Tales & Tails of New York

Ah, the holidays!    

In past years, I used to dread this time of year because we would get many requests for kittens at a time of year when we normally didn't have many kittens.     

Most kittens are born in the Spring and Summer months.  By the time Christmas rolls around the kittens are then around six-months-old, or "too old" for most people.    

This year, we have many kittens for adoption -- including some as young as 8-weeks. But, now the callers are not only seeking kittens, but they have to be purebred or "exotic."    

In the past few days I have had requests for "Rex, Abyssinian and Manx" kittens to name a few.  When I explain that we do not breed cats, but are rescue and when I tell the callers we have a number of wonderful, affectionate and neutered kittens and cats, they lose patience and either hang up (rudely) or cut the conversation short.    

"Well, I'll just keep looking."    

What is a rescue group to do?    

Tell our animal shelters we will only take "purebred kittens?"    

Amputate the tails off regular kittens so we can say they are "Manx or Bobtails?"    

Shave the fur off of others and then promote them as "Rex's?"    

 Today, I received a lovely email from two young women who, last year, fostered a mother and kitten for us.    

 "Dora and Lucy" had come into the city shelter (AC&C) last year.  Lucy was a tiny black and white kitten nursing on her mother. Dora, the Mom, was solid black.    

Nicole and her roommate kindly and generously offered to foster the mother and baby and thus, helped us to save their lives.    

As the kitten grew and when both cats were spayed and vetted, we advertised them on various adoption sites, including Petfinder.com with adorable pictures and descriptions.  Our only request was that the devoted mother and her baby be adopted out together.    

I never got any offers to adopt both cats.  The few calls I received wanted the kitten only.    

Finally, after about six months of this seemingly public rejection, Nicole told me she wanted to keep Dora and Lucy.    

Today, I received a warm and gracious email from Nicole telling me how happy she and her roommate are with the two cats.  "Lucy retrieves balls and brings them back to us. Her motheris so loving and gentle.  We are so happy we decided to adopt them. They are wonderful!"    

But, why couldn't two wonderful cats find adoption through our regular sources?    

Is it because the adoption markets are so saturated now, that the public is becoming fussier and fussier?  Healthy and sweet isn't good enough any more?  Young isn't good enough any more?     The animals have to practically be newborns and be "exotic" or "purebred?"    

If that be the case, then I don't know why I am still in rescue.    

I might as well tell foster people that they had better like the animals they foster because they will most likely have to keep them.    

I may as well presume that the young, adult cats I am fostering now will be here for the rest of their lives.     

"Too old," you know.    

I can look forward to watching grow up, kittens that are now being fostered by myself.   

And I might as well tell the New Hope coordinators at AC&C:    

"Take me off the rescue list. Unless I can somehow turn into purebred kittens, the animals we have already, we have no more room to take another kitten or cat.  Ever."    

We live in a highly competitive culture, where the new, the trendy, the technically advanced and the exotic is in constant demand.    

But, when did animals suddenly become "products of competition?"   When did they become "things" that we have to seek to "new and improved" versions or create "exotic" models of?    

A few years ago, a new "breed" of dog was created by breeding Poodles and Labrador Retrievers.  The "Labradoodle" was touted as having the personality of a Labrador with the coat of a Poodle (for those people with "allergies").     

But, did we really need to create a new, (technically, mixed) breed?    

What next?  

Breed a cat with a rabbit?  Something that purrs like a cat, but can't jump on furniture?    

As more and more shelters across the country strive to cut down on euthanasia numbers by relying on rescue groups to take adoptable pets who have run out of time in the shelters, I worry about the rescue groups themselves.    

Too many, (like us) end up boarding dogs at tremendous expense for long periods of time before a home can be found or run the risk of taking too many animals into whatever limited quarters or fosters they have.    

The bottom line is you cannot do rescue, unless you are doing adoptions and placements.     We need the public to come on board with us.    

Don't call us seeking "purebred kittens and puppies" because breeding is not what we do.    

Don't call us seeking "exotics" because we are not seeking to "new and improve" existing cats and dogs needing rescue and loving homes.    

Call us, if simply seeking a lovable cat or dog of whatever look or type. Someone to simply be a loving companion.    

What, after all, is wrong with that?    

"Do the right thing and the right comes along."    

Nicole and her roommate can personally testify to that.                                                                                           

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