A bad time of the year for shelters/rescues

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
While we're all getting into the "holiday mood" and doing our shopping, perhaps a lot of us could take a little bit of time and make a donation to a local shelter or rescue organization? Even $5 or $10 would help.
I just got a letter from a rescue organization I belong to, and the financial situation is dire, as Fall is the usual time to speuter all the Spring kittens. Heating costs are also high now that the cold weather is setting in. If somebody asks you what you want for Christmas, perhaps you could suggest a donation to a cat/pet welfare organization?
 

crittermom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Messages
6,437
Purraise
2
I take bleach,paper towels,litter, and cat/dog food to the one that I adopted the girls from about once a month.
Thanks for the reminder!!!
 

booktigger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
4,520
Purraise
3
Location
UK
Good reminder. i dont buy X Mas cards anymore and donate the money to cat rescue, I am sending it out this week as it is pay day on Fri. i am also hoping to spend a few days helping out when I am off over X Mas, but that depends on the foster situation.
 

gayef

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 7, 2001
Messages
7,814
Purraise
29
Location
Still Hittin' 'Em Right Between The Eyes
For those truly blessed with good fortune, a safe, warm place to sleep and enough food to satisfy, life is indeed sweet. But then there are those who are cold, hungry and left wanting. While charitable acts of kindness are good things to do all year 'round, the Holiday Season seems a great time to remember the forgotten, the unwanted and unloved.

This is such a good reminder ... thank you. I will be sending out my contributions this week along with my list of available days/times/skills to the animal-related organizations I support.
 

jugen

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2001
Messages
5,124
Purraise
1
Location
IA. If you need me, just meow..
Every year I take the "wish list" they have on their site and get one or two of everything on it and take it up to them. Last year though, I was appalled at the cold reception we got when we brought it to them, no thank you, nothing. Heck, they didn't even help us by holding opened the door when we came in with HUGE boxes of things! They all just sat there and looked at us like we were stupid or something. If the animals didn't need it, I personally wouldn't give then a darn thing anymore. They are horrible people who need to be replaced with people who give a rats butt about the animals and the people who are at least trying to help them out in some way. Our shelter is in turmoil anyway. They fired the administrator, and most of the volunteers, and are working through some problems in the board they have for it. Sad really, they are out more for themselves if you ask me, not for the welfare of the animals.
 

furryferals

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
1,432
Purraise
4
Location
I'm not psychic,I just see through people
All year I collect any 20p peices I get in my loose change and put it in a savings jar.Whatevers in it by the second week in dec is split between my three local animal charities then I make a christmas box up with some wine and mince pies 'n' cream,
choccys,and get some special treats for the animals then I take them there on christmas eve


The first year I did that and went to the animal hospital,the faces of the staff instantly dropped.....They thought I was taking in a box of kittens or puppies to dump on them

But they know to expect me now
 

booktigger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
4,520
Purraise
3
Location
UK
That is a really good idea FF, I think i will do that for next year, a bit late for this year.
 

rosiemac

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
54,358
Purraise
100
Location
ENGLAND... LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY!
I had a leaflet posted to me from " The Cats Protection " with about 15 cats pictures and names on them asking me if i would sponsor one for their christmas dinner and a toy. Instead of posting presents off to a few close members here like i usually do, i sponsored all of them on behalf of those members
 

satai

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 24, 2006
Messages
4,448
Purraise
1
Location
Limerick, Ireland
Originally Posted by rosiemac

I had a leaflet posted to me from " The Cats Protection " with about 15 cats pictures and names on them asking me if i would sponsor one for their christmas dinner and a toy. Instead of posting presents off to a few close members here like i usually do, i sponsored all of them on behalf of those members
What a wonderful gift, both to the members and to the kitties!
 

jamasmom

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
1,834
Purraise
11
Location
New Jersey
I always give the shelters my old bedding and when fleece blankets go on sale I buy them and donate them. I also drop off food with that.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Originally Posted by rosiemac

I had a leaflet posted to me from " The Cats Protection " with about 15 cats pictures and names on them asking me if i would sponsor one for their christmas dinner and a toy. Instead of posting presents off to a few close members here like i usually do, i sponsored all of them on behalf of those members
That's a great idea, as are the others.
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Thank you for the reminder

