Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Mark on January 29, 2009, 17:10:44 PM
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"Hello, my name is XXXX - I am trying to find a particular cat food and I can't find it anywhere. Please can you phone me and tell me where I might be able to find it. Please can you phone me back on XXXXXX sorry but it's a mobile"
She didn't say what the food was so no only am I expected to phone her to find out what the food is but to phone her again when I have the info.
Is it me or............
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the same sort who ring 999 and ask where they can buy fags in the middle of the night methinks. Something tells me you won't be making the call :rofl:
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"Hello, my name is XXXX - I am trying to find a particular cat food and I can't find it anywhere. Please can you phone me and tell me where I might be able to find it. Please can you phone me back on XXXXXX sorry but it's a mobile"
She didn't say what the food was so no only am I expected to phone her to find out what the food is but to phone her again when I have the info.
What's your beef, eh? :rofl: Just be thankful she didn't ask you to BUY it for her as well and deliver it by hand :rofl:
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I am tempted to ignore it but what if it is a prescription food and she hasn't got the sense to go to a vet?
I will phone her but unless there is a good explanation, she will will be getting the potentially sharp end of my tongue.
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Right. She is on jobseekers allowance. She has started working but won't get paid for a month. She has no food for her cat and wants some food. Apparently, she had tried everywhere (for free food I assume) and phoned us as a last resort. I told her that any food we get donated is donated for stray and sick cats - but the cat's sake, I will make some calls and phone her back - I am speechless :-:
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Whats she bloomin eating then! I bet she smokes and drinks!
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that is absolute rubbish. the jobcentre gives you £250 when you start a job to cover people who wont be paid straight away. she should have covered her cat food before she did anything else with it :shify:
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I agree with all but have visions of a cat with no tea :'(
Roxanne, one of the fosterers is willing to give her some food for the cat's sake and I will try to get hold of Sharon or someone else that can advise
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Whats she bloomin eating then! I bet she smokes and drinks!
Exactly what I said to Roxanne - we wish we had the power to inspect and seize (save) >:(
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What's your beef, eh? :rofl:
I was going to lamb-ast her for telling porkies but chickened out :evillaugh:
Her story sounded fishy :shify:
Poor kitty :(
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Why do people have pets when they can't afford them >:(
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This is so sad :(
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I suspect it isn't sad, though: my view of human nature is such that I'm assuming she's on the ear'ole for free food and thinks CP will be a soft touch >:(
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I can't get hold of Sharon but spoke to Isobel (VN) one of our welfare ladies. We agreed that we have to give the benefit of the doubt for the cat's sake. Roxanne is going to leave some pouches and biscuits out for her to collect.
Yes - she seemed a bit surprised when I told her she has to go and collect it - she said she wouldn't have phoned without trying everything else and I would be surprised what she has tried :shify: - I didn't respond.
Anyway, we think there should be a follow-up call to see if she should really be in charge of a cat.
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Id be cynical enough to make sure she really has a cat and isnt selling the food on .......
It happend to be when I fostered .... Someone I vaguely knew, knew I had foster cats and expected me to bail her out when she ran out of cat food (allegedly) . She was supposed to be getting her benefit money the next day (havent we all hard that one) I didnt like the thought of a hungry cat so ....
I found she was catless but was selling the food (at a highly inflated price) to another neighbour who was housebound with illness and couldnt get out to buy cat food, or anything else for that matter. The "scrounger" claimed the food she had from me, free, was all our local supermarket had on offer. People can be :censored: scumbags!!!
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Sorry i have been out!! (its allowed sometimes).!!
All the food we are getting at the moment is donated as we our out of stock.. ! But i suppose nothing surprises me lately... Is her cat spayed or neutered i wonder!
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I am hoping you can shine a bright light into her eyes and cross-examine her. We are worried that her cat isn't (obviously) being taken care of properly.
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Best of luck sorting this out :hug:
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Oh Mark, you do get them don't you love? :hug: It's hard because as we all would, you are worried about the cat. But I was once unemployed for a year and I had a mortgage and I had Smudge. I cut down on things but I always had money for Smudge. Why do people always have to pull on heart strings?
Mary
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People are unbelievable sometimes.
But I was once unemployed for a year and I had a mortgage and I had Smudge. I cut down on things but I always had money for Smudge.
Yep - after my Nana had died I had hardly anything - on plently of occasions I didn't have enough money to buy me food - Tigger the cat always got fed regardless (sometimes not on the healthiest stuff, but at least his tummy was full).
