Can't find homes for kittens

I've been in that boat before of not having the money to spay a stray I found - it's very important, though, to keep her confined indoors where she can't breed again until you can get her spayed. A cat can get pregnant even while she's still nursing a litter.

Fortunately, I was able to take advantage of a low-cost spay/neuter program run by the local responsible pet owners' association - our city has also implemented several more low & no-cost spay/neuter programs since that time. Try calling around to local shelters and your local animal control to see if they can refer you to a low or no-cost program in your area.

Good luck! I know you're trying to do the right thing.

Excuse me Tybalt but Angel is a cat I rescued after seeing her thrown out of a car window. She was very imanciated and weak, I nursed her back to health (instead of ignoring her) and she got pregnant before I could find her a home, so instead of taking a pregnant cat to the shelter I talked my husband into keeping her and letting her have the kittens and hopefully I could find them a home. You have no right to judge me until you read all the facts behind this case. I already have 3 cats and can not keep another one. I am trying to do everything I can NOT take her to the shelter. I have put up signs at local pet stores, advertised in paper and put signs around and word of mouth, I have also called my vet to see if she can take them and I am waiting on a call back from her, so if you can not give me postive feedback on this then don't say anything at all.

Cathy

So your saying rescuing Angel in the first place was wrong? I should have just let her die right there? That I could not do!!! I love animals to much to sit and watch them die. I currently have 3 cats that are all spayed/neutered and one dog that is needing neutered. I strongly believe in spaying/neutering your pet. I also have two human kids that take alot of my money for school and activities so money is very tight. There are no places here to help with spaying as I have already called around. So if I had the money to do one it would be my dog but I just spent 500 bucks on him last year and had to do heartworm treatment on him. He was also a rescue I found one morning wondering my street (full blooded Pekingese). So you can not sit there and say that I do not care, if I didn't I would not have posted here for help in finding a place for Angel and her babies.

You know your first couple of post were very helpful and understanding. Apparently you do not have human kids or you would understand. My human family comes first and their health and well-being.

Cathy

Links for low-cost spay/neuter:
http://www.spayusa.org/
http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html#al

3kittys, please don't be discouraged - keep trying to do what's best for this cat & her kittens. If you can keep her confined away from any males it should be OK until you can get her spayed. Be careful though - a cat in heat will try anything to get the opportunity to breed. Try the above links to see if they offer any help in your area.

Tybalt work(s? ed?) in a shelter that euthanizes pets when the shelter becomes overcrowded, he speaks as he does from having to experience the deaths of many sweet loving pets because of overpopulation.

Thanks Tess but I have already been through those and all the low cost shelters are at least a 3 hour drive away from me. I am hoping my vet will come through for me as I'm still waiting on a call from her.

Cat

Originally posted by 3kittys
So your saying rescuing Angel in the first place was wrong? I should have just let her die right there? That I could not do!!! I love animals to much to sit and watch them die. I currently have 3 cats that are all spayed/neutered and one dog that is needing neutered. I strongly believe in spaying/neutering your pet. I also have two human kids that take alot of my money for school and activities so money is very tight. There are no places here to help with spaying as I have already called around. So if I had the money to do one it would be my dog but I just spent 500 bucks on him last year and had to do heartworm treatment on him. He was also a rescue I found one morning wondering my street (full blooded Pekingese). So you can not sit there and say that I do not care, if I didn't I would not have posted here for help in finding a place for Angel and her babies.

You know your first couple of post were very helpful and understanding. Apparently you do not have human kids or you would understand. My human family comes first and their health and well-being.

Cathy

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it is not that you don't care your heart was in the right place but I think it is more expensive to raise three kittens that get one female fixed. Was she pregant when you found her or did she get pregant in your care? This thread really isn't supposed to be to play the blaming game, but next time you find a kitty make sure to get it fixed, in the long run you are saving money and heart aches.

