I am so angry!!

[aka estie]

There are 2 sweet cats that have been abandoned by someone who moved out of my apartment complex.
They just moved and put the cats outside to fend for themselves! They are very affectionate and apparently random people have been feeding them, but they are outside 24 hours a day and it is getting very cold :-(
I have called the ASPCA and they said to call animal control and they will probably be put to sleep. :-(
There must be another option?
I can't take them in because I have rabbits.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[{Dakota}]

OK, is it possible for you to give them warmth for a few nights and in the meantime put an ad in the local paper saying there are 2 cats looking for a good home, there's bound to be people out there who will take them in as a twosome.

[B00]

I have on many occasion found the RSPCA to be about as useful as a chocolate tea pot. Try your local phone guide for animal sancturies in your area. Good luck xxxx

[aka estie]

I wish I could take them in since they are so sweet, but they would rip my rabbits to shreds, plus they are flea-ridden and probably full of ticks too :-(

Someone needs to take them in and get them to a vet ASAP, but I can't do it.

[{Dakota}]

Boos suggesstion is good too Estie. OK, if there are no organisations that will help you at this moment, can you get some old blankets etc. and try to keep them as warm as you can, give them plenty milk and tuna etc. and generally be there for them until such time someone can help you?

Do you have a friend that has no animals that can take them for a couple of days?

[aka estie]

I have left messages at 5 local animal shelters, so hopefully one of them can help, but I don't know if they'll come collect them. I just don't want it on my head if they go to a shelter and get put to sleep :-(

I also emailed 2 friends who I know have taken in cats in the past - if someone could just foster them for a bit that would be good. I wish there was something else I could do. I hate feeling so helpless.

And I hate that people are so horrible that they can just dump their family pets and leave.

I just noticed the thread before this one - that is the responsible way to behave. How can people treat their pets like this?!

[{Dakota}]

You've done all you can in the meantime Estie. I know what you mean about people treating helpless animals badly. The is a headline in a paper in the UK today about youths who had fired a hamster out of a rocket. I was standing in the supermarket with tears in my eyes reading it :(

[nfn]

estie, if you can get them there, take them to your local PDSA (phone number will be in yellow pages). It may seem heartless but if you just leave them there they will do their absolute best to rehome them. Otherwise they will eventually become ferile and then the RSPCA will remove them! I have experience of this as I am terrified of cats and the rspca removed 30 ferrule cats from outside where I used to live, apparently the healthy ones were rehoused on a farm. Maybe another option

[nfn]

sorry estie, reading back that came out all wrong. I'm in no way saying these cats should be destroyed! I meant that maybe there is a farm nearby who would take them in. As irrationally terrified of cats as I am, I could and would never harm one.

[veritymoon]

what area are you in? i know a few places that may take them in the north west and in the west midlands if that is any help?

[delilahcat]

Estie refers to the ASPCA which is the American Society for the Protection of animals so he/she is obviously in the US, otherwise I'd probably take them! (Even though I've got 3 cats who would hate it!)

Why are people so horrible? How can you have pets who are part of the family and then just abandon them? Sometimes I hate humans.

[drgnrdr]

Just an observation>>>I am really curious, so many people that I have seen on here have really been passionate about cats needing to be outside, don't let them stay in your home, they are wild creatures, let them roam, that's their nature don't coop them up in a house, my so and so neighbor is feeding my cat and on and on... now someone dumps a couple of cats and everyone is so sad and wanting to take them in...I don't get it. I have always advocated keeping cats indoors, but got blasted by others who think otherwise....<<<scratches head>>>.

Any way, FYI : ASPCA means "American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals".

If you are in the USA, then go to http://www.petfinder.org/ put in your zip code and see if there are any rescue organizations near you that would take them in, it will let you pick "cat" and it will show you where you can adopt a cat but you can reverse use it to find all the cat rescues around you also, call one of them, or contact the closest Petsmart near you, they work with allot of rescue and charity orgs. Hope you can find them a great INDOOR home soon. ~/:\~

[drgnrdr]

Oh forgot to add, if you have a box/towel/blanket for them to go into and stay out of the wind and rain that would help until you find them a home.

[aka estie]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I have spoken to a few rescues around here (New Jersey, USA) who are not accepting any more animals for now. I also sent a mass email out to almost 90 people in my department, hoping someone can help.

It is even worse because there is supposed to be a big snowstorm in the next couple of days, and as far as I know, these cats have never been outside in the winter before :-(

Wish me luck - I will keep trying to find them a home.

[nfn]

good luck estie, i really hope you manage to find your new friends a home

[veritymoon]

good luck sorry i thought you were in the uk!

[{Dakota}]

Estie, have you had any luck finding them a home, temporary or otherwise?

[aka estie]

Nope, despite all the emails and phone messages. And we are getting 2-3 inches of snow tomorrow. What should I do?!

[aka estie]

Nope- we got 2 inches of snow last night! :-(

I hope they're staying warm. I am really very upset about this. Please tell me cats can survive out there in this cold. I REALLY don't want to have to call animal control.

[drgnrdr]

Like I said if there are two of them, get a box that is slightly bigger than them and put in a blanket or towels and they can curl up and keep each other warm. If it was me I would bring them into my home, in the bathroom with a tray of shredded paper for litter box and just hang onto them for the night of snow and take care of them, you can keep them in a room temporarily, so they can't get your rabbits. Cats do spend all day apparently, from what I have read from others on here, out in the weather, and according to them the cats are fine.

[littleoldme]

drgnrdr - believe me, thee know-it-alls who blithely talk about how all cats need to be outside as much as possible and how it's cruel to keep them in don't have the foggiest clue what they're talking about. Yes, maybe some cats do like to be outside, ans should be allowed out if possible, but there are many cats, especially older ones, who are far happier curled up in the warm on a chair or a lap indoors. As long as they're fed and looked after, they have no wish to go out.

My cat (who is 19!) is a very happy indoor cat. We adopted her when she was 12 from previous owners who did make her go out, but she's never made much effort to go out since coming to live with us. She did once, thanks to curiosity, accidentally get shut outside the back door for about 45 minutes a while back. When the door was opened, she scuttled back in with a relieved miaow as fast as her aged legs could carry her and headed straight for her favourite chair. She has never ventured anywhere near the back door since. My point is - of course there are cats that like to go out, but say ALL cats want or need to do so is, quite frankly, rubbish.