Never knew it was so bad!

[richardbajor]

I probably just need to let off some steam here so please be tolerant if this seems like a semi rant but I have spent the best part of two days fretting about trying to get someone help in housing a cat and no joy. It seems that all the animal shelters in the North West are absolutely full such that even their waiting lists are shut and this situation appears to be the same throughout the country. I guess her cat's situation is not as bad as some as she is going back to feed it even if it is living rough, but the impression I get is that whatever the situation the best the cat charities can do is to get any stray cat vaccinated etc and hope that the person who reported it will find some way of looking after it.

This is obviously not a criticism of the cat charities who I am sure are doing their best but I was really surprised at how bad things are. Maybe my one criticism is that the cat charities are not making this plain on their websites- ie we can get a cat vaccinated but cannot do any more- that would have saved a lot of hopeful ringing rounds and disappointment at the end of it all. I've also seen a few responses on this site suggesting try this place or that place and that seems to be giving false hope plus I guess clogging up the advice lines in the process.

I was wondering if people who know a bit more about this can confirm my impressions or offer advice. I also wondered if this is likely to be ongoing or whether there is any light at the end of the tunnel and whether the cat charities have any big plan to resolve this (I guess it comes down to money that they don't have).

My only thought is that, in our case for example, we would be quite happy to pay for food if we could find somewhere to put the cat (initially fostering but possibly permanent), and maybe some scheme could be devised for cat lovers who can't afford a cat to take them in if all costs were paid. I know this can be a dangerous incentive if someone just does it for the money but probably no worse than a cat living rough...

[Alice]

Richard - you don't say just where you are in the North west, but if not too far away this is one charity which may be able to help. They're in Bolton.

http://www.petrehome.org/help-to-re-hom ... trays.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Crewella]

Sadly things are every bit as bas as you think - there are many more cats out there than homes for them. It's also the worst time of year with kitten season in full swing and people due to go away on holiday so not looking to adopt at the moment. If you think about it, though, all the rescues are full of cats that they HAVE taken on so it's worth persevering. Some rescues have a waiting list, so ask them to put the cat on their list, and some will put the cat's details up for homing on their website and handle rehoming (home checks etc.) even if they don't have a space to actually take the cat on.

In case you've not found it, this page will list rescues in your area:

http://www.catchat.org/adoption/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For the record, many rescues do rely on people fostering cats in their own homes - some small independent rescues have no cattery and are entirely reliant on short-term fosterers. I have four foster cats myself at the moment.

[richardbajor]

Thanks for the replies. I am trying that contact but via e-mail as the minute I get a recorded message (which is so often the case on my ring rounds) my heart drops... For what it is worth we are in the Wigan area. Even a waiting list would be a step forward but I haven't found anyone yet.

@ Crewella

You mentioned this is a bad time of year. In your experience is it likely that as autumn and winter arrive the situation might ease and there will be places or is it semi permanent situation now (I guess the recession is still ongoing for many people)?

I also wondered what the main problem is with getting additional shelters (I know it will be money) but is the primary thing shortage of land or shortage of cages or shortage of people. We're not loaded but for example if it meant getting this cat a shelter we could probably afford to sponsor the purchase of an additional cage (unless someone is going to tell me they cost thousands of pounds), sponsor his food and vets bills so he has somewhere to stay and then once he is sorted that's available for other cats.

I'm not quite sure why I am so bothered as it isn't really anything to do with us but it is just when you hear about a case it becomes a personal thing and you want to help and we had thunderstorms last night and I just couldn't stop thinking about the cat being out in it.

[booktigger]

I've been doing rescue work for 11 years now (in the North West) and it is a lot worse than it was when I started. I think part of that is the financial situation - I read an article recently that people are £500 worse off a year than in 2008, part of it is the housing market - so many people can't afford to buy, so are limited to renting, and we all know the problems with private renting.

