Button Is Not Well!

Thank you ALL! Just one more thing, here in AZ if you take a feral to the Humane Society they are immediatley put down. They consider them unadoptable and destroy them. If you can find a place in a no-kill shelter, and ones that will work with ferals, then there may be a chance. That's why we TNR and maintain a colony by feeding and providing shelter and water. This can also work in the city as long as someone can feed. The best way to think on TNR is you're preventing producing and more cats living in the same environment. You're not destroying the existing ones, you're preventing reproduction, feeding and just helping them live a little better life!

The no kill shelter where I'm volunteering has done very well taming down some ferals and found them good homes but they have one REALLY wild lady that is not going to socialize. They brought her in, put her in a cage and attempted to work with her. Within a few days she was very sick. They couldn't even medicate her until she was so sick that she didn't have as much fight in her. I sat down by the cage and talked to her for awhile and she barely lifted her head and looked me in the eye and I knew that she did not want to live. It was pure sadness and it broke my heart. I went and talked to the director and was so glad to hear her say that they knew she would never be socialized and that the shelter is killing her. She said we are looking for a farm with a barn that will be willing to take her and keep food out for her. She will have shelter, food and freedom. I hope they find it for her soon.
I was already very pro TNR but after seeing her I became an advocate!!

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Originally posted by kimlovescats
each of us is helping and contributing in our own ways.

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And you are all doing a fantastic job! You each have your own "tactics" and what works in one area might not be such a good idea in another area. But the point is that it's working! And that's what matters. The who, what, when, where, how is all just minor details compared to the fact that there are a whole lot of cats out there that are a lot better off because of what each of you are doing.

I think you all need to give yourselves a pat on the back and join in a big group hug here. ;) :D

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Originally posted by catcrazylady
I also want to say that IN MY OPINION there are some older ferals that should NOT be trapped and held in captivity. I know there are people who believe that all should be trapped and then placed in shelters until socialized and adopted. From what I have seen in the shelter these cats have been given a death sentence. They are older, set in their wild ways, and FREE! They come into the shelters and get sick, lose the will to live because of the caging.

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I SO agree with this!! Pjevs in our backyard is at least 12 and he could not live indoors now. Someone left him behind when they moved many years ago. :( We first saw him when we moved in in 1994 and had no idea how old he was then - he was sleeping in an old pram. Shortly after, a few of us was feeding him, and other cats in the yard, and we noticed each other and formed a group. We had meetings now and again and took turns feeding – and we built houses for them. :) Unfortunately, some of these people have since moved, so we’re only two families left to care for him. :)

Seeing people walking right past him, without noticing he wants a cuddle or a bite to eat, is hard! On a brighter note, a swedish girl from the block across the road, has noticed him and keeps coming back to cuddle. :) And while I was away on vacation, she took my turns feeding him. :)

Here's a few pics of him.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/fdc01764.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/fdc0172c.jpg

It's so true that everyone is doing a fantastic job and each one helping in their own way, but I have to add my tuppenceworth here ... :D

I have the utmost respect for those who work with feral cats. I think, that to work with that colony who live in the park, to feed and care for them is an absolutely wonderful thing to do. I have a particularly soft spot for feral cats because our cats were feral when they appeared in our garden. A feral mummy moved her two kittens into our garden for shelter. We eventually managed to get them in the house. Jessica (mummy) however, is never going to socialise. She appreciates comfort - soft beds, warm radiators and not having to catch her own food. She also tolerates us taking her to the vet once a year for her check up and boosters. That is the closest we ever get to Jessica. BUT, how many people could keep a cat like this? We could not have had Jessica in the house if we had had children, or any other pets. It has only worked because she was brought in with her own kittens. If Jessica had been taken to a shelter, she would never have been adopted. She may well have sat in her cage waiting to die; or, if she had fight left in her, hissed at all comers through her bars. With such an excess of cats looking for homes, how is a cat like this going to find a home?

You are giving these cats a far, far better life than they could ever have looked forward to on their own. I love reading your posts and seeing your pictures of the park cats. If I ever find myself in Arizona, it's going to be my first port of call. :D

By the way (what the thread's about), keeping my fingers crossed for sweet Button. I know you will help her the best way you can.

K & L, I'm glad that Button hasn't been tested positive for feLV, that's a huge relief! Hopefully she will eat enough of the food with the antibiotics, enough to make her feel better.

I think it's wonderful what you and your hubby are doing for these cats, this world needs more people like that, thanks for that (also to all the others at PT who are doing the same).

Kirsten

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Originally posted by Kirsten
K & L, I'm glad that Button hasn't been tested positive for feLV, that's a huge relief! Hopefully she will eat enough of the food with the antibiotics, enough to make her feel better.

