanted to cry when I heard that another weekend could be spent at the store. I think I may have to pass on this one and leave it to our dedicated volunteers. We desperately need the money so I'm not comfortable passing it up.
We need a Santa. Anybody? Bueller?
I think it's time to take the day for myself. I've been living on Halloween candy and coffee for almost a week now. I've hit the ground running since I returned from my daughter's wedding. My roots are dark and my nails need a manicure. We have two new foster parents that need phone calls and I'm anxious to do another rescue to fill in the spaces for cats recently adopted.
Next week. For SURE next week I'm going to take a day for myself! :)
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Where Does the Money Go?
It's been a wonderful rescue week with 8 more out of shelters. Two kittens were rescued from the high kill shelter. The rest were from the public or the other low-kill shelter.
I've politely taken some flak when I stopped rescuing so many from the high kill shelter. Occasionally I get a bitter troll who attempts to put an anonymous comment on my blog about my lack of interest there. It's always the same person - she obviously doesn't know that her last name and ISP show up.
Believe me - it isn't a lack of interest in helping these poor souls. ANY foster home that wishes to take a cat from any shelter can do so. They all need homes. High kill - low kill - no kill or the random cat living under the porch. Who am I to say who is the most deserving? They all are!
I read an article from the supervisor of the high kill shelter who indicated that the number of euthanasias are down 40% or something like that. Certainly it wasn't due to ADOPTIONS since the shelter doesn't permit adoptions. It's due to a number of reasons, but one of the reasons are the hard working volunteer cat rescuers who are rescuing cats from this facility and paying $1000's in vet bills, force feeding kittens and holding them while they die.
Maybe I just got fed up with making their numbers look better than they really are. Maybe I got tired of begging for money every other day because I kept rescuing cats that I knew would quickly become desperately ill.
Believe me, I'm not making any money. In fact, we're like every other rescue - we're broke! But I have happier volunteers now. Some will only rescue from the high kill facility and others are happy to have a break from the constant stream of sick cats. I'm ok with that - there will always be money for those cats from the high kill facility. It's hard to become ambitious about fostering when every cat you take gets horribly ill.
So what am I doing with any extra money?
Monday, I rescued a sweet cat for a senior lady who is dying of lung cancer. Her 16 year old cat passed away a few weeks ago and she couldn't imagine NOT having a cat for whatever time she has left. Our rescue is paying for all future vet costs for this adorable, affectionate cat. (if there are any) He will never be for adoption unless she passes. "Dexter" is giving her so much joy. I called to check on them both yesterday and she kept me on the phone for almost an hour - her voice was animated and engaged. Isn't that why we have cats, dogs, guinea pigs, horses etc? They give us joy? Isn't that what this is about?
We have two senior ladies that we're helping in this way. We are giving them a chance to love a cat for whatever time they have. They can't afford vet bills and I'm certainly not going to allow adopters to come into their homes and take away their beloved "Foster cat" from their arms. But these ladies are safe and secure knowing that "their cat" is going to be cared for when they pass on.
I'm not expecting a lot of people to agree with me. But I really enjoy helping cats AND people. It feels like a good fit for me. Allowing the cats to bring the kind of joy to others as they have to me is what I love the most.
I've politely taken some flak when I stopped rescuing so many from the high kill shelter. Occasionally I get a bitter troll who attempts to put an anonymous comment on my blog about my lack of interest there. It's always the same person - she obviously doesn't know that her last name and ISP show up.
Believe me - it isn't a lack of interest in helping these poor souls. ANY foster home that wishes to take a cat from any shelter can do so. They all need homes. High kill - low kill - no kill or the random cat living under the porch. Who am I to say who is the most deserving? They all are!
I read an article from the supervisor of the high kill shelter who indicated that the number of euthanasias are down 40% or something like that. Certainly it wasn't due to ADOPTIONS since the shelter doesn't permit adoptions. It's due to a number of reasons, but one of the reasons are the hard working volunteer cat rescuers who are rescuing cats from this facility and paying $1000's in vet bills, force feeding kittens and holding them while they die.
Maybe I just got fed up with making their numbers look better than they really are. Maybe I got tired of begging for money every other day because I kept rescuing cats that I knew would quickly become desperately ill.
Believe me, I'm not making any money. In fact, we're like every other rescue - we're broke! But I have happier volunteers now. Some will only rescue from the high kill facility and others are happy to have a break from the constant stream of sick cats. I'm ok with that - there will always be money for those cats from the high kill facility. It's hard to become ambitious about fostering when every cat you take gets horribly ill.
So what am I doing with any extra money?
Monday, I rescued a sweet cat for a senior lady who is dying of lung cancer. Her 16 year old cat passed away a few weeks ago and she couldn't imagine NOT having a cat for whatever time she has left. Our rescue is paying for all future vet costs for this adorable, affectionate cat. (if there are any) He will never be for adoption unless she passes. "Dexter" is giving her so much joy. I called to check on them both yesterday and she kept me on the phone for almost an hour - her voice was animated and engaged. Isn't that why we have cats, dogs, guinea pigs, horses etc? They give us joy? Isn't that what this is about?
