This just frosts my cookies. I wish I had useful advice for you. I don't but I can surely sympathize. I really would like to come up there with a big can of [EMAIL PROTECTED] and open it on that group.
Forgive me for starting a rant in response to your post - but I feel one coming on. ~~~~ RANT ALERT~~~~~ *disclaimer* If I step on some toes here...please forgive me and educate me...because I will be the first to admit that I am ignorant about a lot of things. Ignorance is curable....so if I say something wrong - please be patient with me and help me understand. I love everyone of you and I appreciate all you do for the kitties. *end disclaimer* I am not emotionally able to foster cats - I have eight of my own...most of whom were rescued ferals from this area (i live in the sticks - outside the city limit in almost-rural Alabama). I know myself well enough that I know I could not emotionally handle fostering. I get so attached I couldn't give them up. Eight is my limit of what I can afford to care for properly both monetarily and emotionally (and it's almost too much)-- each one demands and deserves personal attention every day. Each one I took in is wholly a member of my family - with all the rights, privileges and love that goes along with that. My next door neighbor, however, was involved with a group that "rehabilitates" (and I use that word v e r y loosely) ferals. My pet name for them is 'Fiends of Ferals' (friends they are not!). She had over 20 fosters in her garage. Others in the group have from 60-100 fosters they are caring for. From my point of view -- that is INSANE. Plus - there were older members of the group who were constantly 'guilting' her into taking more. They prey on people's emotions --- "Take these kitties or they are going to die". To me, that is one of the VERY worst kinds of manipulation and it is unspeakably despicable. I know that even in a perfect situation where things are kept immaculately clean -- in an environment with that many cats - you simply cannot control disease...and you cannot give each one the love and comfort it deserves. My heart says that these cats would be happier romping in the fields than living their lives in a cage--disease be damned. I'm thinking -- catch them and alter their ability to reproduce...give them medical treatment and let them go. Even so -- this group that was "befriending" ferals had very limited resources. I donated huge bags of Chicken Soup dry and wet catfood and money. They made it IMPOSSIBLE to get any kind of tax-deductible receipt and were snooty about it too (and then they wonder why people don't donate more???????) and not only that - they made me feel like they didn't appreciate anything I tried to do to help. It really torqued me and made me sad at the same time. One day - I totally went off on my neighbor because she had 20 cats in her garage - in summer. If you have ever lived in the south (I am located in the heart of Dixie) - you know very well how unbearably hot and humid it gets here in that time of year...garage temps can easily exceed 104 degrees (not to mention the heat index). I had already given her a huge upright oscillating fan...convinced her to open the screened window to let air in... and had offered to buy her a window air-conditioner (which she refused...i think it was a pride thing but she may see it differently) - thought she did occasionally open the garage door six inches or so for ventilation....over 20 cats in the garage???? and in cages???? We don't exactly live in Beverly Hills either - our garages are small. She already had five cats of her own and a dog. I went ballistic. To me - this was animal cruelty and torture. I used my sword (my pen) and wrote her organization and the humane society and it wasn't pretty. No - I never got any kind of response whatsoever. Ok - so I am a busybody. I couldn't help it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. The next day - they had an air-conditioner in there...but still - I wondered about the people with 40, 60, 100 ferals in their keep. It's one thing if you can set up properly...a facility constructed for the purpose of taking care of these dears...with plenty of fresh air -- room to climb...a place not REEKING of feces. But that is NOT what is going on with this group. (I'm sure you can tell - this is really a hot button with me and I have a bad attitude about it and a lot of resentment). Now -- don't get me wrong. I LOVE my neighbor. She is a dear person and I would risk my life to take care of her and her family...but I just didn't think she GOT it at that time (i think she does now). They were so blinded by the fact that they needed to take in all these kitties that they couldn't see the big picture of what was really going on here. I'm afraid I hurt her feelings terribly and I am very sorry for that...but to me, as much as I loved her...the lives at stake here were more important than "feelings". It took some time to build that relationship back. She no longer fosters (she has a new baby)...she has a heart of pure gold. Don't say anything bad about her because I might have to come up there and kick your @$$ LOL He heart is in the right place --- she's young and just didn't realize...she didn't see it. She is smart and beautiful and loves kitties. I would trust her to take care of mine if I had to go away. Meanwhile though - this organization is doing the same thing as always. One of their members was even arrested for having such a ridiculous amount of cats living in terrible conditions. She had been warned several times. It is still like smacking yourself in the head to try to donate anything to try to help. They've lost their affiliation with the humane society and I still have a very bad attitude about them. What's worse is that they weekly put up their fosters for adoption at PetSmart to people who have no clue about the conditions in which these babies are living. Many of them are sick. I'm not sure what I think of the vet they use. If someone adopts a kitty -- that vet will not let out any paperwork whatsoever about the adoptee. I don't have enough inside knowledge to know how they deal with medical issues. They complain they don't have money -- then they make you feel like a third class citizen if you try to help. I know it isn't a perfect world...and I totally support the ideal of rescuing kitties and making their lives better...I just wish that there was some kind of guideline that ensured the welfare of the rescued kitties. My whole experience has left me very resentful of cat rescues...and I am hoping to get some feedback from those of you who are involved in this sort of thing. I realize that I am myopic and perhaps you can help me see more clearly. ~~~~ END RANT ALERT~~~~~ Jeez guys - I'm sorry...but I feel a lot better since I got that off my chest. I know I come across as a real [EMAIL PROTECTED] sometimes...but I really do care more deeply than you know. elizabeth In a message dated 11/24/06 10:51:50 Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Hi Guys, I don't know if you remember but I posted to the list a while back that I was having problems with an organization that I have been fostering for. Well, it has gotten worse. I'm strapped for cash and have been trying to get the money that they owe me for medical bills. The director is now stating she is going to come take the cats on 12/3 (without reimbursing me the medical bills, of course). I would rather keep the cats with me, but they surely are not leaving here without me being reimbursed the money I have put out on them. I sent her an email stating this and that the cats were all registered and microchipped in my name and that I felt I could put forth a pretty good case for them being abandoned by this org. I'm freaking out here. I really can't afford a lawyer - I suppose I could take out a home equity loan on my home. There's got to be a way to deal with this other than that, though. The director does not care for me...because I do bizarre things like expecting them to do what they said they are going to do, and I will call her on it when necessary. -- Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20
