poor cats

[LesleyW]

I fail to understand why people like Dawn, whose work helps all the locals rescues seems to get no help in what she does.

Its a shame we can't all just put the cats away in a cupboard for a week and go and have a break. Until then Purrs is a way to vent I guess!

I had four kittens in from the RSPCA as they were full.  Unfortunately, three of them didn't make it and all passed suddenly despite a trip to vets etc.  RSPCA have so far offered no financial assistance, gave me four tins of food they were given when the kittens were handed in and expect the kittens back on 18 September so they can put them up for re-homing and get the donation for them.

My Vets bills this last month was £480 for Storm plus all normal vaccinations and neuterings and, although nothing to do with cats, have just had to pay out £656 on the dogs.

Unfortunately, I don't have any free cupboards.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I fail to understand why people like Dawn, whose work helps all the locals rescues seems to get no help in what she does.

Its a shame we can't all just put the cats away in a cupboard for a week and go and have a break. Until then Purrs is a way to vent I guess!

We've just worked out what money we have and after bills have been paid we are down to £120 a week and that has to feed the cats I have in as well as run my car etc    I get help towards the neutering/spaying but without that, I would have packed in a long time ago......

[Angiew]

i think its a measure of how busy all the rescues are that many of us are feeling stressed, tired and fed up this year.
We all feel we are facing a losing battle and sadly, until more people get the neutering message things are only going to get worse.

The national rescues do a lot of work with neutering thank goodness - I wish they would do more to help the independents as well - it is the only way we are ever going to get on top of this.

I am eternally grateful to Yvonne the neutering officer of the coventry CP for her help this year - something we reciprocate in other ways.

I fail to understand why people like Dawn, whose work helps all the locals rescues seems to get no help in what she does.

Its a shame we can't all just put the cats away in a cupboard for a week and go and have a break. Until then Purrs is a way to vent I guess!

[Mark]

A lot of people who visit the forum and see the RSPCA slated assume it's the RSPCA in general and through this, the local branches are bound to feel the brunt and not get donations.  If people are attacking the RSPCA, they should make it clear it's the HQ they are having a go at and not the smaller branches.

Burying your head in the sand or is it living in the 'real world'
Change your number or screen your calls to get yourself what you need

I live in the real world as I see it first hand but I suppose the burying of the head does sound appealing    As for changing my number....if only life was that easy, too many people know me and know where I live.....I will be sorting the ones i've promised I would...these are ferals just for spaying/neutering and trying to put my foot down on any others I get hassled about or just not answer my phone as a lot of rescues do    Without going into detail I am aiming for a clean break, so I really need to get the decks clear.

I was talking to a woman that runs a small rescue in Thanet last week - although she does have pens. She is permanently full with 30 cats on site and a network of fosterers. Luckily she had a little shop to help funds as well. She said she keeps getting referrals from the RSPCA. I told her that her phone number was actually on the local branch site. She wasn't aware of this and said it needs to come off as she has a lot less resources and struggles all the time. This isn't someone who is paid a salary and works 9 - 5 - she is up to her neck in it and has been for 30 years. I was talking to her husband last week and he said she could never wash her hands of a cat in need and will bend over backwards to help.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

Ron is in Brighton Black Cat 

[Black Cat]

Where are you - I can take two or three if transport can get them here - I am in Devon. (Feline Network)

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

A lot of people who visit the forum and see the RSPCA slated assume it's the RSPCA in general and through this, the local branches are bound to feel the brunt and not get donations.  If people are attacking the RSPCA, they should make it clear it's the HQ they are having a go at and not the smaller branches.

Burying your head in the sand or is it living in the 'real world'
Change your number or screen your calls to get yourself what you need

I live in the real world as I see it first hand but I suppose the burying of the head does sound appealing    As for changing my number....if only life was that easy, too many people know me and know where I live.....I will be sorting the ones i've promised I would...these are ferals just for spaying/neutering and trying to put my foot down on any others I get hassled about or just not answer my phone as a lot of rescues do    Without going into detail I am aiming for a clean break, so I really need to get the decks clear.

[Millys Mum]

The RSPCA HQ has the money, the local RSPCA rescues don't....they have to do all their fundraising themeselves so they struggle like the rest of us.   As rescues people should pull together instead of slating......this does  me off as alot of the time, people don't get the full story before they jump on the bandwagon 

Thats my point, if HQ wanted to they could liberate the branches and share out some major money to help them help more. Most of the pts is done to the animals collected not the ones left with the individual branches, the blood is on HQs hands so they deserve to get slated for it. When ever comments are made they are in view of HQ not individual branches who are doing the frontline work we all do.

You're right, maybe I should follow the approach you're suggesting and maybe bury my head in the sand at the same time....

Thats so sad....think RSPCA should change its name grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Gill, I'm not being funny but if people haven't got room what the hell are they meant to do with them?
Something somewhere has got to give, and sadly that usually means a cat being pts or the alternative is leaving them to suffer regardless, I know what I'd rather happen to them and yes, it may sound heartless but at least I'm living in the real world.

