#adopt neuter euthanize

[bed-wed-behead-your-fave]

An alleyway of 30-40 feral cats

[lockea]

I've been seeing a lot of Discourse around outdoor cats that talks past one of the biggest problems addressing community cats/outdoor working cats so I thought I'd chime in with my two cents.

Many arguments I see just... don't think about the cats at all? Or don't consider the logistics of actually addressing the feral cat problem in a humane way. It's always about how outdoor cats shouldn't be outdoors, which is neither realistic nor helpful.

I used to volunteer at an municipal animal shelter in the USA that had a TNR program (Trap, Neuter, Return) and also adopted out community cats to local farms and businesses. Here's my side of the story.

"Your cat doesn't need to be outside" -- Yes, correct. Your domesticated (non-feral) house cat does not need to go outside at all. They can have a fully actualized life safely indoors. When I see this argument, proponents of indoor only cats are correct in most or all their arguments regarding this.

"Outdoor cats are the largest invasive species in the world, and decimate bird populations." -- This is also correct, and part of the reason why you can help by bringing your house cat indoors. Cats are the largest invasive species. Spay and Neuter your cats, bring them inside, and socialize them so they don't become feral.

"TNR doesn't work." -- False. Whether we like it or not, feral cats exist. We have two methods by which we can address the feral cat population -- decimating them (humanely euthanizing the whole colony) or TNR. For a long time, euthanasia was the preferred way to address the feral cat problem. Afterall, if the cats aren't there, doesn't that save the local wildlife population?

Except that we found, studying these colonies, that when a colony is wiped out, the cats of another colony will spread into their territory and continue to have kittens and the population of feral cats is neither controlled nor diminished.

Hence, TNR. What we found performing TNR on cat colonies was that this controlled the population of the colonies, allowing them to stay in their territory, which kept other colonies from spreading (especially colonies we hadn't performed TNR on yet). We at the shelter felt this was the most humane way to control the feral cat population and safely deflate their existence without dealing with the population blooms that euthanasia caused.

"What about kittens?" -- Kittens from these colonies were brought into the shelter, socialized, and fostered out until they could be adopted. Some of these semi-feral kittens needed special homes to be adopted into, but this was the best quality of life for these cats.

"What about cats that get missed during TNR?" -- We would return to the colony several times over a period of several years to perform TNR on the same colony. We mark cats that have been neutered by clipping their ear (this is done humanely, but is the most reliable way to tell if a cat has been neutered so the poor thing doesn't have to have surgery 3-4 times in their life). Also, during the TNR process the cats would be vaccinated to ensure disease did not spread from the colony (i.e. rabies). Still, even getting 60% of the colony TNR'd would dramatically reduce the number of kittens being added to the colony each year. This controlled the population by allowing the territory to naturally deflate in size over time, buying us time to address the larger feral cat problem.

"What if the colony was in an unsafe location?" -- There were two ways we addressed unsafe colony locations -- remember, we know that when the colony is removed, a new colony will move into its place, so we tried not to move the colony unless we really felt the cats or the public was unsafe -- one was to move the whole colony to a new location. Preferably someplace like a warehouse where we have an agreement with the owners of the warehouse. Some of the cats were even relocated to shelter grounds as our community cats. If the colony was small enough we would bring them into our Feral Cats room and adopt them out as community cats.

"What is a community cat?" -- The way the program worked, was that anyone who needed a working cat could apply to the program. These were often rural farmers or businesses with warehouses that needed rodent protection. We trained the farmers and businesses on how to acclimatize the cats to their new home, and as part of the agreement, they had to care for the cats (veterinary care, vaccinations, food and water). This gave businesses and farms an alternative to expensive and environmentally unfriendly rodent control, and also gave these feral cats good places to live out their natural lives.

"Can't you just adopt out feral cats?" -- No. Cats that have not been socialized around humans as kittens, or who have several generations of feral cat in them could not interact with humans in a way that did not cause them undue stress. This was not a humane way to handle feral cats. However, when a cat was brought into the feral cat room, they would be monitored for up to a week. If the cat displayed signs of being semi-social or fully social (hanging out outside of their den, allowing staff to pet them, showing interest in staff in the room), then we would either move the cat into the adoption room or place them in foster to be socialized before adoption. Feral cats who displayed signs of being able to live full and healthy lives with human companions were NOT adopted out as community cats. We also observed this behavior during TNRs and would do the same for those cats too.