We have two senior ladies that we're helping in this way. We are giving them a chance to love a cat for whatever time they have. They can't afford vet bills and I'm certainly not going to allow adopters to come into their homes and take away their beloved "Foster cat" from their arms. But these ladies are safe and secure knowing that "their cat" is going to be cared for when they pass on.
I'm not expecting a lot of people to agree with me. But I really enjoy helping cats AND people. It feels like a good fit for me. Allowing the cats to bring the kind of joy to others as they have to me is what I love the most.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Kevin
Tomorrow is going to end up being a huge rescue day. As I sit at my computer and figure out available foster space, it's a fine juggle between "available foster space" and "have enough cats for an adoption event this coming weekend".
The weather is supposed to be awful, so I'm going to grab a coffee and head out early. There's going to be traffic and problematic parking in the city, but I'm anxious to rescue. It's been far too long.
I had a terrible adoption call this weekend that really tried my patience. As somebody who regularly speaks with the public, I work hard at trying to make people feel OK if they're turned down for adoption. Turning down a prospective adopter is usually very difficult. It takes diplomacy and tact....
...but "diplomacy and tact" wasn't on the docket today:
(After all the nice-chat is over, we get down to business)
Beth: So have you ever had a cat before?
Kevin: Oh sure! We had a cat until recently...
Beth: Oh? What happened?
Kevin: Gave it away because we bought this fucking puppy that chased the cat and it really pissed off the cat royally.
Beth: So you gave away your cat....
Kevin: Yes! But to The Humane Society so they wouldn't kill him.
Beth: (stammering)
Kevin: Fucking puppy was a nutcase so we ended up giving him away too! Imagine that we could've kept the cat after all! What bad luck!
Beth: So you've given away two pets this year?
Kevin: We've had 3 cats in the past few years, but they just didn't work well with us, so we had to find them new homes too.
(At this point, I'm thinking "Candid Camera......gotta be Candid Camera...)
Beth: I don't want an adopter that is going to dump one of our cats. We want an adopter that will honour a 20 year commitment to the cat.
Kevin: Nobody can do that. Things change in life, lady.
Beth: Sure they do, but...
Kevin: Oh, I get it now...you're one of THOSE crazy cat ladies.
Beth: No. I just want good homes for the cats we rescue. We make a commitment to each and every cat. I promise them.... We're called "FOREVER Home Cat Rescue for a reason."
Kevin: You're a fucking nutty bitch. There's plenty of cats out there that need homes, I'll get one of those.
***click***
I didn't get a chance for a retort, but hung up angrily and feared for the poor cat that he'd end up with. I feel like posting this blog post on Craigslist to warn other people. But I suppose there are desperate people out there who won't mind dumping their cat with a "gem" like Kevin.
In the meantime, I can only hope that Kevin doesn't reproduce.
The weather is supposed to be awful, so I'm going to grab a coffee and head out early. There's going to be traffic and problematic parking in the city, but I'm anxious to rescue. It's been far too long.
I had a terrible adoption call this weekend that really tried my patience. As somebody who regularly speaks with the public, I work hard at trying to make people feel OK if they're turned down for adoption. Turning down a prospective adopter is usually very difficult. It takes diplomacy and tact....
...but "diplomacy and tact" wasn't on the docket today:
(After all the nice-chat is over, we get down to business)
Beth: So have you ever had a cat before?
Kevin: Oh sure! We had a cat until recently...
Beth: Oh? What happened?
Kevin: Gave it away because we bought this fucking puppy that chased the cat and it really pissed off the cat royally.
Beth: So you gave away your cat....
Kevin: Yes! But to The Humane Society so they wouldn't kill him.
Beth: (stammering)
Kevin: Fucking puppy was a nutcase so we ended up giving him away too! Imagine that we could've kept the cat after all! What bad luck!
Beth: So you've given away two pets this year?
Kevin: We've had 3 cats in the past few years, but they just didn't work well with us, so we had to find them new homes too.
(At this point, I'm thinking "Candid Camera......gotta be Candid Camera...)
Beth: I don't want an adopter that is going to dump one of our cats. We want an adopter that will honour a 20 year commitment to the cat.
Kevin: Nobody can do that. Things change in life, lady.
Beth: Sure they do, but...
Kevin: Oh, I get it now...you're one of THOSE crazy cat ladies.
Beth: No. I just want good homes for the cats we rescue. We make a commitment to each and every cat. I promise them.... We're called "FOREVER Home Cat Rescue for a reason."
Kevin: You're a fucking nutty bitch. There's plenty of cats out there that need homes, I'll get one of those.
***click***
I didn't get a chance for a retort, but hung up angrily and feared for the poor cat that he'd end up with. I feel like posting this blog post on Craigslist to warn other people. But I suppose there are desperate people out there who won't mind dumping their cat with a "gem" like Kevin.
In the meantime, I can only hope that Kevin doesn't reproduce.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
