Cat meetup groups?

keith p

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I have tried looking for cat meet up groups in my town of West Babylon, NY or a town next to it, Basically i'm looking for a group of your average people who come together and want to help out the strays and ferals in their town, and who try to get as many fixed as possible and who work together to find them homes or foster them. People who live a few minutes away from me so it's easy to visit them or have them visit me if they/me need help or assistance in cat care,trapping,fostering, etc... and some people (not all) who have alot of time,money, and space which is needed to help strays and ferals and basically want to help just for the sake of helping and dont expect anything in return.

I dont know anybody by me who does this, and i've searched many sites and asked people in my hometown who know about meet up groups.

I know cat owners, but nobody who wants to put time helping strays and ferals.

What should I do? I was thinking about starting my own group but I think it's dumb since I have no money and how would I actually find people other than going door to door which I would feel uncomfortable doing? I'm only 21, and planning something like a group who most likely people the age of my parents/grandparents would consider joining also makes me feel uncomfortable being so young compared to them. I know alot of people by me my age and not many are so kind as me or even like cats (or me for that matter) so it would be hard talking to people I graduated with asking if they wanted to help me out, which is why I said if there would be a group it would most likely be people my parents age or older who have time and money and who actually care.

I know someone on here (prettyboy) who is helping me, but even with her help I dont know if we could even put together a group or I think she would have started one already.

The more people I find who want to help the possibility I could actually help all the cats in my yard instead of just one or two.

It's been 3 years and the numbers are increasing where I wished they would have decreased.

I just need even more help I want to help these cats!

Short story how it all started.

I saw a very skinny black and white cat in my yard coming around each day, so I started feeding it not knowing if it was male or female. I immedietly started calling shelters/rescues asking if any would take this cat in, or any places who foster cats, even places with people looking to adopt cats. I found out help here is like finding water in a desert..... So I was stuck with this one skinny cat after trying to do the right thing and find it a home. Then I found it it was female and was pregnant, still I searched for any rescues or help, nothing. I couldnt believe nobody could help me, you think with my positive attitude and saving my money to buy food for this cat when I dont even have a job, you think people would feel bad and try to help, but the little help here and little room in shelters limits how many and what types of cats they take.

So I started thinking mabye i should just stop feeding her mabye shell leave. I tried it for 4 days and she didnt leave but came around even more, because she knew she had babies inside. So I gave in and continued feeding her hoping help would come. She gave birth and now 2 more were added making 3. If I had just found someone to take her in she wouldnt have given birth and I wouldnt have any more cats to care for. Well 3 became 6, then 2 cats were dumped and that made 8, now 3 more were born and that makes 11. 1 got adopted so that made 10, and 2 have dissapeared so that now makes 8.

I've gotten some help and i know what has to be done, but with almost no money and not enough help my kind heart has led me to alot of stress and worry and more cats.
 

StefanZ

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You are thinking great thoughts.

I wonder, did you considered / did write up flyers on local message boards?

this way, those who contact you are interested. and thus will surely accept cooperating with young you!

Those interested know perhaps others who are willing to help.

You say most of the cat owners arent concerned much about homeless.

But you dont need to win every one of them. It is enough you win the interested... A few is enough for the core of the group.

After it there will probably be some hang arounds. People who dont want or cant to work a lot, but who like to help sometimes.

And with time you will hopefully get some interested. Perhaps some of these cat-owners. Who dont want to work with the homeless cats, but are willing to help some as long it istnt too troublesome... That group is useful in much. Also for writing on petitions to the city counsel...


A couple of tips. the cats you hope to adopt out. Is some of them used to dogs? Many dog owners want also to have cats. If the homeless cat accept dogs / can manage dogs, it will be more easy to find it a home.

Work also on the idea a shy semiferal is rather easy to foster in if there is already friendly homecats. The shy semiferal usually get pals with the homecats, and the homecats do half of the job of fostering.
Some of the catowners may buy the idea of helping out some shy semiferal - if it isnt too troublesome. It isnt.
 
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keith p

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did you considered / did write up flyers on local message boards?

Well besides this site/board, many other cat sites/boards say you cant advertise anything to do with adopting cats or money, both which groups get involved with. I guess the issue with people giving cats away for free or asking for donations/ taking peoples money made them ban advertising stuff like that for safety and against fraud.

And the fact some of their boards arent organized and their is alot of false information, trusting any of those people there would take alot.

Plus, even here, there are very few who live in my town, so finding people for a group I guess would be better if somehow I could find people on the outside and not the internet. Or by word of mouth. Still even that is posing a problem.

Then you have the fact that it's hard to tell if someone replying has good or bad intentions.
 

StefanZ

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I was going to write a PS to my lenghy answer from yesterday, but I discover the answer is not here! Probably wasnt sent as it should, as I remember I didnt checked as I always do.

I try to make a rewriting:

Yes, its no good to ask for money and such. Unless you are a wellknown and respected group or person.
Thus you dont ask for money, but for interested people. Something entirely different!

And here is the PS: You write up for interested in a study group! A study circle. With you as the leader...
We can work out the exactly words later. but it would be study circle about TNR; the modern human way to helping homeless cats = ferals and strays.
So the cats will be helped, the neighoorhood wont feel of them as a nuisance, and even some more people will enjoy having a new furry friend to have at home.

As you see, the ad will in itself give some information about TNR for the general public and make them more positive toward the action of helping cats.


You ask about the risk of insuitable people trying to come with.
Yes, there are dangers. Both of people trying to come among the money. And people who like to quarrel. Or wanting to have power without taking the responsibility.

A possible defense is to try to know them before they are admitted as members. Met them several times and get the feeling of them.
If you start as a study group, a study circle, it will be a natural solution. You do meet several times before you need to decide anything who you want in into the group and who you do beware of...

After that, if you have a well working core group, you can have some form of try out period for the wanna be´s before they are admitted into the group.

Of course, here IS a dilemma. The group cant be too private, semiclosed. The ideal is a rather open, democratic group...


And of course the normal honest people who have different ideas than you. Or who have differen personal chemistry than you... but such is life and the normal problems of living together and managing a group.


Im thinking. Try to get contact with a "coach" before you start the group. Ie somebody who dont need to know anything about cats. But who is good at copying with people and groups. Perhaps some of your teachers you had??
 
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