THE KIND YOU DON’T BRING HOME TO MOTHER

Few of our cats are the kind that other people want as house pets Turnip is blind, Orangeade is a biter, Tiger is FIV positive, Fluffy and Jack have occasional litter box issues. Others were feral and unwilling to trust human beings. Jack was set to be euthanized after having failed in several placement homes due to neurological and behavioral issues resultant from a car accident and major reconstructive surgery. He has had balance issues and in unfamiliar terrain will fall down. However after two years he knows this house well. He sizes up his jumps onto chairs and shelves carefully, goes up and down stairs with ease and is able to navigate most of the house and yard safely. He even utilizes one of the cat doors - in and out. I've known my husband since September 2000. Both of us are soft hearted and possibly soft headed. We’ve rescued cats since then. I had 13 when I first met Bil but now we have almost 30. They are the cats no one wants - We didn't want to add to our collection, having a neighbor with issues (see Feral Cat News or ask me for the article from the Day) we try exceptionally hard not to take any more cats. There are a lot of sad stories, bad landlords, bad tenants, and sick people both physically and mentally. There are cats who continue to have kittens in a world where the people who have the cats as pets should know better. Many times I see ads from people who want someone else to take the cat(s) that appeared at their house. They just want to remove it. There are welfare groups devoted to help you pay for a neuter spay all over the country with dogs and cats. There are leagues everywhere nationally available to help you trap and neuter and release these cats. They will happily come over your house and do it for you! If everyone availed themselves and took on responsibility to stop the endless cycle of offspring we wouldn’t have so much suffering! Just pick up the darn phone and make some phone calls, it only takes a few minutes! Dogs have similar issues and there are many, many dogs who suffer and die needlessly because we wouldn’t spend a few minutes to make a few phone calls. If we can rescue them we do. If we can’t, we can at least make those few phone calls! Ask for help! We love dogs as well, however we've chosen to care for unwanted cats. There wouldn't be a need for animal resucers to do what they have to do if everyone did their share. Alleviate suffering in one tiny area - these poor unwanted pets. If you can’t afford to neuter/spay the animals in your area, there are groups that will help you everywhere. Call your local veterinarian. Do a tiny bit of research, get the animals neutered/spayed. If you can continue to feed them in your area, do so. Alley Cat Allies has a lot of information, as do other rescue groups, on how the trap/neuter/release program works. Thank you for taking the time to read this far. I hope I’ve convinced you that you can do your part and it’s not hard to do. It will be greatly appreciated!