how the sanctuary where i lived/worked handled taking in cats: we did NOT list a street address anywhere, for reasons i've mentioned previously. it was our home as well as that of the cats; the potential for problems with neighbors tho we were licensed by the state and in compliance with local regulations; the very real problem of dump offs; the need to get our work done without constant interruption from people who just wanted to stop by. liability was also an issue, tho not the greatest concern.
while we theoretically only took in FIVs and FeLVs from rescues and shelters, rather than individuals, once people knew of us, that wasn't always the case. as long as we had room for the cats--which included isolation space for the first two weeks following arrival, we accepted any FIV/FeLV cats that were spayed/neutered, had the requisite vaccinations, and had been tested adequately (western blot for FIV; IFA for FeLV). we did NOT go out and get cats; we did NOT meet people off-site: we were too busy caring for the cats to do that! we were NOT asking people to donate their cats to us (tho people would call and say they wanted to do just that; funny, "cats" was NEVER on our donation-needs lists). anyone who had a legitimate reason to come to the sanctuary was given directions--the only restriction was that visits, including bringing a cat into sanctuary, had to be arranged in advance so that we could make sure someone would be there. and that other things weren't scheduled at the same time. my favorite times were when people would come with a cat, and leave with it. that happened often enough with FIV cats to let us know how vital accurate information and education are. rarely, people would even take their FeLVs home with them when they learned the facts about that virus, but nowhere near as often... -- MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
