No! My Kitten Adoption Solution No Longer Exists!

[bertha katzenengel]

A couple of months ago I found what would've been a fabulous resource, "Happy Cats." A woman who lives nearby ran her own small cat adoption program. She was going to take the Skittens from me and find homes for them.

I just found out that she's ended her program because she has fibromyalgia. Gawd, I feel for her. Mrs. V. has it, my therapist back home has it . . . it sucks.

Meantime it's back to me to find homes. I don't mind it; it's just that it would've been so much easier to hand them off to a pro.

This is our fourth litter. Mrs. V. said "no more!" after the last litter, but then our Skittles came in smoking a cigarette one night . . . the little Skanzilla.

I have my own web site but it's hard to get people to it (I don't know how to get it to show up in Google!) and apparently I don't know how to upload my files/pages properly. Grr. www.adoptcats.org

So wish me luck!!

[Debi]

1. I wish you luck

Last year with the help of good friends I placed 11 kittens and one momma cat ... network, baby, that's the way to go :bounce:

[bertha katzenengel]

16. Excellent!

:yourock:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear bertha...

Oooh, that is too bad....

I know you'll find homes, but as you say, it would have been nice to have a pro do it....

Good luck, sweetie!

:hi:

[judaspriestess]

3. why can't you spay your cat?

:shrug:

[ronnykmarshall]

5. She's feral.

Means she's a wild cat.

[judaspriestess]

7. She gave birth INSIDE the home

if I recall correctly in another thread. That means she can be handled and taken in to the vet to be spayed.

on edit: if ya'll like not spaying and neutering your pets and contributing to the overpopulation of the animals then just say so, no need to play it off with "she's feral" How many litters does this cat need to have before you are satisfied?

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Oh no, you di'nt!

Don't be talking shit about Bertha.

You talk shit about HER ..... you gonna have to deal with ME and plenty others.

If you would go back and READ, Ms B said she has TRIED to catch his cat and get her fixed. So don't be jumping to conclusions.

Two of my cats came from a feral cat. The lady that fostered the kittens tried SEVERAL times to get the momma cat fixed and after the second litter she was able to do so.

Sorry to go off on your ass, but Bertha has a heart of gold and I don't take ANYONE talking shit about her.

[Kajsa]

18. Hi Ronny!

I'm with you 110%.

I felt the same way a while back, when one member torn into
Bertha for being a caring, loving person.

This *&^% told her to " mind her own business".

My response to this person was identical to
your response here.

Bertha does have a heart of gold!

:hi: :thrumbsup:

[Flaxbee]

11. I've lured a feral cat into an enclosed space before, and then

tried to catch her. She was pregnant (I didn't know that at the time - had no idea if the cat was a boy or girl), and there was no f*cking way she was going to let me touch her. After 3 days, a totally trashed garage (where we had her incarcerated), and multiple items of shredded clothing, bonked heads, banged shins, etc., my husband and I finally were able to catch her, and I still have no idea of how we did it.

It is not easy, at all. Skittles seems to trust bertha to some extent but that doesn't mean Skittles will be easy to handle or catch. It might be easier now that she's inside and staying near her kittens, but she can't be spayed until the kittens are weaned, and by that time she'll probably be 100% ornery again. If you value having intact, non-shredded skin and don't fancy being scarred for life, then catching a feral can be an extremely delicate thing to do.

I understand why you might have said what you said, judaspriestess, if you haven't ever dealt with ferals before. But bertha is a terrific woman who, along with her partner, is trying to do her damnedest for these cats - so please don't be so harsh.

[bertha katzenengel]

12. Hi, Priestess.

First of all, I run a small TNR program on my property.

Second, Skittles IS wild. She has lived in our home since she was five weeks old, but she has never allowed us to tame her. I have tried for two and a half years -- tried everything I could think of -- to tame her, and to catch her, but she is too quick, too wily.

Now that she has a litter, she is much calmer. She allows me to pet her. I have learned not to be afraid of her, and since I don't exude fear, she's not so much on her guard. As soon as her kittens are weaned, she will be spayed. The kittens will also be tested and fixed BEFORE they are adopted.

You needn't worry about my treatment of cats. I've dedicated the last six years of my life to spaying and neutering wild cats, to helping others do so in their neighborhoods, to finding homes for the litters of ferals I was not able to catch outside -- then doing my utmost to trap those females. I trap whoever I can and take care of them. I get these animals tested for FIV and vaccinated. After they're fixed they usually stay -- we have a small community of ferals and they know where home is.

You needn't judge.

Edited to add: this is not Skittles' fourth litter. It is her first and only. We have fostered the litters of three other feral cats - one of which died in giving birth, and the other two were spayed afterwards.

Also added at edit: Please don't accuse me of abusing animals. I wouldn't mind an apology.

[huskerlaw]

9. Whoa there.

Perhaps you should click on Bertha's link...might answer your question.

[dropkickpa]

4. have you tried petfinder.org?

They're a pretty good site (they do a lot of hosting for shelters).

[flamingyouth]

10. Yes, I'd try that.

My friend who runs a shelter here is hooked up with them. Also animalshelter.org

Good luck, Bertha. :hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

15. thanks, FY

:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

14. I haven't before, but I plan to now. Thanks! n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Skankzilla!

I just have this mental image of Skittles coming in with a cig in her mouth and some fishnet nylons all torn and hanging off her legs.

What a TRAMP!

[haf216]

13. Do you work with the local rescue groups.

Sometimes my group will work with people. They foster the animals and we have the animals tested, fixed and put the up for adoption at PetSmart. I don't know how you are paying for all that you do, but this might help with that also. Thank you for all you do.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. Yes - with my humane society.

They do the spay/neuter at a MUCH lower cost than my vet. My vet charges over $700. :yipes:

No need to thank me. It's my moral imperative. I feed them - I've got to take care of them all the way.

[wildhorses]

19. wishing you luck -- i hope you find good homes for all the

skittens. they are so cute :loveya:

:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

21. Thanks, wildhorses

:hug:

[Kajsa]

20. That's rough, Bertha!

I've been in the exact situation with not one but TWO feral
Mommas giving birth around the same time.

We managed to find homes for all nine kittens but it took a while.
I was very protective of them and told the adopting families that
I would like to visit the kittens in their new homes.
They all found good homes, thank God.

One female, Fizzy, we managed to have spayed, afterwords.
The other female, Shami, would not be caught to take to the vet.
She was very wild, but a terrific mother.
Sadly, she died ( car accident) shortly thereafter.

Do you have a Cat Protection Society chapter where you live?
Sometimes they can help you.

God Bless you, Bertha!

:hug:

[bertha katzenengel]

22. I'm sorry you lost Shami.

:hug:

I looked for CPS - there doesn't seem to be one near me. Maybe after I get a few other things straight in my life in the next couple of years, I can do something about that.

:hug: