Guess what I found

Here is the latest from Dooville. Last night about 1am, I was getting out of my car to go inside and I saw Oreo, the neighborhood cat chase something under a parked car. I ran over and chased Oreo away. And then I went to look under to see what was under there and it was a cat and as soon as it saw me it meowed and came right up to me and rubbed all over me. It was a young cat 3 or 4 months old at the most. I thought , this can't be happening to me! I don't have room for another one and I can't take it inside with my others. I didn't know what to do, so I ran inside and got it some food and it ate it like it was straved to death. I ran in and got the cell phone and called the vet and asked if they could call her and ask if I could bring her in and she could find her a home. Thanks God she said I could bring her in that night, because I don't know if I could have let her go if she had stayed with me all night. She was the friendliest sweetest cat and just wanted to be with me. And as long as she was with me she was happy and content and purred like crazy. So I fed my gang and gave their insulin shots and meds etc and then at 2:30 am I am driving to the vet with this cat I would have named Sydney if I had kept her. the whole way there she just cried like she was saying let me out of here I want to be with you. I wanted to turn the car around and just take her home to stay but I knew I couldn't. So I dropped her off at the vet held her a few minutes and then said good bye. Why is this always so hard for me? I called this morning and the test was negative and she already had a home. I knew she would get one fast because of her personality. I hope she lives a very long and happy life with lots of love. I have some pics of her but no space so I will have to figure out how to post them so you can see her.

http://www.shutterfly.com/share/pictures.jsp

Doo=^..^=

Very sweet story of another cat in a furever home :D

I am interested how did you know so quickly that the cat was a stray cat not an escapie from a home ?!?

That's what I was thinking that it could have been someone's kitty that escaped since it was so friendly. Anyhoo, thank you Melissa for saving this little one from the street and i'm glad it worked out well.:)

I have nothing but praise for you Melissa, GOOD ON YOU, you can only do your best in these situations, and it sounds like kitty has a good home, if the kitty was starving I really doubt payitforward that it belonged to someone else, unfortunately we are not always to know these things, and can only do what we think is for the best, don't you think?

I think that was some mighty quick thinking.... calling the vet in the middle of the night? I am to much of a coward to do that though.

PIF,

I will answer your question with a question. Does any rescuer ever know without a shadow of a doubt that the animal they are trying to help is without a home( with the acception of ferals)? Anytime I have come upon an unsupervised animal that I feel needs my help I have considered the fact that they might have a home and have feared that by me helping them that I might be rescuing someone's baby. But my greatest fear is that I do nothing and then I come upon the animal dead on the road somewhere. To me that is the greatest tragedy of all people who do nothing to help an animal in need. I would never be able to live with myself if that happened. I know everyone is not always going to agree on how to handle a situation, but I feel I did what I thought was best at the time and what was best for the kitten. Each person just does the best they can. I have looked in the lost ads in the newspaper and have looked around for lost cat signs in the area and have found none.

Melissa

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Originally posted by carole
...... if the kitty was starving I really doubt payitforward that it belonged to someone else, unfortunately we are not always to know these things, and can only do what we think is for the best, don't you think?

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My George has eye tracts and bad fur and my Treacle 'looks' half starved. I use to worry so much about Treacle even knowing how much he ate, that I weighed him weekly, just to check he wasn't losing any weight. People may THINK my cats need help but they don't according to my vet.

Cats which LOOK like they need help don't always and it is up to us to ensure to the best of our knowledge that the cat needs a new home BEFORE we just assume this.

BTW she never said the cat WAS starving just that the cat ate like it was starving which a lost cat will do just the same as a stray cat. It means nothing beyond the cat was hungry.

IMO a sweet natured friendly purry cat who is scared to be out at night sounds like a well loved escapie owned cat than a stray.

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Originally posted by doolittleky
....but I feel I did what I thought was best at the time and what was best for the kitten. Each person just does the best they can. I have looked in the lost ads in the newspaper and have looked around for lost cat signs in the area and have found none.

