How did you get involved in cat rescue?

[Julie Grove]

Hi, I would be interested to hear about how any of you became involved in cat rescue and if any of you do it for a living or just voluntary.

[PayItForward]

1. Milo brought Caramel home to play, sadly Caramel had to be PTS

2. Weeding my front garden with Milo as company, strange lady stops to talk to Milo and tells me she needs to get 'rid' of Mother & Kits at the bottom of the garden. Later trap Fleur with three kits. All rehomed, though we kept Bramble kitten.

3. Mr Stray just turned up on the doorstep, again sadly had to be PTS

4. Currently failing to catch or even to see Big Daddy feral/stray. Though he has a house if he wants it.

I have just noticed that Milo crops up frequently in the above statements....Do you think he tells the other cats about our house

[jenluckenbach]

I guess technically I started when I started adopting, even though I did not concider it rescue back then.
When I actually started working in a rescue group: That would have been when I decided that adoption had to cease, but I still needed to help MORE CATS. I started to foster. Now not only do I foster,but I man the tables at adoption day events every other Sunday. And I've helped write some informational fliers to be handed out to hte public who'd needs to learn about "things". All voluntary.
Actually, thinking back, I did work (a paying job) at our areas first and largest no-kill shelter as kennel help before I began pet grooming, but the volunteering is so much more rewarding.

[rosethecopycat]

I started fostering 9 months ago. I was looking for a Chocolate Point Siamese boy kitten to adopt. Saw an adorable little guy on the Siamese Rescue site, well my application didn't arrive in time to get him. So, I kept checking the site, and looked into fostering for them. It's been wonderful. AND I found my cute little baby in June. HER name is Bella, and she's not a Chocolate, she's a Torti. And I can't imagine my life without her.
Now I use certain mental techniques to keep me from adopting all my fosters and having to face letting them go. I am stronger than I ever imagined. (I was the one who would say: I could never do that...I could never let them go...I can't go into a shelter...)
My technique? Every time I hand a kitty over into their mama's (or daddy's) arms, I think of a message arriving at a shelter, telling a cat that they are going to live! That's good news, isn't it?


I'm hooked....


Mama Rosa

[Julie Grove]

These are all such good stories. I have to say I think I would find it hard parting with ANY of them and can imagine my place being overrun with gorgeous little moggies forever! Another thing, is there a vetting process for potential new owners? How do you know a good home from a bad one? Just curious....

[moosmom]

I got involved in animal rescue 7 years ago. I read a story my friend wrote about a rescue organization needing volunteers. I called and began volunteering.

It was all up hill from there!! I began learning how to TNR, handling feral cats and kittens, and learned everything I needed to know about cats.

At the time, I only had 2 cats. I now have 8!! Wouldn't have it any other way.

All but 1 of my cats is a rescue. Mollie Rose, my very first (and oldest, 10 years this Mother's Day) was adopted from the Bill Wilson House Farm in East Dorset, VT.

I have fostered and placed MANY cats on my own. I am very proud of my record (and proud of all the other rescuers on this site) and the dedication that comes along with it.

Okay everyone, *pats self on back*...give yourself a HUGE hug and a pat on the back for a job well done!!

[rosethecopycat]

I am also proud of those who 'do it on their own'.

But I need help!

Siamese Rescue interviews potential adopters, so we only have to agree on what kind (which temperment) is good in their home.

The vetting is all authorized and payed for by the rescue.

There are 600 volunteers working at SCR. Some of which are the fosters. They also have interviewers, shelter contacts, transporters, in-take coordinators, state leaders, kennel help (for those near the VA home shelter), cat show booths, print people. There are probably a whole lot of jobs that I never even dreamed of.

There's even a team of 'older' ladies who crochet snugglies for the kitties to take with them.

[Julie Grove]

Moosmom, how have your cats coped with so many new additions to their household? Have you experienced any problems with this?

[jenluckenbach]

I too could NEVER do rescue on my own.

The ogranization I volunteer with does ALL the vetting and that includes: FeLV/FIV test, distemper and rabies at the appropriate ages, worming, flea treatment and neutering at the appropriate age. PLUS many special needs cats that have had other, extensive medical care.

As for who is a good pet owner. you screen the people, ask questions, visit them, check their vet reference, use your instincts and them hope for the best.

[AvaJoy]

Originally posted by rosethecopycat
. . . There's even a team of 'older' ladies who crochet snugglies for the kitties to take with them.

If they aren't already aware, you may want to let them know about Hugs for Homeless Animals Snuggles Project where people who knit, crochet, quilt, etc. can donate their handiwork directly to shelters in need. I've donated several knitted snuggles that I made, and one shelter even sent me photos of different cats enjoying the one I sent . . . and they all got adopted, too! It is very rewarding!

