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Hello Chicagoist,
This is a long shot, but I've run out of options. A few nights ago I came across a stray cat that looked like it needed some food and some attention. I decided to take the cat in hoping I would be able to find a no-kill shelter for him. I've had no luck whatsoever. Every no-kill shelter is full. This cat is super-friendly, housebroken, and extremely cute. But I can't keep him for too much longer, and I don't know what else to do besides calling animal control or just letting the cat back outside. Neither of those two remaining options sit well with me.
I figured reaching out to you all might help out in some way. If you know of any places or know of anyone willing to take him, I would really appreciate the help. I know this email is out of left field, but I really don't know what else to do.
Thank You,
Josh
Dear Josh,
Wow. Your email really struck a nerve. Chicagoist has quite the soft spot for animals, and we think you're absolutely fantastic and have an amazing heart for taking the cat in — and what a cute one he is, too. Our heartstrings are being tugged on so much, actually, if it weren't for the fact we know our two cats would kill us in our sleep if we brought yet another intruder into our home, we'd snatch him up in a second. So we do understand you not being able to keep the little guy, which sounds like it's too bad, as you seem to have grown somewhat attached to him.
We're not surprised the no-kill shelters are all full. Unfortunately as many good places as there are in Chicago for animals, there are still just so many homeless cats out there. These no-kill shelters are awesome places, but they are also non-profit, and notoriously underfunded and overcrowded — so there's just no place for a newcomer until some other pets get adopted. Generally there's a long waiting list to get a pet in, but it may be worth calling around to see how long some of those lists are, in case you can hold out until then. Here is a good list of shelters in and around Chicago.
We're assuming you've done simple things like ask around to your friends, family and co-workers to find out if anyone can adopt a friendly kitty. Maybe it's time to re-emphasize the situation to some of your more animal-loving friends? Get them to ask their friends. We all know how far an email chain can stretch these days, or a MySpace bulletin or a Facebook note, for that matter. If you can get him on some waiting lists for the shelters, perhaps there's someone who can keep him even temporarily, if you can't. We have to point out, though, that since he's a stray you wouldn't want him staying with someone who already has cats, in case he's positive for Feline Leukemia or other contagious diseases.
Calling around to local vets might be a good idea, too. Often they know clients who might be interested in adopting, or could at least help by posting some fliers and pictures around their offices. At the very least they may have some ideas of who might be looking for a cat, or good places to call.
Or who knows? Maybe it's time for a Chicagoist Miracle? Perhaps there's a reader out there looking to adopt a new feline friend. If it's you, please do shoot us an email, and we'll be glad to give Josh your contact information.
Don't give up, Josh.
Image of cat up for adoption provided by Josh.
Want to adopt this cat? Need some advice? Email ask(at)chicagoist(dot)com.
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If I didn't have two cats and a dog in my two bedroom condo, I would absolutely give that kitty a home.
People, PLEASE get your pets fixed. I am sure I'm preaching to the choir in this particular thread, but for crying out loud.
how awesome are those whiskers?!
Might want to get that cat checked for RABIES. Anyone read dcist? http://dcist.com/2007/09/20/kitten_found_in.php
Seriously, I would NEVER take a cat in off the street, you never know when feline leukemia is going to make the jump to people.
If my baby-girl-kitten wasn't so jealous and evil to other kittens - I'd already be on my way to crazy cat lady.
Please someone - give this cutie a home.
When I took in a kitten before while trying to find him a home, the Portage Park Vets http://www.portagepark.com/ totally gave me a discount for leukemia testing/mite cleaning, etc. because I wasn't keeping the kitten, but had another cat that would be at risk while I had him in the house.
If he is housebroken, you might want to take him to animal control to get scanned for a microchip. Maybe he actually has a home, and just needs help finding his way back?