"But aren't cats bad hunters?" -- Compared to other species, cats are not the most effective form of rodent control. This is true. However, you have to understand that feral cats exist. There is no "undo" button we can push to stop them from existing. We have to deal with the problem we have right now, which is to safely and humanely decrease the number of feral cats in our communities. And yes, we do that by using cats as rodent control in the community.

"What can I do?" -- Stop saying community cats shouldn't exist. That's not helpful and doesn't solve the problem we have. Bring your cat indoors. Spay and neuter your cats. Adopt from shelters. Volunteer with a TNR team. Support TNR efforts in your community. Recognize that those of us actively dealing with the community/feral problem are trying to do what is in the best interest of our communities and the animals we love. We aren't sitting over here saying these cats should exist -- a feral cat will not have the same quality of life as one that is indoors with a family -- but we have to address the problem in practical terms. We don't have the moral high ground to just do nothing while pontificating solutions that have no basis in actuality.

And yes, it's okay to celebrate community cats. If your local farm has a couple of working cats, that means that farm is helping participate in the safe deflation of the feral cat population. Don't shame a farm or business for using community cats. We're all doing the best we can to solve the problem that we have.

[sandersstudies]

Dude I gotta know what happened next with the cat and your hand

Even if it’s not that interesting just I gotta know

Did they take the evil child away?

How’d they get em outta your car?

So I’ve answered these as separate bits and pieces but I’ll put the pieces together for you.

When I put the cat in my car I happened to have a large cardboard box which I just yeeted him inside and crossed my fingers he would stay there.

I called the 24hr animal control line because I’ve actually had very positive previous experiences with our animal control and adopted my second cat from them. They were about to have their night-to-day shift change so they warned me it would be a while (this is right before dawn, between 6-7am).

Takes 45 minutes for them to arrive but honestly that’s okay because my Urgent Care doesn’t open until 8am. A very kind animal control butch with a net assists me in removing the box from my car (thankfully the cat is still inside) and takes a “bite report.” This varies by your location but in my city animal bites are reported by animal control (or from hospital to them if animal control isn’t called) and referred to the police for filing, and animal control has to confirm the animal is placed in a ten-day quarantine to check for signs of rabies and other disease. (My husband and I had a run-in with this process a couple months ago when there was a bat in our house, but in that case the bat was euthanized to confirm it didn’t have rabies and didn’t transmit rabies to us or our cats).

So currently the kitten is wrapping up his ten-day quarantine with animal control, and then they will make their best attempt to socialize him for adoption. He has good prospects because he’s probably only 9-ish weeks old.

My city is small and has good privately run foster programs as well, so our animal control does NOT euthanize adoptable animals. If the kitten is socialized he will find a good home somewhere.

If he is irrevocably feral, I’m not sure if the city will opt for a neuter-release or a euthanization, but as I said it will probably not come to that.

[halestonehyena]

bully positive zone

pretty sure op turned off reblogs literally as i was researching & typing this so, making my own post:

some facts about pit bulls / similar bully breeds!

pit bulls account for about 1/3 of studied dog bites

they are also very common dogs and much more likely to be abused and neglected than other dog breeds

84% of violent incidents involve a dog that was abused or neglected

94% of violent incidents involve a dog that was an intact male, which experience significantly more aggression than neutered males

the breed standard temperament is confident, excited, eager to please, and extremely friendly toward humans, and the only ''typical'' aggression is against other dogs (which can be avoided with proper socialization). it is not normal for pit bulls to be aggressive toward humans

they are much less likely to be adopted, spending an average of 3x as long in shelters as other dog breeds, and are much more likely to be euthanized than other dog breeds. they are considered undesirable due to public stigma

(sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

in this house we love bully breeds and hate stigma <3

[everybody-loves-purdy]

I feel like the books tend to make Clan cats underestimate some kittypet lives because theres some hard parts to it, like kittypets kits being taken away and given to a new home when they reach a certain age, there's also animal shelters who mistreat the animals, getting euthanized(which isn't always bad but yk what I mean right?-) getting 'fixed' idrkk, being kicked out for something that the twolegs didn't approve of and abusive twolegs- I'm not sure if there is a book that shows it yet but I'd enjoy to see one where the clan cats learn about all the difficulties there are in a kittypets life and how it's not always nice- is that just me?- Idk;-; I was full on debating wether or not I wanted to ask this anonymously or not bc I felt like this was a bit of a stupid opinion + reasoning-

