Something bothering me

[Janeyk]

Thanks for the replies I really appreciate it 

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

I have OCD and its really not a good way to live. I even avoid washing my hands in dirty places just incase they have more germs than I do 

I hate using the toilet anywhere but home. They are rarely up to scratch. In fact I am thinking of challenging the posters in the toilets at uni that claim they are cleaned twice a day. If they were, they wouldn't stink like dirty pub toilets  - I also go through a routine of using toilet paper so I don't have to touch the flush. The same with the door etc 

Dont you just hate that! You wash your hands then have to open the door and get germs on them again from others not washing their hands 

[Millys Mum]

I would be concerned Janey, theres a difference between homing to a messy place and fostering in grime, the turn over of cats plus lack of cleaning isnt acceptable, a ticking timebomb waiting to go off and it would be the cats who suffered 

[Mark]

I have OCD and its really not a good way to live. I even avoid washing my hands in dirty places just incase they have more germs than I do 

I hate using the toilet anywhere but home. They are rarely up to scratch. In fact I am thinking of challenging the posters in the toilets at uni that claim they are cleaned twice a day. If they were, they wouldn't stink like dirty pub toilets  - I also go through a routine of using toilet paper so I don't have to touch the flush. The same with the door etc 

[JackSpratt]

Oh there would be no chance of me hiding cats, the hair would be a dead give away 

I hear ya!

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

I have OCD and its really not a good way to live. I even avoid washing my hands in dirty places just incase they have more germs than I do 

But with having kids and lots of pets I have had to accept not everything is going to kill me, no matter how hard thats been 

[Tiggy's Mum]

My house is far from sterile, but living in a slightly mucky "lived in" house, and living somewhere truly filthy are totally different things, and living in a really dirty house can cause health problems for pets in the same way it can for people, especially worrying for young kittens IMO.

Totally agree, I'm on the verge of OCD tidy but have friends who live in messy houses and who don't hoover or clean the kitchen anywhere near as often as I do.  That's completely different from being 'filthy' which is unhealthy for both humans and animals.

As a child/young teenager I helped out at an independant cat rescue - the house was absolutely filthy in a way that you could not even begin to imagine, the stench was absolutely vile. The cat pens outside however were spotless and the cats were well cared for, I felt sorry for their own cats and the dogs who lived inside as it really was hideously filthy

[Rosella moggy]

I've avoided contributing to this thread so far preferring to leave it to more experienced voices to respond coz some might consider me a wee bit OCD in the tidy department .  It does however occur to me that many fosterers presumably take in poorly cats and, like Beth has said kittens, and it would concern me very much that they might be fostered in an obviously filthy home.  

The word "filthy" is however in the eye of the beholder.  I ran out of frozen chips last night and OH suggested 2 different peeps I could cadge some off but we both looked at each other knowingly and decided against asking either    We had pizza instead   The two peeps concerned however have pets and it's never occurred to me that their shall we say "not exactly spotless houses" cause an issue for their pets.

I suppose lack of windows also more of an issue for cats as they so love to look out of them and being kept in a windowless room for what may be months is obviously not on (just not enough stimulation) but I assume that is not the case here Janeyk?  

[Ela]

I have 2 windows in my living room

Ditto, floor to ceiling and about,  (just a min I will go an measure)  about 98" wide.

[Beth]

My house is far from sterile, but living in a slightly mucky "lived in" house, and living somewhere truly filthy are totally different things, and living in a really dirty house can cause health problems for pets in the same way it can for people, especially worrying for young kittens IMO.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

I have 2 windows in my living room 

Oh there would be no chance of me hiding cats, the hair would be a dead give away 

[Ela]

A lot of people have no window in their living room?

Really 

Maybe a track-record of caring for cats in need is more important than sparkling white nets

It is not how clean a house is that is important (well to a certain extent) but I do not think it an acceptable place for cats to be in and I know CP would not approve and the fact they had been there since Easter is a worry.  Also it is not acceptable that 3 adult cats and 3 kittens are in a partitioned windowless room, The sooner this is stopped the better.

Surely if she is fostering for CP someone must call round there from time to time

They do but you know what it is like if you know someone is coming 'you bake a cake' well at least have a good old tidy up, If someone comes on speck you don't have to show them in every room. From experience  (people trying to pull the wool over my eyes) I know what some people will do to try to hide cats.

[Mark]

At the same time, surely some compromises have to be made at times as fosterers aren't beating the door down at most rescues? - If the cats were kept in a cupboard, I would question it but if they are kept in a well-equipped decent size room without windows......... A lot of people have no window in their living room?