No, she was not pregnant when I found her. My intensions were to nurse her back to health and find a home for her, which I thought I had but they brought her back after a week. When she went into heat I kept her inside but my kids accidently let her out and it happened. Like I said, I strongly believe in spaying and neutering and if I had planned on keeping her I would have. My husband and I struggle hard every month to work full time jobs and keep up the animals and kids we do have. I was not looking for another pet at all but I could not just do nothing, she was sooo pitiful it made me cry. She is a sweet cat really and if I could keep her I would but another thing is she attacks my older cat no matter what and my older cat is a strickly inside and a diabetic cat. She is now loosing hair due to Angel. I guess I could go on and on but I'm not. I know what I have to do and appreciate all the help I can get but I do not want to be judged for doing what I felt was the right thing at that time.

Cathy

Originally posted by Tybalt
You couldn't afford to have her spayed, and now you are considering dumping her kittens at a shelter to be euthanized. That's really noble of you. Just wait until she's pregnant again. (Could be soon you know.) They'll probably just kill a pregnant cat right away at the pound if they're already over capacity. Oh I forgot, it hurts too much so you'll have your husband do it. How brave. I hope you're very proud of yourself.

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Excuse me but when did you get to be the king of all rescues?? Is there any particular reason for your absolute utter holier than thou attitude, or have you just become heartless to people's feeling? Not everyone is in a perfect position to what YOU think is the right thing to do... people do the best they can. Instead of trying to help this situation, you've managed yet again to create some sort of animosity simply because you can. Do you actually think that drivel you just spouted is apt to influence the decisions of anyone???? Or do you just get off on making someone feel like s**t when they already do.

Perhaps you've been so jaded by your experiences, that it really doesn't matter to you anymore how other people feel, OR what the situation is before you commence to pummel people with drama, cuz that's all it is, drama....

Maybe you just need to take a step back, and remember that people come here for help and advice, not to be beat up....

As far as answering this post, don't even bother, whatever it is that you have to say can't justify the remarks you made......


Ken

cathy is in an area where there are no readily available spay and neuter low-cost groups, and no shelters nearby. Kittens have more of a chance being adopted out at the ASPCA than do the older cats. Not all shelters operate under the same policies so it would vary.

Cathy have you tried sending a letter to the editor of your newspaper and telling him your story? Sell him on the human interest aspect of the cat who got flung out of the window of a moving car and play that up to your benefit. If you hit the right reporter, you may not have to worry about homes for the kittens once they run the story. Just a thought, and my hat is off to you for what you did to save this cat from her abuser.

Cathy, don't get discouraged! Are any of the no-kills or rescue groups anywhere in your area? Like Hissy said, play up that you rescued her from being thrown out of a moving car, and nursed her back to health and cared for her kittens as long as you possibly could. Even if the rescue group is a ways from you, perhaps you could arrange to meet them somewhere? Or they may even be willing to collect Angel and kittens from you.

We know that you are not just going in to get the kittens euthanized, and are doing everything in your power to avoid the possibility. You've done a good job with Angel and babies so far, keep going with it!

One of the worst scenarios for a rescuer is allowing a cat to get pregnant; the whole point is to prevent that. However, it happens all the time, and it's usually not because the rescuer "failed." Not every situation is the same. I know of one rescuer who tried to trap a cat over the course of 5 years. The cat simply would not be trapped, and during that time she had several litters. The rescuer continued to feed her all that time, knowing full well that it would only result in more kitties until she was trapped, but I still think she did the right thing (she eventually trapped the cat, by the way). In Cathy's case, the cat was already pregnant and she decided to feed her. If she didn't have the money to spay (and abort) her at that time, then she didn't have the money. I hate it when people say "I would find the money." If the money was there to be found, there wouldn't be an issue, would there? And what would Cathy's alternative be, let the cat starve? As I said, one of the biggest goals of a rescuer is to prevent unwanted births, but the biggest goal is to help the cats, and in this situation that's exactly what she's doing. Also, as much as we all love cats, human family should come first, so when money's tight they are the first priority. I wish I had some advice for you Cathy, but I can only say you are doing a great thing and I hope you find a good solution.

Hissy-
You're ideas are wonderful, as always.


Tybalt - I think you owe Cathy an apology. Your words were mean spirited. She's doing the best she can under the circumstances. She didn't intend for the stray to get pregnant and was only trying to save her. Hind sight is wonderful, but what's done is done. Now she is trying to do the right thing. Have you never made a mistake in your life and learned by it? We are all human.