It is basically unexplored territory apart from a few scenarios that don’t really get brought to the attention of the clan system. For example in Graystripe’s Vow, Graystripe finds some cats that are trapped in a cat hoarder situation. Slight tangent but I will say the old woman hoarding them isn’t malicious, the book heavily implies she’s suffering from a form of dementia iirc and she gets taken away in what is implied to be an ambulance at the end. But that’s definitely an atypical situation. I don’t think we’ve ever had a kittypet character that had been through the shelter process in the limelight, it would be a really interesting thing to see to have a former long stayer at a shelter encounter the clans.

Whenever cats in warrior cats find themselves being rehomed they never seem to go to a shelter? Or at least not for any substantial amount of time, nor do they ever get spayed/neutered after being rehomed by twolegs. I can only think of one female character and 4 male characters off the top of my head that have been fixed, and none of them because they have been put up for adoption in a shelter.

[auckie]

Do what?!

Adopt them out or euthanize them. I love cats but if you had any idea what a nightmare they are for local fauna, especially migrating birds. And like yeah they can survive but just with how invasive they are and miserable what with ticks and getting hit by cars and carried off by hawks and coyotes beating the shit out of them and shit it’s honestly for the best to. Okay wait I will relent and say catch, neuter/spay, and release is more humane. Sorry not to distract from mr fresh he’s very cute and cool and sad and funny and I don’t want him to die ever I mean it

[daisylovesrumble]

This week is National Action Week for Animals. As I attend Zoom meetings this week hosted by Best Friends Animal Society I want to remind everyone that No Kill by 2025 is possible.

What is no kill? No kill means that 90% of the animals that end up in shelters will end up in loving homes. It means shelters, rescues, fosters, activists, and communities working together to make this happen. It doesn't mean no euthanasia. Indeed that still happens as some animals are too sick or even too dangerous to be adopted. It does mean no euthanizing for space.

"Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of dogs and cats entering shelters. Therefore, we designate shelters that meet the 90% save-rate benchmark as no-kill."-Best Friends Animal Society.

What you can do to help us reach this goal and to help homeless animals?

The number one thing people can do to help animal shelters is to **adopt a pet!**

Adopting a pet from a shelter gives a loving home to an animal in need, freeing up space for other animals to be rescued and cared for. It also helps reduce the number of animals euthanized every year.

Here are some other ways you can help:

* **Volunteer your time:** Shelters always need help with tasks like walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and socializing animals.

* **Donate:** Financial donations help shelters cover the costs of food, medical care, and other essential needs.

* **Spread the word:** Tell your friends and family about the animals available for adoption at your local shelter.

* **Foster a pet:** Providing a temporary home for a pet can make a big difference in their lives.

* **Support responsible pet ownership:** Spaying and neutering your pets and keeping them on leashes helps reduce the number of animals entering shelters.

Every little bit helps! 😊

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

One thing I rarely hear brought up in the pitbull debate is the idea of making them legal to own, but only if spayed or neutered. Breeding bully mixes is the act that should be restricted, not owning them. I feel like both sides can agree on these two points:

1) Pitbulls/Bully mixes are not suitable for every home

Bully mixes are big strong dogs with a terriers drive and stubbornness. In inexperienced hands, this is a recipe for disaster. Even if their agressiveness towards humans is highly overblown, they're still more likely to be dog aggressive than many other breeds, and pretending that they're not just puts others people's pets at risk. Are they the only aggressive breed? Of course not, but you don't hear the Belgian Malinois people saying that they're easy going, low maintenance family dogs. A properly trained and socialized bully can be a wonderful family pet, great with everyone, dogs and cats included. But an improperly raised one can easily become 50lbs of muscle and teeth yanking the lead and hurling itself towards Granny and her little white maltishizpoo, and that's not going to turn out well for anyone. While it's true that every dog is a big commitment, and any dog can turn out aggressive, ignoring the unique challenges you face training a bully breed is just going to end up hurting the breed's reputation in the long run. 

2) There are more bully mixes in the US than homes that want them.