I do TNR and some have been so sweet that they never get to the "R" part, and most rescuers can relate and attest to that, I'm sure!

My vet clinic is no longer participating in the low cost spay/neuter program that I was obtaining certificates from, but the clinic will be implementing their own version to continue helping US to help control the local cat population.

[leslie flenner]

198something. a friend saw a litter of kittens behind an abandoned buisness in Salem. the mom and kittens had been seen eating the crusts of pizzas out of a dumpster there. I contacted the only local no-kill shelter. (all the others had no foster/socialization programs at the time-now they do). I didn't even know what the word feral meant. It was late november. nobody returned my calls. Finally, cape ann rescue did. she (Julia) taught me how to trap. She set the family up in my home and i immediatly bungled it up. I didn't realize how serious it would be for mom to get loose. she had been vaccinated, spayed, tested. I opened her carrier door to change the litter and she charged out and right into the windows, repeatedly banging herself against the glass to get out. I had no idea. Finally re-trapped the poor thing. At one point, one of her kittens got loose. they were in a huge 6 foot long cage that opened at the top. she scrambled out and I scrambled after her for several hours. Once back in, I got it with the feral thing! I read to those kittens every night for 3 weeks; sat right in front of them and yakked and yakked at them. On week 3, they came out and you would never know they were feral. I kept one, my Shy, the other 2 adopted immediatly. (and got photos and cards from the new owners for a bit). It hasn't stopped since then!

[jenluckenbach]

I opened her carrier door to change the litter and she charged out and right into the windows

This happend to me with MY first foster, Bonnie. And she was pregnant and I was "green". I never expected such a respone, I only expected hiding. Thank goodness she did NOT do this repeatedly.

[QueenScoopalot]

I got involved in rescue big time about 15 years ago when we bought the shelter the cats let us live in. I was driving home and about to turn the corner when i swore I saw a black rabbit on someone's front porch! Turned out to be a feral kitten which i persued until I discovered a few more, and a mom, and that was my downfall. They were breeding in an abandoned house a block away, and I managed to trap with a carrier rigged with a rope etc. several cats to start. My most heartbreaking first rescue was Ginger who was a dainty tabby and white girl (not orange, but brown) who had a broken tail, a fractured hip, and was emaciated to the point of almost death. From there it was other local spots within walking diastance, and then all hell broke loose! I discovered a colony around a roofing company etc. area with many cats and kittens congregated and living in (at the time) a shed that was filled with bedding. I trapped most of the cats there with my carrier trap but there were some tough cookies out there (no pun intended). I persued one cat for almost four years, watching her get raped by the tom cats constantly, she suffered an inner ear infection which caused her to fall over all the time, and ended in total deafness. At this point I had learned about traps, but this one cat was a smart cookie! She'd feed off the actions of the others and if one acted scared, she'd bolt under one of the many trailers that were there at the time. Finally I outsmarted her on an Easter sunday four years later! I knew where she had her kittens (in a bin set into an MBTA bus), and it was planned out perfect. My friend Ruth fed the cats and gave the call when the mom was on her way back. I had already moved things in the bus so I knew just where to go, and we waited 10 minutes until mama had settled w/her babes....and WHAM! I shoved a towel in the opening of the bin, and put a trap outside the hole until (and yes it took a while) she went in the trap contained mama Cookie! Her 4 kittens were only about 2 weeks old and I took them home settled them in and a few hours later, Cookie was purring! I can't believe how sweet she is to this day. And always wonder about the TNR that is so common. I Have TNR one cat that I swore was feral (also local) that ended up with Ruth's neighbor & a total lovebug. One can never tell sometimes!

[NoahsMommy]

Great stories!

I guess I'm a somewhat new rescuer. We got our first cat in June 2001, from a co-worker whose cat had kittens.

After our second cat in November 2001, I was hooked.

We adopted our third cat August 2002, from a local rescue and then began volunteering at the local Humane Society.

While volunteering with that HS, we adopted two more cats.

Last year, I began TNR with someone I found because of a cat I was feeding at work. We never caught her, but did catch another feral, who we had fixed. She actually escaped from our outdoor enclosure the day after her spay.

We then adopted one of the kittens that the TNR friend caught.

August 2003, we were doing some TNR at my in-laws place of business and caught two females and four kittens. Because of a rare eyelid deformity, we kept two of them and now are a happy, eight cat household.

I'll still do TNR, but wont be able to foster or keep anymore fuzzies. Its soooooooooo hard parting with them, I feel no one is good enough.

[Julie Grove]

Sorry to sound dumb but having trouble working out what TNR stands for ......