Should I refuse?

[Catwhisperer]

Yes Ela just got them, I've EMailed you, Cheers

[Ela]

Ela - Of course, hopefully I've got a home check set up for next week and she will get her forever home

Have you received my e-mails?

[Catwhisperer]

Any advice for the initial poster on how to approach her micky taking family member rather than whether she can afford another cat? (don't mean that to sound harsh but she really sounds like she needs some constructive advice and the thread seems to have lost its way)

Kelly I advised her yesterday about the forms from the PDSA re permission for another agent to take a pet for you. As for dealing with her cousin I advised her to do it in a calm manner which would avoid conflict. I think that is all we can do.

Ela - Of course, hopefully I've got a home check set up for next week and she will get her forever home ! Paws crossed !

[Ela]

they think I should just clear up the mess !

And of course for the kittens  sake, you will although very galling

[Ela]

I think the advice you gave initially was purrfect.

[Catwhisperer]

No Ela she got the kitten from a pet shop. She asked could she have one of mine that I was fostering but I advised her that because her BF wasn't keen she should speak to him first. Any way the next I knew was that she'd paid £35 for one from a shop. Now shes fed up with it and they have a new Puppy (her BF's) they think I should just clear up the mess !

[Kelly]

Any advice for the initial poster on how to approach her micky taking family member rather than whether she can afford another cat? (don't mean that to sound harsh but she really sounds like she needs some constructive advice and the thread seems to have lost its way)

[Ela]

Once its alll sorted I think I will be expressing my displeasure in no uncertain terms but I want to get the little girl sorted first.

I know exactly what you mean you have to keep you month shut for the sake of the cat/kitten. Even when a cat/kitten comes into care in these situations when you slave volunteer for a Charity you still  cannot say to much as then it may put others off from coming to you for help after they have told everyone.

[Ela]

the girl just wanted a kitten for the sake of it and against her BF's wishes and now she no longer wants it she thinks she can dump it on me, so she can still see her. Once its alll sorted I think I will be expressing my displeasure in no uncertain terms but I want to get the little girl sorted first.

Obviously she didn't get the kitten from you, but that is exactly why when we do a home visit we check that everyone is in agreement with having a cat/kitten. Sometime someone very nice will ring and we arrange a home visit when the home checker goes a member of the family will stomp out or sit with arms  crossed scowling. obviously not everyone in the family wants a cat and indeed they don't get one , from us anyway.

 People also lie. Once a lady wanted a white cat, we had one but it hated other cats. (we only home white cats as indoor cats or very limited outside access.) The lady said she didn’t have any other cats so a home visit was arranged. During the home visit it was mentioned again the cat needs to be an only cat and the lady said again she understood that, suddenly the daughter said but what about (cant remember the name) mummy, mummy said that is not our cat is  aunty so and so’s the little girl said not its not it’s ours. End of home visit.

I will send a poster now see how it comes out before I go mad and send loads.

[Catwhisperer]

  Ela, That would be great, as we are just getting going posters would be great. Can u email them over, it will save on postage and I could alter them with our details.

I think we are both on the same side really, I agree that if you were on benefits and already had 3 animals it would be very irresponsible to take on more, but if you have 4 and are working and then lose your job, it leaves you in a predicament ! Of course there are people who collect animals like stamps without thought to the care involved. Its these people we need to try & educate. As you may have seen from my other thread on the little kitten I am trying to rehome at the moment, the girl just wanted a kitten for the sake of it and against her BF's wishes and now she no longer wants it she thinks she can dump it on me, so she can still see her. Once its alll sorted I think I will be expressing my displeasure in no uncertain terms but I want to get the little girl sorted first.

What we have to do is look past the ignorance and think of the animals, as they say "To err is human, to forgive, Divine !"

[Ela]

Oh I know Liverpool very very well. My Aunt lived in Gateacre and another lived in West Derby, my Cousin lived over the water in Wallasey and was a Prison Officer in Walton and his wife a Midwife at the Ladies Hospital. I still have a cousin who lives in Wallasey.

We have a PDSA hospital in Derby and one in Sheffield but they do not cover the Chesterfield Post codes

How could they manage if they had more than one pet ?

hat is exactly my point and why I think it irresponsible to ask for more.

at the Pet Aid Hospitals you are definitely allowed 3 as a Friend of mine uses their services

I have no reason to doubt that but again i think to adopt more than 3 perhaps is not a good idea.

have recently become the WO for a new CP branch in Liverpool

You really will be in the front line then especially if it is you that will take the possible 1000's of phone calls a month. How many pens are they allowing you initially?

If you would like me to e-mail you some of our own posters I have made over the years  or perhaps post copies to give  you an idea,  I will be happy to do so.  People have said they are more effective than the CP ones and some have been passed to branches by HQ in the past. I think I have them on every aspect of rescue.

