Hello, my name is Bighearted, and i may have an issue...

Today I took an abandon'd cat that has been out and about the neighborhood for a few weeks now, to the vet to get checked out before bringing it inside and exposing it to my 8 other cats.  While it makes me feel great, that i (and my wife) have taken another cat off the street (all of the cats we have were rescues of some sort).  Now I'm starting to fear the "Crazy Cat Couple" moniker that we are bound to have tagged to us.  I feel proud to know that one more cat won't be found on the side of the road, or end up as target practice, or food for the neighbors pit bulls, but can't help but, feel a bit ashamed of having so many cats in my home.  They are all in good health, happy (as far as we can tell), and well behaved.  Sure our floors have a lot of fur on them when its time to clean, and our basement needs a fresh coat of paint from the hairball deposts, but I don't see any way of stopping myself from seeing a cat that needs a home, and giving it one.  I've nearly exhausted all our friends and family members on finding other homes for them.  Even after moving out of an area with many strays, I still seem to find them (or they find me?).  Do I need help?  Am I the crazy cat guy?... please help!

I think what you're doing is fantastic!!! Only 8 cats....there are some members on here that are well over that number! 

As far as what people might say or think, who cares right?! Caring for cats is clearly your passion and these strays need good, loving homes. It can be hard to ignore people's comments at times, I get that, but just remind yourself why you do what you do! 

If I could have multiple cats, I would, but I have allergies, so we have a single rescue.

Keep up the awesome work!   

Bighearted said:

 
.  I've nearly exhausted all our friends and family members on finding other homes for them.

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Yes, but it is still the way to go.  To finding other good adoption homes.   To engage those in searching them too?

Also,  let them remember, most cats like to have cat company.  Thus, if you find one home, there should usually be two places...  

Also, engage yourself with working pro TNR, and other  groups of catfriends.   Say, talking about NOT dumping, and also, encouraging the police and judges to prosecute dumpers and those cruel to animals...

Some ideas, you are doing a marvellous task!

Good luck!

Thank you

StefanZ, most of the cats we've found homes for have taken more than one, or its not there first cat.  Yeah, 100000% agree, cats are happiest when there is more than just one other cat in the house.  I've found the more we have brought in the happier they are.  Sure, there is the occasional hissing fight, and a few growls.. even a "bop" now and then.. but at the end of the day, we will find those very same cats laying together on the bed or somewhere near each other.

Nora, Thank you for the encouragement, and today, with "Bella" she makes 9 (5 males, 4 females) all have seen the doctor for their operation (don't like to say fixed, as that employs that they were somehow broken before the operation).

How anyone can ever bring an animal (of any kind) into their life, and just drop them off like a piece of unwanted garbage, is beyond me.. I've put serious consideration into working for a vet or a rescue (working or just volunteering) but at a vet's office i would be a wreck to see an animal that has been brought in to be put to sleep, i'd never be able to disconnect myself, as an "owner" (Another term I hate, as animals are not our slaves, they are part of our families, rather.. we are part of their pride/pack.) to a professional, as for the rescue... yeah that would just mean me bringing home every other cat that came through the doors.

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StefanZ,  Didn't know (before i hit post) what Pro TNR ment, and I looked it up.. I am for that.. for sure, i've tried to find vets in the past that would give me a break on nurturing pharo cats in our neighborhood but none would ever agree to anything.  I have researched for programs like this in our area, and found only a few programs that have started, then closed due to lack of funding.  The police in our area, are overworked and deal with much more then they can handle on the violent crime side of policing.  Even to get them to respond to a noise complaint, or a toddler walking in the middle of the road with no adult supervision can take hours.  I can only imagine what 911 would say when you say you want to report a cat being abandoned or suspicion of abuse (abandonment is abuse in my book).  Its a sad state that Saginaw, MI is in, and animals fall through the cracks, and funding for such a program as TNR is just not there.

Bighearted said:

 
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  The police in our area, are overworked and deal with much more then they can handle on the violent crime side of policing.  Even to get them to respond to a noise complaint, or a toddler walking in the middle of the road with no adult supervision can take hours.  I can only imagine what 911 would say when you say you want to report a cat being abandoned or suspicion of abuse (abandonment is abuse in my book).  Its a sad state that Saginaw, MI is in, and animals fall through the cracks, and funding for such a program as TNR is just not there.

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911 is for emergencies, so THEY will of course laugh and lay off the phone in your ear.  Nay, you must have contact with your local police station...

I understand they have lotsa of more heavy criminal acts to fight against.  

The point is, a villain is a villain is a villain.   The main reason why cruelty against cats may go on, is because nobody objects strongly enough.  Ie, its a crime easy done and not prosecuted.

But the person who can be cruel to a cat, may next day be cruel to a child,  As long he is fairly sure nobody will prosecute.

And after several such steps, they will shot a policeman, if they think they can get away with it...

Stop the animal abuser today, and you will save a child tomorrow, and you will  save a police mans life in 10 years...  Explain it to them, if you have the occasion.   The rule of noll-tolerance.    In some cities they had campains about stopping small crimes, and also the bigger crimes went down by half, no??

That is the same with cats.

Good luck!

I agree 100%, The issue isn't crimes not being reported, its that the cops never show up, or when they do, its 2-3 hours later, when there is no proof of the crime left.  Either what ever was going on has stopped, or they have cleaned up the mess, and disappeared.  It's just the sad state of the police around here.  Not 100% their fault, as they are understaffed and underfunded.

Is it wrong to care??It kills me the way we throw things away in the USA.Clothes,kids, animals,is everything disposable?I know we have it better here than anywhere on earth,but come on we got a long way to go.I include myself in that statement.