Phone call today - update - Smudge Poorly

[Janeyk]

A Purrs member donated enough money to enable me to purchase a metacote trap. I trapped the mother and kittens just in time too...all the kittens had started developing cat flu. They are now on antibios and in a warm room.

I'm glad I didn't wait for CP to come up with a trap.....I hate to think what would have happened to the kittens in this horrid weather.
My experience with the CP has been fairly negative. I'm constantly told to get them behind me to make the rescue easier. Chance would be a fine thing. Maybe it's just a local problem and this particular branch is poorly motivated.

Can't say I've had negative experience with CP they have been really good with me tbh as we have had a problem with ferals round here.  I live quite near the lady who runs our local branch and although traps are always out if I'd urgently needed one they will get me one asap, but they have to prioritise I suppose as they only have so many.  It is then arranged with the vet for me to take the cats to be spayed or neutered, wormed etc.  The downside is lack of fosterers and unfortunately the majority of ferals have had to be released here, although we don't mind they are vey well looked after.

[Hippykitty]

A Purrs member donated enough money to enable me to purchase a metacote trap. I trapped the mother and kittens just in time too...all the kittens had started developing cat flu. They are now on antibios and in a warm room.

I'm glad I didn't wait for CP to come up with a trap.....I hate to think what would have happened to the kittens in this horrid weather.
My experience with the CP has been fairly negative. I'm constantly told to get them behind me to make the rescue easier. Chance would be a fine thing. Maybe it's just a local problem and this particular branch is poorly motivated.

[Ela]

The last time I borrowed one they were wanted it straight back as they had just over 40 cats to trap!

Sadly that is not uncommon and of course in these situations people need more than one trap and they often keep them for ages until all cats have been trapped as there is no point in leaving even one unneutered/unspayed.

[Janeyk]

When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used.

I can understand this if the branch is anything like ours, we have about 12 traps and all are usually in constant use, often we do have people waiting for them although in an emergence we have borrowed one back from somewhere for a few days and sometimes ordered a couple more, but they cost between £70 and £80 each so can't keep doing that and when not so many are in use storage is a problem if you have a lot.

I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......

If you have problems getting vouchers from your local branch I suggest that you contact CP HQ direct.  vouchers@cats.org.uk

I don't know how many our branch have but I think I always have to wait for a trap and keep ringing until I get one.  Also as soon as I have finished with it they are waiting it.  The last time I borrowed one they were wanted it straight back as they had just over 40 cats to trap!

[Ela]

When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used.

I can understand this if the branch is anything like ours, we have about 12 traps and all are usually in constant use, often we do have people waiting for them although in an emergence we have borrowed one back from somewhere for a few days and sometimes ordered a couple more, but they cost between £70 and £80 each so can't keep doing that and when not so many are in use storage is a problem if you have a lot.

I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......

If you have problems getting vouchers from your local branch I suggest that you contact CP HQ direct.  vouchers@cats.org.uk

[Hippykitty]

Mark, please forgive me for putting forward this point of view, but do you think you allow your personal circumstances to interfere with the cat rescue. Maybe you are taking on too much at the moment?

I can only put the opposite point of view. It can be very frustrating dealing with the CP. I'm endlessly fobbed off when I try to get their support for the small amount of feral rescue I do. I kept ringing for traps. I wasn't told they didn't have them in (which WellCat said) but to "call next week, maybe they could help me then sometime". When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used. I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......

In my opinion, you were a little harsh with the woman. Okay, pooing in the conservatory is a minor offence for a cat  but maybe she was trying to justify to her own conscience why she couldn't take the cat in......did you meet her OH? Maybe he was the real problem. It sounds like she cared what happened to the cat and with all that money and some friendly contact with the CP, she may have donated or bequeathed some money......you catch more flies with honey.   

[JackSpratt]

What a handsome cat, Mark.

[Desley (booktigger)]

The other way to look at it of course is that you might have been her first dealing with CP, and by being a bit short with her, she might get a negative opinion of the charity, which is never good - you never know, one of her friends might want a cat, and that experience might put her off recommending you. While we are in this for the cats, a charity can't run without people, politeness doesn't cost anything and can get you quite a bit, it can be incredibly frustrating listening to peoples excuses, but you never know when someone will repay you for helping, and sometimes it comes from the most unlikely sources. You can tell I am an ex civil servant where you had to be nice to people regardless of how they treated/spoke to you!!