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i've been unemployed for 18 months. i get £90 a week in benefits and have 2 kids to feed but the first thing i do with my money each week is pay the £22 for my pet food. the humans go without, the animals never do.
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I have been unemployed in the past an also know how tight things are but some things have to be at the top of the list. Even if she had bought some cheap cat biscuits to tide her over. I even remember someone on here mixing cheaper with better food. I can't help thinking that she probaby has a packet of fags which costs as much as feeding a cat for a week at least.
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For the last 2 weeks I have been emptying the cupboards coming up with the most bizarre meals for me and OH to eat, but the girls still got their usual food. I didn't want to change it in case they got dodgy tummies. I even went round the flat picking up 5p's that seem to drop out of pockets and took come coppers up to the tesco serve yourself yesterday as we were out of cat food for their dinner and payday was today! Last month was a particularly bad one, but part of our food budget each month is always reserved for the puds and I always pay their monthly insurance! Wouldn't have it any other way.
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Could you not suggest for you to look after the cat untill she gets back on her feet? :sneaky:
Im sure if she has done all that she can and does really love the cat, what else could she do? :(
Mark aka Catman :rofl: sorry :evillaugh:
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i can't remember the last time i had a proper dinner but my kids eat every day. however, if i told them they would have to go with one night for the sake of my cats they wouldnt even dare complain. if it really came down to it i know somebody else would feed my kids.
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I am sure she may well be a chancer but the DWP and HMRC are useless at the best of times - we constantly have young mums in the office because their money hasnt come through two days after it was due or the £250 back to work cheque is taking 4 weeks to process - and they normally arent lying because we confirm with the DWP before we give them.
JSA has a 4 week back log up here at the moment and folks dont get money to tide them over!
So yes probably she was a chancer and goodness knows why she phones the CP rather than borrowing a pound from someone for some food - however the DWP take the absolute mick!! I am still awaiting the result of a benefit claim submitted in AUGUST for someone - I ended up having to write to their MP after the complaint letters and phonecalls were going unanswered - they then wrote and admitted they LOST the claim!! Still not in payment either!
So aye - she is probably at the ham - but likewise if she is on benefits and starting work I dont envy her because the money never comes when it shoudl! :censored: I mean she obviously wanted her cat to be fed and not go hungry ....surely thats a good thing!?!?!
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We did actually have another one like that last year. I took the call and it was decided to give the woman some cat food. I wish I'd been aware as it might have been the same woman. She lived near the Wincheap area of Canterbury. :shify:
We gave her at least a two week's worth of tins, and I delivered it myself as I wanted to check out her story and have a look at her cat. She told me he was a stray that she's taken in when some students have left. She did seem genuine and there had been a :censored: up with her benefits claim. But you can - sort of - forgive someone for an error once, but twice is a pattern.... I wonder if it was the same woman and maybe she's fleecing all the rescues in the area. :innocent:
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Could you not suggest for you to look after the cat untill she gets back on her feet? :sneaky:
We don't have space at the moment - the cat would have to go on a waiting list. I have suggested to Sharon that if the woman really can't cope, we should get her to sign it over and provide food until there is space. Also the chances are, if she can't feed the cat, then it isn't flead or wormed or possibly even spayed. Sharon is going to suss her out today. I said it sounds like if things have got this bad that she has already tested the generosity of neighbours/friends. I think Julie is right about where she lives in which case, there is a PAH there and she could have got really cheap food.
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She lived near the Wincheap area of Canterbury. :shify:
Yes I'm sure that is where she lives as I gave her Roxanne's address to collect the food and she said it isn't far. Roxanne lives in Wincheap.
btw - We viewed a house in Wincheap when we moved here. The lady told us that n Mediaeval times, they really used to make cheap wine in the area and that is how the name came about :evillaugh:
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Could you not suggest for you to look after the cat untill she gets back on her feet? :sneaky:
Im sure if she has done all that she can and does really love the cat, what else could she do? :(
Mark aka Catman :rofl: sorry :evillaugh:
But how many times could that happen?
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I mean she obviously wanted her cat to be fed and not go hungry ....surely thats a good thing!?!?!
I think it is a good thing and could have been worse. Some would just either starve the cat or throw it out. We do have to check these things out and find out what sacrifices she is making to feed her cat. We have "Mature" ladies standing out in the cold all day long at the weekend in a car park to raise funds which are never enough so have to make sure the money is used very wisely. That is why she has only been given a few days food until we can establish the facts - but sadly, there isn't the money to subsidise people.