It's no secret that US shelters have more bully mixes than basically any other type of dog, and these dogs are much more likely to put down than other breeds. I believe ethically breeding dogs is a good thing, as not every home is right for every dog, and there's nothing wrong with wanting a dog with predictable traits (as long as you do your due diligence to find a breeder who health tests the parents, and maybe don't pick one of the breeds that are genetic hot messes, but I digress). However, I don't see how it's possible for anyone to ethically breed bully type dogs while you can walk into basically any shelter in the US and have your pick. This includes bully puppies too, at least in my area, so you can't even make the "starting from a blank slate" argument. 

Idk, to me this seems like a solution both sides should be able to agree on. Yes, it sucks that irresponsible people are ruining a good breed (though tbh the breeders are already doing that themselves, just google micro bully or XL bully to see the extremes these dogs are being deliberately bred too). People who want the drive of a terrier can seek out one of the many other midsized terrier breeds. People who just want a family pet will start finding actual lab mixes in the shelter, as opposed to bringing home bully mixes that may be more dog than they're prepared for. 

If there are arguments against making breeding bully type dogs illegal (apart from the dumb "well you can't enforce it 100% so why even bother" type stuff), I genuinely would love to hear them. I don't have anything against the people who love bullies and who adopt those dogs from shelters, y'all are doing a good thing

(Also, shelters who refuse to euthanize aggressive dogs and in general lie to cover up dogs' issues: you're making the problem so much worse. Maybe people would be more willing to adopt bully mixes if there weren't so many stories of people adopting a dog only to end up with a dog with issues they can't handle)

Man I’m fully just answering this ask to get it out of my inbox because I’m sick of having to scroll by it when I’m looking for something.

Just because there isn’t a character limit in asks anymore doesn’t mean there’s not a limit to how much you can plague me with before I simply don’t read it. I still haven’t read more than two sentences of this and I don’t intend to because yes there should be regulations on who can breed ANY dog breed in the interest of ensuring ethical practice is followed, no this doesn’t make sense to just apply to one type of dog because “it’s not good for every home” that’s such a non-argument because most working breeds are also not good for every home.

[cherengymleader]

I really need to hear about the romeo that wasn’t neutered

So, we usually have a couple months where we allow the parents and kids to bring their pokemon for early registration. So we're a bit crowded with several small critters and a family arrives. They have a poochyena and a buneary. While they are getting the courtyard tour another family comes. This time is just a girl and her pet buneary. Eventually we have the pokemon stay in the toddler pen while the kids get a tour of the rest of the classrooms.

Now, we usually don't let any pokemon inside at all unless they bring all their papers. Proof or adoption or catch, vaccine records, and of course proof that they have been neutered. Both buneary had them so they were allowed to be inside.

The thing is, we're not a goverment agency so we arent equipped to make absolutely sure that the papers given haven't been falsified. And also making fake papers for a school isn't considered as serious as, say, making fake documentation for the league. So we had no way of knowing the neutering papers were fake.

And whose papers was it? The buneary. And of course it was a male and a female.

At pickup time, they are half hidden behind one of the beds and just, refuse to come out. They were this 🤏 close to biting one of the kids, which if you didn't know, in Unova is grounds to have a pokemon euthanized. So I have to call Bianca and her Musharna to have then psychic'd out of the pen.

And there were five eggs in the corner.

So, to not make the story even longer than I have already made, they did have to pay us a fee for taking in the baby bunearys because there was no way in hell I was going to hand a litter of baby bunearys to the people who faked neutering records. And that's what I have been stuck with for a while now. Buneary hatch and grow fast so now I have a full house, one will hopefully be adopted by Mare with another maybe getting into Touya's hands. Hopefully they will get proper homes once they can be weaned off their mother.

[weshney]

Okay, Guys, So I was recently in Texas on a family vacation and a puppy ran in front of our car late at night. We did not hit him, but it definitely made us notice he was there!

He was covered in mange and straight up not doing well, so we scooped him up and stayed up all night taking care of him. Apart from keeping him inside our makeshift fenced yard, we fed him, gave him a dawn dish soap bath, and slathered him in half a jar of coconut oil to take care of his 100+ fleas.

He never once tried to bite or hurt us during this process. Which is impressive considering that he whimpered every time he scratched his own skin.

