Feral cat nightmare: "Please listen to me. I can only lend you traps!"

[bertha katzenengel]

Alley Cat Allies hasn't updated their outreach list in more than a year. How do I know? Because it was about a year ago that I asked to be removed. (Burnout.)

I'm still getting calls. (And I wonder what it is about the people who call me that makes them ramble on and on, who make me shout to interrupt and get a word in?)

I am calling a woman back tonight, on the way home from work, to tell her "I can only lend you traps and a book from Alley Cat Allies. I can't help. I don't give advice. I'm not on call."

Pray she listens and heeds, please?

Thank you.

[montanto]

1. Yeah, that's tough. Good luck.

People who have cat problems on the street want to help, but they don't stop to think that everyone involved in helping is a volunteer, not a Vet. or a scientist, or a millionaire.

So, Good Luck, and thanks for helping the kitties.

[bertha katzenengel]

4. I've asked help from volunteers whom i know are currently involved --

I've tried to ask, anyway. I rarely get call backs.

Thanks. :)

[Flaxbee]

2. I do understand the need to ramble sometimes -- it's like you're

finally SO HAPPY to find someone who might have advice, or could help you out. It is irritating, yes - but I've been on both the giving and receiving end of rambles :D

Can you call ACA again?

[bertha katzenengel]

5. Yes, I plan to call them this week.

They can't or won't help me with my latest problem, and I'm getting to the point where I wonder if they care about anyone across the Potomac (they're in VA, I'm in MD -- AND I'm "beyond the beltway," meaning out in BFE).

Y'know, I think a snail letter to the administrator might be in order.

:hi:

[yellowcanine]

3. The feral cat populations are getting a little out of hand some places.....

We have a situation in the county here where there has been an outbreak of rabies among feral cats. Scary stuff.

[bertha katzenengel]

6. That is scary.

In cases like that, it's nearly impossible to keep the colonies alive, even the healthy cats, because truly all that animal control can do is to round 'em all up. :( Folks like me may cry over it but I don't think it makes any sense to try to stop it - in that kind of situation. :(

[yellowcanine]

9. Actually a county worker got bitten by one and had to get the prophylaxis treatment.

I also don't think that letting cats exist in a feral state is the humane thing to do with them. I think that either they should be rescued or euthanized.

[bertha katzenengel]

10. Not sure what you mean by rescue.

Part of what we do is to try to get the ferals homes as barn cats. Failing that, there's really no rescue to be done. These cats are completely wild. They can't be tamed. They can't go into homes. So we'd be euthanizing all of them.

I understand the thinking that euthanasia is the only humane thing to do. But where you have committed people caring for these colonies, the cats do well. Part of the care is to trap them for their annual shots and when one is sick or injured. And, of course, to report any signs of rabies or other contagion to animal control.

(Obviously, trap-neuter-return is the basis of caring for any feral cat/colony. Initially the cats are trapped, tested for FIV etc., spayed or neutered, given their shots, ear tipped, and released to the place from which they are trapped. Ear tipping: the tip of the left ear is removed to show that that cat has already been spayed/neutered. Sometimes the right ear; sometimes they're notched instead of tipped.)

[stuntcat]

7. let it out..

It helps to type out frustration like this!
Also it sounds like the woman's probably worried a lot about the cats.

I tried to help the feral litter that was born behind my house last year but I FAILED because I can't drive and they wanted so much money to lend me the trap. I did catch one kitty though, the prettiest of the litter, and I'm sure it had to be put to sleep as wild as it was, but at least it isn't making more wild kittens :cry:

[bertha katzenengel]

11. Someone wanted to charge you for the use of his traps?!

That's bullshit, and I'm sorry that happened. I'm also sorry you weren't able to help the kits. That is very hard to live with, but you tried. You did what you could; I hope that can give you some small consolation. :hug:

She cares a great deal, and she's not as hard to deal with as others have been.

[Dogtown]

8. sym pathos

i feel your pain, bk.



:grouphug:

[bertha katzenengel]

12. you're very kind, Dogtown.

:hug: