Homeless cat in Chicago area needs foster home/no-kill shelter

I am in Chicago too, I wish I could help but I am at my limit as well.
Have you tried contacting local rescue groups? Would you be able to foster him temporarily if a rescue could help you find a home? I know most of the shelters are full, but shelters/rescues may be able to help if you were able to foster him yourself or if you could find a friend or family member who could.

I suggest PAWS Chicago, or Tails in Dekalb. They ate high quality no-kill shelters. As is the one I'm associated with in South Elgin. However, it is currently under quarantine because of a distemper outbreak among kittens. It's a terrible thing.

I hope you find this guy a place, he's very nice

You can try googling "no-kill shelters in Illinois." Then there is always the"no-kill network" to check out. There are actually quite a few no-kill shelters in the area.

Good luck and bless you for looking after this guy.

Robin

I'm always hearing here that shelters aren't taking cats because they are full. I've wondered about that because at the shelter where I volunteer, though never with extra space, new cats come in every day. Some are left in boxes or carriers at the door and found at 5:30 in t the morning when the first vet tech arrives. And people bring in cats every day who are strays or their own cats that they give up for some reason. I'm not saying they don't turn away some cats, but something like 20-30 or more adult cats do come in each month. Their policy is to not turn away kittens at all. Tails takes in, and adopts out, even more adult cats each month.

So if I were in a situation where I had to find a shelter for a cat, I wouldn't call or ask them. I'd drive around, with the cat in a carrier, to every no-kill shelter I could get to. I'd take the cat in and have a compelling speech ready to tell why this cat can't survive as a stray anymore. Just living outside isn't a good enough reason to take him.

If all else failed (but I don't believe I'd fail) and I felt I had to get him in, I'd leave him at the door of a good shelter, in a carrier in the early morning. And I wouldn't give a rip if that is illegal.

Is someone actually coming over to check on how many foster cats you have in your house? I'm just curious. Seems like government agencies would have better things to do with their resources in these times.

Robin

I have contacted two No-kill shelters, one of which I volunteer for. They are to full capacity and over. Animal House Shelter, Huntley has a large foster network though. You could contact Jane over there, but she is on vacation till the 25th. She never takes a vacation and so deserves a break. But she would really be the one to talk to about this cat. If you don't find a situation for him before that, send me a PM and I will talk with Jane when she returns. I also have another suggestion, but it probably will be a wait, Hinsdale Humane Society. They are a very, very, very low-kill shelter now. Very rarely will they euthanize an animal. If they have an opening, it would be $50.00 to bring the cat over there and relinquish it to them. There is also Fur Keeps in Barrington.

He is a very handsome boy, and I really wish you so much luck with this!!!!

I don't really know what to say. We don't even take the kittens from their feral moms until they're around 10-12 weeks (which would be 3 months), and they've all been successfully fostered/socialized and adopted out, making great pets. Other than two exceptions, they were all that age or older for us. So I'm not really sure what to recommend, because I'd recommend having him/her neutered/spayed, treated, vaccinated, and foster the baby for adoption.

Yes, I agree with Laurie. Also, three months old is not too old to socialize at all. Absolutely untrue. I have socialized many a older kitten. Just last winter, I trapped three six to seven month old feral kittens. All are now in loving homes and couldn't be more affectionate to their new owners. It just takes a ton of work and patience. Plus you need to keep them in a large cat playpen (like the Midwest cat playpen) until such time as you are able to reach in and pet them. This is the quickest way, IMO, to socialize a feral cat/kitten. The next step is the small room with no hiding places other than a hiding place where you can still easily reach the cat.

I do agree, that there are cases where the cat's just won't come around, but honestly, I have not run into this much at all over the years. Good luck with the black kitten. and also trapping Zeddacus.

As to Hinsdale Humane Society, I have placed two socialized feral cats with them who are now in loving homes as well. These were adult feral cats that I socialized and Hinsdale took them in and worked more with them as well. You could call and at least get Zeddacus on the wait list, sometimes it is only a week or two wait. If Zeddacus is as sweet as you say, he/she will get adopted quickly there. Lots of turnover..... Just a thought.

p.s. I will try to make some more contacts too and see what we can come up with . If anything pans out, I will let you know right away!!! to you for rescuing these cats!!!

