fabulous_cat

The forms I've created to give others fostering/adopting pets a head's up are being attacked - I guess they're doing a good job.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls tells it all.

Have you asked a question about something you've read only to find a snide response in your email box or directly on Craigslist? Craigslist users have had such a hard time speaking out when they've been scammed or treated badly by rescue groups - many are not even non profit charities - just implying they are. Those same "rescues" who don't want people to post about them because it's easier to scam people who don't know about their lies and tricks of the trade flag legitimate posts and leave a venimous response. They are adept at character assasination and harassment. They have no power on this site.

On Craigslist information is "erased" and usually in the early hours of the morning when normal people are getting ready for work so that within hours of posting they're gone.

Has this been your experience?

Yelp.com started out as a site for reviews but was quickly contaminated with top posting and postings by people who were obviously coached on what to write by some groups.

The business reviews seem to be more real because legitimate businesses don't tell employees to post raving responses for them. i.e.: on some of the posts for KittyKind many of the people actually said they're former volunteers or that they are currently volunteering. So, Yelp has removed some of these. But still the site has become corrupted and unreliable. Not so much with Commentsearch.com and Ripoffreport.com or brooklyniancom.

I hope we can get some real responses from people about their interactions with these rescues that are not accountable to the IRS or Attorney General's Office or to the Charities Bureau or the Better Business Bureau. They all need to be reported to these agencies.

They claim it costs too much to file for 501c3 status. Where else are they cutting costs to their advantage while not passing the savings on to you? Oh, let's not go to rescue bashing BS - this is meant for the unscrupulous and unethical as all my journals are. Those are the ones in Park Slope who are freaking out whenever anything is posted on CL; whenever questions are asked; whenever the light is thrown on some dirty business that they want swept under their rug.

I'm listening, I'm compiling a database so post your responses, expose those cheaters and thieves and on this site I'll make sure their threats and harassment are the only items deleted and printed for law enforcement to read.

In a Nutshell. Kittens and Park Slope are the new Cash Cow.

Not all rescuers are alike but some people are making a living out of selling kittens under the guise of rescue and adoption. They give really good hearted people a bad name. They sound as if they know what they are talking about but often they have been doing this for so long they believe it themselves. They get many of the services for free and pass the cost to you as an adoption fee.

I was an Adoption Representative for one such group and I saw the testing and vaccinations being done by an unqualified person, sometimes a moonlighting vet tech, this is not hearsay. Many times the volunteers are the ones who are really doing the work because they want to help the cats.

One way to discourage this practice is to look at the medical files that you should get when you adopt. To discourage the practice of forging these files be sure you are getting an Original from the vet’s office. This will also guarantee that your newly adopted cat or kitten was seen by a veterinarian. This is another way of knowing whether the Cash Payment they ask for is really going to pay for Medical Fees. What Medical Fees? Pay with a check or credit card.

In one van in Park Slope they get donated spay/neuter certificates and use the mobile van for free spay/neuter and rabies shots and then include this in their adoption fee as if they paid for it. Don’t enable them. 501(c)3 non profits are supposed to be reporting this to the IRS not putting it into their pockets for rent, their own food or their own utilities. If the group is not a non profit guess where the money is going?

The following articles and forms should help you clear all the hurdles of adopting healthy kittens without being fleeced. They include forms with questions you need to ask trick of the trade used by the unscrupulous rescuers and more.

Read first, adopt later, and be sure you pass this information around.

How do I know all of this? Read my story on http//mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls

Healthy Kittens: If you are looking at a cat or kitten and its **sneezing, ** its time to check the nose. Is there mucous on the nose? This cat/kitten has an upper respiratory infection. A vet will recommend an antibiotic depending on what type of bacteria is causing the infection. Do not insist on giving antibiotics without a vet exam for practically everything - that is not the way to treat a cat.

Look at the **gums** too. If they are pale it means the cat is not getting enough oxygen or is anemic. If the gums are blue - this cat needs a vet ASAP because it is really low on oxygen and may have heart or other complications.

Look at the **ears**. Are they dirty? Does the cat shake its head a lot? See if the swabbed ear comes up with gritty, black stuff that looks like coffee grinds. That is ear mites. It is treated for 2 weeks with one product and for 30 days with mineral oil.

Does the cat have **diahhrea**? It is not always due to change in diet. Diahhrea can be caused by parasites and must be diagnosed by a veterinarian. Diahhrea that smells extremely awful can be attributed to Coccidia a parasite that can kill a kitten within days. Another extremely awful smelling diahhrea is caused by Giardia. The cat loses weight and has projectile diahhrea every time it eats. Cats with Diahhrea usually are also somewhat **dehydrated** because of the fluids they keep losing with the diahhrea. The vet may want to give the cat subcutaneous fluids. Raw meat diets or rice are not the way to go with this dire situation. While you are doing this the cat is just getting worse.