Within the hour post-bath he went from reasonably skittish to begging for belly rubs, wagging his tail, and no longer trying to escape.

We were so happy, but also stressed. Because, as it turns out, most of the animal shelters in the area are high kill shelters. I'm talking, a dog is in threat of euthanasia within THREE DAYS of being accepted at the shelters.

All the websites everywhere direct you to the 311 animal control line. Which is the line for the high kill shelter. It was heavily implied, when we talked to them, that he would be killed right away if they took him.

We were disgusted. I nearly cried. We were ready to ditch our whole vacation and rent a car to drive him the 36 hours home and get him treated.

At the last minute, my brother did a Hail Mary post on Facebook.

And God's Dogs answered.

I'm not even shitting you.

The no-kill, highly rated rescue was called God's Dogs.

We saved him. He got treatment right away, both for mange and a tick borne disease, and THREE DAYS later was placed with a foster family.

The exact amount of time it would have taken the city sponsored shelter to kill him.

When we dropped him off, we saw the kennels. They were nice, and the dogs very healthy.

The owner is a nurse with a huge heart.

So what I'm really getting at, is that not only does this rescue majorly deserve donations for the work they do, but they will actually transport the dogs they save all over the US for just their normal $250 adoption fee. So even if you live out of state, you can still adopt from them!!!

They're currently trying to open a vet clinic on site to treat the dogs, give vaccinations and spay/neuter sooner and more cheaply. They're about halfway through their 100k dollar goal, but I bet Tumblr could really wipe that out of the water.

What do you say Guys?

Can we show them how much this work matters?

And if you live in the area, PLEASE consider adopting a dog from the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services.

Their name is quite the fucking misnomer.

They literally have 2 month old PUPPIES on their euthanasia list at the time I'm writing this post that could be killed as early as TOMORROW.

For a complete list of dogs set to be euthanized (most within the week of being obtained), refer to my other post.

[namira]

The mass spay and neutering of pets is definitely a good thing overall but I do sometimes wonder about the potential impact of the decline of randombred dogs. Most US animal shelters are overwhelmingly populated by pit bull breeds and mixes, with a handful of other challenging breeds (ie German Shepherds, huskies) and a couple chihuahua-things here and there. Like outside of shelters in poorer rural areas there just aren't a lot of full on mutts, those classic Heinz 57 collie-lab-beagle-pointer type dogs. And again, this is overall a good thing because it means less unwanted dogs ending up in shelters and being euthanized due to lack of space despite being perfectly good dogs, but I do wonder. Like I wonder about the potential long-term impact in the dog population as a whole (less genetic diversity, etc) and I wonder about the human impact. Breeders are expensive, and those Heinz 57 mutts and non-pit purebreds that do end up in shelters are often scooped up by private rescue orgs that ostensibly reject anyone who isn't affluent. (ie heavily prioritizing adopters who work from home, requiring a fenced in yard even for small dogs that would do fine in an apartment, etc) So for a lot of Americans the only dogs realistically available to them are from breeds that are very much not for everyone (pits having a high prey drive and being predisposed to dog aggression, huskies having a high prey drive and generally being very high strung, etc) and that are, in many cases, flat out not allowed in rented properties and trailer parks. I really have no idea how it will play out in the long run or how to feel about it or any insightful conclusion here, but it does make me hmmm

[chrryblssmninja]

Please comment on this NPS form (deadline Nov 22) that they need to listen to the community, conduct an environmental impact study, and not consider mass euthanasia for cats that have been there 100s of yrs

Comprehensive article in English:

Article by Carlos Edill Berríos Polanco

"The old city’s street cats, first brought to Puerto Rico by Spanish conquistadors more than 500 years ago, have been a staple ever since and are now a tourist attraction. You can’t walk the cobblestone streets without seeing cats slinking between cars or lounging in the sun, at home in the city as much as their human cohabitants.

The NPS claims it has received a series of complaints from “visitors” about cats attacking them and the foul smell of urine and feces. The agency says it has been looking into the issue for years but only recently started putting more resources into the issue after an uptick in complaints.

It has come up with two plans of action: either let the cats stay as they are, or begin systematically removing them. While the NPS insists that removal means the cats will be adopted, activists fear that it would mean most being euthanized."

