Update: Ferals without much hope

Thought I would take a minute and let everyone know that the TNR is about to start!! We have decided on using Fix-A-Pet in Clark County, which is about 85 miles from us. Everyone else we contacted could not or would not reduce the spay/neuter fee to anything worth mentioning so we just kept extending our searches.

We have appointments booked starting next week Tuesday going through March. They charge $40 and are sending us some paperwork. They ear tip too! DH will be taking 5 on Tuesday and then we will be deciding how many we can financially do and catch each time afterwards. We have 2 traps borrowed to us and will now be purchasing a few more.

We also have been asking around to see if anyone we know would like some half grown kittens. There are 6-10 that are quite friendly and I've been working with them so they are even better than before. Hopefully some of these guys will find a forever home. Some interest in them already. I'm considering catching them up and bringing them in to further their socializing. (Have a extra bedroom downstairs that would work for them) Some people my DH works with are also interested in some of the Ferals for rodent control on their farms, which would be great after some of them get speutered. They have stated that they feed their cats and provide shelter. Would be willing to keep them contained for a period of time until they adjust to their surroundings.

I've decided when the weather gets some better to approach some of the people who live near me and let them know what we are doing and encourage them to do some of the same! Wonder if they will want any of these Ferals back after they are fixed, lol Perhaps we could do an exchange a cat program with them! After all we do know where they are all coming from. Our no kill shelter also is getting another new Director and we plan on attending a meeting. It would be to everyones advantage to start a lost cost speuter or TNR program around here, now if we could convince them!

Things are looking up for them and for us. Will update again in the future.

Yah! Sounds like great news! Thank you so much for helping these kids out!! My paws are crossed that you find some great homes for the young ones as well!

I fostered 5 ferals two years ago, and did the same thing, they were unable to be released back into "their" environment b/c the maintenance man of the apartment complex near where the ferals were threatened to poison them all, so I found a few great barn set ups for them to live out their lives on.

Keep us updated!!!

What fabulous news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've really taken the ball and run with it. I think attending a meeting with the No Kill Shelter is a FABULOUS idea!

...and we approached neighbors (farm community) about the ferals. We ended up being the only TNR people, because pretty much everyone else just wanted to put poison out for them. And these are the people WITH the barns! At least we talked everyone out of that one. How they planned on keeping their barn kitties alive, we're not sure. Whatever. It was awful. I hope you live in a nicer community.

Major kudos to you and hubby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie

FIRST......YEAH!!!!!YOU GO GIRL!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

WOW!!! I NEEDED TO HEAR GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR WAY!
I do still want to ask you some questions.....
So what are you doing about starting a non -profit?
My research ended when I got to the part of the costs, just to get the 501(c)3 status! I alone cannot afford it!
So I have decided to have a bake sale, hopefully this coming weekend?
or the one after that......then I will start with the vets and who is willing to
do for me or which one of them won't! I have 3 traps, but I will need
more, that also depends on the vets and how many they will take at once.
I will then need to find a recovery spot, I'm worried that
I will need at least 15 traps! But I have the faith that it will work it's self out!!!
I was about to PM you anyway wondering about the non profit status and what you did with that situation!!!
You are so special to do everything your doing!!! Hope your proud of yourself! I wish you all the luck in the world!!!

Monique

KeliCat, things will be getting better for them!! We have some of the same concerns about a few who live on this road. Especially the older couple who come from a life of farming. They have killed some of them already. They are nice people though, so I am hoping to talk with them and maybe if they know that they won't be reproducing and someone is starting to reduce their numbers, they will agree to leave them be.....It's always the 'cats' fault you know

LDG, the farms will be under my scrutiny, lol DH says I am way too picky sometimes! I think that food, water, shelter are the minimum one should expect! Some people think different and they will not be getting any of these Ferals. The 2 people who work with DH will be fine for them. Oh and they are going there speutered too! Heard something from DH about them wanting kittens from them in the future, e-gads not on my watch!

Monique, you've been busy too I see!!!

We haven't done anything yet in regard to the 501(c)3. We are researching how to be able to write some of this off by being a not very profitable business instead or to envolve being a volunteer with this. LOL DH is responsible for which way to go here.

Your Vets are not cooperating very well with the program either?! Ours are so For-Profit it isn't even funny. I've got a running list laying beside my computer of at least 25 vets I called last week and their prices ect. What a joke! Whatever happened to giving back once and awhile

So how are things coming along for you? Bake sale, now that is a great idea.

We were trying to figure out where to let them recover also because of the weather here. The one thing that this place does is you bring them the day before, and then pick them up late the day after their surgery so that will give them some time. I'm going to try and borrow some dog crates too. The boys should be ok but the girls kinda worry me as it takes them longer and the weather is so cold again.................

It would be great if we had the money and the traps needed to do it in 2 trips instead of taking months. Thats 2 round trips at 340 miles, each time we take some. I'm guessing there are way more than I even ever see too....WE need donations, lol or to win the lottery ya think?

