1:21 p.m. - 2004-02-10
Animal Rescue Rave
The phrase for the week seems to be "rabbit pee".
Yup, my little darlin's have, between them, peed on me four times in the last two days.
Sigh. Don't ask. You don't want to know.
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And speaking of piss, how about some vinegar, too?
It may be because I'm having intestinal problems and am in a cranky mood this morning, but may I just say that I am getting really DAMN FREAKIN' SICK of flakey animal rescue people?!!!
A few weeks ago I wrote several entries about our efforts to adopt a blind cat. I had gone through quite a number of involved emails with the woman who was fostering him and given vet references and researched this cat's type of blindness on the net, and figured out how to arrange the house so e could find his way around and just generally fallen in love with the idea of having him.
In all this time his fosterer seemed to be avoiding my questions about if they knew how much his possible eye surgery might cost (just sort of blandly saying "Oh, that'll all get taken care of...") and she also waffled on a number of other questions I asked her. Still, we wanted to take him, and I was actually really in love with this cat we had never met.
Finally I got an email from her saying that she would let us take him and she'd call to set up a time. I emailed her back my number.....and never heard from her again.
I also have never heard from the group she works with about caring for the cats that they have at our local big box pet store, which, commendably, does not sell pets but instead helps local rescue groups find homes for strays. I have told her numerous times that I would love to help, but despite her saying that they are desperate for caretakers, I have never heard from them. Never!
So this morning I opened my email, and what do I find? An email from this woman saying she is very sorry she's been out of touch, but that they have been rescueing cats fast and furious ("No place to put them!" she said, to which my response is "Well, you would have places to put them if you'd just get in touch with people who want to adopt!!")and she hasn't had a chance to even turn on her computer. And if I would still like a cat they have a number of blind and one-eyed cats.
So what about the cat I had such lengthy discussions with her about? Is he not still available? And do I have to go through this whole process again to adopt one of the other cats?
Bruce is just really disgusted and I have to admit that I am as well. Yet, I feel like I don't want to turn away from this, or any, animal who needs a loving home. But my feeling is that this particular cat is no longer available, that maybe he has been placed in another home and she just doesn't want to tell me.
It puts me in an awkward position. I had a long talk with the vet who is in charge of Huntspatch Animal Control, and she was very excited about Bruce and I possibly fostering some bunnies (who, let's face it, would undoubtedly become long term or permanent residents in our house.) I also talked to Alvin last night when we took Loki in for his sneezing (Loki is fine, by the way. He's just impersonating one of the seven dwarves. Get it? Sneezy?!) and he was also very encouraging about us doing rabbit foster and/or sanctuary care.
The reality is that we only have room for so many animals, both space wise and financially and, let's face it, energy-wise, so I have to really think this through. And I feel like there are so few resources for rabbits that maybe I should be putting my energy towards helping them. Not to mention the fact that Bruce has decided this woman is a flake, and doesn't want anything more to do with her.
Sigh. If this were my first wacky experience with animal rescue people it wouldn't be so bad, but unfortunately I have had quite a number, both here and in Boston. People who just seem to have their hearts in the right place, but let their egos get in the way, and who won't put the animals first. And who are so desperate to be saint-like that they rescue far more animals than they can really give quality care to. So the animals wind up miserable anyway.
And I wonder if I am like this, too? Am I just a big ego-freak who rescues animals so I can brag about what a selfless, compassionate human being I am, and how many sacrifices I have made for these poor defenseless critters??
I hope not. I don't do as much as I should - I'm well aware of that - but what little I do I try to do well, and I try to do what's best for my animals and not just what will make me look like a saint in the eyes of others. Which is why we only have two rabbits and four cats, so I can give them the home of their dreams and not just warehouse them. Is that egotistical?
Actually it's just dawned on me why I do what I do. It's not because I'm an ego-freak, thank God. It's because I just love having rabbits pee on me!! Man!! LOVE THAT BUNNY PEE!!!!!
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Maybe tomorrow I'll be in abetter mood to talk about my fabulous dinner/evening hang out with Wendy, Michael and Rachel!
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