More from the article:

"The agency held two open houses on November 2 and 3, where it presented its plan and timeline to residents, allowing the public to comment. As reported by the AP’s Dánica Coto, the first night was tumultuous, with members of the public voicing their frustration at being asked to only leave written comments without being able to speak. The second night, things went a little more smoothly, but people still had a rage in them that was felt with every rousing speech and reinforced by applause from the audience.

Activists in attendance wanted to completely halt any plan that would remove the cats from the area, instead pushing for the NPS to work with the community-led organization Save a Gato to systematically trap, neuter, and release (TNR) the cats."

It is through community actions orgs like these that almost all of the cats are spayed/neutered, vaxxed, and fed.

"Save a Gato has been practicing TNR at cost for years —bringing the group “up to their neck in debt”— and ships cats to the United States, where they have a greater chance of adoption. Cartagena claims the little help they have gotten from both the NPS and the San Juan government has led to the cat population booming over the last decade."

Major point from this article:

"The lack of data and environmental impact studies was one of the most salient issues raised by activists during the two open houses. The only NPS study done was through feeding cameras over a period of a few months, which Save a Gato claims is not enough to assess if there is an actual cat problem. Multiple activists told Latino Rebels that it was “unconscionable” to outline a plan to remove the cats without any studies that show how removing them would affect the old city.

“Things need to evolve. We don’t need to stay in the past,” said Viviana Busquets, who spends about $800 a week running her own program to neuter cats from Puerto Rico.

She is a huge advocate of TNR and has raised the alarm about the “vacuum effect,” wherein removing cats from an area creates a vacuum leading to another cat colony moving into the space formerly occupied by the first.

Busquets proposes that the NPS change its one-size-fits-all policy to better adapt to the environment of Puerto Rico.

... Many activists, like Busquets, recognize the overpopulation of cats in Old San Juan and are not against removing them if they were to be adopted, but they oppose any plan that would kill cats. They push for all levels of government to work with people living in the community and groups like Save a Gato to help adopt the majority of the cats out of the city.

Old San Juan has been one of the hottest sites for gentrification in Puerto Rico with many of the colonial buildings being bought up by crypto millionaires and other rich foreigners as people who have lived there for decades are unable to deal with rising rent prices. Some view the push to remove the cats as merely an extension of this trend."

[anon-e-miss]

Portia is so pretty!! And she's such a brave girl!! Glad you guys can chill together ❤️

She's getting braver every day. She still moves more at night but she'll sit on the bed near me when I'm settling down to sleep. I'll make a pet out of this poor feral momma yet.

There was a kitten up for adoption and the shelter that saved her not that long ago. Poor thing had life altering birth defects but could still be a happy pet. Since the kitty isn't listed anymore, I hope that means he found a home. Most of the kittens being recovered from the hoarding/feral colony situation Portia came from are so sick from inbreeding that they have to be euthanized.

It's soul destroying for the shelter because they can't do anything about it. They have no policing powers and the local government doesn't apparently care.

So much of it could be resolved if the shelter could just go in and spay and neuter but they don't have that power. They can only take the surrenders given to them. This is not an SPCA but a rescue founded by vets and you can see the difference. It's a small rescue but the kennels are actually big enough for the cats to move around, to climb in. My heart honestly breaks for the staff with this increasingly sad cycle.

But I'm glad Portia's kittens will never know it. I'm glad she will never know it again.

[vanessarama]

I’m stressed about a stray cat and her 4 kittens that have decided to reside under a car in our driveway. And at this point I’m willing to ask tumblr for advice.

Mom is a stray who is very skittish. She will eat food that I put down for her, but only if I don’t get too close. I’m working to see if she’ll eventually let me get closer. My neighbor claims she has let him pet her, since he’s the one who was feeding her previously.

There are 4 kittens and they appear to be about 4 weeks old maybe? Their ears and eyes are open, they’re still a little wobbly, but coordinated enough to jump up and climb into a torn portion of the car’s front bumper (I am very concerned about this). They also started eating the wet food I was putting down for the mom. They usuallyhiss and hide from me if I get close, but some of them have tolerated me gently petting their heads while they eat.

I live in a major city. I have not bothered to call the county shelters because I am quite sure they euthanize animals who fail to be adopted and per the website they’re at “critical capacity.” Of the 4 rescue programs I have contacted, only 1 responded to tell me they are overwhelmed with kittens at the moment, but they would at least ask around if anyone was able to foster.

