Or Register for FREE!


Welcome to our Cat Forums!
Welcome to our CatForums!
You are seeing this message because you are viewing our cat forums as a guest.

You can continue to browse our many cat related areas as a guest but you are more than welcome to register and join our friendly community of Cat Lovers! ... And for free!

Doing so will also remove this message and some of the ads, such as the one on the left.

Please click here to register.

Reply

Catsey Senior
 
Cats owned: 2 cats
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 370
27-06-2006, 03:18 PM   #1

Cats in Rescue


How do so many cats get into rescue? If I saw a cat on the street I would not automatically assume that it was a stray. Most of the cats that I see advertised in rescue appear to be in good health. I know the RSPCA tell people to put back cats where they found them as they are usually just out minding their own business so how come so many cats arrive in rescue



Reply With Quote


Hreow's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Abyssinian tear-aways.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2,478
27-06-2006, 03:31 PM   #2

Re: Cats in Rescue


At a guess? Accidental (serial) litters turned in because they're too much, and cats turned in by the owners (as "strays" or not) for being cats, rather than ornaments. There will no doubt be some kittens from feral colonies, removed to keep the colony from exploding. Think the practice with adult cats is to neuter and return?
And a few heart-rendering examples where the owner, despite their best efforts, can't keep the cat due to needing to go into a home that won't accept pets, or severely allergic offspring.



Reply With Quote


smudgley's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 3 cats
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Wall Heath.West Midlands.UK
Posts: 7,877
27-06-2006, 03:44 PM   #3

Re: Cats in Rescue


Hreow - agree totally.
Also cats get handed into rescues for loads of reasons -
*unneutered males - who start spraying, easier to hand over to rescue than to neuter.
*unneutered females who get pregnant & people not only don't want kittens, but then decide they don't want mom cat.
*cats who appear healthy & loving & in lovely condition are often dumped in boxes.(I know that's a hard one to believe, but it happrens. Lucky was an example of this)
*marriage break-up is a common reason for rehoming cats
*house move & can't take the cat
*found cats handed in, who have been hanging around someones house for weeks / months
*someones died & their cats needs rehoming
*new cat doesn't get on with other pets
*the new puppy is more enjoyable - so lets get rid of the cat............................................... ..................................the list goes on & on & on.....................................

edit to add - a real classic is when people move into a new house they often inherit the old peoples cat too. Again, it's unbelievable but is very very true.



Reply With Quote


Catsey Senior
 
Cats owned: 2 cats
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 370
27-06-2006, 04:05 PM   #4

Re: Cats in Rescue


Blimey never thought of all those - so basically strays are just a very small proportion.



Reply With Quote


smudgley's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 3 cats
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Wall Heath.West Midlands.UK
Posts: 7,877
27-06-2006, 04:07 PM   #5

Re: Cats in Rescue


Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosie
Blimey never thought of all those - so basically strays are just a very small proportion.
.



Reply With Quote


Kim's Avatar
Kim Kim is offline
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 1 mog
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 3,848
27-06-2006, 05:59 PM   #6

Re: Cats in Rescue


Smudley, agree totally. At the Animal Sanctuary where I help we get a variety of reason for cats needing to be re-homed. Quite often the owner has died or gone into residential care and the family can't/wont take on the cat. Family member has become allergic to cat hair, moving and can't take cat, family situation has changed, e.g. divorce or finanacial reasons. We have loads of kittens brought in because owners have not got cat spayed and don't know what to do with the kittens! We have a cattery full of old feral cats that ae not for re-homing found in various places/situations. These cats are quite a drain of the sanctuarys rescources.



Reply With Quote


smudgley's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 3 cats
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Wall Heath.West Midlands.UK
Posts: 7,877
27-06-2006, 08:06 PM   #7

Re: Cats in Rescue


Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim
We have a cattery full of old feral cats that ae not for re-homing found in various places/situations. These cats are quite a drain of the sanctuarys rescources.


Can the ferals not go back once they've been neutered?



Reply With Quote


Kim's Avatar
Kim Kim is offline
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 1 mog
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 3,848
27-06-2006, 08:33 PM   #8

Re: Cats in Rescue


Not sure where the come from Smudgley, most have been there longer than i have been going there, which is 7 years. They are quite elderly now and sadly the sanctuary cannot afford to routinely neuter cats. There are many things that I am not happy about there, but I go because at least I know the catteries have been given a thorough clean and they have all had a good meal, not saying they don't get fed, but they only get fed once a day and some of the students have no idea how much to feed.



Reply With Quote


Almost a Veteran Member
 
Cats owned: Moggies
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 1,010
29-06-2006, 09:55 AM   #9

Re: Cats in Rescue


HAve to say too many. All 5 of the cats in my house are rescues, reasons are things like owners breaking up and leaving cat on streets to fend for himself, moving into sheltered accomodation, taking relatively healthy cat to be pts (never did find out the reason why, suspect his cystitis played a part though), owner died, and dumping mum and kittens on rescue's doorstep.
Kim, not meaning to be harsh, but maybe the local sanctuary shouldn't take as many cats on if they can't afford to routinely spay cats - the health risks are immense, and cats can't always cope with just one meal a day. My local CP had ferals that should have been TNR'd, and they are now kept in a large outdoor pen and will do till the end of their life, which I think is a bit unfair.



Reply With Quote


smudgley's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 3 cats
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Wall Heath.West Midlands.UK
Posts: 7,877
29-06-2006, 09:57 AM   #10

Re: Cats in Rescue


Quote:
Originally Posted by Booktigger
HAve to say too many. All 5 of the cats in my house are rescues, reasons are things like owners breaking up and leaving cat on streets to fend for himself, moving into sheltered accomodation, taking relatively healthy cat to be pts (never did find out the reason why, suspect his cystitis played a part though), owner died, and dumping mum and kittens on rescue's doorstep.
Kim, not meaning to be harsh, but maybe the local sanctuary shouldn't take as many cats on if they can't afford to routinely spay cats - the health risks are immense, and cats can't always cope with just one meal a day. My local CP had ferals that should have been TNR'd, and they are now kept in a large outdoor pen and will do till the end of their life, which I think is a bit unfair.


Why were they not TNR?



Reply With Quote

Reply