Catsey as a learning tool

[Shelley123]

What i'm going to say next isn't to start an argument or be conterversial (sp) but i feel i must say it, so here goes.......
Before joining catsey if a friend told me their cat had Kittens i wouldn't have thought it wrong, i had no idea there were so many cats in rescue and wouldn't have looked at it like i do now.
Now i realise that each Kitten born will mean one less home for cats desperately stuck in rescue.
Obviously if a neighbour had an unspayed cat that was having countless litters i would have thought that wrong.
Despite working as a volunteer in a rescue 30 years ago it is only realy since joining catsey that i have learned so much.
I guess what i want to say also is that i think we perhaps sometimes assume other people have the same knowledge.
People join from all walks of life and sometimes hold different opinions .
What i love about this forum is that whilst sometimes our bark is worse than our bite we are generaly a helpful, careing community and a fun place to be.

[angieh]

Spot on Shelley.

[Elaine]

Ok, I am probably going to take Shelly's post a little personally, as I tend to do , I have no wish to fight with any one and thats the truth.
But.......
ALL of my posts are made with the best intentions and I do try to give accurate and informative advise when I feel that I have some knowledge to offer.
It isnt always easy to articulate yourself the way you have perhaps intended by text either. So when people get back at you for "lecturing", it isnt the intent. Yes education is important but so is passion, conviction and straight up honesty.
It's not in my nature to pussyfoot around issues of selfishness, stupidity and responsibility and I do and have always held my hands up for my own errors and stand corrected when I have been corrected on any mis-information I may have given.
I will not apologise for who I am and the convictions I hold dear.

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by Shelley123

What i'm going to say next isn't to start an argument or be conterversial (sp) but i feel i must say it, so here goes.......
Before joining catsey if a friend told me their cat had Kittens i wouldn't have thought it wrong, i had no idea there were so many cats in rescue and wouldn't have looked at it like i do now.

And you look at it the way you do now because such things come up time and time again on these forums, right?
Now i realise that each Kitten born will mean one less home for cats desperately stuck in rescue.

Absolutely
Obviously if a neighbour had an unspayed cat that was having countless litters i would have thought that wrong.
Despite working as a volunteer in a rescue 30 years ago it is only realy since joining catsey that i have learned so much.

How did you see the plight of cat/dogs in rescue at that time?
I guess what i want to say also is that i think we perhaps sometimes assume other people have the same knowledge.

So how do we gain knowledge? By reading, digesting, understanding and listening.
People join from all walks of life and sometimes hold different opinions .
So what are we saying here? That we shouldnt try to change those opinions if they are fundementally wrong?
What i love about this forum is that whilst sometimes our bark is worse than our bite we are generaly a helpful, careing community and a fun place to be.

Some times nicey nicey just doesnt cut it and a short sharp reality check is what is needed.

[Shelley123]

Elaine, you certainly should not take my post personaly, we have crossed swords in the past as you know and as i said above my knowledge has increased and my opinions altered directly due to sharing info and advice on here. If everyone kept their mouths shut nothing would change.
You're recent post was helpful and polite, however as you said text can sometimes misinterpreted simply because it is text.
The reason i posted this is because i guess recent posts brought it to mind, certainly not to have a dig at individuals.
I feel it is very important that we always bear in mind that people all have different knowledge bases and ideas and that we strive to keep them onboard.
In the past we have seen advice taken and change happen

[angieh]

Originally Posted by angieh

Spot on Shelley.

I was going to add to my post: Education however it happens is important, by trickle, trip, slap or whack over the head .................. and I certainly wasn't aiming this at any individual member.

I chickened out but am braver today. I believe in honesty but sometimes get a bit anxious about how it's portrayed and that really is the fault of the written word as opposed to chatting face to face with someone where you can see their feelings and respond accordingly.

[Shelley123]

Originally Posted by Elaine

Some times nicey nicey just doesnt cut it and a short sharp reality check is what is needed.

yes i do agree, and also with Angie that different approaches are sometimes needed.
Different circumstances and individuals i guess
A wide range of people with different skills is whats needed and is what we have and i think it'g great that we can be so open with each other

[Elaine]

Cannt disagree with any of the above

I think what really gets my goat on these issues, when they arise, is the lack of honesty. By that I mean that I can never get my head around why people dont just hold their hands up and say, I didnt realise the plight of cats was so vast or yes i wanted kittens for my own selfish emotional needs/wants.
Its always a huge sign of guilt to me when people just strop off and it happens over and over, no matter how you try to aproach the subject.

Just wanted to put that in so that you all know and understand where I come from with my frustrations with it all
I try to be articulate with my posts and I guess its only when you really get into the discussion, like this, that you can fully see that people are talking from the heart because they really do care.

[calismum]

All of the above - is why I so like this forum. I will admit to feeling a bit anxious every time we get a new 'hi, my cat just had a litter....' post as I know we all feel so strongly about the issue that we can sometimes sound a bit fierce. But that is probably because I don't do confrontation very well - but I am nodding furiously in the background. Should we stop? - absolutely not!! If there was more people who were willing and able to stand up and offer advice, support and education then perhaps there would be no need for the number of cat shelters we have today. Much as I love Izzi and Breagh - they were born from an 'abandoned or lost' cat who was not spayed and who, had she not been adopted and done would go on to produce more kittens who would either have ended up in rescue, been producers of even more kittens or been ill, diseased and starving. Please don't stop trying to educate - we need people like 'us'