I am absolutely thrilled that Liverpool is once again having a branch I remember when the last one was closed down.

Any way time to move on from this I think (not the fact that a new branch is opening of course) we have all said how we feel.

[Catwhisperer]

Ela, Don't know where you live but we are very fortunate here in LIverpool to have 2 PDSA Pet Aid Hospitals, one of which is only up the road from me. They are always really busy and have helped me on a number of occasions when I was on benefits.  I feel very sorry for those people who do not have this facility and have to use private vets working with the PDSA. How could they manage if they had more than one pet ? at the Pet Aid Hospitals you are definately allowed 3 as a freind of mine uses their services.
The new scheme that they have to provide low cost treatments (flea, worm, microchipping, innoculations, boosters & neutering) is brilliant because it means it is accessible to even people on low income where I think they may not have bothered if they had to pay top prices at a vet, and the PDSA benefit because they obviously get the products at a cut price.

Really until you are in the ‘front line’ of rescue you cannot imagine  what it is like.

    Sorry to disappoint you but yes I am in the front line of rescue ! I have done it for some time with my Mum on our own and have recently become the WO for a new CP branch in Liverpool.  Please Don't make assumptions I do not know what I am talking about, as I fully appreciate the situation out there.

[Ela]

well anyone could find themselves in this position at any time even if they had previously had a good job.

I appreciate that and have stated the fact somewhere in my postings, there for the grace of god so I so to speak.

However, I personally know of  and hear about many who have not been in that position yet are constantly adding to their menagerie, I think once you find yourself in that position perhaps it is wise to wait until the situation improves before taking in another mouth to feed.  My neighbour for instance has never worked ( she is more than capable) yet she has 2 cats  and I often have to give her cat food, so may times she has seen kittens in my pens and asked for one. Thankfully now we have an enclosed garden so she cannot see. Recently someone phoned for a cat, of course I don't ask are you on benefits, but I do ask if they work as some of our cats need almost constant supervision, she said oh! no I have (forgotten how many children I knew she had some as I could hear them screaming in the background) I then asked do you have any other pets?  Yes I have 6 cats she said. Obviously I do then need to mention the cost, she said Oh,  that’s OK me ducks the oldest is registered with the PDSA. To be honest I feel it would have been very irresponsible for me to home another cat to her, although I am sure she will get one from somewhere.

Really until you are in the ‘front line’ of rescue you cannot imagine  what it is like.

[Ela]

PDSA do not accept clients who receive Income Support. To receive PDSA treatment you must be in receipt of Housing Or Council Tax Benefit

I think they changed to rules  (also previously you could register when on family credit)
when they decided that those who were registered at private vets could only register one pet.  You can also imagine how many people  chose the wrong pet to register,

[Catwhisperer]

Quote from Ela "Do you get these benefits if you are not on the poverty line?"   

Not necessarily Ela a lot of people who work in low paid or part time jobs are eligible to some council/housing benefit. Yes they may not be on the poverty line but finding the cost of vet bills would be very hard. And before we say well why do they have pets, well anyone could find themselves in this position at any time even if they had previously had a good job.
If your wondering why I know so much about this I used to work for the DSS and also the local council so have dealt with all this in detail before. I have also been in the position of having to claim benefit for a short time and beleive me its a hard place to be in and can be very stigmatising !  The majority of people use the PDSA charity with great respect and donate freely what they can afford.

[Catwhisperer]

Quote from Team Svartalfheim

"Makes me slightly cross that if you get income support or any other benefit then you can get PDSA help but if you are a student surviving on £5000 a year max for food, bills, pets etc you are not eligible for PDSA help. "

PDSA do not accept clients who receive Income Support. To receive PDSA treatment you must be in receipt of Housing Or Council Tax Benefit which if you where a student living in rented accomodation then you would be eligible to.

[Ela]

Many people who work and receive a low wage are actually worse off than those on benefits

I agree  and know exactly what you mean and it is for that reason I would give vouchers to-wards the cost of neuters and spays,  officially people need to be on benefits and we are supposed to see proof of those benefits although I don't bother as all I am interested in i getting everything on four legs that moves neutered/spayed,(not much help for your teeth I am afraid.)