You've raised a lot of issues with your last post. One I want to address. I saw a segment on the CBS show "Sunday Morning" yesterday about a pro photographer in Texas who started taking much better pictures of a rescue's dogs. Their adoption rate went up 100%!

Maybe your pictures on Petfinder are just fine. But if they aren't "selling" the cats, maybe consider improving them. Maybe you know someone with a knack for photography, an amateur who knows about lighting. Or you could call around to all the pro photagraphers or assistants or colleges that have students studying photography and see if someone will help get your rescue's cats placed in homes. In this age of digital pictures, the person's time is the only cost. Maybe they'd want a plug on the ad. Maybe they'd want lunch.

It would be worth a try. I know that cats are being adopted every day, lots of them, even adult ones, even black ones. So maybe you should look over your marketing strategy with a critical eye.

Robin

As a volunteer at a kill shelter, I would like to call attention to what this thread points out. There really are no no-kill shelters. We control our population at the back door, because we are required by the cities we serve to take in all turned-in and picked-up pets. No-kills control their population at the front door by refusing to take pets in, leaving more for us to have to take care of.

Fortunately, we don't have a strict time limit on how long we can keep a cat. We adopted out Petey this weekend; he's been with us repeatedly since he was a kitten, and he's almost a year old now. But any animal that comes in feral, or seriously injured, or seriously sick will be euthanized pretty quickly.

Frankly, totally "no-kill" is irresponsible, too, though much better than a high kill shelter, which I find despicable.

There are animals that seem totally unadoptable, for various reasons, that are kept in a shelter I know for 4 years or more (and another I've heard about for 8 years or more). If I were running the place, they'd be long gone to make space for others. But then, wonders of wonders, one of these cats will get adopted, to everyone's amazement. There seems to be no hopeless cases.

I know people are getting cats into shelters everyday, even all those "full"shelters. Usually these people are not even particularly "cat people." But, they are persistent, insistent, and they make it clear to the staff at the front desk that they will not be looking after the cat if the shelter turns them away. The cats get in. And space is found. At my shelter, sometimes cages line the halls with overflow. And sometimes the rooms provided for potential adopters to visit with animals can't be used because they are full of animals being housed there. Every staff office (7 of them) has several, usually the most problematic, cats housed in cages. Three of my own cats were in that situation for many months, being socialized enough to be adoptable.

My shelter has a vast network of foster parents, who sometimes keep animals long term, even years, until they are adoptable. Sometimes these people are called upon to take overflow in an emergency. Some cats, the very feral, are transferred to farm colonies.

The euthanasia rate there is amazingly low, and always because of terminal health cases, and even then only when the animal is suffering and can't be helped. I don't think it is a dozen animals a year, out of about 1000.

But, as I said, I think they keep too many with low adoption chances alive for too long. But that is their philosophy.

So, no, there are no totally no-kill shelters, nor should there be. And some go too far to save individuals rather than looking at the big picture.

Robin

Totally agree . I do not believe either in a "total" no-kill shelter and don't think there is such a thing. Although, most of the No-kill's do keep animals way toooooooo long and their quality of life suffers tremendously for months and months and months , and to me, that is animal cruelty.

Actually, I would have loved to take this kitten from you. BUT - right now I am not taking on any foster's because of my cat Pipsqueak's health issues and stress issues. I am also dealing with trying to nurse along my older sick dog, Wilbur, bless his heart. I really, really want to help you with this kitten, but I just can't commit to that at this point in time. I have also had to refuse other requests from my shelter to socialize feral kittens . I feel bad about it, but I have to put my own pets first right now. They need me around the clock.....

