Dear Carrie: My rescue work is mostly with TNR and ferals, but when I do trap kittens who are young enough to readily socialize, or an older cat that was obviously someone's pet at one time and is friendly, then I will test for FIV/FeLV in addition to S/N and try to place the healthy, friendly ones in adoptive homes. You might try advertising for "foster" homes with sympathetic people who might be willing to help you in that regard or locate existing rescue organizations in your area or neighboring areas that might be willing to take some in. Unfortunately, however, most rescue groups are usually overflowing, especially during kitten season and older cats are more difficult to place than are the kittens.
Did you know you can get a webpage with Petfinder.com even if you are not a registered 50l(c) (non-profit) organization? You just need a letter from a vet who is willing to say that you do rescue work and a sample copy of your adoption agreement. You can post photos/bios of adoptable cats on their website. Some pet stores in my area allow rescuers to bring adoptable cats in for viewing, usually on weekends, at "adoption events." I have been able to place some of mine that way. You need to develop a process for how you will screen potential adopters and decide what you consider acceptable. I could send you sample of what I and some other rescue groups here use. You can post flyers with photos of adoptable cats on community bulletin boards in stores or wherever you think there will be much pet-friendly traffic. You might ask the local newspaper, maybe even TV station, if they could help you get the word out about the plight of homeless cats. Sometimes they will allow a rescue group to have a "pet of the week" adoption spot. I am always both encouraged and perplexed that whenever there is a lot of media coverage of a crisis that involves a homeless animal such as the mom cat in New York who kept returning to a burning building to rescue her kittens one at a time, or a dog trapped in a sewer whose plight makes the news, they get flooded with calls from people who want to adopt such pets. I always wonder why these people who are willing to open their heart and home to an unfortunate pet "celebrity", don't go to the local shelter or a rescue group and adopt one of many equally needy and deserving pets who are waiting for homes instead of only showing an interest in one who gains notoriety through the media. I can identify with your heart-aching quandry about what to do about those who are not healthy. For a cat who is seriously symptomatic, sometimes euthanasia is truly the kindest thing we can do. If you believe in anmal communication and have ever talked to animals confined to cages in a shelter with no human contact or loving care, they will tell you there ARE things worse than death. If it is a friendly cat who is ill and does not test positive, the prognosis it will be able to get well and be adoptable is much better than otherwise. If the outdoor environment is relatively safe and the cats can be S/N and someone is willing to serve as a colony care- taker, then there are certainly worse lives for a cat than being re-released even if it may not be the best. You might want to try finding a sympathetic vet who is willing to work with you in your efforts. They may be few and far between, but they ARE out there. I think if you live in a less affluent, less urban area you may be more likely to find one. I volunteer with a group in the SF Bay area called Peninsula Fix Our Ferals that was started by a vet in the E. Bay named Dr. Dana Gleason. What she has done is to get some of her colleagues to donate their time one day a month, on a Sunday when we can use a surgical facility when it is not in use, and the only expense to be covered is for the medical supplies and whatnot. All the labor is volunteer and we have teams for anesthesia, pre-srugical prep, the vets do the surgery, of course, and post-op care and monitoring. It is an all-day effort and we try to get as many ferals S/N as possible and usually do from 30-50 cats in one day. The cost is kept as minimal as possible: we currently ask for minimum donation of $15 per cat and that includes the S/N, vaccination, treatment for fleas or worms if necessary, and will add microchipping to the package for $25 per cat (total cost, not just the chip). If you would like to learn more about this I will send you the website address and I am sure Dr. Gleason would be very willing to commuicate with any vets in your area who might want to try and start such a program. I do acknowledge that it is a gargantuan task and so many people are all too willing to just turn their heads and walk away and ignore the plight of all these innocent homeless cats who find themselves in desperate circumstances through no fault of their own, but due to the carelessness and iresponsibility of humans who are supposed to be of such superior intelligence to other species. Makes me think the definition of intelligence needs re-defining. If I can be of further assistance in any way, don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Sally in San Jose
