Cat “factory” Is Upsetting Me..

[uhmkyrstin]

The title is a metaphor, there is no actual cat factory in this story. But sometimes, it feels that way..
So just a recap, my kitty was a rescue from a storm, as I’ve written about a few times. Water was rising, no mother in site. Normally I wouldn’t take a kitten so small but my Dipper was in trouble.

Now, I know Dipper must’ve been the product of one of my “neighbor’s” cats. I put quotes because when animal control passes by, the neighbors claim they don’t own the cats, but they feed them and let them inside sometimes so I’m honestly not sure the truth. I have no clue which of these cats would even be Dipper’s mother, because during the storm the cats weren’t around and they all stayed gone for a day or two after. (Neighbors feed them on porch and way in their back yard too so sometimes the cats don’t come around the front where my house is for a few days). Sometimes I fear that I was wrong for taking my Dipper and start to feel sad, since his mom must be next door.. but he was trapped under a vehicle crying in the rain, and since then I’ve given him all he needs so I try not to drown in the guilt.. Well, anyhow.. These cats have babies constantly, and sometimes end up on my side of the yard. It doesn’t bother me that the cats venture over, but I can’t help but feel sorry for all the babies who are born every few months just to get sick and lost.

Well a few weeks ago I found three babies in the small shed type thing we keep our lawnmower in, and mama was right next to them, so I wasn’t worried. The next day she had moved them, and I didn’t hear their meows anymore so I figured their mom had found a good place for them and I felt a little better. Today, I go outside to say goodbye to some visiting family and we were bombarded with cries. After only 30 seconds I spotted a kitten. Looked like the one I saw weeks before and figured mom was around and caring for them. Went inside for awhile and when I went back outside I heard the crying again. I got worried because it had been a few hours, and after locating the baby again I noticed there was no sign of the mother still. But, where there was no mom, there was the two other babies. They’re feral of course, run to my feet but when I offer my hand to smell they sniff, hiss, and run. I put milk out, no takers. I figure that the mom may have weened them and took off, exactly what I think happened to my Dipper. I feel so bad, I want to help them but I don’t have a place for three more kitties.. my dog just had puppies and with our financial issues I just can’t take in three more babies. ((guilt overload )) It hurt my heart to leave them outside, when I went to lock the screen door I noticed they had came cuddle up on the steps, abandoning their stack of wood in the backyard. They seem sweet, just scared. I want them to have a chance at life too, and would love to care for them but they can’t even live around my Dipper without catching ringworm from him.. I just don’t know what to do. I’m conflicted.. and disgusted to be honest at how these poor cats are born just to suffer because my neighbors won’t get the adults fixed. I’m sorry for such a long message, I’m just sad and dont know how to handle this. I’m sorry if anything I said made me sound ignorant, I’m new to all things kitty and I’m trying to learn the best I can. I love these animals, all animals actually, I just want the best for them.. Any advice?

 

[orange&white]

My county shelter will take "unlimited" stray cats and kittens. The kittens get fostered, socialized and adopted. Adult feral cats get TNR'd and either released back to the community they came from, or they are given away to people who want barn cats.

Have you checked with your city and county shelters about their intake policies?

 

[uhmkyrstin]

My county shelter will take "unlimited" stray cats and kittens. The kittens get fostered, socialized and adopted. Adult feral cats get TNR'd and either released back to the community they came from, or they are given away to people who want barn cats.

Have you checked with your city and county shelters about their intake policies?

Well, I called one shelter and their answer was, literally I quote, “If the animal is not old enough to be fixed we’re going to kill it so I suggest somewhere else.” Which broke my heart and shocked me completely. Of course I know some shelters euthanasize but the word kill is so unprofessional... The other shelter had a woman pick up who seemed very annoyed that I wanted help with the kittens, said that their fosters are already slammed because they’ve taken in over 2,000 kittens this year. I didn’t ask further questions because this was a few weeks ago when I was curious about my Dipper getting fostered. Now that I have kittens I need help with I will be calling them tomorrow but I’m worried they won’t take them. I don’t know who else to bring them to, these shelters are in the big cities near me as my town is smaller and doesn’t have our own animal rescue.

