home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Rescue Shelters - post details of cats needing homes here (NB: PLEASE put your Location in the Subject line)
If you need to rehome your own cat, please click "Find your local Cat Rescue Shelters" below...
Post Reply
chattycatty
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 3:32 am

home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by chattycatty »

I currently own 13 cats that people have been throwing out and none of our local shelters, RSPCA etc. will take. I also feed some strays. Four months ago someone left a 6-9 month old Tabby and white kitten on my doorstep. I have done everything I can to rehome her but no one is interested. She is neutered and very friendly with no health problems. I have now had someone dump another two. They are black and white, very friendly. The female is about nine months old and very playful. I saved up and managed to get her neutered. The local children killed/drowned her litter of kittens. The poor young mum was becoming insane looking for them but I managed to help her overcome her distress. The other is a boy about 6 months old. I can't afford to get him neutered. All 3 love being indoors and can play for hours but I can't keep them as my neighbours have started to complain about how many cats I have. I'm scared the local kids will hurt them. Last year they threw stone and damaged a stray cats eye which I took down to the RSPCA who had to remove the eye. Then they shot a cat in the face with a pellet gun.
We are having a huge cat problem made worse by two foreign families (possibly Romanian) who breed moggies and sell them. When they get some left over or unsold they throw them out ,drown them or let their very young kids play with them until they are dead. They have a litter at the moment with dreadful eye infection which no one wants. That means damaged goods. They have stopped feeding them. I have tried to talk to them but they are very hostile people.
I apologise if I have offended anyone foreign or Romanian . I can't tell what language they speak but my Polish neighbour thinks its Romanian.
I save every penny I have to feed my babies that were unwanted and also the babies that are stray. My worst nightmare is if ever they got sick how would I afford vet bills. I urgently need to rehome these 3 and if anyone can give me advice on how to stop the foreign neighbours killing and breeding kittens would be wonderful. Before anyone suggests calling the RSPCA and local shelters I already have with no results. I have been asking them for help since last June. My local shelters put the phone down as soon as they recognise my voice.
I get at least 4-8 cats and kittens left on my doorstep a year.
If vet bills were not so high more people would rehome. If only charities could find a solution to the vet bills problem then shelters wouldn't be over run.
OHWS
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:22 pm

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by OHWS »

.
Last edited by OHWS on Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Crewella
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 3605
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:59 pm
No. of cats in household: 6
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by Crewella »

What you really need is some support from a proper rescue to help with neutering and rehoming. The problem is that there are a huge number of unwanted cats and kittens, especially in the summer when the kitten season is in full flow, and all rescues are inundated and overflowing, struggling to keep up. It is just not possible to help every cat, and anyone involved in rescue is having to make horribly tough decisions, on a daily basis, in order to help at least some of the cats in their area without falling foul of the animal welfare laws themselves and overstretching their limited resources.

You do need to stop taking on so many cats yourself, as OHWS says, before you get into trouble. Sad, but true. There is also the fact that, being so pushed, many rescues will prioritise needy cats with no support over cats that have someone like you looking out for them. It's a catch-22 situation, I'm afraid.

Reading between the lines, I'm guessing that you've fallen out with your local CP and RSPCA branches, possibly because they have been unable to help in the way that you want? It can be frustrating, I know - I've wanted to shout at some of the bigger organisations myself a few times, but it would be so much better for all concerned if you could find a rescue to work with - it might be worth ringing round other rescues in your area to see if someone can help, but you'll need to approach them with care and be aware of (and respect) the constraints that they have to operate within. Please forgive me if I've got this wrong - I really am trying to be helpful, and we are all on the same side.

