The world of cat rescue is full of shady people and organizations.

One wouldn’t think it, but I know, first hand, that the world of cat rescue is full of shady people, illegal activities, and lies.  There is soo much to write about this subject that I will have to address it in multiple posts.   In brief, some of the things that go on are:

• Fake rescue stories posted on their sites.
• Operating covertly.
• Taking credit for your work as a feeder and rescuer and making up lies about you to make themselves look good.
• Publishing your words, emails, and photographs, without your consent or knowledge, for their benefit.
• Cat trafficking:  Stalking and Trespassing onto private property in order to abduct a certain cat for a paying client.
• Stalking cat feeders in order to gain logistical information about how to abduct the cat/s they provide care for.
• Judging and condemning cat feeders as an excuse to confiscate the cat/s and sell it for their own profit because they are: well-fed; healthy; own a beautiful coat of fur, and are socialized from interactions with their feeders.
• Self proclaimed Trap-Neuter-Return rescues that, in fact, DO NOT do trap-neuter-return for the benefit of street cats.
• Fake fees.  Rescue organizations have TNR trappers that can get cats spayed/neutered and vacinated for Free.  Yet, they ask adopters for a $125-150 “adoption fee” to cover, “the cost of spay/neuter and vacinations!”.   Always ask to see the proof of “medical fees.”
• Hefty fees that they call “donations” just to trap a cat and have it spayed/neutered; something they should be doing voluntarily as a public service and a non-profit rescue organization.
•  Troubled and emotionally unstable, “rescuers” that can be offensive and dangerous to interact with.
• Rescues that are NOT interested in cats that are truly in need, because they take too much time, cost too much money, and are less profitable for them.
• Rescues that want a specific breed of cat to sell for adoption.  For example: Main Coons, Rag dolls, cats with long hair, cats with spots or certain colors.  They have a superficial preference for who they actually decide to save.
• Stealing cats from registered colonies with certified caretakers.
• Targeting female cats because the kittens can each sell for over a hundred dollars. $
• Not reaching out to help male cats because they are less profitable.

It’s disturbing, don’t you think?  To be continued.

My hands still hurt significantly.

It is now about a month since trapper Doris Giordano assaulted me [as I tried to stop her from taking one of my registered colony cats] and both of my hands, wrists, and forearms, still hurt very much.  It’s the kind of pain that hurts from the bone outwards.  Amazingly, there is still no arrest.  It is deplorable that law enforcement cannot do their job and protect people from violent criminals after an assault.  It is inexcusable for police to downgrade crimes against animals and people trying to protect them.

There is so much that has happened since the assault, but it would only hurt my hands more to type it all.  As it is, I am trying to remain proactive by telling my story while trying not to make my pain worse.

TRYING TO REACH OUT…

Earlier today, I head out and walked past what was the feeding station, up until last night.  To my amazement, I found the pregnant cat sleeping next to where the bowls used to be.   She is the last remaining cat.  Fortunately, I had a can of cat food with me and I offered it to her on the double.  She ate and I sat, nearby, elated that she had not been stolen.  After careful consideration, I concluded that the best thing to do would be to trap her and put her in the hands of a caring person that I can trust.  I resolved to come back out later in the evening, with a trap, so I can remove her from the streets.

With this goal in mind, I head out the door with my trap this evening.  First, I set up on 165st, but there was no result.  Then I followed her and crossed the street to 164.  I set the trap up there.  She came close to it but, ultimately, walked away.   I kept hoping for her to return, but she did not.  Before she dissapeared, I offered her a can of cat food.  She ate a good portion, then walked away into the alley.  If her hunger is satisfied, it would make her less vulnerable to strangers that want to trap her by exploiting her hunger.

Then a resident from the east end of the brown stone told me off in a very loud and aggressive way.  He said he didn’t want to see a cat trap in front of the building he lives in.  I told him that I didn’t know prior and that I would not do it again, but he continued his verbal tirade directed at me.  Finally, he said he didn’t give **** what happens to the cats, so he doesn’t want to see any trapping activity, period.  Then he told me to get off his street and a lot of other things I can’t mention.  He did this in front of a neighbor that I was having a chat with while I was on my way back home.  I was just trying to help the cat from ending up in the wrong hands.  What I’ve encountered doing cat rescue, thus far, is a lot of indifference; mocking; charged feelings; criminal activity; violence; and verbal abuse.  I don’t know what the future of this cat will be, but I know that I have tried to look out for her in midst of a hostile and criminal environment.  If there is a God, I sure hope he keeps her (and her soon to be born kittens) away from predators, if I cannot.

Later in the evening, when I went back out, I took a walk down the street again to check for cats.  I haven’t seen the grey tuxedo tabby since last week.  Cat theives use caretakers as feeders, fosters, and socializers before they intervene and abduct cats for their own profit.

IT BEGINS AGAIN.

The same thing that happens before any of our colony cats are abducted has taken place.  Their feeding station has been tampered with.  The water bowl was emptied and someone placed milk in it.  The cat’s food was untouched which means they have not eaten today.  No cats appeared for feeding.  Our female brown tabby and male gray tabby are currently missing.  They are being stalked by trappers.

The cat thieves, on our block, need to face legal consequences.  I have been trying to get the police to take action and, hopefully, they will do so.  We want this hateful activity to stop Now!  I walked over to the cat feeding station and dismantled it in order to make it harder for criminals to find the cats.