How to help homeless cats
It’s cold... Snow is blowing outside the window, your pet is curled up on the sofa and quietly purring.
Cozy picture, right? A homeless cat may not survive the winter
And at this time, somewhere the same purr is freezing, who, by the will of fate, remained homeless. You don't have to think about it. You can pass by, leaving the unfortunate person to die of hunger and cold... Is it really possible?..
If a stray cat in the city still has a chance of salvation, then many of those who are “forgotten” in the dachas are doomed. In the deserted gardens one cannot find either a warm basement or entrance, or food. And domestic sissies are not adapted to Spartan conditions. Those who were born and raised on the street at least know how to get food and can fend for themselves on occasion, but cats who are accustomed to comfort and care are not always able to take care of themselves.
Not every animal can take care of itself
If you come across such an obviously domestic but lost cat, the best thing you can do for it is to try to find its owners . Perhaps they, too, were lost in search of the fugitive, and the joy would be mutual. And there are many ways to do this - from advertisements posted on poles in a holiday village to word of mouth.
The owners may be looking for a lost cat - help them meet
By the way, cats do not always end up on the street due to human fault. These animals are quite capricious, and their actions sometimes defy our understanding. For example, two years ago one of my neighbors, a summer resident - an avid cat lover who takes care of each of her many pets like a tender mother takes care of a baby - was looking around the village for a runaway cat. What came into the head of the four-legged tramp is unknown, only she first walked around the neighborhood all summer, and in the fall, when the summer residents left, she came to my house. Moreover, she preferred to live in the attic, refused to enter the home, and ran away from the owner or hid. With difficulty we persuaded the eccentric kitty to return home.
Another cat, sensing an imminent return to the city, went to place her kittens “in good hands.” She brought one daughter (4 months old) to me. She constantly visited and looked after her for a couple of days, and then, making sure that the foundling was fed and not driven away, she left to look for a home for her second offspring. At that time, the owners were running around looking for what was missing... In that story, too, everything ended well: everyone was found, reunited and were happy. But this doesn't always happen...
Kittens are thrown out into the street, given to caring neighbors... Bored animals are disposed of like old useless things... And another was orphaned after the death of the owner, whose relatives did not want to shelter the cat...
Every animal found on the street has its own sad story.
Each four-legged stray has its own sad story. Sometimes with a happy ending, but often with a sad ending.
There is hope for salvation as long as there are caring people everywhere who take care of homeless cats, spend their own (sometimes very modest) funds on them, organize shelters, or simply feed the hungry and treat sick animals.
But, alas, these enthusiasts are unable to save all the stray cats... Moreover, caring for unfortunate animals does not always meet with understanding and support from others. While some help - some with food, some with medicine, some with money for the maintenance of pets - others write complaints to all sorts of authorities, and even carry out cruel reprisals... This is impossible to understand. But we must remember this when trying to help our smaller brothers. If you are not sure that your neighbors are tolerant of cats, it may be better to find new owners for the animals or a good shelter .
A bowl of food can save more than one life
The word “good” is not accidental here. My friends gave kittens to the shelter that they could not find good homes for. Animals were not accepted there free of charge and not immediately: it was necessary to negotiate and wait for free places to appear. Everything would have been fine, only it turned out that not all pets had a happy future: the establishment had a fixed period of residence, and if during this time there were no owners for the kitten, it was simply euthanized... Acquaintances placed subsequent babies on their own - through friends and colleagues, through newspapers, the Internet...
Sometimes sympathy and a desire to help prompt you to adopt a stray cat - especially if the animal is affectionate and willing to make contact. And this, without a doubt, is an act that deserves respect. It is only very important to correctly assess your strengths and capabilities, so that soon the innocent mustachioed and striped one does not end up on the street again.
If you want to take a stray cat home, carefully assess your options.
An adult animal has already developed habits and habits. And in general, it is almost impossible to re-educate a cat (unlike a dog) - he will always decide for himself what to do. And it’s not at all necessary that your views and tastes will coincide, so the likelihood of “not getting along” is quite high. But if you manage to find a common language, you will have the most faithful and devoted friend you can imagine. After all, he already knows what loneliness, hunger, cold and fear of death are... You saved him from this nightmare, and he is grateful to you, he is ready to give you his love - just be ready to accept it and save it.
By the way, character and habits are not the only difficulties that you may encounter when deciding to pick up a stray kitten from the street. Such an animal probably has both fleas and worms; it may suffer from any disease; it is possible that it will simply need to be washed from dirt... In short, there are a lot of questions, and you will find answers to the most common ones in the following video. What is the first thing you need to do if you pick up a stray kitten?
If there are a lot of animals, you are unlikely to be able to take them all home even for foster care while searching for new owners. But this does not mean that nothing can be done.
The article How to arrange a cozy home for a cat in the country will give you ideas for simple, but comfortable and beautiful cat “dormitories”; they will help four-legged animals escape from bad weather and winter cold. Not ready for construction? At least just don’t drive cats outside in the cold if they have found shelter under your roof. Share a bowl of soup or porridge with them - perhaps by doing so you will save someone's life. .
Let every lonely cat have a new home!
In fact, the question of how to help homeless cats can be answered very briefly: be a caring person . After all, it is impossible to offer ready-made recipes for every situation - life is too diverse. But those who really want to help find ways and opportunities for this - to the best of their ability...
And finally, a short video. Poignant poems by Dana Sideros “One of my friends picks up stray cats...” (Elena once gave a link to this work in one of the comments)
Stray cat - what is it?
A stray cat is a domesticated cat that is currently homeless. The most common reason for the appearance of stray cats is unscrupulous owners who abandon their pet. Or the cat could have been lost, say, as a result of moving to a new house.