I think it's wonderful what you and your hubby are doing for these cats, this world needs more people like that, thanks for that (also to all the others at PT who are doing the same).

Kirsten

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Button looked 100% better last night. She was VERY wary of us, but we brought antibiotics mixed in tuna, which worked. I will try and get an updated picture of her ASAP. It’s raining here right now, so that cats may not come out tonight. I will keep you all posted and REALLY appreciated all your positive responses!!

K&L,
You know, you can't do much more than the two of you are currently doing. I have read over and over the care, love and support (financial and emotional) you provide to this feral community. It is a sad state of affairs our animal population is in. Of course, we want to rehome everyone that we can, but, sadly, that just isn't a reality. It is a harsh fact that has to be accepted.

Please don't let a single negative poster on this thread take two seconds of your time...time better spent caring for the kitties. Often times people are so confused themselves that they can't see what others are doing. Keep up the GREAT work, and keep us posted on Button.

Johanna

I'm sorry I started a firestorm. I didn't mean to offend what anyone else is doing for the cats. My only point is it's too bad that there isn't a network available to foster and socialize kittens for you. If I'd been in Arizona I would have taken the litter in a heartbeat. I'm lucky in that we have a small group of people willing to open their homes, and risk getting clawed up to take time to work with little ones. I have done TNR as well, and one colony was three years of time and money(from my pocket). I removed a large number of feral kittens from there, all of which were stunted from moms having too many kittens. I thought they were 3 months old, but as they socialized quite fast, the vet visit surprised me. All were over six months old. The adults were altered and put back. Though they had feeders, it turned into a sad affair when a fox came out of the woods in broad daylight and killed one cat instantly, and seriously injured a second one. I count my blessings every time Sweet Pea (one of the former kittens) wants to be stretched, or hand fed crunchies one by one, that it wasn't her that was killed. The colony now is one sad cat with badly frostbitten ears that is impossible to catch. People discovered her styrofoam shelters under duct work, and kicked one in. I have tried to catch Olivia numerous times, but with construction going on, and huge rock caves, it's not easy. I'd let her live her life out here if she'd let me. AZ cats, you have done a comendable job, and an important one, but my only point was it's too bad the kittens couldn't have been tamed. I've had very few that were truly feral and un-touchable. It gives me great personal satisfaction to see one of my former street waifs going into a home forever. Costly yes, but priceless.

Queenscoopalot
I understand fully what you're saying. The point here is I have rescued many kittens and found homes, but eventually you run out of resources and people who want them. BTW, if you read some of my previous posts you will see I do have one of the kittens from that litter, Bo, the other calico. I feel I have reached my limit at home with 17. I also feel if you can't provide properly financially or medically, then you don't need anymore. Also, it wasn't like I saw these kittens the day they were born. The feral mom's hide them until they are old enough to wean and eat on their own. Sad part is I don't know of anyone willing to foster. The group we work with, AzCATs,use to foster but it got overwhelming and lack of volunteers willing to do this. Fostering is a full time job and many don't have the time or space for this.

I'm doing the best I can do with the resources and finances we have. I feel that since I couldn't find these kittens a place, at least I spayed/neutered them, provided them with shelter, and daily feedings. That is WAY more than they would have had without me and my husband.

Also, please check the link out I previously posted to you. Notice how healthy and well-fed these cats are. If you didn't know any better you would think they really belonged to someone. Well I guess they do, us!

I do appreciate your concern for the cats, cause this is what TNR is all about. I also think there are many out there that need the education about TNRing.

I'm not anger at anyone, but I did want to try and make a few people realize the time, effort, caring, and money that we go out of our way to provide for these babies.

K&L,

I think you do a great job of helping the feral cats you have there. I am impressed by the overwhelming job you manage to deal with EVERY single day. If there is a reward in this life or the next you most certainly have earned it.

Queenscoopsalot,

You too have done great work with difficult situations and you are to be commended. But you also need to realize that not every one's situation is the same. The resources are not the same and some communities are more blessed with people that can help than others. I think your concern is touching however I also wish you would temper your concern before making very judgmental statements and then continually comparing YOUR successful efforts to someone elses as if they just aren't doing enough. It just isn't fair. We want to hear about your successes. Just please start a new thread in Cat Rescue so we can just celebrate YOURS and in this thread concentrate on celebrating K&L's success in treating Button.

Also conditions in AZ are considerably different than the condition in the Northeast. K&L doesn't have to deal with freezing conditions this time of year like we do. Of course we don't have to deal with the EXTREME heat that she does in the summer. It is all a trade off

I hope everyone keeps up the hard work for all of the homeless cats out there.

Denyce