Posted July 27, 2020 by Laura Humphreys
When you ask me why can’t I take just one more THIS is what I hear. You don’t understand what I do. This is what I want! I think really are you an idiot. This is what I want to say. You are part of the problem.
When Covid19 lock down started I swore I was only going to do TNR in case of emergency. Yeah, I know, big joke. Since then I have personally laid hands on, TNR, transported, fostered and/or bottle fed over 70 cats and climbing. This does not include 40-plus of a targeted trap that I assisted two other agencies with earlier in June.
I pass locations and realize oh yeah I helped trap a cat there or I picked up a cat there or I helped with another cat there. The point is I have been busier this spring then I have in years. I am one person. Yes, I have had help with a few of the trapping situations, but many of them I have been on my own.
I personally have three adult cats and two kittens. I did not plan on kittens. They were part of a litter of five born to a feral mom I have had them since they were four hours old. I watched her deliver the last kitten and take off. I was unable to trap her and we have tried several times since with no luck. Unfortunately, despite throwing everything except the kitchen sink at three of the babies, they did not make it.
It has upset me to no end. Could I have done anything differently, could they have survived if we had managed to trap mom or left them in the field, or if someone else bottle fed them? The truth is it was almost 90 degrees out the day they were born and leaving them out in the heat without knowing if mom was coming back would have doomed all of them to die.
Then I have a colony in my front and back yards. I pray each day that i don’t see a new one without an ear tip. I have worked hard to make sure everyone is fixed. However I have come to the realization that people suck. They move away and dump their cats. So they come to my yard in search of food which means they then become my issue I also have a couple colonies I help feed a couple days a week.
So why can’t I take in another one? Well, Mouse is not happy with the kittens. He has just gotten to the point he is tolerating Emmy, my kitten from last fall. He is the old man of the bunch and deserves to be happy. I have enough food/vet bills/litter to worry about as it is. I wake up each day worrying if I will have another cat I need to rescue or vet or TNR. I am worn out, yet I keep trapping for the cats.
Why? Because people are stupid. They refuse to spay and neuter their animals. “Oh, I want them to be able to have sex. I don’t want them to be in pain. Its just not something I believe in. I want them to have a litter first” they say. For all that is Holy, just spay and neuter your animals. There are too many babies as there is.
Yes, we do spay abort them when we take them in for TNR Why because we don’t have the fosters needed to take care of tame cats let alone wild ones. We don’t have the room or the resources to take care of your stupidity. Just because you no longer want your animal doesn’t mean it is now my problem. Be responsible and fix your animal. Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.
Laura Humphreys, Secretary for Life for Pets
Life for Pets, a 501c3 non-profit organization, was established in 2000 by Dr. Mary English of Boonesboro Animal Clinic. It is the oldest continuous running spay/neuter and TNR group in Clark County Kentucky. Their mission is to promote the humane treatment of homeless animals in Clark County and decrease the number of those animals facing euthanasia through increased awareness of the need for spaying and neutering, fostering, and placement.
Note from Elisa: When I found Laura’s post on Facebook I felt it would make a good Reader’s Forum story. THIS is the nightmare those actively involved in the animal rescue community face on a daily basis. COVID19 has compounded the problem with many veterinary clinics operating with reduced services. TNR has fallen through the cracks and the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. People, STOP allowing your pets to breed!
Related Reader’s Forum articles below
The comment insert Michael uses is NOT compatible written most browsers. It was hell just posting this.
His comment is not visible within the article and I have refreshed several times.
The Facepoop comment app is not visible.