I can add my two cents. I am with a large cat rescue in Tallahassee Florida where kitten season never stops. IMON's area is Southern Georgia and Northern Florida, some of the poorest areas in the south. I just took a call on a feral mother with 5 newborns. This time of year, the mothers have produced so many litters that their immune system is weak and the kittens barely survive.
We have partnerships with the local humane societies and animal controls to take all unweaned orphan kittens and any cute two months or younger kittens. Our intake far exceeds animal control in the area. Why we go for only the "cute" ones is that the others are not considered adoptable after about two months. Since we do not adopt out until two pounds, all our adoptions start with pre-adoption. The market here for kittens is highly competitive. There are more free ones off of Craigslist and Facebook then we adopt out. If a black or tuxedo kitten is three months old, the likelihood of adoption is significantly reduced to about 15%. Adding that any kittens that do not get adopted, become our personal cats. That's the difference between humane societies and rescues, we have to keep them permanently. I currently have about 15 cats and most are black and tux (no market here). They started out as three week old kittens and got ringworm. By the time they are healed from Sulfur Lime dips, baths, tresaderm, etc., they are to old and sit untouched at adoption events, even with $0 adoption fees and heavy marketing. The ones that get adopted are fluffy, or Siamese point mixes, Maine coon mixes, blue Russian mixes, or any other kitten that is in high demand. And they are abundant here. So even those Siamese flame point kittens or Hemingway kittens that hit six months old are heavily discounted and most likely untouched at adoption events. I am at my limit with about 15 cats and can no longer foster and I am one of many. Want some cute 3 month old kittens? Find a way to transport that doesn't cost us much. We are a rescue with no money and way too many young kittens. Any suggestions are always welcome.
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Frances Alford
Director
Its Meow or Never for Ferals
8507569776
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-09-2021 04:13 PM
From: Kim Domerofski
Subject: Huddle #10 Discussion & Recording - Creating Partnerships with Other Animal Welfare Organizations
This question was asked by @Ben Swan at the end of the call so there wasn't a chance to answer it. @Spencer Conover and @Danielle Giroux, we'd love to hear your thoughts and anyone else's who'd like to chime in!
"Can you speak to the perception that some shelters believe that some rescues only take highly adoptable pets and ignore other pets? That's why there are some roadblocks with rescues and shelters."
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Kim Domerofski (she/her)
Community Manager
Maddie's Fund
Original Message:
Sent: 11-09-2021 04:02 PM
From: Kim Domerofski
Subject: Huddle #10 Discussion & Recording - Creating Partnerships with Other Animal Welfare Organizations
Time flies when you're having fun! This is the last week of huddles. Can you believe it? Thanks to our huddle speakers today @Spencer Conover from Pasco County Animal Services and @Danielle Giroux from Runaways Animal Rescue.
If you missed the live event, you can watch the recording below or on YouTube.
I've attached a copy of the chat file and resources shared during the call. If you have any questions or comments for our presenters, please leave them on this thread so we can continue to learn from each other.
Hope to see you on our last huddle this Thursday!
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Kim Domerofski (she/her)
Community Manager
Maddie's Fund
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