I'll let you know what becomes of the 501(c)3 status or the alternative when we get it figured out here, ok

Oh and by the way Girlfriend you Rock! Who ever said one person doesn't make a difference anyways Keep on keep'in on!

Awww!!! Thanks for saying that!! It was going to cost me, lawyer fees,
at around $2500 just to do the paperwork for the 501(c)3, then the
IRS would charge that much if not more. For the actual status, then they said it takes like a year to be approved!
I don't have money, or the time for that, but maybe after I get this ball
rolling, some club, or some organization will step up and offer assistance,
just until I can get the local government to change the old laws, and then
I could maybe and should have the right to public funding! I don't know
how far your willing to go with this, or if you were just wanting those taken
care of in your colony? If you are just going to take care of the one's in your colony, then I would just ask for donations, or like I plan on a bake sale, your weather is probably too cold to sit outside of Wal-Mart and sell cookies!
Don't be afraid to ask for a little help! Put a jar up at stores (ask for permission first) and have a pic with a kitty, and say what your goal and what it is for! I did that whenever Katrina happened, I put out pickle jars
at our convienece stores, I think I said on it, "Please help take care of some of the homeless pets from Katrina!" and the money came in I was kinda surprised, I would take it to the animal shelter that is 25 miles away, so they could buy food, or crates, animals where coming in right and left!
Anyway, I'll let you know how the bake sale goes! I'm hoping that I will make enough to cover most cost? of course it depends on all of it! I know I can do this, I just pray that the Lord will send me the people to help!!
Been spreading the word by email, and I think I will take a small add out
in the local paper, to see if some people might have a trap we can use for those few days! It never hurts to ask!! I'll probably even call in on the trading
post, which is our local radio show early weekday mornings, people are always selling things on it! So that is my week's plan
I sure do hate that you have to take those baby's that far! your gas and all!
fundraise fundraise, ask ask for donations from friends and family!! Google....Fundraiser and see what it offers.......alley cat allies, under resource
center, fundraisers.
Good luck and please keep me posted!!!!!!

Much
Monique

As far as the fees go, we had planned on doing the paperwork ourselves. In my past life I worked for a non-profit and DH worked for many in Management so we are familar with how to do that, like Articles of Incorporation, by-laws ect. LOL said to DH like you needed to remind me of that because many people would not know where to even begin.

DH would like to do more TNR for the Human Associations after we completed the TNR on our road. I'm not sure that doing that with him would be in my best interest. Do to my auto-immune diseases that would be pushing the envelope. We have talked about many diferent things we could do to help like borrowing out the traps, offering to transport, helping to educate the area in hopes of bringing them to the TNR stage, ect. We think that doing these cats should give us an idea as to whether we wish to continue or are even cabable of doing so. If people are not willing to offset the cost we cannot afford the expenses involved. Part of our concern is that if we spay/neuter the ones we know of that there will be more showing themselves as the folks down the road are not doing anything but letting their cats reproduce constantly. The family who lives around the bend, they have had at least 20-50 cats sitting on their porch for almost two years whenever we drive by to go to town. There are always dead cats, kittens in the road. Then if one pays attention, from that house to ours, which is about a half a mile, there is the same problem just lesser numbers of visible cats. None of these cats are speutered. They do not believe in that nor can they afford to do it. It is most sad. Last summer there was a population explosion, now more cats. It's just crazy and nothing will ever happen because we are zoned Agricultural. No one cares, just look the other way and don't feed them. Anyway before I get side tracked here, lol

We cannot do what you have mentioned in regards to the asking for donations, putting out collection containers, ect. without belonging to an organization or that is a not for profit. It's against the law. There are even strict guidlines for doing benefits or collecting donations for people in need. I've asked for broken bags, dented cans of cat food at Petco and some of the local pet/grocery stores and they said they could not give them to me. DH asked at work if he could sign up for cat food, litter, ect. because he works at a WM Distribution Center (they give torn bags, dented cans ect.) and they told him he could not without being a non-profit. I'm assuming they all do that because of being able to right it off and to prevent law suits/requests from others.

Ok time for me to go do some things around here. Please do let me know how things go for you, I am definitely cheering you on and hoping that everything works out well.

Lisa

hooray for those of you who do not give up against the odds!!! Sending prayers and vibes that you all get lots of support in your endeavors, both in manpower & funding

Thanks for the recognition catsknowme! All I'm doing is all I can do! It
may not turn out to be anything at all! but thanks anyway, I'll take vibes and prayers anytime, anywhere, and from anybody, I can always use them!!!