Round here there is no PDSA clinic so for anyone to get PDSA they need to be registered at the private vet who does PDSA work. Most of the vets who used to do PDSA have dropped out for valid reason which I cannot really post. Of course few people register when they first have a pet and even less think to renew it every 6 months. Most don't bother to try to register until the pet is ill and then it is too late as the vet cannot treat until the registration comes through and that takes about 4 weeks. Also before registration the vet needs to see the pet which costs about £10 I think and pre-existing illness is not covered. Every week I get calls from people who say their cat is ill  or more usually involved in a RTA and they are on benefits, when I say we  cannot pay for owned cats, they say but I am on benefits as though it is a their right that we pay the bill. Of course it always my fault also that we cannot, they do not realize and to be honest often don' t want to know that we are a registered Charity and when people give us a donation it is for Cats Protection and must be spent on Cats Protection cat, we cannot misappropriate funds, if we did we would be in trouble with the Charities commission. (Please be aware I am not speaking about anyone who has posted on here, this is what happens to me in my Town). What is worse when using PDSA vets rather than the clinics you can only register 1 pet and live in certain post codes, usually many of the people who phone me have numerous cats and all need to see the vet. You will appreciate with the huge vet bill we get each month for CP cats (Oct was £4700 and I dread Novembers invoice coming in) we are in a very difficult position. All we got from our HQ last year was just over £700. I will say that we would not see a cat PTS because the owner could not pay, they would however, need to sign the cat over to us so that we can legally spend money on it.

We have also loaned money to people (often out of our own pockets) unfortunately we are owed thousands as very few even attempt to pay back even though the swear on their cats life they will.

[hannah (weeny)]

ummm, just for general info, s skiving students dont have to pay council tax. thank god. least not where i am. we do have to pay for everything else though.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Many people who work and receive a low wage are actually worse off than those on benefits because they just miss out on qualifying for free things (dental treatment for example), so I don't think you can simply judge someone's financial situation by whether or not they receive benefits.

But back to the original question - it does sound like your relative is taking you for granted so if it was me I'd be having a word with her at least about giving you more notice and not always assuming you can drop everything to take her cat to the vet.  Understandably it's not always easy to take time off work, but if she needs you to help out she shouldn't assume you're sitting at home twiddling your thumbs and can always be at her beck and call.  I don't think you're being unreasonable.

As to the other issue with the pdsa - I was going to say that is a real problem and you don't want to risk you not being able to get treatment for your cat because of taking your relative's, but it sounds like catwhisperer's advice would get around that.

[Angiew]

If the leg was broken about 6 weeks ago then the treatment should be at an end by now?
If this person works why are they going to the pdsa?
most of us have to cope with taking animals to vets and have jobs to juggle so I don't see why this person can't.

[Ela]

Ela, PDSA, at lest the hospital centre that is near me allows you to register 3 pets at a time. Just because people are eligible to PDSA treatment does not mean they are on the poverty line and unable or unwilling to donate for there pets treatment

Sorry but in my opinion if you are not on the poverty line you should not be asking a charity for help, it is there to help those who cannot afford to pay  private vets treat their animals. On the PDSA site it states PDSA's precious resources are concentrated on those animals whose owners are the most in need in the community. To be eligible, pet owners must be receiving financial help with their housing costs through either Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. Do you get these benefits if you are not on the poverty line? Please don’t think I am being sarcastic I really do not know. Yes, I am in the fortunate position of never having been on benefits but I  do know that ANYONES  circumstances can change at any time through no fault of their own.
Yes Team Svartalfheim students  (of all ages) are a good example of people that could do with help, they possibly are on the poverty line but because they don't get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit they don't qualify for PDSA, not fair is it?.

[Team Svartalfheims]

Just because people are eligible to PDSA treatment does not mean they are on the poverty line

Makes me slightly cross that if you get income support or any other benefit then you can get PDSA help but if you are a student surviving on £5000 a year max for food, bills, pets etc you are not eligible for PDSA help.

[Catwhisperer]

CCMACEY, Can I just give you a bit of advice re the PDSA. If your cousin is unable to attend they can give her a form to fill in which nominates you to bring the cat in. She just has to sign it and state why she cannot come to that visit. You then have to take her registration form and ID for yourself. This means you would not be having to forge her signature & you won't be getting into any trouble. At least this would solve a little bit of your problem.
As for your cousin, I would try & explain the situation in a calm & reasonable manner & hope that she takes it in the right way.

Hope this matter sorts its self out, Love Liz X

Ela, PDSA, at lest the hospital centre that is near me allows you to register 3 pets at a time. Just because people are eligible to PDSA treatment does not mean they are on the poverty line and unable or unwilling to donate for there pets treatment. Also you may be aware that the PDSA are now offering cut price Flea & worm treatment as well as initial & booster vaccinations, microchipping. I don't mean to be nasty or cause an argument but I do think CC has a point in what she said about your remarks in that sometimes they can sound a little harsh. If someone takes the time to post on here they obviously love there pets and are trying to do the best for them. I think sometimes the true meaning of what you are trying to say comes out a little harsh in the typing.

