Took in a stray cat. Now I can't get rid of it...
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Anonymous
I’m not sure fighting a major policy will help this particular cat. That takes time you don’t have. You can’t keep it in the garage forever. And I doubt they’ll change this policy anyway. |
Anonymous
Maybe not in this one instance, but doing nothing won’t initiate change. I’m the pp who suggested it. I looked into who the director for animal services is, and it gives me pause. In my county, our director is a former animal control officer. In Fairfax County, it’s someone who used to work for the Humane Society of the United States—which is a terrible organization that does not actually help animals. I’m actually alarmed that Fairfax county would choose someone with this background for this position. I also see that she’s been in the position for less than a year, and that the deputy director recently left. If you’d like to see this policy changed, contact local elected officials. At the very minimum, your shelter is not operating in a similar manner as nearby county shelters. Which is up to the county; however, I’m guessing many county residents have no idea that this is how they are operating. Especially if they are calling themselves open-access. My county’s shelter would have like 3 cats if this was their policy. And while that’s tempting since it is far less work (and likely impacts their stats in a positive way), let the residents have a say in which animals they should be helping. There are plenty of private organizations that can pick and choose which animals they help. |
Anonymous
This is standard practice for healthy outdoor cats. Most responsible shelters don't take in healthy outdoor cats - most of the cats who are living outside, are doing just fine, and do worse when they come into a shelter. It's also because shelters are full, and cats are among the pets most at risk of euthanasia for space. Ask them about TNVR services - if you can bring the cat in for spaying/neutering and to get vaccinated. Many public shelters perform these services for outdoor cats. It's a good idea to reach out to rescues. Does the cat show any interest in coming inside? |
Anonymous
^ Just to add - you're very kind to help this cat, and I know it can be confusing and confounding what you are supposed to do once you take in a pet you find outside. Thank you for trying. You can bring this cat inside once they are checked out by a vet, if you want to. Another option is private rehoming - just, try to find the cat a home. Post on social media, nextdoor, put up fliers - esp if the cat is fixed and vetted, there will be someone who wants to give the cat a home. Ask the local shelters and rescues if they can put up courtesy rehoming posts for the cat, too, if you don't want to or can't keep them. |
Anonymous
OP here - thanks for this. As to the cat having interest in coming inside - yes. I have had cats almost my whole life and this is or was someone's pet. I don't think she was living outside for a long time (two neighbors said they had seen her on their deck), which is why I am a little stumped that no one has come forward. I still have her separated from my cats (who go to the vet today) but she's now in the main part of the basement and is eager to check out the rest of the house. She loves to be petted and used a litter box right away. She is very sweet. I have posted flyers, done NextDoor, a local FB group that has 1,000's of members, several FB lost and found pet groups, something called PawBoost, and spread the word to local friends. And have reported her to FFX, Loudoun, and PWC shelters. If you are reading this and are in NoVa, you have probably seen this cat advertised somewhere! 
I have contacted a couple of rescues and now the SPCA and will likely foster her until she is adopted. Or I inadvertently added a third cat to my home. C'est la vie. If anyone has opinions on the SPCA, let me know. They were quick to get back to me. I think the rescues are all swamped right now. |
Anonymous
I don't mean just try to find her owner - I'm surprised no one has come forward, too, though in general return rates for lost cats are dismally low. I mean if you try to find her a new home on your own, you may be successful. I work in animal welfare and have never actually heard of the SPCA of Northern Virginia - but it sounds like they are able to help, which is awesome. Thank you again - you're really doing such a good deed here. I hope something good comes out. We have three cats, FWIW, and they are a great trio - highly recommend having three cats! |
Anonymous
Standard where? I've never heard of county shelters not taking in cats like this. That's part of what animal control does--responds to calls about strays. My local shelter actually adopts out TNR animals (I can tell because they have the ear notch)--I'm not saying I agree with this, but I do find it odd that this shelter is only taking in surrendered pets. Or even stranger--only sick animals. What's concerning about this is the animal OP has could be someone's pet. The animal might be spayed; unless OP shaves her abdomen, she won't know until a vet checks her out. So the shelter isn't doing one of its main functions in reuniting pets with their owners. Just because the owner hasn't come forward, doesn't mean they aren't looking. I wouldn't know where to look other than my county shelter if my pet went missing. |
Anonymous
It's standard at most shelters now - this is a really critical lifesaving practice. Outdoor cats tend to deteriorate in shelters, putting them even more at risk of euthanasia. The notched cats you see are probably pets who got TNRed, but then couldn't stay outside or were friendly enough that the shelter thought they could adopt them out. Shelters in places where TNR isn't legal will often take in the unsocialized outdoor cats and place them in "working cat" programs - barns, breweries, etc. The gray area is what happens with friendly outdoor cats. Some shelters may not even take those in. The good reasons is that often these cats are indoor/outdoor cats who are owned and being cared for and bringing them to the shelter is essentially kidnapping someone's cat. Also, often these cats are doing just fine in their outdoor homes and there is no reason for them to come into the shelter. On top of that, it is one way to manage overcrowding at shelters - a very very serious issue. If this is a cat who has truly been abandoned and isn't being taken care of, that is a different story. Or if the cat is injured or sick, or is lost - these are different situations. The problem is that it's not always easy to tell with a cat, which circumstance they are in - unfortunately they can't just tell us. So you do exactly what OP has been doing - you try to find out, and you try to figure out what this cat needs. Ideally the shelter will be offering support - education, supplies, vet care - regardless of what the circumstance is for the cat. |
Anonymous
| Question for those who live in areas where the publicly-funded shelter doesn’t take in strays. Who is spaying and neutering these animals? |
Anonymous
The county. It’s called TNR (trap, neuter, return). https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/tnr |
Anonymous
Your link says they don’t. It’s supposedly volunteers. NOT the county. They don’t bring them to the shelter, they need to find a vet that will do the surgery. That’s just crazy that the county doesn’t do their part. |
Anonymous
It's usually a mix - sometimes private groups are doing it, sometimes the shelter does it themselves or partners with other groups. There are usually individuals who do it, too. |
Anonymous
^ And yes, I agree that this should be a taxpayer-funded service. Many shelters are not adequately funded, and right now staffing is a big issue at many shelters, too. But usually public shelters do play some role in cat management programs - and I would guess Fairfax does, too. Yeah, they do: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/tnr I would say this isn't the most clear web page you could ask for, but they do clearly have a TNR program. |
Anonymous
It is sad to think this kitty could've been abandoned. But maybe her family is travelling now? I remember once when I was a kid and my family went out of town on vacation, our very friendly, indoor/outdoor cat found a new home (maybe about a mile away from our house). I think his new home let him go once they saw our "lost" signs around the neighborhood. |
Anonymous
You didn't read it correctly. FCAS doesn't take in healthy community cats to adopt out. It absolutely provides TNR services on a regular (weekly) basis. The cats are brought to the shelter, spayed/neutered, and returned to their community. The only requirements are that you attend a free workshop if you are unfamiliar with how to safely and humanely trap cats, that the cat be from a Fairfax County location, and that you make a clinic appointment in advance of bringing the cat(s) in. The shelter can even provide the traps for you if need be. Healthy community cats do NOT do well in the shelter environment. Many of them are not adoptable as house pets so they end up as working cats, basically a situation not that different from the one they originally came from with the addition of a stressful shelter stay. A cat that is sick, injured, or otherwise unsafe outdoors is another story and FCAS can/does take in those animals. |