I will be sending this link out to my list of animal lovers. How does one contact Josh if they are interested in fostering or adopting this handsome kitty.
channing@greene-shipman.org
There is absolutely NO evidence in the decades of scientific research that FeLV can be transmitted to humans, nor can is cause HIV. So, humans have very little to worry about in that regard. I would be less concerned about FeLV making the "jump" to humans. I would be more concerned about Toxoplasma gondii infection. Stray cats get it and transmit it to humans when humans clean out the litter box or otherwise come in contact with the feces.
If you have a pregnant family member, make certain that they stay away from the litter box of a stray cat, or an outdoor cat for that matter. If the cat carries T. gondii, and the feces is exposed to the mother through inhalation, etc, then the child could be born with birth defects.
I know you want to help, and that is great, but if you can afford it, make sure the cat gets tested for rabies as well.
Hey Chicagoist,
Why not profile an adoptable dog and/or a cat in a shelter each week? These shelters have little to no money for publicity, and it seems like if people just saw these animals they might adopt one of them.
[My suggestion obviously doesn't help this guy much, but it might work for future doggies and kitties]
Those are some serious whiskers by the way.
If anyone has a lead and needs to contact Josh, I have his cell number. You can email me ask(at)chicagoist(dot)com, and I'll forward it on to you.
The warning about FiV was in relation to transmitting it to other cats (a real possibility in multi-cat households), not suggesting that it could "jump" to humans.
wish I could take him... but I just took in a stray a month ago and I'm putting a 3 cat limit on myself. Hope the cat finds a good home.
Don't rule out places like the Anti-Cruelty Society. While they are not no-kill, they will take kitty in. Providing he is adoptable, and they are very generous, he can go to the adoption room.
Just b/c the shelter isn't necessarily no-kill doesn't mean you're taking kitty directly to the scratching post in the sky.
I say this every time there's animal stuff here, but no-kill sounds awesome, but you are in the minority holding onto kitty. Even though they will keep kitty forever or until adopted, they turn away TONS of kittes for every one they take. & the majority of those end up back on the street. Kitty likely has a better shot at ACS or the pound & succeeding than getting into a no-kill.
ok, off tha soapbox.
Good idea, Bud Selig, on the pet of the week.
Killer whiskers on this guy. And the slight Paris Hilton wonk-eye works for him. :) Good luck to you!
Agreed. FeLV is a threat to multicat households. But I was referring to Guest 3's post, above, who suggested it could jump to humans. I wanted to make sure people understood that the fear is most likely unwarranted.
I - The Curmudgeon - can be a bit of a hard ass around here, but if there's one thing I'm totally soft for, it's cats and kitties. I have a great cat that was given to my by a friend in 2001 after she wasn't able to keep her anymore. In a small studio apartment, she's all I can handle - we completely love and depend on each other but drive each other crazy just enough that any more cats would be chaos.
But I hope this cat can find a good home. I might mention this to a coworker who has cats.
I don't think Anti-Cruelty will take the stray. They had a policy change a couple of years ago. I used to send them money, but quit when the policy change took effect.
Someone posted that the cat should be tested for rabies. That involves decapitating the animal. FelV and FIV can be tested using a blood test. The cat's rabies titer can be checked (which would indicate if the cat had been vaccinated) but that is usually a very expensive test.
I'm also surprised to see the post by curmudgeon that Anti-Cruelty doesn't take strays. Usually the no-kills as well as the open admission shelters take *only* strays, on the basis that if an owner wishes to re-home their animal, they need to work on that themselves, but if you find a stray, it was not your fault the animal needs a home.
My mistake. What I should have said was the cat should get vaccinated for rabies.
I got a bad bite from a stray kitten once when I was 13. I was trying to rescue it from a window well at my grade school. They had to capture it and test it for rabies. I received a call a few weeks later saying that the kitten didn't have rabies. When I asked if someone will now be able to adopt it, the guy told me that they had to kill it and look at its brain to find out if it had rabies. I was devastated.