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I mean she obviously wanted her cat to be fed and not go hungry ....surely thats a good thing!?!?!
I think it is a good thing and could have been worse. Some would just either starve the cat or throw it out. We do have to check these things out and find out what sacrifices she is making to feed her cat. We have "Mature" ladies standing out in the cold all day long at the weekend in a car park to raise funds which are never enough so have to make sure the money is used very wisely. That is why she has only been given a few days food until we can establish the facts - but sadly, there isn't the money to subsidise people.
Does your branch not have a supermarket bucket for donations? We have one in our local Morrisons which is how the cat food our branch uses is aquired - we even had a donation of sensitive prescribed food last week which will be great. I am always pleasantly surprised at how much actually gets donated (and there is a lot of go cat!). The Dog's trust and CP have a bucket all year round in that branch - is there none in your local area?
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We have tried to get supermarket bins in several places but are always refused. If managers do allow food bins, the RSPCA or Dogs Trust have usually always got there first but mostly the supermarkets make up some reason to say no. Even the local Co-op ignored our letters. :tired:
We do have bins in a few vet surgeries but these don't bring in a lot. Last year, there was a scheme that CP HQ had with one of the animal feed suppliers and we got a quarterly allowance of pouches, but this year the scheme has gone and we have to fend for ourselves.
Mostly we have to buy our own food these days. :innocent:
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We have tried to get supermarket bins in several places but are always refused. If managers do allow food bins, the RSPCA or Dogs Trust have usually always got there first but mostly the supermarkets make up some reason to say no. Even the local Co-op ignored our letters. :tired:
We do have bins in a few vet surgeries but these don't bring in a lot. Last year, there was a scheme that CP HQ had with one of the animal feed suppliers and we got a quarterly allowance of pouches, but this year the scheme has gone and we have to fend for ourselves.
Mostly we have to buy our own food these days. :innocent:
Aren't allowed food bins, we only accept donations brought to us.
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Do you have a Morrisons suoermarket near you? I know for a fact that Mr Morrison loves cats and my local one has a bin for a local cat rescue which is always full.
Mary
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Even the local Co-op ignored our letters.
We have a few bins in supermarkets, but years ago when someone contacted them all, their was either no reply or we were refused. So I though I would have a go and all replied and allowed us bins.
If you like i can e-mail you a copy of the letter I sent.
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We have tried to get supermarket bins in several places but are always refused. If managers do allow food bins, the RSPCA or Dogs Trust have usually always got there first but mostly the supermarkets make up some reason to say no. Even the local Co-op ignored our letters. :tired:
We do have bins in a few vet surgeries but these don't bring in a lot. Last year, there was a scheme that CP HQ had with one of the animal feed suppliers and we got a quarterly allowance of pouches, but this year the scheme has gone and we have to fend for ourselves.
Mostly we have to buy our own food these days. :innocent:
Aren't allowed food bins, we only accept donations brought to us.
Well, the Canterbury branch of Dogs Trust has food bins in several places. I think the Morrisons in Canterbury has one, there's an Asda with one and I can't rememner which branch of PAH but they had one too. :innocent:
Ela, I think we are now going through the third person to try the supermarkets. They all come in enthusiastic and feel that obviously other folks have been incompetant but gradually get crest fallen when they hit the brick wall time after time. I even visited a few managers face to face and they looked me straight in the eye and refused. But please do send us the letter, Ela. You never know it may have a voodoo spell in the words and they will have a change of heart. :evillaugh:
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Could you not suggest for you to look after the cat untill she gets back on her feet? :sneaky:
Im sure if she has done all that she can and does really love the cat, what else could she do? :(
Mark aka Catman :rofl: sorry :evillaugh:
But how many times could that happen?
Im sorry Im not getting that?
Well with all thats going on atm she could of lost her job.
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Umm from Pinkbears investigations i think we have been dupped!! Not once but twice!! Next time she may not get such a good response... from us... I did offer to take the cat in and rehome but she wasnt keen. He was neutered.. Perhaps we should ask her to send us a few donations when she gets some dosh!
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Blackmailing you with the story of a starving cat >:( how low do you get
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Also the amount of time and number of phone calls I had to make >:(
This included 2 long phone calls to her mobile listening to her waffling on. >:(
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my view of human nature is such that I'm assuming she's on the ear'ole for free food and thinks CP will be a soft touch >:(
I was right, then? :tired: :( >:(
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Yep :tired:
Shame we can't have lie detectors fitted to phones :evillaugh:
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But please do send us the letter, Ela.
