This morning, when I got up and went out to the patio to feed the cats- there was a flurry of “Oh My Gosh everyone! Run someone’s coming!” I recently added some motion detector lights out there and to my amusement and surprise, I saw all my “escapees” running for the only exit! They had all come in to get out of the cold last night- ALL of them. Dash, Chappy, Gidget, Twist, the whole clowder. Ever since George insulated that large enclosure and I put the heater out there, they have been taking full advantage of the heat. I also could buy a large kennel pad that is heated which has been a godsend thanks to a large grant I received a few weeks ago, that was QUITE the wonderful surprise!
As I scooped out the food, I was reflecting on all the cats that have come here this year and fallen under our care. Some, like Sierra and Smuckers and Squirrely McGee have had fairy tale endings to their life that was once so rough and uncertain. Others, like Sterling, Riley, Turtle, Gracie and sweet Bella (the kitty found on the side of Upper Berlin Road) they are now in another life free from pain. But while they were here by golly, they knew someone loved them. We are not a no-kill sanctuary here. I wish we could be, but we take the outcasts, the unloved, the neglected, the tormented. Sometimes, it simply isn’t fair to keep them alive just because they are so beautiful and you “want” them to live.
I thought about yesterday and Squirrely McGee- what I didn’t share with you is when I got him home initially and opened his crate to put him into his cage, he got away from me. Now it makes sense, knowing now he was blind, but he was running around the patio crashing into things, climbing things that made no sense (like the side of the big dryer) I was terrified because I had no idea if he was feral- I just got him home. But I calmed myself down and just made it the goal to capture him. When I had my hands on him- he calmed right down and I was so thankful that he wasn’t feral. He could have torn my face off. I put him back in the cage with water and food and just left him to decompress. I didn’t want to stress him out any more than necessary and came back a few hours to discover him NOT in the cage! Where the devil was he? It took me climbing up (the cage is up on a 7 foot table) and into the cage and standing up (I am 6 feet tall) to find him wedged down in the fiberglass between the walls just looking miserable. I had to dismantle the wall to free this poor kitty. My thoughts continued. If he was born blind-did they notice? When he went blind was someone there who cared? Apparently not and now this kitty has a chance at a glorious life with a woman I completely respect and admire. He has hope.
I found out from Kim that he would always appear with another kitty she called Friend Kitty. I swear with Kim, next time I get a cat, I am calling her for names! She is the one who was feeding Hamilton- the Siamese who escaped from me and walked 9 miles right back to her arms! She called him Mr. Persnickity! LOL he is still with her, now an inside kitty after she discovered he is highly allergic to grass *not the marijuana kind either*
So, as I am scooping and feeding, the tears start to fall, as my thoughts race and I think of all of them that have passed through here and all of them yet to come. I got a call last night from a woman in Washington and even after over an hour conversation on the phone with her- I still don’t know what she wanted from me? She is living near an alley with a group of cats that have migrated over from another house where someone is feeding strays and ferals and NOT spaying and neutering. Near as I could figure out- she is moving and she wants to take 8 cats with her, or she wants me to take the 8 cats because she is moving to Sweet Home? Again it was just too much for me on an otherwise overwhelming day. I told her I couldn’t take 8 cats- we have 25 currently and one more arriving today. I told her about my blog and said if she needed help- just use the email and I would guide her as best I could.
There are stories like hers all over the United States. For some who care but don’t know how best to help out, they can make a situation worse instead of better. I have said this so many times in my life and I repeat it here now. If you can’t afford to spay and neuter PLEASE do not start feeding outside kitties. You are not helping the situation- you are creating a larger one.
As I close this, my final thoughts. Iit has been a tough year for me and for so many others out there. I know this. But I wish to thank you , all of you, because it seems when I am at the end of my rope, or I have had to make the difficult decision to let a cat go to the Bridge, or I have five cents left in the kitty fund. One of you reaches out and sends money, a personal email, a letter in the actual mail, or just cash in the mail. Supplies like trash bags and litter scoops or heated cat beds arrive at my door. A case of cat food, coupons or paw points arrive (Tidy Cats promotional) appears. This year on top of everything else, I find CATS Inc., has been gifted with over 300 pieces of jewelry custom-made and most of them vintage!
ALL of these gifts from the hearts of the givers, whether it be five dollars or one hundred it all validates what we do here. Despite the pain and the heartache suffered, the personal stuff boiling over, I just keep going- I keep trying to make that difference in a cat’s life without the hoopla, the major fund- raising dinners, the radio spot. In my spot in this world, I just keep going. I couldn’t do this. I wouldn’t do this alone. I do it with the help of all of you by the Will of God and I am so very grateful. You have no idea. So thank you- all of you for caring, for loving, for following- for being. May next year we find a way, all of us, to make a difference in our corner of the world, be it big or small.
God Bless You All-Merry Christmas to All- Guard your trees well! LOL
M.A.
Hello. I just discovered your sight. Amazing work. I have cared for a couple feral cats. So I’m not very experienced. The first one is now a very fat very happy indoor cat. She is the ultimate in lazy and happy. The second feral I recently started caring for about four months ago. I made a heated shelter for him and he was getting two meals a day. I was able to get him comfortable enough with me to b able to treat him for fleas and the tape worm he had. We live in MI and a couple days ago got our first snow storm. He left that morning and hasn’t been back. Just wondering should I be concerned for his safety or perhaps he’s off on an adventure and will b back. He’s been around for three years now but just recently have I started feeding and caring for him. I appreciate any input you may have.
It’s always heart-breaking to have to turn people – and cats – away. But it must be done. The wise person knows his or her limits; if they go beyond them, they do more harm than good.
As for being a no-kill sanctuary, there really is no such thing. There cannot be. What those who call themselves ‘no-kill’ offer, however, is life, life so long as there is even a hope of an animal living without pain, or even living with a minimum of discomfort. There will always be a point at which we must say that this cannot go on, and ending an animal’s torment is better than keeping him alive, just to keep him alive. By ‘no-kill’, we mean ‘killing is the option forced upon us when there are, in fact, no options left’. By that definition, yours is a no-kill shelter, but you are being honest, and if everyone involved in rescue were as honest, no one could claim to be ‘no-kill’. But with you and other shelters and sanctuaries, whether they are called ‘no-kill’ or not, those cats who have been through the worst have the best chance.
Agree with John. No kill does NOT mean no euthanasia.
Taking a healthy, or sick-but-redeemable animal and making it dead is killing. Whether you do it for space, convenience (as in my shelter used to), or just because “their time is up”, it’s killing.
Taking a suffering animal (in mind or body) that has no hope of a life without anguish and making it dead, that’s euthanasia. And good shelters do it all the time. It’s the kind and responsible thing to do. Euthanasia is supposed to relieve suffering.
So yes, you are no kill. By definition.