Burying your head in the sand or is it living in the 'real world'
Change your number or screen your calls to get yourself what you need

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

The RSPCA HQ has the money, the local RSPCA rescues don't....they have to do all their fundraising themeselves so they struggle like the rest of us.   As rescues people should pull together instead of slating......this does  me off as alot of the time, people don't get the full story before they jump on the bandwagon 

Playing devils advocate then but why not go for the RSCPA approach and just say no to all the calls you cant deal with or pts?

You're right, maybe I should follow the approach you're suggesting and maybe bury my head in the sand at the same time....

[Millys Mum]

Thats so sad....think RSPCA should change its name grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Gill, I'm not being funny but if people haven't got room what the hell are they meant to do with them? Would people rather they just leave them where they are and starve to death???   Everyone complains about rescues but I don't see everyone else jumping in and offering to take them.....no one realises what pressure we get put under, I am in the same position as everyone else, probably worse....I have no money and yet everyone expects me to take every cat round here that needs help and I just can't do it....I cried taking the stray to the vets the other day because I literally can't keep him here too long, people can bury their heads and think there is a place for all these cats that need help....the reality is, there isn't!!!  Something somewhere has got to give, and sadly that usually means a cat being pts or the alternative is leaving them to suffer regardless, I know what I'd rather happen to them and yes, it may sound heartless but at least I'm living in the real world.

Ron, if you can send me the details and a contact number, I'll  put a plea out for you   

The RSPCA are in a position where they have the money to do something if they wanted to, but they would rather keep it in the bank and pts as its the easier and cheaper way of dealing with things.

Yes I have thought long and hard and people have said to me round here...."but you're the cat lady, you can't pack it in"....but I have to, firstly I want to get my life sorted out which a few of you know about, and even if I wanted to continue, I can't ....I am at rock bottom financially and I've even had to go overdrawn on my bank account today to put fuel in so I could trap some ferals and get them to the vets    They willl be staying here until the end of next week until they've recovered from ops so that's another expense I could really do without 

Playing devils advocate then but why not go for the RSCPA approach and just say no to all the calls you cant deal with or pts?

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

Yes I have thought long and hard and people have said to me round here...."but you're the cat lady, you can't pack it in"....but I have to, firstly I want to get my life sorted out which a few of you know about, and even if I wanted to continue, I can't ....I am at rock bottom financially and I've even had to go overdrawn on my bank account today to put fuel in so I could trap some ferals and get them to the vets    They willl be staying here until the end of next week until they've recovered from ops so that's another expense I could really do without 

[ronandcats]

Dawn I think at times we all think we would all like to pack in, I know I do and age is against me nearly 72, but what would I do if I did, I could not sleep at nights thinking of all the little poorly and stray cats out there with no one to help,in all weathers I know we cant save them all But between us all we do what we can and when we can day or night, I think you should all stop and think will we ever pack in ( I know I wont )

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I think we're all in the same boat...I said a while ago I was packing it in but I've been inundated and have a full house again...if people got their cats spayed/neutered that is the only thing that would stop them being pts.....I had to pop to our local rescue today and they have cages full of kittens    I also get my number given out by the RSPCA, CP and local rescues but I do know most are full and have long waiting lists...the difference being though, they get donations I don't 

[ronandcats]

I think if the RSPCA took there finger out there nose  and went around and helped out the smaller charity,s and saw the way we all work our Butts off things would be a lot better and more cats could be saved from being PtS,  But no they just pass the buck on to us smaller Charity's and Recuse centers they are always giving my number, I have people come to look at homing a cat and they say the RSPCA don't have many cats there for re homing so why turn little cats away we don't and we don't have the Money they have, we are burting at the seems and we can only do so much

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

Thats so sad....think RSPCA should change its name grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Gill, I'm not being funny but if people haven't got room what the hell are they meant to do with them? Would people rather they just leave them where they are and starve to death???   Everyone complains about rescues but I don't see everyone else jumping in and offering to take them.....no one realises what pressure we get put under, I am in the same position as everyone else, probably worse....I have no money and yet everyone expects me to take every cat round here that needs help and I just can't do it....I cried taking the stray to the vets the other day because I literally can't keep him here too long, people can bury their heads and think there is a place for all these cats that need help....the reality is, there isn't!!!  Something somewhere has got to give, and sadly that usually means a cat being pts or the alternative is leaving them to suffer regardless, I know what I'd rather happen to them and yes, it may sound heartless but at least I'm living in the real world.

Ron, if you can send me the details and a contact number, I'll  put a plea out for you   

[bunglycat]

RSFCA - Royal society for cruelty to cats 

[Janeyk]

Very sad, could you contact some other local rescues and see if they will help out?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thats so sad....think RSPCA should change its name grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[bunglycat]

Maybe someone from that area could foster some for the time being ?

[ronandcats]

 i have had a phone call today asking if i had room for some cats, the caller told me the council said she must get rid of most of them or the RSPCA will take them and they will be PTS I told her I might be able to take one in next week' then I then ask her how many cats she had to get homes for 20 she said by the end of next week I have asked around but every one is full, so once again it looks like its the poor little cats that will suffer, some people really make me mad she will ring again in a few days but i really cant help her and take more than one.