Please e-mail me your e-mail address. When Sainsburys stopped having food bins in Nationwide, I wrote to Anne Widdecombe a great cat lover and within 2 week she sorted it. I also contacted all CP branches via e-mail asking for them to complain and AOL suspended me ;D as I sent so many e-mails within an hour they thought I was sending spam, fortunately when I phoned them and explained the position the reinstated me immediately.
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You must be very persuasive or very scary :evillaugh:. When Sharon & I tried to get local shops to put up posters about the neutering campaign, we hit a brick wall. I was amazed how many refused although some such as a chain of opticians said they would love to but Head Office forbid it. You may remember the one that annoyed me the most which was the manager of the hospice charity shop who was very sniffy and quite rude - even more frustrating as often we take in people's cats if they need to go into hospice care.
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Ela, I assume you meant PM and not email. :shify: Anyway, I have PMd you my email address. If you need an email instead, just yell. ;)
AOL thought OH was spamming too and blocked all his business emails. >:(
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A couple of times in the past I have seen collections in our local Coop, I think once in Tescos but don't go often as I order online
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Why would any shop/ whatever say no to a food bin, what are there reasons?
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Yes, a few of the supermarkets allow us to collect outside for a few hours a couple of times a year. In fact, collection days are usually what they offer as a 'compromise' when we ask for perminant bins. :innocent:
cc, there seems to be no one defendable excuse for refusing bins but area offices tell us it's down to store manager discretion, and the store managers either totally ignore our pleas or make up some other poxy excuse like "They cause a trip hazzard" or "our shoppers don't like to feel under pressure to support charities". I am sure they are misreading their shoppers! >:( Many people are grateful of a convenient drop off point so they can donate food for less fortunate pets. Those that aren't animal lovers just don't notice collection bins and walk past them. So why are supermarket managers so grumpy? :shify:
As for the woman, well Sharon emailed us some information that sparked some better memories of when I dealt with her last year. I'm 100% sure it's the same woman. She blamed an error in benefits payments - which in my limited experience is code for couldn't be :censored: to attend a progress interview so they stopped her claim. She was middle aged and living in a shared sort of half-way house and when I saw her had just woken up from a nap at 2pm and sounded a bit doped on anti depressants. :shy: Her pud looked quite plump to me and was well cared for or else I would have pressed her harder about rehoming him. She was probably taken aback when Mark told her she had to go collect the food as she was expecting me to deliver to her door again. :evillaugh:
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She was probably taken aback when Mark told her she had to go collect the food as she was expecting me to deliver to her door again. :evillaugh:
Yes she did seem quite surprised :evillaugh:
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WE have problems with food bins too - my local Morrisons said no due to lack of space, and now they have one for the RSPCA and a Dog one, local PAH have one just for one charity, it has been there for years - and ironically, there are 3 rescues that are more local to that PAH store than they are!! I haven't even bothered with letters this year, as I got very disheartened by it, although a rescue are being nice and letting us have what they dont use.
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It just occurred to me that if we had a food bin in Canterbury, people like this womann would be able to cut out the middleman and help themselves from the food bin :-:
I have to say whenever I go to the vets, there is rarely much donated food in the bins and sometimes they are 1/2 boxes of food with a layer of dust on that have probably been open for a year :evillaugh:
One of our vets put a bag of Science Plan in the bin to try to encourage people to put food in. They said I could take it but I said it was probably best I left it there as bait. The thing is, the chances of food donations at a vet are much lower than at a supermarket where hopefully people going in will remember to buyt and extra tin or so so put in on the way out?
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Its a pity the different stores have different policies!! Our local Morrisons lets us have the food bucket all year and it does really well - although the other Morrisons in town only seems to have a Christmas dinner appeal for the local dog home! Must depend on the managers then!! :-[ :-[
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our morrisons has a bin for the local CP and its always full up with food :Luv2:
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Have you tried smaller pet shops? There's a pet shop near where I work and they have a bin outside to take donations of food for charity (I forget which one). The Tesco opposite doesn't, but there was a CP lady collecting when I went in last week.
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Yeah the morrisons where I live is good for there CP bins, both have one and they are in prominant spots so easy for you to see them when you go in to remind you to get something and easy enough to just put bits in before you leave without taking you out your way and are always full (mention that bit as our local co-op has a dogs trust one in the corner which is never very full but I think that is cos of where it is placed and the local somerfield has nothing) morrisons also had bag packer volunteers at Xmas for the local cat and dog home for a Christmas dinner drive!
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Whats she bloomin eating then! I bet she smokes and drinks!
Yep