Kim, while I responded to the poll with an answer of do the best you can. I agree with PayItForward, you can not feel responsible for every cat in the world, you have to make the decision that is best for you both financially and emotionally.

I am not a cat rescuer per se, but any cat that comes to my house is always given the basic needs, food, warmth, shelter and most of all love. I used to let it get to me when I would be out to dinner and see a cat going through a trash can, but in reality I can not save them all and neither can you. You are truely doing a wonderful job, every one that you can help is better off in the long run...even if they are sick. You at least give these cats something that they probally have never had....LOVE. I beleive you are an angel for doing what you do. God gives us only what he feels we can handle.

I have been in your situation. I know about the budget....I argue this with my husband all the time...he says "Cats are so expensive"...my response "So are children and husbands" I feel sometimes like I can never win. I have had to have several of my rescues put down, it is NEVER easy. To me it is the hardest thing in the world. Cleo for instance, never trusted anyone, but she stayed in our yard and accepted the food and shelter that I provided for her. I was never able to touch her...she would just run away. During this winter, we got a really horrible snow storm, it snowed, and snowed, and snowed some more. By the second day of the storm Cleo had moved from her doghouse to one that was in our breezeway of the house. Her eyes were swollen shut, she could not eat, and she was almost comatose. I made the decision to put her down. I stayed with her and petted her, spoke to her and gave her a kiss as she passed. I still cry for her and miss her dearly. I know that I did the right thing, the thing that Cleo would have wanted, I know she did not want to suffer.

I think it is hard because these cats can not "talk" to us. They can not come out and say "You know Kim, I'm actually very sick and would find RB to be a better place for me, but Thank You for caring for me".

I hope this makes some sort of sense. Kim, like I said YOU ARE AN ANGEL!!!!!for doing what you do. {{{hugs}}}

Meg