[Ela]

As you know all rescues are full to bursting and even if you have a cat from another part of the country through this site you will need a home visit, so perhaps it would be wise to apply to a rescue near you. Also I know many rescues would not be too happy to just let you have a cat without going to see it first. I will also give you an example of my concerns with the PDSA, I don't know how the hospitals work but perhaps you can take all your animals. Round here those that were registered for PDSA at the vets could register all their animals then suddenly the PDSA changed the ruling and everyone had to decide which pet they wanted to leave on. This of course caused a lot of problems and many owners were left without the means to pay for vet care.
Of course the PDSA do not have a bottomless purse so who knows how long they can keep treating all pets in the PDSA clinics (if you are allowed to register more than one that is). I hope this helps to explain my concerns more.

[ccmacey]

Yes Ela i know where you are coming from as you see this happening all the time. I think that im a respansable pet owner, i have 4 cats and there jabs are all up to date and they get regular flea and worm treatment,  i know that rescues are over run with unwanted or miss treated animals and i just thought i could of give another little one a happy and loving home as i know they would be happy if they came to me.

[Ela]

It is not a criticism at all it is a concern, if you were in rescue like I am you would realize the implications of perhaps having an extra mouth to feed and then of course flea and worm treatments, injections etc. Round here people can only register 1 pet with the PDSA as it is at a private vet and not a PDSA hospital/clinic. So if someone is on PDSA we cannot home another pet. Also we can only home more than one cat to people in their own homes, as the council will not  allow more than 1 cat and 1 dog in each household. I must admit some of the people in the council houses are far nicer than the fur coat no knickers folks.

[ccmacey]

Can i just ask Ela and I'm not trying to be rude but why do you always seem to criticize what other people are saying? i though this is meant to be a friendly site? sorry if i getting you wrong but i felt a little hurt by what you said.

[ccmacey]

No Ela what i meant was if this person messed up my chances with using the PDSA i would have trouble finding the cash to cover his treatment, as at a private vets it would cost me near £200 a month, where as at the PDSA its a small fraction of that cost. I'm no longer going to comply to this persons demands because it could ruin things for me and I'm not willing to do that anymore, looking after my own animals comes first and i would never have my cat PTS it was just a worry of what could happen. And about getting another kitten at the moment i am financially able to do that, but wouldn't be able to if i stopped getting help from the PDSA.

[Ela]

Kelly most of your advice seems sense to me, however, I am a little concerned as I have noticed another post  by the original topic writer 

Hi Angie, Ive recently seen a kitten on the blue cross rescue site and i like her. She was somewhere near London and i live in the north east, so if possable how could i get to see her? would they bring her to me as i cant travel to London.

I just cannot see why you would want to adopt another little one when you admit one may have to be PTS if you lose PDSA.

[Kelly]

Ok, this family member sounds like she needs telling! If she gets aggravated just put the phone down! Simply tell her you are NOT there for her convenience, you are happy to help with the cat but will need some help with petrol costs and will need at least 48hrs notice when she wants you to help. Explain that your priority is your baby and it is a lot of work to drop things and get you child ready for a 30mile trip which you're paying for. Also explain that if the PDSA insist its only the owner that collects the cat she may want to speak to the vet and see if there are times that can be arranged that suit her going instead of you.

Just keep calm, don't be drawn into an argument - at the end of the day YOU are in the right - a favour is on your terms NOT the demands of the person asking the favour. If needs be - I know its terrible just say NO! If she truly cares for her cat she will either have to find an alternative or realise she can't boss you around. And if she doesn't then she shouldn't have the cat all and maybe a quiet word with the vet who could call her and say the cat really needs treatment or it could be taken off her?? (not sure if that pc but hey ho!)

[ccmacey]

Hi all, I'm just needing a bit of advice on what to do for the best. A family member of mine has a cat who broke his leg around 6 weeks ago and I'm getting sick of being asked to take/collect him from the vet's. This family member works and starts work at 7am so sometimes cant take him and therefore asks me to do it. Its not that i mind as I'm not doing it for her I'm doing it for her cat, its just that she phones me and asks me to take/collect him without little warning which i feel is very inconsiderate as i have a 22 month old baby and a life of my own. She wants me to drop everything and do as she says or she will get nasty which i try to avoid. She also uses the PDSA and only the owner of the animal is allowed to take/collect the pet. I have also forged her signature which i didn't like doing and i know its wrong. I also use the PDSA and i don't think she realizes that if they found out we both would be threw out which wouldn't be good for me as 1 of my cats need lifelong treatment and if i was thrown out he would probably have to be PTS. I'm just so sick of this "family member" demanding my services and she doesn't even offer me money for petrol although the journey is a 30 mile all round trip.  I hate when she asks a favor as I'm starting to hate her, but where would the cat be if i didn't help? Please don't scald me for forging signature (i have only done it once which i know is one too many) as i know it is WRONG WRONG WRONG and i will NEVER do it again. I'm only helping her out for the sake of the cat