WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT

[Ela]

I was stunned when I found out that money oh and I have in our wills going to cp would not get down branch level.

I would agree that many people do not realise this. I will put in my will for the sole use of the Chesterfield Branch and should they not be in existence to be used by the nearest branch.

I would also say that HQ do need funds as they have many large shelters which they need to run, help branches in crises, provide all basics when new branches are opened, offer information leaflets, pay insurances for all shops, vans etc and spend millions of pounds a year on neutering  and do so much more.

[Mark]

And I bet the most demanding ones are people who have never donated themselves - the "I'm entitled to" brigade 

[Dawn F]

the main problem with this Ela is that people (myself included until I became more involved) think you are funded by head office and so have loads of money and resources.  I now know that your money comes from funds that you raise but I think that the average person phoning up really doesn't.  I was stunned when I found out that money oh and I have in our wills going to cp would not get down branch level.
 

[Ela]

Thank you, it was nice to meet with you too, I only wish we had some 'young blood'. Yes thanks we did find our way once we got to the roundabout even though there was a diversion I knew where we were.  All we went for was some bits and bobs from JTF (wholesalers) for  tombolas but it will come as no surprise that we bagged ourselves loads of bargains too. Also our shop benefited as I was able to get some catty goods for there too.

[Corporal Smokey]

Hello! I had a feeling I'd meet up with you too today after Joyce said she was taking some kittens from Chesterfield branch.

I was popping in to help out with an advertising campaign I'm doing for a branch in the Peterborough area. I needed some heart rending kitten mews and I recorded some corkers.

It was lovely to meet you and Donna, you look good for 108! Hope you found your way to Mansfield okay.

[Ela]

Took the 3 little ones possibly not more than 3-4 weeks old to another CP branch and as we were talking (as you do), I noticed a young lady with a CP fleece on in the garden, I asked her name and it rang no bells but gut feeling told me who it was. and once again that gut feeling proved right as the young lady was non other than Corporal Smokey.

[Mark]

I remembered I took some pics of the cat in the woman's porch - also when I was down the beach - no real hardship but still a lot of waiting around

Her name is Tabby and she is 12 

[Desley (booktigger)]

I dont think people will ever realise, although I have had the pleasure of coming across a very nice person this week, who took a cat who was being mistreated off someone, took it in, rang us, and when I explained we were full, said they were happy to hold onto it for a while, as long as it wasn't permanent. They have taken it to our vets, and were going to pay a donation which would pay for the bulk of the neutering, flea and worm it, and also see if they could find a home. So decent people do exist, just very few and far between.

[Mark]

I know exactly what you mean about people thinking any cat in the area is our responsibility. Sharon had a call about a stray hanging around an old lady's garden. She asked me to scan it for a chip and we would take it from there. On Thursday, I went to Caroline's in Chestfield to get the scanner then on to Seasalter to the lady's house. At first she was very pleased to see me. Luckily the cat comes in her house and was hiding behind the sofa. I told her I would scan it but chances were it didn't have a chip. She said "You are taking it with you, aren't you" - I told her we didn't have any space and there was a waiting list for cats to come in. Her tone changed straight away and she started telling me that her own cat was shut in the bedroom for protection. She said the stray was attacking her cat and pulling clumps of fur out - she said she would end up killing it - I know she didn't mean it - apart from the fact she had a neck brace and was bent over double with a walking stick, I noticed she had cat ornaments all over the place. I said she must be a cat lover - she said not at all, she liked dogs and it was her husband that was cat-mad. He had died in March. She said she was lumbered with her existing cat as her husband took it in as a stray before xmas. Anyway, I managed to scan the cat and got a number. I said I would try to get the address straight away and if it was nearby, I would take it there. I phoned Sharon, Caroline and Sharn (from my mobile) but all three were out. I then phoned one of our vets to asked if they could get the address for me. I was told to phone back in 10 minutes. In the meantime she was saying how she couldn't stand it any more and we must do something etc etc. I said "As you can see, I am doing my best" - I reminded her that we are all volunteers but she kept sighing and moaning  10 minutes later. I rang the vet and they said it was registered to another rescue. They gave me the number and I phoned the rescue but it was an answerphone. She wasn't happy so I said I would wait a bit. I then phoned the emergency number on their message and the lady answered but said it was their mobile clinic day and she was there. She said she would also leave a message. I waited a bit in a sweltering house (she was baking pies). By this time, the cat was shut in her front porch and she said it couldn't stay there as she needed to get into her dining room later  - she mumbled that she might try to get the cat into her shed with her walking stick and shut it in there - I refused to go along with her nonsense and there was no way I was going to offer to shut a cat in a shed!!. I then sat in the car for 15 minutes, then drove down to the beach and waited another 1/2 hour. I spoke to Sharon in the meantime who said we can only do our best and the lady would have to wait until we got an answer. Later on, the rescue contacted Sharon and said they would pick the cat up Friday. 

Sorry, I didn't realise how long winded that was.

It turned out, the cat was rehomed in April 2006 and vanished a few days later. The lady in the meantime (understandably) had got another cat.

[JackSpratt]

Some people are just ignorant. They think it's perfectly acceptable to "ensure the cat population continues" by allowing their cat to have kittens.

Yesterday there were seven kittens on Freecycle..... It's difficult enough when people give away one cat for a banal reason, but to let your cat breed and then just plonk the resulting kittens on there is insane.

Hope these little ones get new homes soon.

[Ela]

We are not sat at home just waiting for their call to come and get a cat and that their call may be the 30th or 40th of a single day and that we are just unpaid slaves volunteers who have these cats in our homes or a very few pens in our gardens, and that to be able to help the little ones we need to raise the funds ourselves. To scream at us down the phone that we are Cats Protection and it is our responsibility does not create a place or make someone one call us to adopt a cat so that we may have a space.
Is it my fault that her parrot will be upset if he sees the 3 abandoned kittens that she has taken home? Is it also my fault that (although she has a car) after I did find emergency shelter for them that she cannot possibly take them there last night because she had already been out to fetch her husband from the pub? Although I was advised you know how it is, I didn't. Anyway after this moan Donna (our Welfare Officer) and myself are off to Mansfield to a wholesalers to see what we can find and we will pick up the little ones and take them to a new foster home.
The sad thing is I expect mum will soon be pregnant again and those kittens will suffer the same fate. 
Is there any wonder a couple of nights ago at a recruitment meeting thorough gritted teeth I said my piece when someone (who appeared to know it all) said if you keep having cats neutered surely one day cat will die out.