HELP! 11 cats from house fire need new homes

Dear friends, many of you read my reports here on the Christmas Eve fire in the house where I was catsitting 12 cats (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=165178).

There is a heartbreaking turn of events now :(, that I am writing about to ask if any of you may be able to help in some way or another.

Simon (owner) now wants to re-home 11 of the 12 cats. He and his lady friend have signs up on the local Whole Foods bulletin board. A friend called to tell me about the signs.

Simon had told me a few days before that they were thinking of rehoming "a few" of them and that Valerie (his friend) has a vast network of friends she is contacting about taking some. Now it seems it's all but one of the cats, and they're advertising to the general public.

I called him yesterday afternoon. Yes, they are doing this, and yes, they are being very careful about wonderful-seeming adopters who really are looking to acquire animals for experiments, product testing, fighting-dog bait, and such.

But.. not only at Whole Foods, he said they have an ad on Craigslist (which I immediately thought is ASKING for trouble, not that I've ever done anything on Craigslist myself).

I told him, if it would make a difference, I'd come every day and scoop their litters and clean their boxes and their dishes and freshen their food and water.. on my own time, he wouldn't even have to pay me.. but no..

He said they've found a very nice family who want to adopt Chauncey (one of the Himalayans with the bad mats whom I took to the groomer's last week). I again gave him the warning about "perfect"-seeming adopters.

I told him I might adopt the most-elderlies Poppaea and Lavinia (the one who went to the E-vet after the fire). (I have five cats already in my two-room apartment! But if it would save their lives..) Then there are two elderly black sisters, Thelma and Louise.. These four really old ones, plus some of the others that are really shy of people, are the ones I'm most worried about.

I feel really bad about this. I told him, I can just see Kristine (his late wife) whipping up tornadoes from her ashes! He laughed at that, which said to me that he knows damn well what Kristine would think about it.

Some of them originally came from Mosaic (the shelter I was just laid off from working at), and they can go back there, but the rest (including these four oldies-but-goodies) will need to get new homes. I don't think they've set a deadline the cats have to be gone by.. I hope not, anyway.

SO, THIS IS MY REQUEST: Would any of you possibly be interested in taking in any of these cats?.. or have other friends and/or contacts who might be able to take one or more.. or might know of more networks? ... Please get word out to all the people you know who might adopt any of them or know any other good people who might adopt any of them?

Location and transport will be dealt with somehow. If not TOO far away .. e.g., northern/western MI? Chicago? Toronto? Cleveland? Columbus? :rolleyes:? .. I'll even drive them myself if necessary.

I was wondering last night whether I should take Lavinia.. she has a LOT of health problems and I do not have the money for a lot of vet work (I think Poppaea is in pretty good shape, considering her age and all).. plus seven cats would really be pushing it for space in my apartment. But who else would adopt Lavinia?

Who else would adopt so many of the others? And most of them are old enough that a complete change in their lives, after all the upheavals they've been through in the last couple of months, and after losing Kristine the year before, will be so traumatic for them. They'll all need a lot of extra special care and attention, and many could use some vet attention too.

I will find out where the Craigslist thread is and if they have a web site about the cats or other contact info.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for any help, suggestions, advice, or encouragement, friends!

Pat :love::love::love::love::love::love: plus 11 more :love:s

Yes, posting on CL is just asking for trouble.

I am so sorry. I can't take any myself, I will say prayers for all of them.

So sorry but we cant help. We live way down in Louisiana and already have 10 cats in a mobile home!

But we wish you and the cats good luck! Hope you find good homes for them soon. :love:

Thank you, Sandie and Barb. Prayers and good wishes are always helpful and appreciated!

I was just thinking about these cats - wondering if their owner had finally managed to get home.

What a pr*ck he is :mad: How could he take in 12 cats - and now want to get rid of almost all of them? Or is it his new lady love?

I sorry - I can't help. We have 6 now, and that's really too many. We should have stopped at 4 - but those cute faces kept showing up at our back door.

He damn well better keep every last one of them until each has a wonderful, fantastic home.

