As many as 5,000. That is the astounding number of cats that could be produced by only two unaltered adult cats in merely five short years. Why am I citing this worrying statistic besides pointing out the need for you to spay/neuter your cats?

Because we are now involved in a desperate situation and we need your help.

We are assisting a “hoarder in the making” who took in 16 kittens in the summer of 2012. This person had no money for vaccinations, FeLV/FIV testing, flea treatments, medications or spay/neuter surgeries – and on top of this, considering the startling breeding statistic above – you can just imagine how this could turn into a dire situation very quickly. With (thankfully) only two litters produced, the number of cats in the household is now up to 23.

Deven – a kitten who had kittens. Happily spayed and up to date on vaccinations now.

What makes this person a “hoarder-in-the-making” and not a bona fide hoarder? The plea for help. This is often the hardest thing for a hoarder to do. And though it is a difficult situation, we are thankful that this person chose to finally reach out for help – before it was way too late. It goes without saying: this never should have happened at all.

Wikipedia defines animal hoarding as “keeping a higher-than-usual number of animals as domestic pets without having the ability to properly house or care for them, while at the same time denying this inability.”

And for this case, having two out of the three “hoarder characteristics” has created a bad situation.

In a 1999 study Dr. Patronek, professor Tufts University defined animal hoarders:

People who accumulate a large number of animals; fail to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care; and fail to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals, the environment, and their own health.

Hoarders justify their behavior with the view that the animals are surrogate children and that no one else can care for them. They harbor a fear that if they seek help the animals will be euthanized.

This large number of semi-unsocialized cats, from just one home, that have upper respiratory and eye infections equates to lots of money and time needed to save these cats. It is a doable, but an unfortunate and daunting, task to undertake.

*No sad “before” pictures needed – I’m sure you all have seen your share of sad animal photographs.

The “hoarder in the making” says the kittens came from a shelter in the summer of 2012 and claims that the shelter would not take them back when they were old enough for adoption. However, representatives from the shelter stated the person would always give excuses for not bringing the cats back to the shelter. With the continually-limited shelter resources we are all painfully aware of; man-power and money, the original 16 kittens slipped through the municipal cracks.

Although, can you really blame the shelter manager for not wanting those cats to come back when the ultimate control of the shelter is a non-related department within the town? This is a department that can enter the shelter at any time and say “there are too many animals here, some have got to go.”

Read: bureaucracy + lack of compassion = convenience killing.

Now before you go condemning the shelter manager, firsthand experience tells us that this IS a compassionate person that does care about the animals. Tears are shed whenever an animal is euthanized there. Volunteers are welcomed and given as much responsibility as they can handle – for the benefit of the animals. Medications are purchased, vaccinations are given and somehow the manager keeps a small fund for spay/neuter surgeries. These actions have garnered local support to further improve shelter conditions. But, the improvements will sadly be limited unless the shelter can gain some autonomy from their overseeing department.

Back to the current issue … our “hoarder-in-the-making” is under threat of prosecution and foreclosure and someone needs to step up for these cats and new kittens. That’s where Karma Cat & Zen Dog comes into the picture and why we are reaching out because we need your help.

We don’t have a facility to call our own, so taking on 23 cats and kittens all at once is nearly impossible. HOWEVER, I am happy to say we are working with the shelter to get all of the cats out of the house, vetted and most importantly treated and SPAYED/NEUTERED.

And, yay! Some are already available for adoption: Louisa, AnnaB, Rachelle, Deven, Anya, Oz and Xander!

Anya, Oz & Xander (3 of the 7 kittens) – adopt them!!

Here’s what you can do! You can help by:

• sponsoring a spay/neuter surgery,
• adopting,
• send us supplies (we need food!),
• volunteering and/or fostering,
• Getting involved on a higher level; speak up and get involved with establishing a Companion Animal Protection Act in New Jersey.

The cats involved in this case include: Rachelle, Deven, Louisa, AnnaB, Kaitlyn, Wally, Anya, Oz, Xander, Angel, Buffy, Cordelia and Faith. Sly has already been placed. Four have already made their way back to the shelter (for adoption), three are with another group, and the shelter is working on the two remaining cats. We will be helping them with the spay/neuter surgeries.

Please help us help them.

Rescued, vetted and now ready for her forever home!

With hope,
Christie

What’s YOUR plan?

So, you’ve been doing animal rescue for a few/many years. Or, maybe you have a big heart and a deep-enough wallet? Along the way, you’ve acquired a few animals – the ones with impaired vision, temperament issues, social challenges.

But what happens to them when you can no longer care for them? Do you have a plan in place?

It’s not enough to think/assume/imply that your family will take these pets on. And it’s not fair to assume that they can and will open their home(s) to these precious souls.

Here are the things you need, at a minimum, to transition your animals to someone else if/when something prevents you from caring for them:

1. 1. List of names, descriptions and labeled photographs of all your animals
   1. Got shy cats? Where are their hiding places? How should a stranger approach that cat?
   2. Cats and/or dogs that only get along with certain other animals?
   3. Be specific!
2. Medical records
   1. A central file is the best idea.
   2. Names, phone numbers of the veterinarians that your pets have visited.
3. Names/phone numbers of friends that know your animals
4. List of possible rescue organizations that may be able to help with temporary care or placement
5. Trust fund or insurance policy for the care of your animals.

Some people will question this decision but it can make the difference between life and death for your pets. If rescue organizations are your only option (because you know your family can’t/won’t step up), providing monetary assistance for your pets will enable more organizations to help. Rescue groups often have reserve funds, but they are usually very limited – and in place for the animals that are currently in their care. And what you really want for your animals is a SANCTUARY – a facility that can commit to the proper care of your animals for the rest of their lives.

Pet Trusts

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/pet-trusts-laws.aspx
N.J. Stat. § 3B:11-38
Year of Enactment: 2001
Summary of law: A trust may be created for the care of a domesticated animal. The trust terminates when no living animal is covered by the trust, or at the end of 21 years, whichever occurs earlier.

Because most trusts are enforceable by law, pet owners will have peace of mind knowing their pets will be cared for according to their instructions. The directions left in a trust can, and should, be very specific. If your cat only likes a particular brand of food, your dog looks forward to daily romps in the park or if your pet should visit the veterinarian three times a year, you can specify this in a trust agreement. A trust that goes into effect while the pet owner is still alive can provide instructions for the care of the animals in the event that the pet owner becomes gravely sick or injured. Since pet owners know the particular habits of their animals better than anyone else, they can describe the kind of care their pets should have and provide a list of the person(s) who would be willing to provide that care.

One practical way of creating a trust is to create one for all of the pets you will have in your lifetime, rather than to create a separate trust for each pet.

Determine the amount of cash or assets needed to adequately cover the expenses for your pet’s care. Generally, this amount cannot exceed what may reasonably be required given your pet’s standard of living. You should also specify how the funds should be distributed to the caregiver.

Life Insurance Policy

Animal advocate, John Sibley, recently posted about this very topic: http://johnsibley.com/2013/02/06/what-happens-to-our-animals-if-we-die/

He purchased a life insurance policy that directly names one animal sanctuary as the beneficiary (with their permission). That sanctuary will care for his animals if anything happens to him.