Had a woman on the phone begging us to rehome her cat or give her catfood.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I have so much sympathy for her cos whether its benefits or just a pension, its just not enough to live off and yes can understand how her cat keeps her going.

When I was very ill , the only reason I struggled to get up was to feed Kocka and once up doing that was hard and it was about the only time I moved.

[Kay and Penny]

when I had to run a home on unemployment benefit, I was seriously worried I would not be able to go on feeding my one cat at that time - fortunately my family helped  me out and it didn't last long

but if you are on your own and have to pay full price for fuel and electricity and insurance and water and food, living on benefits is all but impossible

so she has my sympathy, and I applaud her for having the courage to ask for help

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

What a sad situation... Its not a solution to her problem, but i would like to think that of all the people she may of contacted we were able to help at this time of year.. I hope the ladies life gets better next yr, i just worry what she will do if the cat needs veterinary care...

[Pudding]

The lady came to collect the food today and was very grateful. She had walked over 2 miles to get to my place and, obviously, had to walk the same distance back. We had a chat about the situation and the fact that CP couldn't carry on helping her with the food and she should really consider rehoming her cat. She doesn't smoke or drink or run a car and her cat is her sanity. She is in a very restricted financial situation being on benefits. Part of me does not want to see her have to give up her cat as he is what makes her get up in the morning. He is the one she is trying to get a job for he is her family. I have been in that situation myself and without my cats at the time, life would have been unbearable  I cut the woman a bit of slack, wished her a bHappy Christmas and hopefully a better new year.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Angela x

[Mark]

Thanks C   

Another thing I remembered from the last time is that she was rather put out when I told her that I had arranged with one of our fosterers, Roxanne that lived in her area to put some food out for her to collect. She said she was hoping we could deliver it as it was a 20 minute walk  - I know pudding said she will be walking for it again this time unless there was a very good reason.

[Christine (Blip)]

it isn't our place to play Robin Hood with donations.

I think this is very well-put.

[Angiew]

I remember last year dropping off some flea and worm stuff to a woman with a sad story I felt sorry for - in fact i think i posted on purrs at the time. I then received other calls from people expecting me to rush round and do the same as 'we were a cat charity'.

I think with a repeat offender, I would insist the cat is rehomed. There are far too many people willing to take advantage of us.

[Mark]

I understand what you are saying Rob - I even said to her that phoning us was better than the alternative - but at the same time, it isn't our place to play Robin Hood with donations. As well as the moral issue, it is quite possibly not quite legal for us for us to give donations away like this?

Also, apart from her return calls to us, what if word gets around. What we would like to do and what we can do are two different things. Sharon says that when the branch was new, she used to try to help people who were stuck with vet bills but word got around so it had to stop as there is very little coming in.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Well we at CP do realise that sometimes life catches you out. Especially in this financial climate and we helped with rehoming cats and other emergency situations many, many times this past year. That's also why we issue neutering vouchers etc. Unfortunately there is also a culture out there of believing charities are there for exploitation by all comers and no thought is cast for the knock on effects or what efforts our fundraisers have gone to to raise the money needed. The pie can only be cut so many ways and we suffer from the credit crunch too with decreased donations from well wishers. Even I get shocked by the attitudes of some less conscientious people sometimes. 

Recently we held several neutering campaigns in the worst areas of Canterbury, which was meant to target those poorest of people who needed help neutering their cats. I dealt with a fair few telephone applications... one notable one was from a council executive on a massive salary but thought she'd apply for a freebie spay voucher as "it's paid out of the EEC regional development budget, isn't it?" 

We have a great fundraising team consisting of a fair amount of pensioners who knit, make jam and stand rattling tins in the pouring rain to raise money for us... why should their efforts be spent on people who don't cast a thought about where the money has come from? 

Of course we would never see a cat go hungry, or homeless or in need of vet care if it were in our power to do something about it.  But it's not a long term solution to a long term inability to provide an adequate level of care, is it?  Cat ownership is NOT a legal or moral right, it's a privelege people in a position to provide proper care can indulge in if they wish to. Charities like ours exist as a safety net when things go unexpectantly wrong in a cat's life... so how can a person who has been on state benefits for YEARS without organising their affairs to cater for the basics of cat care (food) in the event of a crisis be allowed to continue to tap us for help again and again and again without the question being raised of whether they should keep their cat?  I should quickly add that many people on benefits provide excellent care for their cats and never need to ask for charity... just not this one lady in question it seems. 

Anyway, it's nearly Christmas. Peace love and joy to all... 

[hOrZa]

I think you are overestimating how much benefits are, there is no extra money beyond yourself and in the current economic climate with prices rising overnight, benefit is not keeping pace. without my family helping me I would not eat. I also don't drink or smoke so people with these addictions are really in a bind. at least she is doing something, some people would just turf the cat out.

[Mark]

So sad when one lives on the edge like this and thank you for the generosity to this lady and her cat 

Obviously we would never see a cat starve but I have a picture in my mind of little old ladies sparing a tin of food from their pension money to put in one of our collection bins thinking it is going to hungry strays. It seems  wrong that we are giving it to someone with an owned cat.

As a one-off, fine but a pattern is beginning to form here so she knows we are a soft touch. Angela (Pudding) has been working really hard on sorting out collection bins in supermarkets, vets etc. Only yesterday she said we are just reaching a point where the branch isn't having to buy food in so it can be used for vet bills etc. There is still never enough money. We don't have money for a cattery or shop so excess funds would be a dream come true (Apparently, if a branch has £10,000+ in their bank account, they can have a shop which really would build up funds)

As Julie pointed out, a box of food is one thing but what if the cat needed medical treatment or something?

Also, I think when she mentions rehoming, it is blackmail.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Mark, is this the woman from the Scrine foundation in Canterbury again? If so this is the forth time we've given her a load of food and each time she claims it is a benefits mess up that's caused a temporary hitch.  I think Bazmum's impressions are nearer the truth bout this woman. The first time I dropped the food off myself and she was still asleep at 1pm.  Puss did look happy and healthy though. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So sad when one lives on the edge like this and thank you for the generosity to this lady and her cat 

[Bazsmum]

That's shocking!  Everytime I enter a store its the cat food sect I head for, where I buy a weeks supply before human food is even thought of! What are we talking here, approx £5/6 ...... Bet she has the cooking sherry in though! 

At least we all know that kitty will be fed! 

[Mark]

When I rang her, she said her money has run out and she won't have any more until 5th/6th Jan. She said the benefits office had messed up. I asked when the cat last ate and she said tonight - she said she had enough left for tomorrow and that was it - she said she didn't have money to buy food for herself but would manage with whatever was in the cupboard. I said we would be able to arrange a short-term amount of food but if it was likely to be ongoing, she would have to think about giving the cat up. She said one more thing - it will have to be a specific food. I said I was sorry but she will have to have whatever food we have. I asked what she had in mind - she said Felix or Whiskas pouches. She said her cat throws up with tinned food.

Anyway, Angela (Pudding) lives near her and so is giving her a couple of boxes of pouches.

The annoying part is we are sure this is the same woman who has already done this to us several times - the last times was a few months ago.