Maybe a track-record of caring for cats in need is more important than sparkling white nets? 

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Sounds like my house  well the scratched wall paper and cat hair every where 

Surely if she is fostering for CP someone must call round there from time to time 

[Ela]

If you e-mail  bsu@cats.org.uk, there should be someone there this morning.

[Ela]

To be honest how clean (apart for poo on floors dirty litter trays etc) and tidy a home is not a problem.  However what is a problem is

(although the one we saw and couple of others were downstairs in a room partitioned off without a window

I think  in the interest of the little ones CP HQ should be advised ASAP as it is not acceptable.

Also CP do not approve of any CP cats mixing with ones own cats. Looking well fed and the fact you were told she had fostered for 30 years does not make it right the  cats should be in one room with no window.

Please remember we are an animals only voice. I am sure CP would rather you bring this to their attention, even if they then went on to find the situation acceptable, than you do nothing and it be on your mind and at some stage thinking I would have, could have, should have.

[MrsR]

Janey I feel the same as you hun.

[Janeyk]

But if the carpet, etc isn't cleaned isn't it a breeding ground for fleas even if she frontlines her cats?

That was the first thing I thought, it's the filthiest place I've ever seen.  I don't care how anyone else lives that's up to them - so obviously my concern is the pets.  I'm sure if I was in charge of homing I wouldn't let her foster pets because of the conditions and my first thoughts when I left was I wonder what CP headquarters would think.  Having said that, they all looked well fed etc and if she's done it for 30 years - I just don't know.

[bonnielass]

I recently did a home visit to a disabled chap who had lost his cat, the place was very much like that and i was all prepared to say no im sorry we dont have anything to suit when he called his other 2 cats in, the were absolutely fantastic condition, clean litter trays and dishes, he worships his cats and wanted to give a home to another needy one,i actually called his vets to ask about him and they said he takes good care of them and gave him a glowing ref so i had no hesitation in placing an old boy of 13 yrs with him even tho the bungalow itself left a lot to be desired,hes had Tommy now for 5 weeks and the cat is happy and content which is the whole objective, Tommy would probably have still been in rescue but for this chap as at 13 homes arent that easy to come by,

[MrsR]

But if the carpet, etc isn't cleaned isn't it a breeding ground for fleas even if she frontlines her cats?

[Janeyk]

That's what this was like Mark, it was like a flat that's been empty and run down for a few years and never been decorated, vacced nor even seen a cloth wipe.  She said sometimes she hears the cats downstairs meow and she goes down to give them a fuss there were just the 3 and 3 kittens and they were all wanting fussing, does it matter there's no window? they'd been there since Easter.  I have to say though that they all had food and looked ok and she was chatting away about them and was a nice lady. 

[Mark]

I went to a house a couple of years ago as a pregnant cat was in her garden She had been told by "you know who" to ignore it but she was worried and contacted us. The house was squalid and I mean probably not cleaned in 20 years. However, her own cat had clean litter, fresh food and water. Also her cat came limping in and she said he was run over and they spent their savings on skin graft etc as the car had torn his skin off. He was a lovely well-cared for cat and a big chunk thing    - if the tray had been full of poo, it would have been different but she really seemed to love animals and look after them. Its a difficult one really.

[Janeyk]

Well I couldn't wait to get out but she had a few cats of her own upstairs, 1 old cat sleeping and not too well on the filthy sofa and a couple of others walking round and the dogs fussing round and they seemed well.  Downstairs 2 cats partitioned from a mum with her 3 (3 wk old) kittens.  They all had food and water and a bed etc and a radio on quite loud.  She picked the kittens up to show me and kissed them so apart from the utter filth and smell of the house (this wasn't just untidiness) I would say she did care for them yes.

[JackSpratt]

Did anything about the situation pose any threat to the health and welfare of the cats? To be honest, that's all that matters - some people are just messy by nature!

If the lady cares about the animals and they aren't ill or lacking stimulation living with her, then I'd not worry too much.

[Janeyk]

It wasn't just the wallpaper it was what I would call squalid I just don't know though what to think

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

To be honest as long as the cats were ok i wouldnt worry about wallpaper !!

[Janeyk]

We went to see a cat today at a CP fosterers flat in a very rough area I think, now I can't stop thinking about it because the flat was, well let's say filthy.  Now the cats in there seemed well looked after (although the one we saw and couple of others were downstairs in a room partitioned off without a window.) The lady really seemed to love her pets she said she has fostered for 30 years (she also had 2 dogs) but the state of the flat - my word! the windows were filthy, the paper dirty and scratched off carpets never vaccumed I doubt and the paintwork all dirt and stains on..... what do you think?