Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue

People often ask why I don't lower the adoption fee.  Yes I know that the 2 large rescue organisations often have cats available for $20 and $49.  But I guess I have 2 answers to this.

The first is that I'm not looking for fast turnover. What I'm looking for is the "right" home for each cat and kitten. Placing the right cat or kitten in the right home not only secures the future of the cat itself but enhances the lives of it's adoptive family as well.

My second reason is somewhat more painful and a lesson learned that I cannot and will not ignore.

It was many years ago when a young kitten was brought to the shelter.  He'd been found in the middle of nowhere, alone, hungry and terrified.  How long he'd been on his own no-one knows.  He was gathered up by some good samaritans and brought here.  He was weak, but he was a fighter and after lots of TLC he was ready to have his vet work done.  He loved people and learned to get along with the other cats and dogs.  Having spent so much time with him during his recovery he was my special little boy. To look at him you'd never know he'd had such a battle for survival.

A family arrived to look at another cat.  They spent quite a lot of time mixing with all the little guys and little Teddy followed them everywhere.  Now although Teddy got on well with everyone, it was unusual for him to show that much interest, because normally he'd want to be off playing.  The family adored him and although I hadn't planned on him being adopted at that stage I said yes.  In those days I had a much lower adoption fee but it still depended on the right chemistry between all parties involved.

On a follow up call a few weeks later I was told that Teddy had a sore eye and hadn't been taken to the vet because of lack of finances at that time. The family were bathing the eye daily at home in the interim. They would take him the next week once the next pay was received. I organised for the little guy to go to the vet and said I'd pay for it.  I had an account at the vets so it wouldn't be a problem. A week later I received a call to say that his eye was all recovered.

A couple of weeks after that it had flared up again and I said to take him back to the vet, and to just put it on my account, because he needed treatment asap.  I said for them to give me a call if there were any problems because I'd always take the little guy back if necessary.  Now at this point let me get one thing perfectly clear. The family did love him and were doing their very best for him.  I didn't hear anything for a few days and determined that I'd give them a call just to check on Teddy's progress when I got home from the post office. 

I cleared the PO Box and found an envelope from the vet.  It was my receipt for "Teddy" domestic shorthair "euthanesa and disposal".  I couldn't think, I couldn't drive, all I could do was bawl. Images of my beautiful, spirited boy kept rising in my mind and all I could think was that I had failed him. Even now I can't think of him without crying.  He died not because he wasn't loved but because he went to a family who clearly couldn't afford any extra unexpected costs involved.

I spoke to the vet a few days later and was told that because his eye hadn't received treatment immediately they were given the option of surgery to remove the eye or put him to sleep.  Instead of phoning me they made the decision to put him to sleep rather than involve me with more expense. He was my boy, damn the expense.  He died because he had a sore eye??????????

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!