Not All Rescuers Run Rescues

Out in the middle of Englewood lives a woman who loves her cats very much. There are quite a few cats in her family, but she lives in a facility which will only allow one cat into the building and moving isn't an option for her. It's clear that it hurts her to watch her cats suffer through winter.

She has limited means but she told me, "my cats come first." She has taken each cat she can catch into PAWS to be spayed/neutered and to be treated for the various pests that all outdoor cats seem to have. She feeds the two colonies in her care wet food every day because "that's what they crave."

When she contacted us about her cats we had to tell her that we were not sure that we could help. We operate with only a handful of foster homes, so we fill up quickly and turn away more animals than we can possibly take in. Thankfully, within a few weeks several volunteers have stepped forward to offer their homes (we love you guys!!!). The woman was ecstatic when we told her that we could take in one of our cats. We hope that we can take in more soon.

Yesterday morning she trapped the cat she had chosen, Handsome, in a carrier. He is a big boy - and super sweet and clearly not used to living outdoors. She called me early yesterday morning to tell me she had trapped him. I drove out to Englewood early in the morning while she waited outside in the cold. Her building wouldn't let the cat inside even for the 20 minutes it took me to drive to her. She told me she'd be hiding in the alley, because standing by the street with a cat carrier might "attract attention." I'd like to tell you she was being paranoid, but she probably wasn't.

I got out of the car, and after telling another of her cats, Gido, not to follow her (she was worried he might run into the road) she came over. She handed me his vet records and insisted on giving us some money for his care. She made sure to confirm with me (after separately asking Emelda) that we wouldn't kill him if he turned out to be FIV or FeLV positive. She was really happy that he'd be fostered in a home - not caged in a shelter.

We thought a cat who'd been outdoors would take some time to adjust - but he is a lap cat already. He snuggles every chance he gets and shows no sign of missing life on the streets.