Ginevra Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Some of you may remember my post asking where to find kittens. Well, continuing on in this saga, I found a cat rescue on-line through Pet Finder. I went last night to look at her cats/kittens. Let me just say...wow. That was like nothing I have ever seen. There were upwards of 100 cats moving, living, breathing and scampering over every square inch of her house. The man of the house chuckled when I remarked on it that, "Ha, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg!" She told me there is a "feral colony" outside and in the garages. There were cats there that I liked, and even one kitten that really had strong appeal, but I can't say I really felt the love. I didn't have that moment or that feeling of, "I can't get these two cats out of my mind." There were cats there that I do think, "Well, this is a nice cat; I could adopt this one." But no big WOW moment. But I'm also a little red-flaggish on the situation. I'm not sure these cats are being done a favor. It looked more like what cats are rescued from, in many respects. Many of the cats sneezed and she said colds do spread easily because so many in such a small space. OTOH, she was very, very organized with her vet records and info on each and every cat I asked about. So, in that respect, she didn't seem like Crazy Cat Lady. But still...I don't know. Is that a legitimate "shelter"? Or is that just warehousing way too many cats? Would you adopt cats out of such a shelter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I would stay far away from that place. I would even report her to the SPCA. I highly doubt all those cats are being adequately cared for. How does she afford food, litter, and their vaccines? Not to mention, spaying and neutering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 That lady has an illness. Usually the cats in these places are very unhealthy. :sad: I would also report her to animal control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I'd tread very, very carefully. There are tons of red flags here. We had a similar operation raided by the SPCA and the woman has been charged with hoarding and animal cruelty. The officers found dead kittens & cats in trash bags on the premises here... well intentioned but grew too large, lost a bunch of volunteers, and didn't ask for help early enough. Sick animals should be quarantined. There should be quarantine areas for cats with upper resp or other issues. Yes, it does spread quickly & even with quarantine, you'll often have it spreading but you need to make an effort. There need to be facilities for isolating & monitoring & medicating ill ones. When they're all free run, it only works if they're all healthy. The big issue too is where are the kittens coming from? Are all the cats she has on her property spayed/neutered & these are kittens taken from incoming queens? Because some 'rescuers' don't stay on top of the situation, some end up actually breeding. BAD, bad, bad. In fact, IMO, this is unforgivable. If a rescuer had a chance to prevent a litter & didn't, they lose the rescue card IMO. Here most of the rescues will do pediatric spay/neuters on the kittens as well before adopting them out. A few don't & require instead proof that the s/n is done later on but that is really not the optimal way. Usually there aren't the volunteers to follow up & it's hard to get compliance if the people refuse (even if they did sign a contract). Also what kind of vaccinations & testing & worming/flea treatments are done? Who is the vet? Are you able to talk to the vet? A lot of rescuers take on more than they should. It's hard to say NO to an incoming when you know that the alternative is death for the animal but to save the ones we already have in our care, it's VITAL that rescuers know their limitations. If I were in your position I'd so several things: -post on your local craigslist in the pets section asking for any comments about this rescue -if you have an SPCA, call and ask if this is a recognized rescue. Rescues which are recognized by the local shelters can 'pull' animals out of the shelter system & they work together for animal welfare. -call a couple other cat rescues. Around here many of them work together & will help each other out & they share similar goals and philosophies. If you ask "I'm thinking of adopting kittens from ____ and I'm wondering if I can find out more about them" - if it's a good rescue they'll say so. If it's a dodgy one, there'll be a silence. Or you'll get an earful ;) Check out the last section of this article: http://www.petfinder.com/how-to-help-pets/animal-cruelty-animal-hoarding.html it talks about hoarders masquearading as rescues Bottom line is that there are MILLIONS of cats dying in shelters & if you don't feel great about what's going on in this situation then don't support it. There are lots of other animals in need & lots of other reputable organizations which deserve your support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 here is my experience with a rescue lady. We never went to her house so don't know how many cats she has there but she does have volunteers that foster the cats and kittens in their homes until they are adopted. She also has a furniture store in town that she also keeps cats in the back (the city is aware of her and leaves her alone so she must be okay in the law's eyes). Anyway, we got 4 kittens from her, they all ended up very sick, took us lots of care , vet care and meds to get them healthy. 