TNR possibilities

If I do ever manage to convince my grandfather to let me do TNR, breaking through the protests of 'they're not his cats!' - I have a quick question.

Most of the TNR/low cost spay/neuter programs I've found in the area have a qualifier - you have to make less than X a year.

I'm very lucky in the fact that I make enough money to have bought my own house/have a running car/can pay for the cats I have/etc/etc. However - being that I do livie on a single income, am renovating a hundred year old house, aready have twelve cats, etc, etc - I don't have enough of my own money to be able to TNR every cat I come across.

So if anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it. I'm hesitant to call up the resources I have found in my area as I don't want to get lectured with the "if you cared enough you'd find a way/there are many people in worse situations than you/how can you make so much money and not find it in your heart to pay out of your own pocket" speech. I live in the Lansing, Michigan area.

I don't know about where you live but where I live it doesn't matter if you own a mansion and a porsche It matters how much you earn each week most of the time.

If say somebody here in the UK were on state benefits they could get free help from
the RSPCA or Cats Protection but if they were working most times they could not.
Whereas if somebody was working but getting some help paying their local council
tax they could get help from the PDSA or Cats Protection, over here it depends and
people just need to make some calls.

Because of the trusting nature of our charities they do get a lot of people who can
afford to pay for treatment for their own cats but still try to get free help at any cost.

Since these strays do not belong to you I would contact all your rescues and let them
know that you are aware of a problem and need help in tnr'ing them to stop the
problem getting worse,and let them know that you are prepared to accept them
back and care for their daily needs eg food/water/health because alot of rescues
will turn down help because,well at least in the UK they have to by law make
sure that the returning cats are being cared for and if there is nobody to care for them
or no farm place for them then they are usually put to sleep.

I would make those calls if I were you but be careful which ones you call because
some may just come out trap them and put them to sleep.Do this on your terms.

As for your Grandad,Please search these sos and feral forums because there are
a lot of links with stories about the plight of ferals and strays and I'm sure when
your grandad sees some of the pictures he will realise that although they may not
be his cats,they do need help and these cats need somebody just like your
grandad who has years of life experience to stand up for them.

good luck

Originally Posted by waxlight

If I do ever manage to convince my grandfather to let me do TNR, breaking through the protests of 'they're not his cats!' - I have a quick question.

Most of the TNR/low cost spay/neuter programs I've found in the area have a qualifier - you have to make less than X a year.

I'm very lucky in the fact that I make enough money to have bought my own house/have a running car/can pay for the cats I have/etc/etc. However - being that I do livie on a single income, am renovating a hundred year old house, aready have twelve cats, etc, etc - I don't have enough of my own money to be able to TNR every cat I come across.

So if anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it. I'm hesitant to call up the resources I have found in my area as I don't want to get lectured with the "if you cared enough you'd find a way/there are many people in worse situations than you/how can you make so much money and not find it in your heart to pay out of your own pocket" speech. I live in the Lansing, Michigan area.

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Talk to the organizations and see if they would still give you the discounted rate if you were to offer to volunteer with them (kind of a pay it forward approach). It's at least worth attempting and shows that you are appreciative of what they do and don't take it for granted.

Katie

Originally Posted by waxlight

So if anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it. I'm hesitant to call up the resources I have found in my area as I don't want to get lectured with the "if you cared enough you'd find a way/there are many people in worse situations than you/how can you make so much money and not find it in your heart to pay out of your own pocket" speech. I live in the Lansing, Michigan area.

Click to expand...

Hi waxlight,

I'm sorry that the kind of lecturing you mention DOES happen a significant amount of the time. Sometimes we forget to at least say, "thank you for caring" and think more about what WE need than what YOU (the caller) need.

Find a time to call, when you feel really peaceful and relaxed. Yes, prepare yourself that you might reach someone who is a lecturing type. And psych yourself up to be okay with that -- to just listen, let them rant, and when they've worn themselves out, just proceed with the questions you have about their program. Sometimes, that's really all it takes, and you will still get the information, and won't feel all that hassled.

Sometimes, I think, you get the lectures more because someone has a vague sense that they aren't serving the true needs in their community, but, rather than find out what you really need, they want to distract and deflect the blame away from their own program. And, sometimes, you just reached someone who is really tired on that day, who's just handled several calls where people simply would not lift a finger other than to call to "report" some stray cats!

It will be nice when animal welfare groups can afford the same sort of staff training and client-orientation that the very best human services organizations have today. Part of the problem is (and I realize this isn't something you caused!) that funding is generally for programs and services, in animal welfare, and not for what is called "capacity building." Some day that will change. And when it does, organizations will be able to teach stress management, and telephone skills, and even conflict management/salesmanship concepts, to their staff and/or volunteers. That will definitely improve things for people who want to help, and don't need lectures!

Best,
Linda

I know that you said that you can't afford to get every cat fixed that comes your way, but if you can afford a little........

A lot of rescue organizations also sponsor TNR and can often get cats speutered at cost. I did pay to get all of my ferals TNR'd and I did 2 things. I found a vet that was willing to do them at nearly cost (I paid $20-25 per cat for years). Once I found a rescue group, I could go thru their low cost spay/neuter services for $15.

You might want to contact No More Homeless Pets in your area. They are nation wide and always have the best referrals to low cost speutering.