Thursday, March 28, 2024
cats for adoptionDaily Featurerescue stories

An Unfortunate Situation, Fortunate Rescues

Booboo when first rescued.
Booboo when first rescued.

UPDATE: Their names are Booboo and Sprinkle!

What at first looked like another horrible hoarding situation then seemed to be a horrible overpopulation situation with cats injured, ill and in danger, turned out to be a hoarding situation after all. But when the call was posted people volunteered immediately to help 20+ cats and kittens at an abandoned house in a small town east of Pittsburgh. The owner of the home had been ill and caring for cats indoors and possibly a few outdoors, but her medical condition and its expenses caused her to lose her home to foreclosure. Without enough money to feed herself she still tried to feed the cats, but still had to leave her home, and had not had any of the cats spayed or neutered or given them any veterinary care at all.

A bunch of the cats eating.
A bunch of the cats eating.

After some online discussion in several groups, volunteer rescuer Amy Tadija started organizing and rescuers Cindy Ganoe ran over to grab a couple of kittens and Jessica Litzinger picked up as many adults as she could get to go to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Cindy has been working on clearing out an abandoned house full of critically ill and feral cats for most of this year and Jessica founded her sanctuary Beautiful Feral Felines to house feral cats with no safe place to live as well as those with chronic illnesses such as FeLV and FIV and diabetes. You might think they’ve seen enough ill and abandoned cats for one year, but both of them will help with their trapping expertise and will foster cats or kittens if they have the space. All three went back the next day to capture more cats, a neighbor began helping with feeding and the situation began to seem a little more controlled.

Two of the cats eating outdoors.
Two of the cats eating outdoors.

Most of the cats appeared to be kittens and young adults, which could have been the result of even only two or three unspayed females who the owner had taken in but who hadn’t been spayed. None had had any veterinary care, several had serious but treatable URIs, a few injuries from living outdoors and a flea and tick infestation but they seemed to be in good health and were not starved, and all were socialized though some were frightened. In all, 20 cats were taken care of in two days.

Some of the cats eating.
Some of the cats eating.

But the first below-freezing nights are here, and these cats were not outdoor cats to begin with, and some are very young. All need to be spayed and neutered and have their vaccines at least, so all the cats had to be collected whether by trapping or just picking them up and placing them in carriers, transported to a veterinarian, bathed and treated for fleas and ticks, and then hopefully taken to a foster home, from there to be adopted. In the end, the kittens and cats you see here offered here for adoption went to foster, but the rest of the cats went back to be fed at the house. Each is available for adoption right now, though, fostered or not, and it’s hoped that all will be taken into foster when space opens up if they aren’t adopted.

A couple of insulated cat shelters.
A couple of insulated cat shelters.

Another rescuer made several winter shelters for the cats and placed them yesterday so they will have a warm and safe place to sleep, but there will be 12 to 15 cats staying outside the house and more shelters are needed, as is more food to keep up with feeding that many cats. And then, while this first round of veterinary care isn’t quite covered yet, there will still be a few spays and neuters as well as any other medical care necessary to keep them healthy until they are adopted in to new homes.

Booboo and Sprinkle when they were first rescued.
Booboo and Sprinkle when they were first rescued.

None of these people who run to rescue cats are ordered to go there by anyone, it’s entirely volunteer, and done from their own senses of compassion. Each of them has a day job, and most have families with children or other dependents. No one is independently wealthy. Yet they’ll voluntarily take the resources they have whether it’s time or money or expertise and run, literally, to get cats like these, like the Arnold hoarding case cats, like yesterday’s story of Jack and Jimmy, and like so many other rescues that I don’t even have the time to write about. If people would spay and neuter their pets and care for them responsibly, these people could sit at home tonight and enjoy their free time with other pursuits. But until people do start to act responsibly with pets, their first priority is the safety and well-being of cats abandoned outdoors.

Sprinkle while she was still outdoors.
Sprinkle while she was still outdoors.

Well, yes, it is another donation plea, only because the volume of assistance the rescuers have needed to give in the past few weeks has been overwhelming. If you’d like to help, please donate to Fix Ur Cat, a non profit 501c3 so your donation is tax-deductible. If you donate please select the option to leave a comment and write “Tadija fosters” so the money goes for these cats’ vet care.

Ready for adoption

These cats are ready for adoption today! The are all spayed/neutered, combo tested, rabies, FVRCP and FeLv vaccines, dewormed (tape, hook and round) and flea treated. All they need is a loving forever home. The descriptions are written by Amy Tadija.