Lisa.
Do you mean it's against the law in your state? or everywhere? If so, then
why would alley cat allies use that as a suggestion! I have written to them , asking if I could be an affilate branch of them, so I could apply for a small
grant from PetSmart! they keep emailing me back with info on their resources!
I had already read that! I guess that was being a bit bold, for me to ask
them to be affilated with them? Heck why not is what I thought?
So if I have a bake sale, and i don't have the 501(3)c status, I could get in trouble?
And if that is true, why in the world would they have suggested that to me!
I'm just shakin my head!!! I got the material from them today!! I had order a spay/neuter packet. It is a whole notebook, full of
step by step to start a non profit, that is what I wanted to do in the first place, I keep getting nowhere! I don't know every cotton pickin law, I have done alot of research on this subject! I had done this very same thing 2 yrs ago, got so overwhelmed I just literally had to give it up! This is something else I'm going to have trouble with, everyone I have contacted so far for anything to do to with TNR, I find myself having to explain it all to each one, most are looking at me like they don't have time to listen or they could careless! Makes me feel stupid, but I finish kindly and bow out gracefully! ha that is what the Brookshire's manager did to me last night when I asked about the torn bags or dented cans, he said, "we hardly ever have broken bags or dented cans" and wouldn't even look me in the face! punk!
well I'm glad you all can do your own paperwork! That is huge!! I wish you all the healthy luck in this world!!! Your DH might have to go down the street, and start up TNR at the "house of cats" they would probably be thankful! Still praying for us!!!!
ya my feral friend!
Monique

Monqiue you are fab for getting as far as you have. Re: 501 non profits - you can get kits to do this on the Internet. Also at the library, the Nolo series has a book on Non Profits and fund raising ideas.

I think as to Brookstone etc. what you need is to find a few friendly animal people. The feed stores are better that way sometimes - the large chain groceries are not so good IMHO.

Let me see - other groups in your area to help you, do you have any? If not, do you have a low cost spay clinic? Go there and start contacting people from there - that's how I got hooked into animal resuce.

(Btw, my Baby feral maine coon kitten is now on track for adoption, WITH her sister who was caught and cage tamed ... I think the 2 may be reunited at my house this weekend - and a lady will come look at them Sunday maybe? Vibes and fingers crossed!!)

Okay, gotta go VOTE today! Very exciting! Off to do my civic duty and then head to work.

Best of luck to you and please don't quit. The work is all up hill but then the rewards start to come in and things grow and prosper and take off... and help comes to you. Remember, its in the darkest hours that we are actually getting ready to be saved by the bell, but we just don't know it yet!


PS. I just counted and in my life, so far, I've saved/rescued, TNR'd or adopted out successfully 40 cats.

Thats almost one cat for every year I've been alive!
And since I only started seriously a while ago, its more like 5 a year!! Yayy!

It's wonderful to read all the work all of you are accomplishing. It's great that you can use tcs to network together. It can get awfully lonely working without support. I know, I've been there.

I've had trouble getting food, too. I've been able to get help paying for the spays and neuters just enough to let me pick up the slack at times. Unfortunately, my income is disability and doesn't change much while food prices have been rising fast!

My daughter has helped me with the food. I know it's annoying to ask relatives, but sometimes just $10/month can help and so if you can get several relatives to pitch in it can make a difference.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! I'm sending lots of for all of you!

We incorporated in October of 2005 (you have to be incorporated before you can file). We were granted our 501c3 status December 8, 2005.
It cost us $500 + $30 for the filing of the articles of incorporation.
It is soooooooo worth it. That little paper gives you so much more clout and bigger donations.

Originally Posted by carwashcats

Awww!!! Thanks for saying that!! It was going to cost me, lawyer fees,
at around $2500 just to do the paperwork for the 501(c)3, then the
IRS would charge that much if not more. For the actual status, then they said it takes like a year to be approved!
I don't have money, or the time for that, but maybe after I get this ball
rolling, some club, or some organization will step up and offer assistance,
just until I can get the local government to change the old laws, and then
I could maybe and should have the right to public funding! I don't know
how far your willing to go with this, or if you were just wanting those taken
care of in your colony? If you are just going to take care of the one's in your colony, then I would just ask for donations, or like I plan on a bake sale, your weather is probably too cold to sit outside of Wal-Mart and sell cookies!
Don't be afraid to ask for a little help! Put a jar up at stores (ask for permission first) and have a pic with a kitty, and say what your goal and what it is for! I did that whenever Katrina happened, I put out pickle jars
at our convienece stores, I think I said on it, "Please help take care of some of the homeless pets from Katrina!" and the money came in I was kinda surprised, I would take it to the animal shelter that is 25 miles away, so they could buy food, or crates, animals where coming in right and left!
Anyway, I'll let you know how the bake sale goes! I'm hoping that I will make enough to cover most cost? of course it depends on all of it! I know I can do this, I just pray that the Lord will send me the people to help!!
Been spreading the word by email, and I think I will take a small add out
in the local paper, to see if some people might have a trap we can use for those few days! It never hurts to ask!! I'll probably even call in on the trading
post, which is our local radio show early weekday mornings, people are always selling things on it! So that is my week's plan
I sure do hate that you have to take those baby's that far! your gas and all!
fundraise fundraise, ask ask for donations from friends and family!! Google....Fundraiser and see what it offers.......alley cat allies, under resource
center, fundraisers.
Good luck and please keep me posted!!!!!!

Much

Monique

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