So like!! I am hopeful, but also preparing for the worst: that I will be unable to find a foster home for the mom and 4 kittens. I don’t have the room for them in my house, especially since I already have a 14 yr old cat. At the very least, I want to move the family out of our driveway.

What I’ve done so far: provided food, and a shelter. The “shelter” right now is an old pet carrier I found in our garage, which is missing the front door. Thankfully they’ve been using it. I am thinking of creating a larger shelter to put on the side of our house, and moving the kittens there.

If I can’t find a foster situation for them, I would like to get the mom and kittens friendly enough to eventually be taken for spaying/neutering. Which means continuing to try and befriend the mom, and socializing the kittens.

So!! I don’t know!! I feel out of my depth. All of our pet cats have come off the street, but they either approached us first or, in the case of my late orange tabby Sunny, was found in a car engine infested with fleas and most likely orphaned. But I feel I really need to at least move them out of the driveway. If you have experience/advice with this kind of thing, I’d appreciate it!!

Also, if you’re in south Florida and willing to foster a family of cats HIT ME UP PLEASE.

[leoparduscolocola]

whoever invented the euphemism “community cats” for feral/stray cats is my mortal enemy. it’s honestly astounding how many so-called “rescues” will literally throw innocent cats back out onto the street after spaying/neutering them to live an extremely short, painful, lonely, stressful and ecologically destructive life as a stray because “it’s what they’re used to and we just don’t have enough space for all of them🥺” while spending $$$$ on housing for highly aggressive and dangerous dogs. i once saw a shelter that spent a massive amount of money and resources on saving the life of a single dog that had literally killed small dogs and mauled people before while telling people on its website to leave friendly, socialized kittens outside because “they’re community cats!!1!” imagine how many cats’ lives could’ve been saved by the resources expended on that one dog? as much as we’d all like to imagine that there are just legions of highly experienced trainers out there willing to adopt and rehab every aggressive dog that’s just not possible. i don’t like euthanizing animas either but I feel like a lot of this “no kill” stuff has really allowed people’s bias towards dogs and against cats to come out. so many “rescues” see cats as less important or less intrinsically valuable than dogs and it just makes me so so sad

[quiet-gurl]

Blog Post 8: Research

Trigger Warning: This will get sad

I didn’t want to post something like this, but I feel that it plays a crucial to my story so I have to include it. According to Daily paws, “about 950 cats and dogs are euthanized daily across the country because of lack of space.” (Cannon, Austin) Why would I announce such a sad thing? Because I learned the shelter I volunteered at was a kill shelter. These animals are given thirty days, at the most, to find a rescue, a foster, or a home. Animal that present strong behavioral problems are given a lot less. It’s not fair, because most of these animals can really showcase their personality once they step outside of the shelter.

There were a few animals that came in during my time that suddenly disappeared. Many of my volunteer buddies would say they went to the backroom (which was a code word for where they are put down). I chose to believe they went to a different place.

Overcrowding is an issue and I understand why shelters are struggling to find anyone to take the animals, but let’s point the finger at shelter for a moment.

Some shelters make it unbearably difficult to adopt an animal. If you don’t have a fence, you’re rejected. If you don’t have a vet reference, you're rejected. If you haven’t owned the particular breed before, you’re rejected. An adopter will not fit every little checkbox there is. Many people live in apartments, but are willing to walk the dog as it needs. First time pet owners are certainly not going to a have a vet reference, so why reject them? If the shelters are so desperate to empty the shelters, why are the requirements so extreme? For the animal to have the best life? Okay, but sometimes that’s not possible in the world we live in. The amount of money to adopt an animal is a bit irrational as well, I have looked at other shelters amounts to adopt. One shelter was asking for $500. This included the animal, the shots, the neuter/spay, and a microchip. But other shelters I have seen are at the most $200. Still a lot but more reasonable than $500.

I wanted to bring this to the public’s attention because there is more reason to why animals are being put down than overcrowding. So now we have 950 animals losing their lives everyday because adoption requirements are too extreme. Let’s lessen the requirements, lessen the price, and give the animals more than a month to live. So many of those animals have a potential for a family if they were given more time.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/pet-news/280000-fewer-dogs-cats-were-euthanized-in-animal-shelters-last-year