Having said all that, good on you for trying to help and I really hope you do manage to sort something out for these poor cats.
chattycatty
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 3:32 am

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by chattycatty »

I was just wondering whether the lucky ones were the kittens that were brutally handled and then drowned in a stream. I do try to turn a blind eye but its hard when you come home and a stray has decided to use our cat flaps and made itself at home. My neighbours don't seem to have a problem with my cats its the unneutered strays they don't like but because I own 13 they think every cat in the area belongs to me.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with the strays that magically know how to use our cat flaps when it takes me months to teach my own how to use them.
I've had cats for 15 years and helped rehome many. I also got a lot friends, family and neighbours to neuter their cats.
I'm not one of these people who picks up every stray they find and take them home. That's ok for those people who can afford to. My little beauties have been with me for years and 3 of them are very elderly. All of them live indoors but also go out. So I don't have the option of locking them in for the rest of their lives.
I will continue to do what I can for all the homeless little babes out there. If cat lovers start to give up on them then they have no hope what so ever and there would be no shelters and no Catchat.
Thanks for the advice Crewella and OHWS. I know how shelters deal with the animals I worked in one for many years. I've had people tell me many times that I need to stop doing what I am and I can't help every animal I come across. I know that's true. I also know that even if I can save one kitty in a life time that's more than enough. I respect what shelters are doing but if everyone else took a little responsibility and helped even once every few years and didn't dump their burdens on the charities it would make a huge difference. They could help raise money or put a poster up in their windows or at work or in their cars showing cats and kittens that need rehoming. Maybe they could ask at their local shops, schools or supermarkets if they could put a leaflet or small poster. Cat lovers with cars could offer to pickup a cat or kitten for anyone interested in adopting from a shelter or from someone like myself. I have gone to the lengths of picking up cats and kittens for friends and neighbours who are too lazy or don't have the time to neuter. Getting their kitties neutered picking them back up from the vets and then taking care of them for a few days then giving them back to their owners. I have even paid for neutering. Even the smallest gesture can mean the whole world to some poor helpless creature.
I have 3 cats/kittens that need rehoming. I don't know if I am going to be successful but at least I will have tried. So if there is anyone out there who is interested or knows someone or just wants some pictures of the cuties let me know.
chattycatty
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 3:32 am

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by chattycatty »

Not sure how to add pictures. I'm giving it a try.
Attachments
lucy cropped 1.jpg
This is Lucy
(173.08 KiB) Not downloaded yet
User avatar
Crewella
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 3605
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:59 pm
No. of cats in household: 6
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by Crewella »

Yes, that worked. And I'm sorry to have sounded so discouraging, I foster and rehome myself and wish you every luck with rehoming these cats - as you say, every one you help is a triumph. To be absolutely honest, it did sound a bit like things might have got a little out of hand, I apologise for presuming so. xx
chattycatty
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2016 3:32 am

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by chattycatty »

Thanks Crewella. Its nice to know there are others like me and you didn't sound discouraging. I understood your point of view. You were just trying to make sure the 13 cats I have don't end up homeless.
I don't know if you can help but I am trying to find insurance for 4 of my elderly cats. Its disgraceful that in this country insurers don't want to have anything to do with older cats.
I'll be putting pictures of the homeless kitties once I can get them to keep still long enough. In the meantime here's another of Lucy. I have wrote to a few shelters in West Yorkshire and asked them to advertise the babies. So far none have replied.
Attachments
lucy crop 4.jpg
(216.18 KiB) Not downloaded yet
User avatar
Crewella
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 3605
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:59 pm
No. of cats in household: 6
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: home/s needed urgently Bradford West Yorkshire

Post by Crewella »

Thank you for 'getting it', Chattycatty. :)

I'm afraid I can't help with the insurance - I have four cats in their teens myself and gave up on insurance, though I am lucky enough to have support from the rescue for any vet fees for two of them, who are permanent foster cats because of their age and ongoing issues.

I'm of no use to you at all, in fact, as I'm just outside London, but keep trying as other rescues are probably finding the same thing that we are - after a long summer of only being able to find homes for kittens, we are suddenly getting enquiries for the adult cats again and rehomings have picked up enormously in the last few weeks. Same thing happened last year around this time too.

Gorgeous picture of a beautiful cat, paws crossed that you find a space. xx
Post Reply