Horrible, horrible experience. Nothing that I was told was true…read more
I responded to an posting on Craigslist for the MC SPA which focused on barn/hunting cats and the following is a direct quote from that posting: "Any cat you receive from us will be healthy, is spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies and other cat diseases, treated for earmites, worms, and fleas, and tested negative for FELv and FIV." Further, in the same post this is restated as: "I work independently and with the Mountain Communities SPCA. Together, we rescue cats and kittens, give them needed medical attention, and then help them find good homes. These cats have been checked by a vet, vaccinated, treated for worms, earmites, and fleas, spayed or neutered, and tested negative for FELv and FIV. Please consider adopting rescue cats for safe rodent control."
After battling a vole infestation in my yard to no avail, I saw the Craigslist posting and, this seemed like a win-win situation: vole control and give a good home to 2 cats. I had several conversations with a woman named Becky, clearing stating what I was looking for: 2 older, independent, female cats, to live in my garage and backyard; friendly enough that I could put flea medication on them and take them to the vet without having to trap them. Becky professed to understand clearly and completely and several weeks later showed up with 2 female cats.
What I got were two female cats [ONE OF WHICH I LATER LEARNED HAD NOT BEEN SPAYED!], that were not vet checked, not vaccinated, not treated for earmites, worms, fleas or tested for FELv or FIV.
Sadly, I later learned that these two "senior" cats had been apparently indoor cats their entire lives -- yet suddenly were being rehomed for outdoor rodent control.
I kept these cats confined in my garage for six weeks and spent time around them daily, hoping to ease the acclimation. As the weeks progressed Becky gradually relayed more and more of the back-story of the cats -- she apparently picked them up from an abandoned house and drove them directly to me. Becky stated that she took the word of an sick, elderly woman regarding everything to do with these cats; and she repeatedly faulted the elderly woman for misinformation rather than take any responsibility for not evaluating these cats or getting them veterinary treatment. ...isn't that what a rescue does?
One of the cats was extremely aggressive, to the point of ripping out clumps of fur of the other; it was clear that these cats should not be together and were much more in need of foster situations than being placed as mousers. Becky did pick up both cats, after I trapped them, and continued to place all blame for the situation on the elderly woman.
I'd like to think that Becky was actually trying to do something good, despite all the discrepancies between the SPCA Craigslist posting and what I experienced... but she told me that she contacted the elderly woman she got the cats from and tried to get her to take them back -- back to an abandoned house in frigid temperatures, with little human contact, where one of the cats was ripping into the other! Really?!?!? This is what a rescue does?!
The Craigslist posting very specifically identified Becky's affiliation with this group, even listing their website and their direct telephone number, in addition to hers. I also wrote a check to MC SPCA, as a donation, when she brought me cats -- further confirming her affiliation.