Sadly despite all the neutering campaigns, we are dealing with more kittens than before - we had 11 kittens by the 17th January this year, it is the first time ever we've had that many kittens at that time of year. I tell people it's a bad time of year, but then correct myself and say I don't know when we've had a good time of year. I say our waiting list is 5 months long, but I've been saying that for a while, so it could be longer now.

Unfortunately most charities are independent, we don't get funding from the government, so there is no panel looking at the bigger picture, we all just focus on the area we deal with. Money will be part of the problem, but I suspect volunteers is the bigger part - the charity I foster for is a lot smaller than 11 years ago, partly due to age of volunteers - for some reason the younger generations aren't quite as interested in volunteering. And of course we come back to the housing problem then, houses are getting smaller, so less space to foster. Some charities do have centres, but then there is only so much space to house animals without taking on so many you put the welfare of the cats at risk.

One of the reasons we don't make it plain on our website is that we treat each case individually - last year for example, I was asked to take in a timid stray, so I offered to scan it as they didn't think they could get her in a carrier, it was only when I got there that they asked if I thought she was pregnant - turns out she'd had a litter previously in their garden, and their male was un-neutered - she had kittens 5 weeks later. If they'd asked for help when she'd had the last lot, I could have prevented that litter being born, fortunately we squeezed her in so that litter was at least born in a house and everyone neutered.

Some charities do offer schemes to pay for vet bills if you adopt certain cats, primarily oldies. I don't think this could be rolled out to younger cats, or all costs paid, partly because it would be a huge financial drain on a charity, but there is a big difference to offering one for a cat over the age of 12, and offering it to a cat that is say 2.

It's a nice thought that people could sponsor so we could help more cats, but it isn't as simple as you think unfortunately - when our RSPCA opened about 6 years ago their pods were £2k each, I don't know what the costs are now.

We normally get a let up of kittens around Autumn and Winter so we can squeeze the odd adult cat in. The reason for recorded messages is that most rescues are manned by volunteers, some of which have day jobs, and some of which are out and about so much.

[richardbajor]

Thanks booktigger-

Really appreciated that reply and it explains virtually everything. Such a sad situation.

[richardbajor]

Just to give a semi happy ending to the story- the person we know has now found somewhere for the cat to stay temporarily while she sorts things out.

From my person experience I would suggest family and friends really is the best path at the moment unless there is something seriously urgent like medical/checking chips etc which doesn't involve housing.

Now I'm off to donate and maybe volunteer (I don't own a car which limits my options I guess).

[booktigger]

I'm glad that someone can help temporarily, and that the experience has prompted you to donate and volunteer - if more people could do that, rescues would be in a better situation.

[Mrs Kane]

You mentioned this is a bad time of year. In your experience is it likely that as autumn and winter arrive the situation might ease and there will be places or is it semi permanent situation now (I guess the recession is still ongoing for many people)?

I also wondered what the main problem is with getting additional shelters (I know it will be money) but is the primary thing shortage of land or shortage of cages or shortage of people. We're not loaded but for example if it meant getting this cat a shelter we could probably afford to sponsor the purchase of an additional cage (unless someone is going to tell me they cost thousands of pounds), sponsor his food and vets bills so he has somewhere to stay and then once he is sorted that's available for other cats.

I'm not quite sure why I am so bothered as it isn't really anything to do with us but it is just when you hear about a case it becomes a personal thing and you want to help and we had thunderstorms last night and I just couldn't stop thinking about the cat being out in it.

It is a bad time of year for cats, lots of people tend to either lose their jobs around this time as the goverment budgets come into effect, or go on holiday and can't be bothered with the expense of a cat sitter.

It's a year round problem, in the past January and February were always the worst but now we seem to have an epidemic of people that toss their cats away like trash when they don't like them or can't cope with their expense.

People, please neuter your cats! Until this problem is under control there is no excuse to breed kittens when millions of wonderful cats are left homeless and alone in shelters.