Stray cats survive by eating mainly food scraps and hunting mice and birds. This is a rather difficult way of living for them, as they are exposed to many dangers, such as cars, stray dogs, cruel people, attacks by other cats and all kinds of diseases.
What is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat?
As already mentioned, a stray cat is an ordinary domestic cat that currently lives on the street and wanders. She once lived with people, but then she was thrown out onto the street, or lost. A feral cat is a cat that was born on the street. Stray cats usually hang around people and try to live in hallways and markets. They are not afraid of people and use them to get food.
Feral cats tend to be afraid of people unless they are taken from the street and tamed at a very young age.
It is difficult to distinguish a feral cat from a homeless one, but there are still some differences:
- a stray cat fearlessly approaches a person
- a stray cat can meow, this signal is intended only for communication with a person. Feral cats don't meow.
- Feral cats tend to live in colonies, while stray cats live alone.
- Feral cats are much less likely to be spotted, especially during daylight hours. Stray cats can be seen everywhere, both day and night.
- since feral cats are born in nature, their appearance is usually cleaner and more well-groomed, not as disheveled as that of stray cats, since they have mastered survival skills.
- Stray cats may be emaciated because they are not very good at hunting.
A cat has been found – what to do?
If you suspect that you see a lost cat in front of you, and if he is acting friendly, try to catch him.
This is rare in our country, but perhaps the cat is equipped with a microchip, or a collar with the owner’s phone number. Then this is the simplest case. The cat will definitely need to be taken to the veterinarian for an examination.
Take a good photo of the cat and post flyers in your area, especially in public places such as shops, schools, notice boards.
Go to specialized websites and forums in your city, post a photo of the cat and details of where and when it was found. Perhaps the cat has special features that will allow owners to quickly identify it.
If you find a cat and suspect that it is purebred, try contacting cat lovers clubs in your city. Perhaps they have information about lost animals and can help you find the owner.
If you haven't been able to find the owners of your stray cat, you need to decide what to do. Can you afford to keep your cat? If not, ask all your family, friends and acquaintances for help. Contact veterinary clinics, perhaps they will help you place your cat. Place advertisements on websites and forums, on your pages on social networks.
Contact your city's volunteers or animal shelter. If you can afford it, pay for the services of volunteers to foster or adopt a cat. This is a more noble and responsible act than giving it to anyone just to get rid of it.
Finally
If you have your own cat and for some reason you can no longer keep him, please do not put him outside. Try to place him in good hands or give him to an animal shelter. Your cat has been part of your family for many years and does not deserve to be treated so unfairly.
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Looking for good hands
Every day, write something in every online group dedicated to helping homeless animals that you can find. And not necessarily just your city. There were cases when babies from the CIS were taken abroad. Foreigners were so impressed by the unfortunate fate of a cat or dog that they were ready to come for them themselves. It’s not for nothing that they say that words can save you!
By the way, good texts are not everything. Try to make the kitten or dog look as good as possible in the photos. To do this, they need to be cured, washed, fattened, and combed like a fashion model. There are no ugly animals, only unhappy and sick ones!
By the way, some professional photographers respond to requests for help. You can write to them and offer to photograph the foundling or at least professionally edit his photo. And don’t forget to caption the photo, saying that the animal is even cuter in real life than in the picture. Because that's how it is!
Permanent home
Animal shelters have blacklists of owners who have not treated animals well or who have given back pets they agreed to care for. Therefore, try to check if there is a person on these lists who decided to take your foundling.
In animal shelters
Surnames are usually posted in animal aid groups on social networks. It is better not to hand over your pet on neutral territory. Try to take him to a new home. This way you can determine whether he is in good conditions.
Help homeless animals
The story of your foundling will definitely become fabulous if you spend a little time and effort. There is nothing more pleasant than the happiness experienced by a person who has done a truly good deed.
What to do if you find a cat or dog:
Take the animal to the veterinarian
The veterinarian will tell you how to cure the animal, how to treat it against worms and fleas. True, if the foundling’s health is weakened, you will have to wait with treatment for parasites until the “patient” gets stronger. It is better to take your pet to the veterinarian in a carrier bag. If you don't have one, you can take a regular bag. But leave holes to allow air to flow in.
Overexposure
Many people feel that they are not in a good position to keep a foundling, or that they will not be able to care for the animal due to their busy schedule. But that's not true! The most famous story that confirms this is an autobiographical book about a homeless musician and his pet (“A Street Cat Named Bob” by James Bowen).
"A Street Cat Named Bob" by James Bowen
At the time of meeting the purr, the author suffered from drug addiction. Because of this, he lost his job, and he didn’t even have enough money to pay rent. He himself actually lived on the street and played the guitar, collecting meager donations. But, despite his food, the man took pity on the cat and cured him. And then he tried to drive him away so that the animal could join wealthier owners, but Bob the cat stubbornly sat next to James while the musician played for passers-by.
The animal began to attract people to Bowen, and the number of donations increased. Bob inspired James to completely change his life. The owner began treatment for drug addiction and wrote a book.
James Bowen is now the author of 3 bestselling books and is thinking about a fourth! He says that in many ways all the magical changes in his life occurred thanks to the devoted and intelligent foundling.
If for some reason you cannot keep the animal, try to find a foster home for it. This is also a big deal! You can meet volunteers in groups on social networks. In your announcement or messages, clearly ask for temporary assistance.
Agree on the terms. People are more willing to adopt a pet for a while if they are promised help with the costs of food and treatment. Take on the financial part - then the issue of foster care will be resolved faster.