 

[StefanZ]

If you are in the catastrophe area, or even nearby, count on all shelters around are overfull. So the best practical chance for these kittens are YOU.

At very best, you can perhaps be a fosterhome under the shelter´s umbrella - you do the fostering and they help paying for the vet costs. When they are of adoption age, they hopefully help you with it too. If YOU want to adopt, you will pay a fee - hopefully somewhat reduced.
All this because, its not always money which is their limit, but almost always places and volunteers. This is why they kill off the very young and the not easily handleable. (in some cases they kill off practically every cat, but this is another story)

I think its very honest they do tell exactly what they do, instead of pretending they will take care but just pts immediately. Because this happens.
So sending to a shelter small kittens is very often very dangerous for them!

The rescuer / finder herself fostering is very often the best bet, not only in catastrophe situations.

 

[StefanZ]

ps. Re the factory. Feeding and helping the homeless and perhaps not admitting the cats are de facto theirs, doesnt not need to be bad. but its important to have a plan with it, including spaying and neutering...
If so done, its a good deed.

 

[Willowy]

Lying to you about killing them would be unprofessional. Using the proper words is not. Euthanasia means mercy killing, and there is nothing merciful about killing them because of lack of money/space/homes. It is just plain killing. They are under no obligation to sugarcoat the issue and use euphemisms to preserve the feelings of those who irresponsibly allow their pets to reproduce (plus, I imagine that if I worked at a shelter and had killed 50 kittens that day, and someone else called to say they had kittens, I wouldn't be in a very good mood either).

The only answer is spaying the female cats. Besides rounding them all up to be killed, that's absolutely the only thing that will work. There may be a TNR group in your area; try calling all animal-related agencies in the area to ask if they know of anything. If you can find a low-cost option, talk to the neighbors and see who's willing to help you with getting them to the spay location.

 

[uhmkyrstin]

My county shelter will take "unlimited" stray cats and kittens. The kittens get fostered, socialized and adopted. Adult feral cats get TNR'd and either released back to the community they came from, or they are given away to people who want barn cats.

Have you checked with your city and county shelters about their intake policies?

ps. Re the factory. Feeding and helping the homeless and perhaps not admitting the cats are de facto theirs, doesnt not need to be bad. but its important to have a plan with it, including spaying and neutering...
If so done, its a good deed.

I agree, thank you for your advice! I don’t think it’s bad to feed them of course, I just worry about the reproduction of them. I made a shelter for the babies with all sides covered and gave them food, they’re already eating hard food that was moistened with KMR so I think the mother weened them.. my sister may adopt one of them and my mother wants to adopt the others, so as for now things seem okay..

 

[uhmkyrstin]

Lying to you about killing them would be unprofessional. Using the proper words is not. Euthanasia means mercy killing, and there is nothing merciful about killing them because of lack of money/space/homes. It is just plain killing. They are under no obligation to sugarcoat the issue and use euphemisms to preserve the feelings of those who irresponsibly allow their pets to reproduce (plus, I imagine that if I worked at a shelter and had killed 50 kittens that day, and someone else called to say they had kittens, I wouldn't be in a very good mood either).

The only answer is spaying the female cats. Besides rounding them all up to be killed, that's absolutely the only thing that will work. There may be a TNR group in your area; try calling all animal-related agencies in the area to ask if they know of anything. If you can find a low-cost option, talk to the neighbors and see who's willing to help you with getting them to the spay location.

Thank you for your advice, sorry if I sounded like I needed sugarcoating, that wasn’t my intention. I’m just trying to to learn what’s common and what’s not and I guess it just took me by surprise at first, but you’re right. I heard today that there’s a new group starting up somewhere close by so when they have information together I’ll have to give them a call and see about TNR through their programs or something similar.

 

[orange&white]

I hope some group will be able to help you.