3 of them are from the same litter and are extremely social (2 years old now). the other one was found abandoned, weighed only 1 pound and was very sick. She is now healthy but still pretty much lives in 2 rooms upstairs (master bedroom and connecting sun room), she never comes downstairs and is always afraid. We have been very gentle with her but she is still scared of everything and everybody. In conclusion, I would probably not adopt from the rescue lady again as I said all 4 kittens ended up being so sick. Our vet always has kittens and teen cats up for adoption so maybe you can check with local vets to see if they have any for adoption (will probably be healthy coming from a vet office). Also our local no-kill shelter has a vet on staff but at the time we wanted kittens they did not have any. Also, if I was you, I would call and report your cat lady, if the cats are sneezing, that is not good, they could all be quite sick. That is just too many cats to be in one home, at least at a shelter, there is usually some kind of vet care going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Some of you may remember my post asking where to find kittens. Well, continuing on in this saga, I found a cat rescue on-line through Pet Finder. I went last night to look at her cats/kittens. Let me just say...wow. That was like nothing I have ever seen. There were upwards of 100 cats moving, living, breathing and scampering over every square inch of her house. The man of the house chuckled when I remarked on it that, "Ha, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg!" She told me there is a "feral colony" outside and in the garages. There were cats there that I liked, and even one kitten that really had strong appeal, but I can't say I really felt the love. I didn't have that moment or that feeling of, "I can't get these two cats out of my mind." There were cats there that I do think, "Well, this is a nice cat; I could adopt this one." But no big WOW moment. But I'm also a little red-flaggish on the situation. I'm not sure these cats are being done a favor. It looked more like what cats are rescued from, in many respects. Many of the cats sneezed and she said colds do spread easily because so many in such a small space. OTOH, she was very, very organized with her vet records and info on each and every cat I asked about. So, in that respect, she didn't seem like Crazy Cat Lady. But still...I don't know. Is that a legitimate "shelter"? Or is that just warehousing way too many cats? Would you adopt cats out of such a shelter? Did you go to VA? I have a neighbor with a shelter in her home. She and her husband do have a ton of cats. They rarely turn anyone away. It is a little unsettling when you realize how many cats they actually have. The cats, though, are very well cared for and (incredibly) their home is CLEAN. No dust bunnies, no ammonia, no feces, just really clean. If the shelter you went to was like this one, then it probably is legit. Wendy's is the only refuge for cats out here and I wouldn't be surprised if, where you went is one of the places cats can go in your area. I have adopted and dropped off cats at Wendy's. I know they're loved and well cared for, and when I've gotten a cat there I knew it came from a good home. I would recommend that shelter or any "facility" where the cats are caged any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 I'd tread very, very carefully. There are tons of red flags here. We had a similar operation raided by the SPCA and the woman has been charged with hoarding and animal cruelty. The officers found dead kittens & cats in trash bags on the premises here... well intentioned but grew too large, lost a bunch of volunteers, and didn't ask for help early enough. Sick animals should be quarantined. There should be quarantine areas for cats with upper resp or other issues. Yes, it does spread quickly & even with quarantine, you'll often have it spreading but you need to make an effort. There need to be facilities for isolating & monitoring & medicating ill ones. When they're all free run, it only works if they're all healthy. The big issue too is where are the kittens coming from? Are all the cats she has on her property spayed/neutered & these are kittens taken from incoming queens? Because some 'rescuers' don't stay on top of the situation, some end up actually breeding. BAD, bad, bad. In fact, IMO, this is unforgivable. If a rescuer had a chance to prevent a litter & didn't, they lose the rescue card IMO. Here most of the rescues will do pediatric spay/neuters on the kittens as well before adopting them out. A few don't & require instead proof that the s/n is done later on but that is really not the optimal way. Usually there aren't the volunteers to follow up & it's hard to get compliance if the people refuse (even if they did sign a contract). Also what kind of vaccinations & testing & worming/flea treatments are done? Who is the vet? Are you able to talk to the vet? A lot of rescuers take on more than they should. It's hard to say NO to an incoming when you know that the alternative is death for the animal but to save the ones we already have in our care, it's VITAL that rescuers know their limitations. Thanks for your reply. I looked at the article you linked. Some of the "official" stuff I can't speak to, but it did appear that the rescue is just this lady and her husband, begrudgingly, and some volunteers she mentioned. She said volunteers come to pet and play with the cats/kittens. She did seem on top of vetrinary care, unless she was flat-out lying. She spay/neuters as they come of age and all the normal vax and worming is part of the adoption. The kittens that are there, she had stories about and - again, unless she was lying - they are cases of her taking in a pregnant cat who was dumped, or orphaned hand-fed kittens. The youngest kittens, and a few of the handicapped cats, are kept separate in a sunroom. However, there does not seem to be any quarantine area and as I said, several cats were sneezing or had