Am I Under The Wrong Impression About Rescues?

[wannahelp]

I have been posting about a cat in my neighborhood that needs rescuing. The cat looks genuinely confused. It walks with its tail down acts like it unsure where to go or what to do. It looks small and skinny and I want to take it to the vet but I have nowhere to take it after that. It's really pathetic and I can't stand to keep watching it. Feeding it isn't enough.

Ive been contacting rescues in my area and, as someone with no experience in rescue, I'm shocked by their responses. I don't know how many have asked why the cat can't just remain outside. What purpose do they serve, if that's their answer to an animal in need of assistance? I was under the impression that strays needed to be rescued. I don't believe that cats are safe outside 24 hours a day. I have to find someone to help. I won't let this cat stay outside for the winter. However, I'm running out of rescues to contact.

 

[keeneland]

I have been posting about a cat in my neighborhood that needs rescuing. The cat looks genuinely confused. It walks with its tail down acts like it unsure where to go or what to do. It looks small and skinny and I want to take it to the vet but I have nowhere to take it after that. It's really pathetic and I can't stand to keep watching it. Feeding it isn't enough.

Ive been contacting rescues in my area and, as someone with no experience in rescue, I'm shocked by their responses. I don't know how many have asked why the cat can't just remain outside. What purpose do they serve, if that's their answer to an animal in need of assistance? I was under the impression that strays needed to be rescued. I don't believe that cats are safe outside 24 hours a day. I have to find someone to help. I won't let this cat stay outside for the winter. However, I'm running out of rescues to contact.

The problem with rescues in my area is we have at least 50% more cats than there is people to care for them & adopt them. I started out with 6 ferals and at most planned to keep only 2 and adopt the others out. Many people that want a house cat simply do not have the patience for a feral to get tame. There are so many on this board you see asking about kittens they cannot touch after having 2 weeks to a month. Having to wait up to 2 years or sometimes longer overwhelms people if they are just wanting a pet. That was the issue we had and others doing rescue in my area are having the same thing repeat itself over & over. We lost 2 of our ferals but kept the other 4 cats. Just about everyone I know that is in TNR the Return part has changed to it's been a permanent addition to the family. I am glad to have my 4 cats but the honest answer is it is hard to adopt a feral cat unless you have someone willing to really put a "LOT" of time & effort into socializing.

 

[msaimee]

If there is a local Humane Society in your area, you could bring the cat there. I don't know if this is true of all Humane Societies, but the one in my area told me that if you tell them it is a stray cat, they cannot refuse to take it in. They would test the cat to see if it has FIV or feline leukemia, and if it is indeed sick, they will euthanize it. If the cat is healthy, they will provide veterinary care and try to adopt it out.

 

[JimmyJimmy]

Not all cats want or need to be "rescued".If he/she looks in reasonably good health and not skinny and underweight the cat is finding food and probably has several people he visits daily for treats and attention.Some cats are loners and don't want to be house cats or pets.Dont worry about him being outdoors 24/7 because he will have several safe and dry places where he likes to sleep.Please keep an eye out for him

 

[Sarthur2]

I think you should take this poor cat to the vet ASAP.

Are you able to keep it until you can find a home for it?

You want to be careful with the Humane Society. They do euthanize even healthy cats when they are over-crowded, which is all the time.

Perhaps you have a friend who might be willing to take the cat after it is vetted?

Thank you for caring!

 

[wannahelp]

The cat does look skinny. I don't know whether the cat is feral. I have seen it wandering the neighnorhood during the day. It comes to my house for food while it's srill light outside. The cat walks with its tail down and seems very unsure of itself, however. It looks up, every so often, while it's eating, to make sure nothing or nobody is around, as if it's always afraid. This looks like a cat that lives in constant fear. Is that the way a feral behaves?

 

[StefanZ]

Its two different scenarios if its a true semiferal, or one dumped / come astray.
Is it a dumped cat (which it sound as), and is handleable, a Humane Society may be the answer. But they almost never work with shy cats whom arent handleable... If so, its a big NO NO to leave them to a HS. (and as said above, if the HS is crowded, they may easily pts even fully handleable, healthy cats. There are terrible examples both in USA and in Sweden).

A semi-ferale, whom does manage on its own, its fully OK to just TNR it and return. Or even a dumped one, whom apparently manage OK.

But I of course do agree completely, a dumped cat whom doesnt manage well, should be rescued.
Also a semi-ferale, whom apparently wishes to be adopted, its correct and suitable to try to find a home to, even if it taken fostering etc...

You can seldom get everything at once, so in practice, you must find some working compromise. TNR is a nice compromise.