I have a couple of bags of food for them right now ... I donate throughout the yr as for me the holidays are busy but I dont see the $$$ for some till late jan into feb ....
 

booktigger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
4,520
Purraise
3
Location
UK
i get pleas like that from CP, got one tonight in fact. Sadly I am rather cynical when they have come from HQ, and prefer to give my donations to small independent rescues who dont have legacies and volunteers to rely on. The rescue my X Mas card money is going to is a small one man band who I suspect does more than my CP branch, he has more cats and doesn't answer the phone at set times like they do.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Originally Posted by booktigger

i get pleas like that from CP, got one tonight in fact. Sadly I am rather cynical when they have come from HQ, and prefer to give my donations to small independent rescues who dont have legacies and volunteers to rely on. The rescue my X Mas card money is going to is a small one man band who I suspect does more than my CP branch, he has more cats and doesn't answer the phone at set times like they do.
I'm rater cynical myself when it comes to pleas from (inter)national HQs, but as a long-term dues-paying member of one regional rescue organization, I get copies of the financial statements (they're basically insolvent right now because of speutering fees), and a volunteer at a local one with power of attorney over a current account, since I do a lot of the food ordering (yikes!), I can see that many small organizations really need some donations to tide them over.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Originally Posted by goosehazel

We donate every year at this time. They deserve presents too
A couple of posters have mentioned great presents, like blankets, food, and toys. What are often needed are working washers, dryers, ranges/cookers, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, radios, and dishwashers, so if you're renovating/upgrading, offer your working appliances! Old towels and pillows are quite welcome, too, as are scratching posts or mats, rugs, carriers, litter boxes, beds, and even solid cardboard boxes. If you can't afford to donate money or objects, perhaps you could offer your time to clean, take pets to the vets', or even maintain websites. Not to mention fostering, which many TCS members do.
 

furryferals

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
1,432
Purraise
4
Location
I'm not psychic,I just see through people
Originally Posted by booktigger

That is a really good idea FF, I think i will do that for next year, a bit late for this year.
Originally Posted by Satai

That's a really good idea!
Thanks,Its surprising how they all add up,Last year there was nearly £120. so i rounded it off and all 3 got £40. plus their xmas box.


Originally Posted by rosiemac

I had a leaflet posted to me from " The Cats Protection " with about 15 cats pictures and names on them asking me if i would sponsor one for their christmas dinner and a toy. Instead of posting presents off to a few close members here like i usually do, i sponsored all of them on behalf of those members
I can't think of a more perfect present to give an animal lover.

Originally Posted by booktigger

i get pleas like that from CP, got one tonight in fact. Sadly I am rather cynical when they have come from HQ, and prefer to give my donations to small independent rescues who dont have legacies and volunteers to rely on. The rescue my X Mas card money is going to is a small one man band who I suspect does more than my CP branch, he has more cats and doesn't answer the phone at set times like they do.
HQ and the re-homing centres get paid for the work they do from hq,the only ones who don't are the local branches who are completely run by volunteers and are completely self-funding by raising their own donations,they receive a grant of around five hundred pound per year from HQ and thats it.
They have to pay all their own vets bills and petrol costs and everything else that goes along with it.

Originally Posted by jcat

A couple of posters have mentioned great presents, like blankets, food, and toys. What are often needed are working washers, dryers, ranges/cookers, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, radios, and dishwashers, so if you're renovating/upgrading, offer your working appliances! Old towels and pillows are quite welcome, too, as are scratching posts or mats, rugs, carriers, litter boxes, beds, and even solid cardboard boxes. If you can't afford to donate money or objects, perhaps you could offer your time to clean, take pets to the vets', or even maintain websites. Not to mention fostering, which many TCS members do.


Its surprising how many of those items you listed are always in short supply,especially if there has been a virus and they have to be thrown away


Some charities collect aluminium cans too.

There was a thread the other day asking how often people wash their quilts,I never wash mine for what it would cost at the laundry to wash it i may as well get a new and cut the old one into squares and stitch the edges wash them and then they can be used for beds
 
Top