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To be a responsible person, every cat which is picked off the street should remain in a shelter or your home for seven days whilst placing found cat posters around the neighbourhood, registering the cat lost with all shelters and vets, scanning cat for microchip, You can even letting cat out in a paper collar to see if anyone rings you. If no owner has come forward THEN rehome knowing you are helping a stray cat rather than stealing an owned one, who might of escaped their home or just got lost.

How would you feel if one of your cats got out and someone just rehomed them rather than try and find you ? Would you still think this was a reasonable way to deal with a found cat ?

If the cat is in pain and need of medical care, it would be right to rush the cat for necessary treatment before trying to find her owners but you still need to try and find them before rehoming.

I will confess I even put one cat to sleep before confirming he was a stray (which I later found out as I still looked for his owners) but according to the vets, he was in constant pain from advance FIV & Flev and cancerous mouth tumours. For his sake I could not let him suffer any longer (RIP Caramel)

So unless a cat is in need of medical intervetion, you should hold the cat for seven days to allow her owners to collect her.

As the cat has been missing for 1 or 2 days they may just be printing out posters today I would keep an eye out for posters over the next few days.

Why don't you print some Found Cat Posters yourself and post them locally ? See if you can tell her owners where to find her and if you don't find owners you will know that you helped a stray.

I suggest you read this article, it has a check list of responsible things to be done BEFORE you rehome your next found cat.
http://www.lostmycat.com/foundcat.html
(Please Note I am rewriting the above page hence the tables are off but the poster still works.)

I really do think you have a heart of gold to help cats on the streets. To do this you are an angel.

I only ask you to please consider taking a few basic steps to ensure you are only helping those you really need it.

If you are very lucky you might be able to reunite a lost cat(s) with their owners.

And you have earned Points,with The Pet Talker Angels,and with Our Lord,for your compassion,and getting that Poor Cat,off the Street,and into a Furr Ever Home,of her own,and you will reap,the rewards,when your time comes,many years,from now!

I am kind of in the same situation, So I thought I would ad my input. I have a beautiful male that has been hanging out at my home. At first I thought he was just a visitor. I do keep putting food out there, so I know the surrounding strays arent hungrey. So the other day I check him for fleas, and so far didnt find any. So I thought for sure he was someones pet. and was here eating the good stuff:D

But everyday he still is here. So this morning I went out while it was still dark and called, and sure enough he ran out from under my home at 5 am. Okay this has been on going, everytime I see him or call, he is under my home. So i went online and looked at a few lost and found sites, NOthing! I have made the choice to get him in a pet cage tonight and keep him here for a week, and see if someone doesnt come looking. If not he will be ready for adoption in about 10 to 14 days. What other choice do I have?

Melissa,

Think of it as a happy ending. I'm SURE she'll get a home quickly. I've been in animal rescue for over 8 years now and I know how easily it is to become attached to the rescues.

You did the right thing. I commend you!

Hi! I'm new here and hope no one gets offended but here I go. Ideally, the kitty should be kept 5-7 days before adopted out. Post flyers at vets offices, the neighborhood, etc. Chat with the neighbors to see if they may have seen kitty before. They may know owner or they may know that kitty has just been hanging around homeless for days or longer. You did the right thing by first and foremost getting her off the street. Given my experience, in my community, she would most likely have been a throw away and our local shelter has very very few cats or dogs reclaimed by their owners. Also some newspapers will run lost and found pets for free as a community service (ours does).

