10/11/2026
๐พ ๐๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ... ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐-๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก.
My messages have been absolutely blowing up this past week with questions, requests for help, and unfortunately, some frustration.
I want to address a few of the questions I receive most often, explain how things work behind the scenes, and hopefully help people understand the reality of small rescue operations.
โ ๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ก ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง?
I will hide ANY comment that reveals the location of a stray cat or colony.
Why? Because unfortunately, not everyone has good intentions. Sharing locations can put these cats at risk of being harmed, harassed, or becoming the dumping grounds for even more unwanted cats.
I will also hide derogatory, hateful, or disrespectful comments. You don't have to agree with everything I do, but you do need to be respectful.
โ ๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ก'๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ง๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ?
This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer, and one I hear frequently.
The simple answer is that I ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
A litter of unaltered kittens dumped alongside a busy highway takes priority over a stray cat that has a caretaker, food, and shelter.
A critically injured or seriously ill cat takes priority over almost everything.
But here's the part people don't always understand...
Just because a cat desperately needs help doesn't mean I have the ability to take it.
I don't have unlimited space. I don't have unlimited foster homes. And I certainly don't have unlimited medical funds.
Sometimes I have to say no to a cat that I KNOW needs help. And believe me, those decisions weigh heavily on me.
โ ๐๐๐ก ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐?
I want to clear up a HUGE misconception.
I am NOT a veterinary clinic. I do NOT have a veterinarian on staff. I do NOT have guaranteed clinic appointments waiting for me. And I do NOT receive some magical rescue discount that makes everything affordable.
I fight for clinic appointments just like everyone else. I pay the same clinic prices that anyone else would pay.
And I cannot financially sponsor every stray cat that needs to be altered.
Trust me, if I had the financial resources to do that, I would do it in a heartbeat!
๐๐๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ฑ๐ผ:
โช๏ธ I can teach you how to safely trap a cat.
โช๏ธ I can help you understand how to secure a spay/neuter appointment.
โช๏ธ I can show you how to set up a safe holding cage before surgery and during recovery.
โช๏ธ I can walk you through the trapping, transportation, and recovery process.
โช๏ธ I can offer guidance and resources to help you take the next step.
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ.
โ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฃ? ๐ช๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ ?
Like many small rescues, we are foster-based.
Many of the friendly cats go into foster homes while they wait for their forever families. Others stay with me until they are ready for adoption.
Cats that are truly feral and cannot be socialized may be returned to their established, safe outdoor locations after being vetted and altered.
We do not have a physical shelter where the public can stop in and visit.
Hopefully, someday that dream will become a reality. โค๏ธ
โ ๐ ๐ช๐๐ก๐ง ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ง ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐. ๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐๐/๐ก๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐?
๐๐.
We do not adopt cats out before they have received their required veterinary care and have been spayed or neutered.
These cats deserve to start their new lives healthy, protected, and without contributing to the very overpopulation crisis we are fighting every single day.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to their well-being.
-------------โ------------โ---------------------------------
๐จ ๐ก๐ข๐ช, ๐๐๐ฅ๐'๐ฆ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐.
๐๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ!
We are ๐๐จ๐๐.
We need ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ fosters.
We need ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ donations.
We need ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ people willing to step up and take action.
And most importantly, we need people to stop assuming that the responsibility automatically belongs to someone who has the word "rescue" attached to their name.
๐ฌ๐ข๐จ have the ability to save a life, too.
If you find a friendly stray cat, please don't just take a picture, post it on Facebook, tag every rescue you can think of, and consider your part finished.
๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก.
Can you bring that cat into a spare bathroom?
Do you have a basement, garage, or spare room where you can safely and temporarily house it?
Can you set up a large dog crate in the corner of a room?
Can a friend or family member help?
Can you provide food, a litter box, and a warm, secure place while you work on finding a longer-term solution?
It doesn't have to be glamorous.
It doesn't have to be a beautiful foster room with climbing towers and fancy cat beds.
๐ผ ๐จ๐๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ข, ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐.
And if you genuinely cannot bring a cat inside, there are STILL ways to help. You can coordinate with neighbors, help locate a foster, provide supplies, sponsor veterinary care, assist with transportation, or help find resources.
Not everyone can do everything. But almost everyone can do SOMETHING.
And I know this next statement may upset some people, but I'm going to say it anyway.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ.
It's harsh. But it's the reality.
Small rescues are not staffed by hundreds of employees. Most of us are ordinary people with jobs, families, bills, responsibilities, and homes that are already overflowing with animals.
We are sacrificing our time, our sleep, our personal finances, and sometimes our own well-being trying to make a difference.
We cannot continue to be everyone's ONLY solution.
------โ-------โ-------โ------โ-------โ-------โ------โ-------โ--
โ๏ธ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐. โ๏ธ
The temperatures are going to drop.
The nights are going to get longer.
And cats are going to suffer.
Some of these cats have lived outdoors their entire lives and have learned how to navigate the changing seasons.
But others haven't.
Some were once beloved indoor pets.
Some were dumped when they became inconvenient.
Some are kittens who have never experienced a Pennsylvania winter.
Some are elderly, sick, injured, or simply not physically equipped to survive prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.
And some of them ๐ช๐๐๐ die.
Not because nobody saw them.
Not because nobody knew they were there.
But because everyone assumed someone else would take care of them.
๐ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ "๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐พ๐ผ๐" ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐.
Be the person who makes the phone call.
Be the person who offers the spare bathroom.
Be the person who learns how to trap.
Be the person who offers to foster.
Be the person who helps with a clinic bill.
Be the person who says, "I don't know how to do this, but I'm willing to learn."
Because that's how lives are saved.
Not by one exhausted rescuer trying to do the work of an entire community.
But by an entire community deciding that these cats matter enough to do something about it.
๐พ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ. ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก. โค๏ธ