Laurie

Tybalt you just don't get it do you. Do you think that shocking people and hurting their feelings is the answer to everything? So you worked at a shelter, you are not a God and you have no right to pass judgement on anyone! She is trying to keep these kittens out of the shelter and you badgering her and leaving her shame on you messages just makes you look bad. But you can't see this, because of your so-called crusade you are on.

She should not have let the cat escape so it could get pregnant, but it was an accident. You have been sitting in judgement on this board for a long time, and you tear down everything this board stands for. It stands for tolerance, for education and we do not bully members, whether they are brand new or if they are older ones. There are ways to accomplish things, and you always seem to take the wrong path. I truly feel sorry for you and anyone unfortunate enough to want to worship that path you are on.

Hello- Well Cathy could you PLEASE give the cat to someone else so they can get it spayed, I don't think it's your fault that the cat was pregnant but since she's your cat now it might be nice to get her spayed, stop your computer connection for a few months or something so you can use that money to spend on her spaying.

I hope you find homes for the babies, I hope they will be de-sexed first to stop more un wanted kittens.

Just to reiterate what has happened to Angel the cat in Cathy's care.

1. Angel was thrown out the window of a car. Cathy saw this and rescued Angel.

2. Cathy nursed Angel back to health and was trying to find a home for her. During this time, the kids accidentally let her outside, and Angel accidentally got pregnant. There are NO low-cost spay programs in her area, and she cannot afford to spay a cat that she plans to adopt out. She has to put her (human) family's needs first.

3. Cathy convinced her husband and allergic son to let her keep Angel during the pregnancy and adopt out the kittens and Angel. There was much interest in the kittens, but those adopters have not panned out.

4. Cathy cannot keep Angel or the kittens because of her son's health, and the fact that Angel and her oldest (diabetic) resident cat doesn't not get along with Angel. She is doing everything she can to AVOID taking them to the local shelter.

5. Cathy started this thread to get more ideas of other options for Angel and the kittens.

Please, let's get back to the original premise of this thread...trying to help Cathy find viable options for these cats!

Cathy I still believe your best bet is to contact the press and see if they are interested in the story about this survivor. Best of luck!

Originally posted by hissy
Cathy I still believe your best bet is to contact the press and see if they are interested in the story about this survivor. Best of luck!

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That sounds like an excellent idea to me!

Originally posted by hissy
Cathy I still believe your best bet is to contact the press and see if they are interested in the story about this survivor. Best of luck!

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That is a REALLY good idea. Misty was on the front page of the paper with her 9 brothers/sisters, because her mom was picked up walking down the road and they were born on super bowl sunday! The SPCA got hunderds of apps from people that wanted one of the puppies because they were famous around town. I wanted her because I saw her on petfinder, I didn't know she was in the paper until weeks later

Thank you to all who understand my situation and haveing given me great advise. I have done some more checking with our shelter and there is no time limit on how long they keep an animal. Only if the animal is sick and/or uncontrolable. As long as they are healthy and not over crowded they can stay as long as whatever. I do know that the kitten room is not very crowded right now. NOT SAYING IAM DOING THIS OKAY!!! Just wanted you to know what I have found out. I have called around to as many vets as I can. Although they can not take them in they are putting a sign on their bulletin board. Also, my husband and I are talking about maybe having a yard sale next weekend so that would be a great opportunity to "show" my kittens off also. I did get a air purifier for my son and his room to help him and I guess it helped some cause he slept in his room last night or either he was just dead tired!!!

Thought ya'll also might want to put a picture with the names, so I have attached a picture of Angel and her babies. This is the only time I can get them all together and still enough to even take a picture of them. They were about 9 weeks in this picture.

Oh! What a beautiful kitty and precious babies! I bet that there are a lot of us who have been reading this thread who sympathize with you and congratulate you for saving her. Please ignore the rude comments posted as no one knows what your financial situation is etc and have no right to make comments. As the comment was made that if you can afford a computer so you should be able to get your kitty fixed, some have a mouth (or in this case fingers to type) so they should be able to show respect to others.