[Kay]

I've long been an advocate of rescues supplying a basic pack for people willing to look out for a stray, but who are unable or unwilling to take it in

an outdoor insulated kennel, or a cat flap allowing access to a shed, would cost very little, and could make all the difference to the cat - supplies of cheap food bought in bulk and delivered if the carer is old or disabled, and help with trapping and neutering if needed of course

I would also like to see rescues looking for volunteers to help older and disabled
people look after a cat - not financially, but perhaps five minutes a day to empty a litter tray, a lift to the vet, ordering food for the owner online etc

my mother was allowed to adopt a cat when she was 86, because I was around to help out, and it made a huge difference to her wellbeing, as well as the cat's, and I and surely other catlovers would be delighted to help an old person enjoy the company of an otherwise unwanted cat

desperate times sometimes call for thinking outside the box

[Mrs Kane]

my mother was allowed to adopt a cat when she was 86, because I was around to help out, and it made a huge difference to her wellbeing, as well as the cat's, and I and surely other catlovers would be delighted to help an old person enjoy the company of an otherwise unwanted cat

desperate times sometimes call for thinking outside the box

I used to think it would be a good idea to get my Grandma a cat, as she is one of those people that is always complaining about lack of company but never bothered to make any friends. Shame she hates cats.

Circa grandma: "They poo in your house and fill your sofa with fleas!"

She's a bit too old and crochety now though.... and stuck in her ways.

I've long been an advocate of rescues supplying a basic pack for people willing to look out for a stray, but who are unable or unwilling to take it in

an outdoor insulated kennel, or a cat flap allowing access to a shed, would cost very little, and could make all the difference to the cat - supplies of cheap food bought in bulk and delivered if the carer is old or disabled, and help with trapping and neutering if needed of course

I'm more of the theory that we need to clamp down more on excessive breeding. That stops a lot of the problem at its source. Making it law to have a license to breed would help a lot. Then all people have to do is ask and report. It makes people responsible for their animal kin and makes them far more likely to care about where the animals they're raising are going. It also means we can try and put a stop to these horrible black market types that are breeding animals to fight and raising double numbers of them in pokey little flats.
A license that says "you need X square metres to have a breeding license" and "you need to meet these requirements" I think would prove most beneficial.

I mean, just imagine it. If you buy a cat from a licensed breeder then you know where it's from. You could even make it law to have the animal chipped to the breeder. Then if there's an excess of animals in the area that are unchipped you know it's only a matter of time before the illegal breeders are caught and tried for animal abuse. How many times have you seen kitten and puppy farms on TV and felt that horrible shiver up your spine and know there's nothing you can do about it? With microchip licenses people actually CAN make a difference and stop these horrible people.


I like the idea of rescue packs but I just think it would prove too expensive to deal with. Rescue centres don't have a lot of money to begin with so the last thing they need is to put more money into delivery and service of a pack for owners. I think there should be pet food and litter subsidies for elderly owners that are looking after a rescue animal for company, but anything past that I believe would prove too costly. (And also easy to cut in a crisis I might add)

[Crewella]

I'm sorry it took me so long to reply, I had a very busy week at work and then my internet went down at the weekend - I'm just catching up!

I'm glad you seem to have a temporary solution, but in response to your question yes, in my experience after the summer there should be more likelyhood of a space coming up.

At the rescue I volunteer for we find that we rarely home adult cats through the summer and, obviously, if we don't find homes for the ones we have then we have no spaces to take any more in. Perhaps people don't want to take on a cat when they are about to go away on holiday, and it certainly seems that those that do all want kittens! I've not been involved that long, but the last three/four years have all been the same - the cats we had at the beginning of the summer are all still there come the autumn and only move on then.

The lack of spaces is due to a bit of everything, really. Lack of, funds, pens, volunteers .... you name it! We always seem to be mananging to squeeze just one more cat in .... but the demand is never ending.

It's lovely that you are thinking of volunteering - good on you! I have a couple of 'permanent' foster cats and started taking on one or two temporary foster cats last year - I've never regretted it. If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to ask!