watery eyes; these were within the population. I cannot understand how the vetrinary fees can work, unless she has vet(s) who do this work gratis. Even the number of cats she identified as being pretty much her pets and not really up for adoption, was large. There are no signs or any outward appearances of it being a rescue. Just a little house off a small semi-rural road. The house was not a filthy mess, but it was at least as you would expect if it houses 150 free-roaming cats. I don't know...I think if anything this place may be walking a very thin line between being a rescue and being a stockpile. I will see if I can check it out through other rescues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 Did you go to VA? I have a neighbor with a shelter in her home. She and her husband do have a ton of cats. They rarely turn anyone away. It is a little unsettling when you realize how many cats they actually have. The cats, though, are very well cared for and (incredibly) their home is CLEAN. No dust bunnies, no ammonia, no feces, just really clean. No, this is in MD. There were an amazing number of cats here. The house is not dreadful, but I wouldn't describe it as clean. It stinks; there are rows of little boxes lined up in the kitchen. It could be worse, and it wasn't alraming like, call the health department, but it was definitely not how I would want to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 No, this is in MD. There were an amazing number of cats here. The house is not dreadful, but I wouldn't describe it as clean. It stinks; there are rows of little boxes lined up in the kitchen. It could be worse, and it wasn't alraming like, call the health department, but it was definitely not how I would want to live. Well, I could recommend a better shelther then ;) It's about an hour from La Plata. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for your reply. I looked at the article you linked. Some of the "official" stuff I can't speak to, but it did appear that the rescue is just this lady and her husband, begrudgingly, and some volunteers she mentioned. She said volunteers come to pet and play with the cats/kittens. She did seem on top of vetrinary care, unless she was flat-out lying. She spay/neuters as they come of age and all the normal vax and worming is part of the adoption. The kittens that are there, she had stories about and - again, unless she was lying - they are cases of her taking in a pregnant cat who was dumped, or orphaned hand-fed kittens. The youngest kittens, and a few of the handicapped cats, are kept separate in a sunroom. However, there does not seem to be any quarantine area and as I said, several cats were sneezing or had watery eyes; these were within the population. I cannot understand how the vetrinary fees can work, unless she has vet(s) who do this work gratis. Even the number of cats she identified as being pretty much her pets and not really up for adoption, was large. There are no signs or any outward appearances of it being a rescue. Just a little house off a small semi-rural road. The house was not a filthy mess, but it was at least as you would expect if it houses 150 free-roaming cats. I don't know...I think if anything this place may be walking a very thin line between being a rescue and being a stockpile. I will see if I can check it out through other rescues. The sneezing, watery eyes thing could very likely be Feline Leukemia, which does spread very rapidly and easily among cat populations. It is always fatal once contracted, but there is a vaccine for it, so IMO all kitties who go outside ever, at all, should have it. I wouldn't take any kitties from this woman you described. But I would give you some if you were closer or wanted to drive a couple thousand miles. :D In addition to our 2 indoor kitties, we also have barn cats, but they are all vaccinated and people-friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I just lost my beloved Siamese day before yesterday to liver disease, so I'm a bit emotional about cats right now. I went to the no-kill shelter today to look at kitties (dd is wanting to replace the one we lost) and some were sneezing. One had conjunctivitis. I asked about it and the gal said that the cat was on antibiotics for it. Other than that, the place was very clean, no bad smells, all the cats looked relatively healthy. But. After what I went through losing my baby, I just don't want to risk the remote chance of a sick cat. Watching my cat die was the worst thing in the world. And, she was being treated and was expected to survive. I don't know what the solution is, though. I do know that any animals kept in groups do share germs. I guess getting a kitten from someone who's has free ones might be ok, less chance of a virus if the mother is healthy and the kittens are kept inside and away from strays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 There are always kittens and cats available. I would not get one from anyone that had animals who were sick not quaranteined. I have owned cats for 26 years. I think the four cats I had during that time (most of the time, two cats at a time), had a total of two or three illnesses that were cold types. The cat I have now is 8 and a half and he has never had an illness. Cat upper respiratory viruses are fairly rare in healthy populations. I think it is a bad warning sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share Posted November 22, 2009 Thank you, everybody. This really helps me make my decision. I'm moving on with my search. SolaMichelle, so sorry about your kitty. It is hard to take it when a pet dies, even if we all know darn well it will come one day. :angelsad2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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