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I'm in the US and need emergency pet care for a kitten and don't know how to pay for it (beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago by reric88@beehaw.org to c/chat@beehaw.org

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I found it caught in a loose string wrapped around it's leg and released it. After a couple days I've noticed it's been chewing through it's leg, now, and it's in a lot of pain I'm sure. The mother won't care for it either.

These cats are wild and I can't seem to catch all of them before they start reproducing, for the past 2 years I have been spaying and neutering these cats, but more keep showing up.

I live out in the country in the US, and I haven't been able to get anyone to come take the cats, it's like I'm just stuck with them. A few of them are outdoor family cats, and we don't want to lose those.

I don't know what to do about any of it, I can't afford another pet bill right now, especially a bill for a kitten needing so much care. Any recommendations are appreciated. I live in KY, United States

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[–] colournoun@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Usually, the best way to control a feral colony is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

https://www.alleycat.org/our-work/trap-neuter-return/

https://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-help-community-cats-a-step-by-step-guide-to-trap-neuter-return/

If you were to simply remove the cats, it just makes space for others to move in. Leaving a few in place but unable to reproduce helps to keep the population low.

Look in your area for local TNR groups or humane societies willing to help you. Don’t expect them to do all of the work, but sometimes they will be able to loan you humane traps or point you to low-cost spay/neuter services. They always get more requests than they have capacity to handle, so the more work you can take on yourself, the more likely they are to help you. Also, just to set expectations, it’s probably not something that can be solved in a weekend or even a month. Trapping often takes a lot of patience.

Unfortunately for the injured kitten, often the must humane thing to do is euthanasia. You can contact local vets and ask if they would look at the kitten for low cost or provide low cost euthanasia so that at least it doesn’t suffer. I know it sucks, but sometimes the best you can do is reduce suffering.

[–] colournoun@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here’s a contact page that offers to help you find someone local to you.

https://www.alleycat.org/our-work/feral-friends-network/feral-friends-network-connect/

[–] colournoun@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here are more tips on TNR https://kyanimalwelfare.com/community-cats

And a list of wildlife rescues near Bowling Green, KY. These groups will usually handle animals other than cats and dogs, but tell them you found an injured feral kitten and they might be able to help.

https://app.fw.ky.gov/rehabilitatorNew

[–] reric88@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks so much for your research, I really really appreciate your help