I hope posting this is ok. I’m a long time lurker/lover of the Straight Dope. It’s been so long that I don’t remember if I found the website or the books first!
Having spent so much time lurking, I know of the board’s love of cats. I can relate: my house currently serves as home for six cats, all of whom have been rescued (one from awful owners, the other five from a shelter). My mom has also adopted all the outside cats in the neighborhood, which led me to get a certificate in TNR so that I could try to control the colony’s population. Since she began feeding them, we’ve had a population explosion. I’ve found someone near me that’s going to help me trap and fix the cats and monitor their health.
In the meantime, though, I’ve rescued poor Simon from the cold. I’m in New York City and, if you’ve followed the news, we’ve been getting wave after wave of snow. We first noticed Simon a couple of weeks ago as a new addition to the regulars that come by. My sister and I pegged him for a stray rather than feral because he is super friendly and his coat wasn’t as thick and fluffy as the rest of the colony’s. It wasn’t until this past weekend, though, that I took him in. He was just shivering way too much with his tail between his legs, looking so miserable. I couldn’t help it, I had to let him in.
At the moment, Simon is sequestered in the first floor bathroom. He’s a sweetheart and loves affection. He’s not fixed and unfortunately seems to have a rather bad cold/cough. I’m getting medicine for him and will make arrangements to have him altered. However, I can’t keep him, not with six cats in the house already. My sister has called all the local shelters (some not so local) and everyone is refusing to take him. That’s why I’m reaching out here, hoping someone can help me find Simon a loving home. He’s such a good cat; he hasn’t tried to bite or scratch even once while we’ve been handling him.
Pics are mandatory, I know, so you can see them here: Photobucket | Make your memories fun!
If anyone knows someplace or someone that is willing to take a cat, please let me know. I’m in Queens, New York. PM me if you can. I would really appreciate any suggestions. I’m not looking for handouts. In fact, I’m willing to pony up the funds necessary to get Simon better.
Thanks for sticking through till the end. Cross your fingers for Simon!