I'm sorry to hear Rita laid you off. This has turned into one miserable winter for sure :(

All I can say about Craigslist and seemingly perfect people is this
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/stor...storyid=143008
This happened very recently here in Louisville, Ky. I have been sick to my stomach and have had nightmares from this.
Melissa

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Originally Posted by Grace

I was just thinking about these cats - wondering if their owner had finally managed to get home.

What a pr*ck he is :mad: How could he take in 12 cats - and now want to get rid of almost all of them? Or is it his new lady love?

I sorry - I can't help. We have 6 now, and that's really too many. We should have stopped at 4 - but those cute faces kept showing up at our back door.

He damn well better keep every last one of them until each has a wonderful, fantastic home.

I'm sorry to hear Rita laid you off. This has turned into one miserable winter for sure :(

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Thanks, Gretchen. The person who took in all the cats was his late wife Kristine, who died a year ago last fall. She was a lifelong rescuer of wounded-birds of all species.

Simon has kept them since she passed away, I think, more in her memory and in respect for her wishes than that he is a big-time cat person himself.

And yes, I think it is the new lady friend who is the main impetus behind this. She is going to move in with him after the house is all fixed up again. She has a cat of her own, the same age as Hero, the one of Kristine's cats they are going to keep (who being young and healthy and friendly would be the easiest to adopt out!).

I am going to be following all of this as closely as I can. I also am going to get the word out to as many people as I can, the kind of people who will also want the best for these dear kitties and will pass the word on to any good contacts they have.. It's going to be hard enough for the kitties at their ages as it is.

And yes, four of us at Mosaic were abruptly let go. This has been quite a winter indeed so far.. (and now for the big storm! At least I don't have to go anywhere or get anything tomorrow.. one good thing about being axed by Mosaic, as Wednesday morning was one of my shifts! :eek::D:p)

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Originally Posted by doolittleky

All I can say about Craigslist and seemingly perfect people is this
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/stor...storyid=143008
This happened very recently here in Louisville, Ky. I have been sick to my stomach and have had nightmares from this.
Melissa

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Oh God, Melissa, this turns my stomach too. But thank you for the link, repulsive as it is.. I am going to e-mail it to Simon to emphasize my concerns regarding how you can't be too careful about people who contact you through Craigslist.

I would love to take in one but with the current kitites just can't but I can offer transport through PA if anyone is interested.

Melissa

Thank you, Melissa, and I'll keep in mind the transport help if any potential adopters turn up in that direction.

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Unfortunately I can't help either because I already have a housefull with 6 cats and I live in CA. I'll be keeping them all in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks, KAK. Prayers are always good and helpful and appreciated!

I would totally help out too but I'm in CA too and with the weather it's a bit of a challenge for transport. I'd be glad to help in any other way. I think this is shameful and I think Craigslist shouldn't allow animal postings of this sort. There are ALOT of sick people and this is an opportunity for abuse. So sad. :(

Oh dear, I can't tell you how many requests I receive like this every day. It's so heartbreaking and they just keep on coming. I have the space, just not the finances. I'm doing ok but w/Cgirl and Yodie, I just never know how much the next vet bill is going to be. I'm sorry this is happening, Pat, and I can at least offer my prayers. Keep the faythe. :love:

It just breaks my heart!! WHY can't he fix up a room just for the cats and let them live in peace right there!! :mad: Ladies will come and go in his life, those kitties will always be there when he needs company!

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Originally Posted by Laura's Babies

It just breaks my heart!! WHY can't he fix up a room just for the cats and let them live in peace right there!! :mad: Ladies will come and go in his life, those kitties will always be there when he needs company!

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That was the plan at first, or so I'd been told.. that one of the basement rooms would be fixed up to be the cats' room. I don't know how or why he could have let himself be so easily or quickly swayed on this. I would come and look after them every day.

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Originally Posted by Medusa

Oh dear, I can't tell you how many requests I receive like this every day. It's so heartbreaking and they just keep on coming. I have the space, just not the finances. I'm doing ok but w/Cgirl and Yodie, I just never know how much the next vet bill is going to be. I'm sorry this is happening, Pat, and I can at least offer my prayers. Keep the faythe. :love:

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I'd chip in for the vet bills, even!