[Mark]

The name suits him - he was a lovely, soppy, laid back bundle of fluff 

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

He got rehomed out side the area and is now called Freddie! Doing well i think...

[Mark]

The problem is, until you find out, you can't rest. I have to admit, I had suspicions but thought what if I go home and phone later to find out the cat has been in an RTA and in agony - I couldn't forgive myself. At the same time, people like that get short shrift and I make it clear that I am not stupid. I have posted before about a case when I first started volunteering. Sharon phoned me as she received a call from a woman who said there was a stray who was running in the road and it was dangerous etc. Sharon asked her if she could put the cat in her shed or garage (she had both) until we could come by later. She insisted it was urgent and said she was allergic so couldn't go near it. At the time, I was running my B&B and up to my neck in it doing breakfast. As soon as everyone was served, I went flying off to rescue the cat. When I got there, she was really smug and said she wasn't allergic and that you "had to tell a few white lies to get things done"  - I ended up having to keep the cat in my kitchen - much to the annoyance of Willow as he nicked her bed. When I had cleared up breakfast things and sorted rooms out (lunchtime by then) I took the cat to the cattery and had to pass the house where I had collected the cat from. I do what I do for cats and have no patience with people trying it on.

He was a lovely cat though 
(made himself at home on Willow's bed after eating 3 trays of Sheba  )

[madkittyrescue]

its always frustrating when you feel you've been 'taken a len of'

thats why nowadays we always wait to clarify details by phone when things are scetchy before diving out to deal as in a lot of cases it is people over exaggerating and as you found.... not the best use of your time!

[Mark]

Sorry but I was there and in a position to judge what her motives were - she wanted rid of her little problem is all. She had 2 months to get attached to it. She had only been feeding in the last month of that time. If she was that concerned about the cat's welfare, she would have taken it down the road to the vet! - she has a big house and a brand new car - no excuses.

This is another case of telling "white lies" to get people to bend over backwards to help. I won't bother posting about any cats in future.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

But you never know - if she phones for updates, she might find she's more attached to the cat than she thought, and is willing to take on a second cat after all 

[Mark]

She was the type who got us in under false pretences to clear up an inconvenience. It was very inconvenient for me as I had been at Uni all day and had 15 miles driving + standing around in the cold - when I have urgent revision to do + I am way behind on domestic stuff and not 100% health wise. I was willing to go out of my way to help a cat if it needed urgent medical care. She had given the impression that the cat needed vet treatment immediately when it should have been a waiting list case. Not the type that would be likely to help us. We really don't have time to phone people up to ease their conscience. I told her to email if she wants an update.

Her justification really was that the cat had done a poo in her tiled conservatory.

I drove 7 miles to her house when the vet is less than a mile from her.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I am surprised at you discouraging the woman to ring up - you never know when someone who you help will then help you, she might not have been asking due to guilt, she might have been genuinely asking.

[Mark]

I do the phones on Thursdays. I stayed behind to do an extra chemistry class today - When I got out at 3.30pm, I checked the calls and there was a message from a woman living in a semi-rural area near Sharon saying she had a stray that needed medical attention. I phoned but there was no answer. I though it was silly for me to go home and assumed that she was on a school run so as I didn't have a carrier, drove to Sharon's to get one. I drove to the woman's house but the lights were out, waited a while and she arrived. I asked what was arong with the cat. She said it had a bad mouth and it was probably cancer. I told her we can only take emergencies etc. I saw the cat who did seem to have a bit of trouble swallowing. As I was there, I said I would take it to the vet etc. She said the cat had been around for 2 months, for one of those months she had fed it but it had commited a terrible sin and had done a poo in her conservatory (the real reason) - she said she wanted to make sure we weren't going to PTS - I assured her we wouldn't unless serious illness etc. She then said could we phone her with updates - I said no  - she wanted to know why, I said we are too busy. She asked if she could phone us (she was feeling guilty is all) - I said no as she will only get an answerphone and we are too busy with new cats all the time. She said she couldn't afford a second cat - I had to feel sorry for her as she only had a 6/7 bed house with huge garden in a village 

Anyway, vet checked, she is OK, maybe a bit of a cold but in perfect health, waited for bloods - al clear - vacs done and took her to the cattery.