In an ideal situation the kitten wouldn't have been out running the streets in the first place. I do feel like I did the responsible thing by taking the kitten in. And in the ideal situation I could have kept the kitten for a week in hopes that an owner would show up. . I couldn't take the kitten in and keep her for a week because I have other cats. I don't have a separate place that I could have kept her in while I was trying to make sure she didn't have a home, and as I said before no one can ever be 100% sure about it. In an ideal siuation I would have had an extra room to put her in while I look for an owner that good chances is never going to show up, I would have had the money to get her combo tested so that I wouldn't have been endangering the health of my babies. And btw, my vet always scans the animals brought in for microchips. I have looked for posters in my area and have checked the lost ads . You are not suggesting anything that I have not done in the past with other rescues. I have put cat collars on stray cats with my number on them... no one has ever called about these cats. You are assuming in your statements telling me how I should handle the situation that I haven't done anything and I have just taken someone's beloved pet. As I said befofre diffierent people handle siuations differently and just because not everyone does not do what you would do in the siuation does not mean they are irresponsible and were wrong.
Melissa

Payitforward I understand what you are saying, but it really does sound like you are attacking Melissa for what she did, how would you feel if you have done the best you could and someone made you feel bad.

I can relate to what she is saying exactly, we found a darling kitten, I was only able to keep her here for a night or two, as I had to keep her isolated in my daughters room, which by the way is stifling hot in the summer, cannot open the windows, as she would fall out, the bedroom is upstairs, or get away, yes she could have been someone's beloved pet, but my daughter found an excellent home for her in the country.

What would you have done then? kept her in hope the owner's found her, or turn the chance down of a good home, we just simply could not keep her, I did place adverts in the paper, but to be truthful she was re-homed before that, but did I get one reply to the advert NOT even one, for one thing the kitten should not have even been out at that young age, but it is possible it escaped, for us it turned out well.

I think Melissa has done the best in her circumstances.

It is very difficult to tell for sure, some strays look bad other's donot, when we adopted Ash he looked healthy and according to the vet he was.

This is one good reason why we should keep our cats indoors, like you Jenny I have indoor/outdoor, but I have changed MO and if it were possible it is something I would change.

I know what you are saying Jenny makes sense, but now the poor girl probably feels guilty, for doing only what I can see as a good turn.. not everyone can do what you suggest, it just is not possible sometimes.

The people we should be upset with are those who dumped her in the first place, or were not responsible owners to take proper care of her, just my 2 cents worth.

Melissa I think you are a great person for helping the kitten, be assured of that, you did what was possible, other's may have turned a blind eye, GOOD ON YOU.:)

Very true, I personally have an office so I am able to bring my cages here and put the found, ferrels and strays here. But if I didnt have my office, I Could NOT take them home, I have no where to put one, and would fear giving something to my own. So we are fortunate that we have a place to take them. If melissa would have had a place I know she would have kept it awhile like we do. But in her circumstance, I think she did the right thing, no kitten needs to be out at 1 o clock in the morning. Lost or not. Good for you melissa! Now kitty is safe and warm.....
but please do keep looking to see if someone may have lost it.
You did a great job!

And I hope that someday you can come across an office like me, and have lots and lots of babies to rescue!!!!!!!!!!1:D I would be lost without my office:(

All I ask is that you try and find that cats owners and let them know what happened to their poor cat.

If you don't find any owners that is great the cat was a stray but if the cat is owned think of how much heartache the owners are going though looking for their lost cat. :(

I would rethink what you do with the next 'stray' cat, a shelter is a better place to take a cat so the owners have the option of finding their cat.

In England it is a legal requirement that a cat must be held for seven days before being adopted out, American law must be lapse in this respect.

In many communities, cats and kittens are thrown out (or born outside to thrown away mom cats). I know out of the roughly 375 cats/kittens I trapped and got off the streets last year, almost all were throw aways. Not one was claimed even though I too have placed 'found' ads in the paper, called all area vets, and placed a found ad at vets offices. Not one was ever claimed sad to say, so after they were fostered for at least a week, they were then altered etc. and adopted to new homes. (Some were feral adults and TNR, but most were abandoned pets). :( I think Melissa did the right thing by this kitten in at least assuring she wasn't smashed on the street, or eaten by a preditor etc. If someone were to place an ad describing the kitten, I'm sure she'd look into it, but it's far and few in between that even care...at least around my city.:rolleyes: I don't think I could in good conscience, keep driving if I saw a kitten wandering around in the middle of the night. ;)

Jenny here in my city the Shelters are all full and will not take any more cats in, in hindsight that would be the best thing to do,but it just is not possible here.