Thank you for the prayers and good wishes, Mary. I'm keeping the faythe.

I got an e-mail from Simon saying there's no other web site or information out there about this. And it sounds as though Chauncey has already gone to his new home. (If so, I hope HOPE HOPE these are good people.)

I sent Simon the link to the awful Craigslist story that Melissa posted about, telling him this is just the kind of thing I'm so worried about. And I asked him if he would please consider keeping at least some of them, especially the four old girls, because they'll be the hardest to adopt out and will be traumatized the most by the upheaval.

I asked about his earlier plan to make one of the basement rooms the cat room and said I'd come over once every day to feed and clean, and he wouldn't even need to pay me, that I love them all very much and want them to be all right and happy, wherever they wind up.

I even told him I'd just gotten a small grooming kit with the idea of controlling mats on his longer-haired ones! That was the SCAREDY-CUT kit posted about here on PT recently, and it just arrived today.

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Originally Posted by Grace

I'm sorry to hear Rita laid you off. This has turned into one miserable winter for sure :(

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You know, or know of, Rita, Gretchen? I gather she and Peter are quite well known (notorious?) around these parts.

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Originally Posted by phesina

You know, or know of, Rita, Gretchen? I gather she and Peter are quite well known (notorious?) around these parts.

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I know "of" her. And notorious is an apt description. Our neighbors went to an open house at Mosaic many years ago, looking for a cat. Georgia left in tears after Rita got done castigating her for allowing her cats to go outside.

I also heard that she once stole a cat from the local Humane Society. Walked right out with the cat under her coat.

I applaud her work at her shelter. Her attitude could stand some adjustment.

Rita is notorious for speaking her mind at any time, saying anything at all that crosses it to anyone around. She does not have the slightest grasp on the concepts of "tact" or "diplomacy."

Wondering how these poor kitties are faring. Are there any left homeless yet?? Any with special needs or older kitties?? I'd hate to see any left to go to a shelter or anything like that.

Some of them have been adopted. Rita, the owner of the Mosaic shelter (from which I and three other workers were fir-.. uh, "asked to retire" last month) took four of them, including two of the very oldest (up to 20 maybe?) and two very shy ones. It is a no-kill shelter, and they will be safe and cared for.

There are three others still left, two mid-life boys who might be getting new homes.. yesterday Simon was meeting a family interested in them. And then there is Poppeia*, the oldest, maybe as old as 20.. and I will probably wind up with her too.

Lavinia is no spring chicken, or kitten, either.. she's something like 15 to 17.

* I am not sure of the proper spelling. The name is from a figure in ancient Roman history (I have the idea she was associated with Julius Caesar ..?). Originally she (the cat) was the beloved companion of a renowned classics scholar at the University, Kristine's first husband who passed away many years ago.

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Originally Posted by phesina

And then there is Poppeia*, the oldest, maybe as old as 20.. and I will probably wind up with her too.

Lavinia is no spring chicken, or kitten, either.. she's something like 15 to 17.

* I am not sure of the proper spelling. The name is from a figure in ancient Roman history (I have the idea she was associated with Julius Caesar ..?). Originally she (the cat) was the beloved companion of a renowned classics scholar at the University, Kristine's first husband who passed away many years ago.

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Poppaea Sabina - the second wife of Nero. info from Wikpedia.

Fascinating how some pets, and people, get their names :)

Thanks for the history, Gretchen. I remembered the name from long ago but not the exact spelling or history.

I tried to get my sister and her partner to consider adopting Poppaea. They had both been Classics majors at the University. Professor David Shackleton Bailey was well known to them, but they weren't there when he was.

I told Mary Kay (my sister) that Poppaea used to belong to him and of course channels him now. "Just think of the conversations you could have," I said, "in ancient Greek and Latin, no less!" (But they weren't up for another cat :(.)

A few days ago I asked her if she knew the exact identity or proper spelling of Poppaea, but she didn't remember either. I will pass on the Wikipedia info.

I see Lavinia is also a character from ancient Rome, mythological rather than historical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavinia.