Siberian Cat Rescue

This is about a lady who must have a very difficult life and I feel for her. She feels for the stray and unwanted cats in her neighborhood. She understands the hard life they lead on the streets. She lives in Novosibirsk, Russia (see map). It is the third most populous city in Russia. It is located in the south-western part of Siberia. The daily average temperature in that city in January is −16.2°C or 2.8ºF. That’s a killer temperature.

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She cannot walk on by and let these cats die or perhaps survive, some of them. Over 15 years of rescue she has acquired 136 cats. The big problem is she does not have a lot of money (she used to, she says) and she lives in a small three roomed apartment!

It’s a shocker but I totally feel for her because she is not mad just compassionate but without self control or considering the practicalities.

The problems are immense for her. Think of the possibility of the spread of disease amongst the cats. The feeding problems. She sprinkles dry cat food over the floor as if she was sowing seed.

The medical issues must be horrendous. Vet’s bills etc. What do the neighbours say? The urination/defecation practicalities must be frightening. And it can’t be good for the cats. Not at all. But it is better for the cats living in her confined space than on the streets. That is a decent point to make.

Overall she contributes to cat welfare in Russia. But it is surely a sign that there is not enough being done by the authorities, or major Russian charities etc., to deal with stray cats humanely if a single lady has to take on such a huge burden because she can’t walk on by.

For her, it is a mental dilemma born out of compassion. The truth is you can’t be that compassionate in this world because it is too difficult to live picking up the pieces others leave behind.

Do you think she would last more than one day in the USA or Europe before someone called out animal control?

Note: My thanks to Ruth AKA Kattaddorra for spotting the video.

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Comments

Siberian Cat Rescue — 2 Comments

Ruth aka Kattaddorra on July 8, 2012 at 1:19 pm said:
This is a difficult case to know how to feel about it because as you say Michael, those cats would be struggling to survive on the streets and many of them would probably die of starvation out in the cold.
But do they have enough quality of life living in such a small space? At the very beginning of the video one cat whacks at another who got too close to him, that must happen a lot. It was a shock too to see how they are fed, just like a flock of birds really, all scrabbling to get a share, then rooting about for any odd crumbs, obviously their hunger not really satisfied. She does seem to love the cats and they look well, but how long for as she takes in more and more and she can’t afford to care for the cats she has already? What if she took ill or died? Yes someone else would have to clear up the situation she has made and the cats would be either turned out again or killed.
It’s the same old story, all those homeless cats are down to the people who abandoned them and the cats and compassionate caring people who rescue them have to pay the price on those ignorant uncaring peoples behalf.
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- admin on July 8, 2012 at 3:52 pm said:
  As you say Ruth it is a dilemma. No answer is the right one except to care for the domestic cat more responsibly and prevent breeding. It is sad to see frankly.
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