 

[maggiedemi]

If you can, I would try to get him trapped and neutered, vaccinated, flea treatment and de-worming. Those are the most important things. Then maybe you can work on socializing him or he could be an outdoor cat. It's hard with ferals because their mothers teach them to be afraid of humans. A lot of shelters just put them to sleep because it can take years to tame them and they can't really adopt them out to homes with children because they tend to bite and scratch.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Ive been contacting rescues in my area and, as someone with no experience in rescue, I'm shocked by their responses. I don't know how many have asked why the cat can't just remain outside. What purpose do they serve, if that's their answer to an animal in need of assistance? I was under the impression that strays needed to be rescued. I don't believe that cats are safe outside 24 hours a day. I have to find someone to help. I won't let this cat stay outside for the winter. However, I'm running out of rescues to contact.

First off, it's wonderful that you want to help this cat, and I'm one who agrees that cats simply aren't safe outside 24 hours a day.

Most rescues are one-person operations, sometimes staffed by a few hardy volunteers, and the hard fact is that keeping a cat rescue afloat costs real money. When my next door neighbour abandoned his feral colony (total more than fifty cats, and not a single one desexed) and his indoor clowder to join his Brother out of state, I contacted the three local rescues (all fine organisations) and was told that no one would even consider initiating a TNR program with so many cats, let alone a rehab and adoption program.

Thankfully, my veterinarian is a complete idiot stand up guy and a good Friend, and with the help of the largest local shelter, we cobbled together an holding center and a surgery in two of the outbuildings, borrowed traps from every source available, and over the course of eighteen months, managed to trap, neuter, socialise and - through the help of two local children's hospitals who permitted the cats to "visit" patients with an eye toward finding homes for them - managed to get all those pesky furry things out of my gardens.

Raw start-up costs for a cat rescue organisation are positively inordinate; finding a veterinarian who's willing to help at a reasonable cost is nearly impossible, and the cost of improving and maintaining the health of a large number of cats for the long term, while they're socialised and finally considered "adoptable" - housing them, feeding them, giving and overseeing medical care, spaying and neutering, and meeting the financial obligations of a mortgage (one can't run a rescue in a rented apartment), taxes, utilities and cetera - can be a little overwhelming. It's easy for even a very small-scale cat rescue to blow through a third to an half million dollars annually simply in care costs and maintenance. A "real" feral focus rescue housing, vetting and rehabilitating a large number of cats can burn up real money.

A reminder to all: the next time you consider a twelve dollar latte, or an eighteen dollar half-caf iced mocha frappacappuccino - or a new thousand dollar SmartPhone - considering putting an equal amount into the donation jar for your local shelter next time you're at the vet. If the Lord has been particularly generous in providing for you needs, consider driving that Mercedes or Bentley another year, and write the check you'd have used to your local cat rescue instead. Every dollar - every dime - makes a difference. Doing so could mean Life or death to a cat who's just one meal away from starvation, and in helping, you're doing the impossible for someone who will eventually adopt these cats: you're buying Love.
.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

My immediate worry is that you said the cat is walking with its tail down. It makes me wonder whether there is a tail, spine, or back leg injury. I am on your side worrying about the health of this cat, and I really respect your desire to get the cat seen by a vet. If you do somehow end up trapping the cat in order for it to be seen by a vet, be very careful as it could possibly have an ongoing injury to back, tail or leg.

I know you are searching for a rescue, have you tried contacting the vet you currently use and asking for a possible referral of a person who might already foster cats or kittens (who isn't technically "a rescue" but who works for a rescue via fostering for them already)? Maybe your vet (or other vets) might know of someone who could help in this case? For just this cat?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Here are the shelters/rescues listed here at TCS for New Jersey,
New Jersey | The Cat Site

You mentioned in another thread being close to Philadelphia.
In the Reviews section here at TCS, these are some Pennsylvania rescues...
Pennsylvania | The Cat Site

I am not sure if any are close to you.

 

[Sarthur2]

Tail down is a sign of a cat who is unhappy and/or unhealthy.

Please let us know what you decide to do!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

It's also a sign of injury.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, please wear gloves. If a cat is injured or sick, it could lash out.

 

[msaimee]

I would not automatically rule out all Humane Societies. The two in my area are close to being a no-kill shelter, and they both have fostering programs for cats who are shy and for feral kittens. There is also a 24-hour vet clinic in my area that takes in dumped and homeless cats and adopts them out. If there are 24 hour clinics in your area, you might call around to see if they would be willing to help you as well. It sounds as though your kitty may be sick or injured. I hope you are able to get it to a Humane Society or to a vet. If the cat is diseased, it could spread illness to other cats in the community. If you opt to take the cat to a vet and care for it yourself or find it a home, You will want the cat to get a SNAP test, which tests for feline leukemia and FIV. It's wonderful that you are willing to help this poor Kitty.

 

[surya]

The Houston Humane Society kill around 86-89% of the animals it takes in, so are they in the rescue business or the killing business? It may be a whole different story where you live, but do some research and find out before you take a cat there. Could you foster the cat?

 

[Sarthur2]

Have you been able to rescue this cat?