I would definitely use a wire crate. If it is a large dog crate. Then put a small cat carrier inside with a comfy blanket (AND I always add a slept in t-shirt, a new one every night ) in it and take the door off. That can be a shelf and a hiding place all in one. I would feed scheduled meals to start, and wet food mixed with some dry. This will get the kitten looking for you at certain times of the day. The first few days, put the food down, then just leave the kitten alone to eat. Then go back in 30 minutes to take up the food if there is any left. Believe me, that kitten will eat, (unless it is very sick...) Once it is eating up the food right after you set it down and leave the room, then it is time to sit down at a distance (read, write, or be on the laptop) and don't even look at that kitten. It might not eat at first with you sitting there because Indy will be watching and staring at you LOL., Once he realizes you are not going to look at him or move and this becomes a routine, he will eat. That is a huge step in the right direction. I always tried to "pet" them after this point ( a few days or so after they are eating in your company). When they have a full tummy, that is the time to give them some love. Don't put the hand over the head, come from below. If the kitten cowers in that cat carrier. Pull the cat carrier towards you to the front of the crate. Talk gently and soothingly, don't stare, just rest your hand inside of the crate the first day or so. Then proceed to use a finger to rub under the chin and cheek. Don't pull the hand away if the kitten is hissing, just move very very slow, talk sweetly, and gently rub your finger back and forth under the chin. It could take quite a few days of this until the hissing stops. Then I usually scruff and wrap them in a towel snuggly with their head sticking out. I cradle them, and pet them the same way for about five to ten minutes. Then they go back. I did this about three times a day. After a couple of weeks of this it becomes easier and easier and more relaxing for the kitten. This is such an important first experience for the feral kitten's and makes for a lasting impression for them for the rest of their lives.

I have always had luck with this procedure and you have to expect some hissing/spitting at first. They need to be able to trust you and the fear comes out as hissing. Once the kitten starts to trust, things will improve.

Avery (one of the 6 month old black kitten's from last December) took a very long time. And actually the crate/cage socialization didn't work well for her. It wasn't until she was loose in a very small room that she started to come around on her own. Then there was Pixie, her sibling, who was purring on day two and allowing pets. Magilla, the other sibling, was very distrustful and the most scared. It took her about three weeks before I heard a purr. Once you hear that purring, you are home free They are all different and what works for about 90% of them won't work for the other 10%. Some are just easier and more willing to accept human companionship than other's. I hope Indy is an easy one

I really wish I could help you with this kitten. If I come up with anything, I will let you know right away. You have a wonderful heart in helping these cats. I do know how overwhelming it can be to have a big heart like that....... Wish we could save them all, would be impossible, but we can help one kitty at a time and that is a start.....

This reminds me of what the Anti-Cruelty did to decrease their euth rate... They decided to stop accepting strays and only accept owner give-ups. Well, they will still accept strays but then they truck them over to Animal Care and Control...which was already overcrowded. So Anti-Cruelty estimated they would kill 3000 less animals per year, and ACC estimates their rate will go up by even more than that because of the increase in animals coming in from Anti-Cruelty. I have not seen the actual numbers yet so I don't know exactly how it worked out but I am sure it was not good for ACC or the city's strays...especially considering ACC had enough trouble trying to get animals adopted already for a number of reasons (low budget, understaffing, overcrowding, bad location...)

Good news about Zeddacus. I will really be hoping that the foster comes through for you . Again, my heart aches as I want to help this little black kitten. But like you, I have an over-full plate as it is and I just can't take on another feral kitten at the moment. I do have a call in to another person who might be able to help. If she calls me back tonight, I will PM you. I will keep trying in the next few days. When will you release the Indy ?? If we can't find a situation for him, then he will hopefully hang around your house and will be alright, especially if you have a heated shelter for him. I just ordered the FeralVilla and it should be arriving in about a week. I have a heating pad for the second level inside. Sending massive vibes for Indy

AWW poor Indy, he does sound so stressed out being in that cage . Good idea about the dog house, I know other's who have used them as well. They work very, very well as cat shelters. I am sure Indy will be just fine outside, that is what we have to do. We trap these strays/ferals and have them sterilized. Most times, we do have to release them back outdoors. Best of luck to Indy and I am sure he will be happier outside and then will begin eating again. I would try some Fancy Feast wet food. Even when you release him back out, the Fancy Feast will keep him near - YUMMY. We have a few months before things start getting real cold here so by then he should be well adapted to being outside in your yard.

p.s I did just get the call from that other "feral cat socializer" and she already has a litter of ferals at the moment. She said in about three weeks she will have an opening because the litter is well on their way to being sweet and will go up for adoption.