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Originally posted by carole
This is one good reason why we should keep our cats indoors, like you Jenny I have indoor/outdoor, but I have changed MO and if it were possible it is something I would change.

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Carole,

You have mentioned wanting to keep your cats in before. If you really want to do it, it is easy to do. Just keep them inside and ignore their cries. According to other people posts they stop being upset after a month or two and they will accept they are inside forever.

I don't honestly believe you think this is right choice for your cats, else you would have done it by now.

But if you want to try, here are some articles to follow :-

http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/cats/indoors.html
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/ca...de_cat_in.html

Myself, I think a cats lifestyle, depends on the local enviroment, the cats personality and the owners preference.
http://www.piftails.com/insideoutside.html

As my local enviroment is quiet my cats have outside access (with the exception of Annie) If I moved to live on a busy road I would be sadly forced to keep my cats in, however I would never willing move to a busy area.

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Originally posted by QueenScoopalot
[B I think Melissa did the right thing by this kitten in at least assuring she wasn't smashed on the street, or eaten by a preditor etc. If someone were to place an ad describing the kitten, I'm sure she'd look into it, but it's far and few in between that even care...at least around my city.:rolleyes: I don't think I could in good conscience, keep driving if I saw a kitten wandering around in the middle of the night. ;) [/B]

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She is an angel to pick up the kitten that is a wonderful thing to do. I just think that waiting 7 days before rehoming like you have to legally in England would be the responsible thing to do.

Just because many people are uncaring doesn't mean her owners are (assuming they exist)

All I ask is that she continues to look out for the owners, just in case.

Jenny I have addressed your post in a PM, as I don't want to change this thread into an indoor/outdoor debate, I hopefully have explained myself and my thoughts, thank you for the articles I will go now and look them up.:)

P.S for everyone I will add, I would not be content with them being indoor in my present circumstances, it is not possible, I would only be happy if they had free reign of my section, with the special cat fencing available, but that is way beyond my means, but one can only hope.

Just something to think about in terms of rescuing. Do any laws in our states require that a stray be held for a certain period of time? Our Animal Control facility uses a 5 day hold but the City Council wrote the ordinance. That is for the AC only. What about an individual such as ourselves? If a law does exist, what if we broke it? Would the owner of the found pet be able to sue us in civil court? Does the leash law that most counties have trump that? I think any judge in his right mind would believe I did the right thing by getting the animal to safety, but would letting the pet roam be considered neglect?

I am by no means discouraging the rescuing of cats and dogs. I am just throwing some food for thought out there. People are lawsuit happy nowadays. It is always good to know if we would have paws to stand on if the situation ever came up.

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Originally posted by val
If a law does exist, what if we broke it? Would the owner of the found pet be able to sue us in civil court?

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Yes, In England, I have read several legal cases that owners have brought against people stealing/picking up their cats. as I mentioned we have a seven day minimum wait before rehoming , the only exception is medical need (i.e. If they are in pain and need to be PTS)

In one case a couple sucessfully got additional money as the shelter who picked up their cat and altered her without permission. (Though I think that is stupid to have a free roaming entire cat)

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Originally posted by val
Does the leash law that most counties have trump that? I think any judge in his right mind would believe I did the right thing by getting the animal to safety, but would letting the pet roam be considered neglect?

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In England roaming cats are consider healthy and happy not neglected, in fact our cats have the legal right to roam unlike dogs which have a national leash law. (Dangerous Dogs Act)

I can not see any judge objecting to people picking up cats they are concerned about. That is a fine thing to do to help the cat in question, but if little or no effort is made to find the owners before rehoming said cat...legal action may follow.