Look at the **eyes** and see if they are clear without mucous.

Look at the **teeth** to see what condition they are in. A cat with dirty teeth that are not cleaned by a vet can develop mouth infections that cannot be cured but need regular care for the rest of its life. One trick of the trade is to get older cat's teeth cleaned and pass them off as younger than they are.

Be sure the cat has been checked for **fleas**. VERY important, after being treated for fleas they will usually get tapeworms because the fleas laid eggs before being killed and finally be sure to receive paperwork showing dates of deworming and vaccination.

Be sure to get all Original medical files on your newly adopted pet. Be aware that some of the above conditions can be easily treated by a vet. However, if you adopt a cat and think it is healthy the vet visit never happens and the cat only suffers in silence until its health becomes seriously compromised.

What is Ringworm? If you are adopting a cat and it has lots of round, rough looking bald spots around the ears, eyes, neck and paws. Stop a minute. This could be due to a liver/kidney problem or it could be Ringworm. Ringworm can be treated. It is actually a fungus that attacks the cat’s hair and can spread over a good portion of the cat’s body. It is contagious to other cats and people can get it too. People can catch it from the cats. It can be treated with Athletes Food Cream or a lotion called Fungisan. I recently used an ointment of goldenseal and myrrh and the results were FAST. A vet can give the cat a pill and a skin ointment to help gets rid of the problem. Ringworm is itchy and looks like hives on a person. Always wash your hands after handling a kitten or cat with RingWorm.

A cat with Feline Leukemia or Feline Aids is not a healthy. Their immune system is being attacked by a virus and when the virus is active the cat needs a lot of vet care. These cats should be adopted as single if at all.

***Always*** Get Original Medical Records to take home with you of newly adopted animals. Verbal assurances that they’ll be mailed to you are not followed up. Some adopters expect you to take the animal to the vet after adopting what you expect to be a healthy animal

If you want to adopt a cat with any of the above conditions be sure the organization will clear up the condition through their own vet. Foster the cat until the condition clears up and then adopt.

Community Service for Pet Adopters: Tricks of the Trade: A Must Read Before you Adopt.

Tip to Adopters: When adopting from rescue groups who use donated Spay/Neuter Certificates be sure you are not paying for it again in your adoption fee. See the posting Adopters Beware and you will get more tips of the trade used by unscrupulous people. You might also want to read http//mysite.verizon.net/kittycatfosterpitfalls to see how I know all of this.
Screen Organizations Before Fostering or Adopting.

Tricks of the Trade: A Must Read Before Adopting a Cat

Tricks of the Trade include charging a crazy adoption fee because of Medical Costs; Spaying; Neutering; Vaccinations and anything else they can think of.

Be sure you see all of these items on Original (not copies that can be forged) of Medical Papers of the animals you're adopting. These are usually "add ons" to boost the adoption fee.

Also, Spay/Neuter is often done through the ASPCA van at no charge with the Rabies Vaccination thrown in Free. Some of these groups get spay/neuter certificates donated to them and still charge the spay/neuter fee. Do I hear an oink oink?

Also, if they seem eager to get CASH for the adoption, you know they're probably living off the cats. Kittens are a Cash Cow. Kittens under 2 1/2 pounds should not be vaccinated at all.

Testing kittens before 6 months of age can give false results and they need to be retested at 6 months of age. Ask a vet not someone who sounds like they know everything and they'll tell you everything I just typed.

Some people also buy the vaccinations and give them to the cats and then charge you what a vet would charge. Be sure you get paperwork (original papers not xeroxed) that show these tests and vaccines were done in a Veterinarian's office.

Some people are Just greedy and make a living off these animals.
Don' enable them. Any repetition was absolutely necessary!

Okay, happy adopting or fostering.

Now it’s your turn to do the right thing with the pet(s) you’ve adopted!

Best

YOU'RE screened for adopting and fostering aren't you? You have a right to ask questions too - PRINT OUT YOUR FORMS there is no charge for this service. Use the following questions as your foundation of questions before fostering or adopting.

Read these forms and ask the questions that I've designed to protect you

Be sure to get everything in writing and signed with a signature from the agency's foster care coordinator or a Board Member – oral promises do not hold up in court and are easily denied. These are questions that you need answers to when fostering; you must create a paper trail so that later the animal is not abandoned in your care - it was done to me.

1. Who is responsible for food & litter:


Remember that you are doing this agency a FAVOR by providing a place for the cat to stay; by providing the necessary care and feeding the pet; monitoring for behavior and health issues and giving LOVE to the animal. In some cases you are socializing the animal for this group who will adopt it out and collect an adoption fee plus grant money for "expenses" that they save on by fostering the pet out. You should not be obligated to pay for Food, Litter or Medical Costs. They will also claim expenses to preserve their tax free status - if you spend money on the fostered animal get a letter from them for YOUR tax records.




