AboutReverend S. Abbott Expertise I am the owner of 4AnimalCare.org, a rescue, rehab and behavior modification network with volunteers across the country ready to help contribute time, effort and knowledge for animal welfare.
We have re-homed dogs, countless cats and are growing our activities in exotic bird care.
I’d like to provide the answers to your questions and concerns about how to recognize animals in need, what you can do in your area and contribute to supporting you through the initial adjustment time after adopting a previously neglected animal.
If I don’t have the answers, I’ll do whatever I can to find someone who does!
Experience Endangered/Protected species caretaker working with state veterinarians more than 25 years.
Exotic bird care, macaws a specialty, working with breeders, researchers and veterinarians (ongoing)
Cats (40 years), rodents and marsupials
Publications United Media Syndicate (weekly column); United Press International/Associated Press (daily); Bird Talk Magazine; various others
Awards and Honors Listed in 3 Who's Who publications for outstanding accomplishment in field
Question My fiance & I live in Staten Island, NY in a decent-sized 2-bedroom condo. We live next to a pond where there are numerous stray cats. We've caught & neutered/spayed some which we had to release but we kept as many as we could which now totals 14 cats! Somehow, we've managed to create a peaceful home even those these were all feral-born except for the 2 we moved in here with which were also adopted strays we don't know the origins of. Recently, we found a mother cat w/2 tiny kittens hiding in our garbage can bin & were able to catch them all. The mother is really just a kitten herself -- we had attempted to catch her in the past but were unsuccessful. She is a very small cat, as are many of them in this area & almost 1/2 of ours are small as well. Here's the question/problem: The local rescue groups are overflowing with cats & kittens right now & we don't want her or the babies to get put to sleep as soon as they are "tagged" as being "feral". We can't keep them -- we have them in a large cage but can't keep them there indefinitely & they are causing major disturbance in the household. As I work 6 days a week & my fiance is disabled, we're pretty limited as to where we can go/attempt to take them. Other than getting them spayed/neutered & releasing them back outdoors (which would break our hearts to do -- the tiny adoptable kittens especially!) what can we do? Where/who can we turn to? We've supported many well-known groups in the past but found out thru prior experiences that they won't do a damn thing for you when YOU need to place an animal! ANY answers/suggestions would be appreciated from the bottom of our hearts!
Thank you & have a great weekend!
CatDaddy Michael & CatMommy Anne
Answer When I got to the part about how much you've supported animal causes and now when you need them, they aren't there for you - it struck a nerve.
It's not just you. I OWN an animal rescue organization (though very small) and when the bigger orgs. need help in trapping, transporting or most other physical efforts, we have never said 'no'. All at our own expense and often quite costly in mileage, not to mention the hours and hours spent.
We are also having an exceptionally overwhelming year so far, due to abandoned homes, foreclosures and the general economy. Not only are we refused the same help you're hoping to find, but they won't even contribute flea meds. (we have to buy it from them).
Still, we haven't once refused them when they call needing our teams to drive an hour at 10 pm on a Saturday night to sit for 2 hours trying to trap a feral mom and her kittens. In fact, that call for help came just 5 hours after they refused a single dose of flea med for a rescued cat.
We still did it by the way. We try to conduct ourselves by a higher ethic.
All that said, the only option you have is TNR at this point. Trap-neuter-release.
We are always looking into farm properties and trying to help them keep a healthy population of cats for rodent problems (mousers still need to be maintained, well fed, watered and checked for health).
If you have anything like this nearby - including horse racing tracks, knock on doors.
By the way, keeping them (after neutering) in your area is a self-controlling measure. It should actually decrease the number of cats overall, especially with them being neutered.
I'm sorry there's nothing else to advise. Sometimes we have to face the fact that the numbers just don't add up. There aren't enough homes for these creatures and a painless, peaceful euthanasia (don't believe all the horror stories) saves them a great deal of suffering and living without safety, love and comfort. Something every cat deserves.