Fluffnutter

This sweet girl is Fluffnutter… she’s so confused and doesn’t understand why she can’t go back in her house that the bank padlocked. She sits by the door and cries and cries thinking her owner is still inside. She’s already vetted, gets along with other cats. Shes so sweet that she gives kisses when you pet her!! She is scheduled to be released today. PLEASE PLEASE SHARE and help find her a home before winter. Message me or call 412-296-9233 for adoption info. Thank you!!! (Please note that the photo was taken before Michael Vick was hired by the Steelers, though she is wearing a Steelers bandanna it is in no way in support of the team.)

Fluffnutter.
Fluffnutter.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin needs an indoor home because he’s never lived outdoors before. Pumpkin is neuteted, combo tested neg, dewormed flea treated, first FVRCP and FeLv vaccines, rabies vaccine. He gets along great with other cats, and he’s a big friendly love bug. He purrs and purrs and just wants to be loved. He’s going to be released back to the colony outside if I can’t find a place for him. He’s only about 3 years old. He’s a gentle, sweet boy. Please, please share him and help me find him a home. This is heartbreaking. Message me or call 412-296-9233 for info on adopting him. He’s a wonderful boy.

Pumpkin has never lived outdoors.
Pumpkin has never lived outdoors.

Here they are together, like an old married couple.

Pumpkin and Fluffnutter.
Pumpkin and Fluffnutter.

Booboo and Sprinkle

Booboo and Sprinkle have had their first shots and exams but aren’t ready for spay or neuter yet, but you can still claim them! Contact Amy at 412-296-9233 for info on adopting either or both.

Booboo after his bath.
Booboo after his bath.
Sprinkle once she was indoors and had a bath.
Sprinkle once she was indoors and had a bath.

Amazon Wish Lists

amazon wish list for kittens
The Amazon Wish List for our group’s foster kittens.

Many rescuers pay out of pocket for veterinary care and food but the costs of raising even the average litter of four healthy kittens is more than many people have, and many rescues have greater needs. Pittsburgh CAT has a number of wish lists that include foods for feeding neo-natal kittens like KMR, and other lists that include the best kitten foods, adult cat foods, food and materials for feral cats, and preferred toys and litter.

Pittsburgh CAT Wish List: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2IUQ0FQOL2I51

2015 Foster Cat/Kitten Wish List: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1A1HUNQ7J3DL/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?

Winter Kitten Wish List! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3CZ6IYCKS2A7N/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?

Fall Wishlist for Fosters/Ferals! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2TD3TQBOEMT1E/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?

Food For Foster Kittens: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/OJQIYGC91289/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?

Our Groups Foster Kittens! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1D226142CCGZX/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?


Can’t adopt? Foster! Can’t foster? Donate or volunteer.

There are so many ways you can help cats who need homes and care. You may not have room to adopt another cat, but can foster a cat or kitten for a few weeks. If not that, you can volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue, or donate. You do this because you love your cat, and by doing so you help all cats. No matter which of these actions you take, you help to save a life, and make life better for all cats.

  • Adopt one of the cats I’ve posted here, or from any shelter or rescue near you, or from Petfinder, to open up a space for another cat to be rescued and fostered.
  • Offer to foster cats or kittens for a shelter or rescue near you.
  • Volunteer at a shelter or rescue.
  • Find a group of volunteers who work with homeless cats and help them with their efforts.
  • Donate to a shelter or rescue near you.

If you can foster kittens or adults cats to help prepare them for a forever home, please run to your nearest shelter and find a cat who needs you! Anyone can help with this effort at any level, even if all you do is donate to a shelter or rescue so they can help to pay for the food or medications needed for their foster, or the spay/neuter/veterinary care during a clinic.

Need to know more? Read Fostering for Your Shelter and Fostering Saves Lives


Browse some rescued cats and kittens—browse here or visit PittsburghCAT!

cats and kittens
Gallery view of Pittsburgh CAT cats for adoption.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.


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Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

4 thoughts on “An Unfortunate Situation, Fortunate Rescues

  • we troo lee troo lee hope each oh ewe findz yur for everz….st francis’ blessings two all ♥♥♥

    Reply
  • we are eternally grateful for people who step up in these situations. we see it all too often here as well….

    Reply
  • I will be praying for these babies. I wish I could take some.

    Reply
  • walksoftlyand

    Blessings upon all of you — humans and cats.

    Reply

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