RE: EMERGENCY VET FEES

2. What do they consider an emergency





3. Who do I contact in case of an emergency (name)





4. Cell phone number to call in an emergency



5. What is the name/telephone number of your foster care coordinator



6. If there is an emergency and I cannot reach the contact listed above or the foster care coordinator are you prepared to reimburse me for emergency care





7. Does this pet currently have any contagious parasites (Fleas, Coccidia, worms, skin fungus or upper respiratory condition)





8. Are there any other Medical conditions present with regard to this foster pet:





TAKE HOME a copy of this cat's medical files for the duration of the foster period (YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN CASE YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE CAT TO THE VET - THE VET WILL WANT TO KNOW THE CAT'S MEDICAL HISTORY)



There are forms that I created for you to print, use and keep for your files

You can get them from this website.:

http: mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls

-- Please protect yourselves and your household - incoming diseases and infections passed to you (ringworm) and your pets (upper respiratory etc) are usually not addressed by rescue groups. In fact, see if their forms contain a clause protecting them from just this situation and decide if you really want to put yourself and your pets in this situation.

-- If they balk at answering your questions, signing forms or respecting your boundaries take it as a warning and run - don't walk AWAY from this group.

-- Paper trails prevent "misunderstandings" or denying that a thing was said. Signed paper holds up better than words that fade into the very air moments after being spoken. Promises are made to be broken. A picture is worth a thousand words - yes, keep pictures too!

Now go out there and foster or adopt - you've done your homework.

Now that the papers are in order and the homework is done - let's give a kitty a great home!

Please don't do pity adoptions, this is a pet that needs a home for at least the next 15-20 years - be sure you are ready to make that commitment.

Putting a roof over an animal's head TEMPORARILY (not screaming - just emphasizing that foster is not permanent)is a noble deed that some rescuers take advantage of - let the foster home PREPARE:

Foster homes feed and give fresh water to the animals in their care

watch for behaviors and/or medical issues that need to be addressed

watch for nice things about the animal that adopters would like to know

Walking (if dog)
Providing litterbox cleanup (if cat)

These are the things fosters do because a helpless animal needs them.

Just be sure you protect yourself too
* You do not pay medical bills
* You do not pay for food/litter (unless you want to)
* You do not keep the animal indefinitely
(until a home is found? What's that?)

Use the forms at my website below
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls

1. Establish boundaries
2. Establish what is expected of you (and if you want to do it)
3. Ask questions (also posted)
4. Get policy information and forms for your files
5. Don't laugh at jokes such as "well, he's your cat now".
(Remember those boundaries and demand to be respected)

Now you're ready to foster AND have a good experience!

KittyKind does not have a complaint department, they think they are perfect. They post blogs and ads and all kinds of sites where they can say nice things about themselves. Anyone posting to Craigslist.com is flagged if it is not favorable to KittyKind.

People posting about their experiences on other sites can give you a fair warning about KittyKind.

If you are considering adopting or fostering from them, you can do your homework and see reviews on yelp.com; Zootoo.com; livetray.com; kijiji.com; http://PennilessCatLovers.blogspot.com; http://fabulous-cat.livejournal.com/
and one that is very objective and contains everything ever said about KittyKind: Commentsearch.com.

So many people wish they had seen these comments only after going through their own bad experience.

Also go to: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls

I've been reading and writing and wondering whether anything positive has come about since Shameless KittyKind was posted.  I was looking forward to the posts of the correspondence.  Probably will clarify somethings being posted probably will just let us see what KittyKind says and does when no one is looking or when they think no one is looking.  

I sure wouldn't want to adopt from them.  I read some things about sick cats being adopted out and people being misinformed about the condition of the cats.  I"ll stick to my dog and cats and pray for this woman.  I'd like to meet her one day.  She sounds like a very caring person. 

 The site http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeyfg4f/kittycatfosterpitfalls is flagged so often that it seems the folks at KittyKind don't want people to read it and see what they are like up close and personal.  This seems to be a must read since it also shows a history of how this situation with a foster nightmare began (so innocently) and escalated into letters and emails that were ignored by KittyKind's Director until legal action was taken.

My God!  This woman was patient and sent letters and emails, (can't wait to read those when she posts them)followed up with Mediation through the Mayor's Alliance of NYC pets ( KittyKind's main supporter?!) and finally had to follow up by taking them to court.  The website is powerful in its presentation of events, she is believable (a Judge seems to have believed her too) and yet KittyKind continues to do Business as Usual, with just a  few changes to try to cover up what their Policies and Procedures were prior to 2007. 

KittyKind owes this woman a letter of apology, from what I've seen of their financial statements, they could very well afford to reimburse this woman her money.  I guess their retirement money is safe.  What are her vet bills like?
I guess, Karma will have to take care of people like the folks at KittyKind.  What goes around, comes around.