I just got a call from an acquaintance of mine with a sad and desperate tale. Her name is Jill. She was rescuing a sea gull covered in oil in a parking lot in Camarillo, CA. A homeless man (mentally disabled as well), approached her in tears. He told her the house he's been squatting in is about to be torn down (within a day or two), and he has to find somewhere else to live. He's been feeding stray or feral cats, Jill couldn't determine which. After Jill got the sea gull off to a rehabilitation, she went to the address he had given her. The house is a hovel, broken windows, fallen in roof, there is sewage from a backed up septic tank mixed with flood waters from the storm we've been having, just a mess. She spotted a couple of the adults running for cover, and two of the three kittens, she's guessing they're about 8 weeks old. There are no other houses in the area that these guys might get a handout from and if they're taking refuge in this abandoned house, there's a good chance that they will be caught in there when they demolish it.
She's called all the rescue groups in the area looking for a feral colony that she might be able to relocate these cats to, once they're caught and neutered. Everyone has turned her down. I'm going to help her trap and I've called everyone I know that might be able to give me ideas about how to help them. If these kittens are indeed that young, and have been handled by the kind homeless man, there is a chance that they can be adopted out and find homes.
I need some ideas on how to help these guys. I'm going to get out there and help her trap, but what do we do with them after that? I can't foster anyone here, I can't expose them to FeLV! I already have four dogs and seven cats living with me and there isn't a room where I can segregate them, even the garage has a stray, who hates cats, living in it. Does anyone know of a sanctuary that will take ferals that we could relocate them to? Does anyone know of a email list that is interested in helping ferals?
I know this is off topic, but I also know how much you guys love cats. If you can think of anything that might help, please email me back. Thank you for caring,
Nina
