what determines rescue?

Spike was half dead at the YMCA when I adopted him. The vet asked me if I wanted to keep him since he was so sickly, I got the impression he thought I might want to take him back and get a healthier cat rather than spend all the money. I nursed him back to health and he went from quiet and demure to all piss and vinegar. He was 4-6 months old at the time.

I adopted Fang from a no-kill shelter after he was found living on the streets, put out by drug addicts, frost bite on his feet, and a broken incisor. They cleaned him up and neutered him and I adopted him, his age was a little less than a year.

Pansy was a foster for the no-kill, with his mommy and sisters, got here when he was 8 weeks old and never left.

So when people refer to their rescue cat, is it any or all of the above? Or is it actually taking in the stray yourself?

Of the above, the only life I saved was spike's since the SPCA would have definitely put him down. The other two would have stayed fosters until someone adopted them.

Anyone have the answer? Is there an answer? thanks

I would definitely say those are all rescues. I could be wrong, but in my mind a rescue is when you've taken in one of these poor little guys that otherwise might have not made it - whether it be the elements, poor care, or the shelter they were in putting them down, or even the no kill shelters having them live there for their entire lives. You've rescued all the little guys you have! And I think it's great!! I consider all mine rescues as well since they were all adopted either directly from the streets, people taking them in but who couldn't keep them, or shelters.

I consider a rescue to be any cat that would have not lived had he of not been taken in by either you, or the place that you got him from. So in my humble opinion, I would say that all your kitties are rescues.

I think the term is flexible enough to mean both lives saved that likely wouldn't have made it (Talin, for example, too young to have been on his own without his mother, in poor weather, hungry, too near a busy road, and "annoying" people with his pathetic cries for help).

I would also consider any kitty left long-term in a cage as a "rescue". No kill shelters, at least most of them, do their best - but who wants to live like that?

I agree with all of the above...............all my three kits were rescued and all for different reasons

Dino - was a barn kit, the farmer was gonna drown him
Pepsi - her owner kept her in a apartment and thought that was cruel, so he was going to PTS
Miss Moofi - was a kitten from a feral family, she was found wandering in the street

so I consider all three rescued

Mine were all rescues in that I took them off the streets, four with serious health problems that would have soon killed them.

I just think if the cat is in a better state than it was before you had it....that is a rescue

I feel the term rescue is thrown around a bit too loosely, and though it is subjective I do not think all adoptions are rescues. I consider it rescue when you help an animal that truly would not have had a chance at a life or home otherwise. This includes animals that were considered unadoptable or less adoptable due to age, medical, behavior problems, etc…though that definition could fit any animal at a high kill shelter in some areas.

I can understand why people might feel any adopted animal is a rescue, but I like there to be a distinction between someone that adopts a highly adoptable small breed puppy with 6 other applications and the person who is willing to take on an older animal that is dependant on medication. All adoptions are admirable, but I like to reserve the term "rescue" for animals that truly were saved and not one that many families would have happily taken in had they the chance to do so.

I hope that makes sense.