Should a Cat Shelter Smell this Bad?
September 22, 2013 9:54 PM Subscribe
I don't expect an animal shelter to smell like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and flower arrangements, but I think I may have hit on a poorly run or at least oversaturated facility. How do I tell? Details inside.
I really do want to hug all the cats, and I've been wanting to start volunteering in my spare time. Recently I ran across a "volunteers wanted" post for a local cat shelter and signed up for orientation this past Saturday.
When I arrived, the stench when they opened the door to the facility was overwhelming. We're not talking "oh, there are a few cats in this house and they use unscented litter" - we're talking an eye-watering, cling-to-your clothes stench that clung in my nostrils long after I'd come home and showered.
The facility is a fairly large house that's been turned into a makeshift no-kill shelter for more than 250 cats. There are a lot of free-range kitties in the facility and some cats that are separated into rooms due to special dietary or medical needs. (For example, cats with FIV are separated from the rest of the cats, and cats that have just been brought in are quarantined from the rest of the population until they've been checked out.)
They're handling the cats' elimination needs with a lot of scattered litter boxes, using some "natural" litter that has exactly zero odor masking capability. I've read that if you have multiple cats in your house (I only have one) you should have at least one litter box per cat. This facility has maybe one for every 10 cats.
The cats seem healthy enough, though some look a little scruffier than your typical house cat and a few cats look pretty skinny. (Not emaciated, just skinny.)
It's clear that the shelter is making do with minimal resources - and I don't have much experience with caring for animals on a larger scale.
tl;dr
One: How can I tell whether the facility is being properly managed, and whether the conditions are simply unpleasant or if they're actually unacceptable?
Two: Is this a health hazard to volunteers? I am not exaggerating when I say it was eye-wateringly bad. For comparison, I've been around large numbers of farm animals that smelled better than this.
The cats are starved for attention, and I'd really like to make their lives better. I'm just wondering whether I should do something, and if there's anything I can do about the conditions there. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the shelter.
I really do want to hug all the cats, and I've been wanting to start volunteering in my spare time. Recently I ran across a "volunteers wanted" post for a local cat shelter and signed up for orientation this past Saturday.
When I arrived, the stench when they opened the door to the facility was overwhelming. We're not talking "oh, there are a few cats in this house and they use unscented litter" - we're talking an eye-watering, cling-to-your clothes stench that clung in my nostrils long after I'd come home and showered.
The facility is a fairly large house that's been turned into a makeshift no-kill shelter for more than 250 cats. There are a lot of free-range kitties in the facility and some cats that are separated into rooms due to special dietary or medical needs. (For example, cats with FIV are separated from the rest of the cats, and cats that have just been brought in are quarantined from the rest of the population until they've been checked out.)
They're handling the cats' elimination needs with a lot of scattered litter boxes, using some "natural" litter that has exactly zero odor masking capability. I've read that if you have multiple cats in your house (I only have one) you should have at least one litter box per cat. This facility has maybe one for every 10 cats.
The cats seem healthy enough, though some look a little scruffier than your typical house cat and a few cats look pretty skinny. (Not emaciated, just skinny.)
It's clear that the shelter is making do with minimal resources - and I don't have much experience with caring for animals on a larger scale.
tl;dr
One: How can I tell whether the facility is being properly managed, and whether the conditions are simply unpleasant or if they're actually unacceptable?
Two: Is this a health hazard to volunteers? I am not exaggerating when I say it was eye-wateringly bad. For comparison, I've been around large numbers of farm animals that smelled better than this.
The cats are starved for attention, and I'd really like to make their lives better. I'm just wondering whether I should do something, and if there's anything I can do about the conditions there. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the shelter.
Best answer: One litterbox per 10 cats and 250 free-range cats in one house sounds unacceptable. There are actual regulations shelters must follow and you should find out whether this shelter is up to snuff with them. Are they an actual 501(c)3 (if you're in the US) or just a group of people running a shelter out of their house?
I know you don't want to get this shelter in trouble, but cat hoarding and running a cat shelter are very different things. Even if the cats don't seem emaciated it does not sound like they're under proper care. If you have one cat get sick in a shelter that crowded, the disease will spread fast among the rest of them. You also don't say whether these cats are all spayed and neutered--is the shelter taking care to make sure they're not reproducing? What about vet care? Are there vets on-site to maintain the cats' health? This is crucial for a shelter that size.
Also, I imagine if they're a cat shelter they're also interested in adoptions. How are they compensating for the smell and appearance of the house when potential adopters come for the cats?
Aside from the smell, what about the overall cleanliness of the house?
Shelters always smell. At the point where it's eye-watering though you're facing a health hazard for both you and the cats.
posted by Anonymous at 10:25 PM on September 22, 2013
I know you don't want to get this shelter in trouble, but cat hoarding and running a cat shelter are very different things. Even if the cats don't seem emaciated it does not sound like they're under proper care. If you have one cat get sick in a shelter that crowded, the disease will spread fast among the rest of them. You also don't say whether these cats are all spayed and neutered--is the shelter taking care to make sure they're not reproducing? What about vet care? Are there vets on-site to maintain the cats' health? This is crucial for a shelter that size.
Also, I imagine if they're a cat shelter they're also interested in adoptions. How are they compensating for the smell and appearance of the house when potential adopters come for the cats?
Aside from the smell, what about the overall cleanliness of the house?
Shelters always smell. At the point where it's eye-watering though you're facing a health hazard for both you and the cats.
posted by Anonymous at 10:25 PM on September 22, 2013
One thing I'll say -- is the idea that members of the public are going to come and adopt these cats?
Because if so, ummmm, no.
Maybe you're comfortable volunteering at an animal "shelter" which is basically just a cat hoarding warehouse, and don't care whether any cats get adopted out. But that aspect of things just doesn't seem right to me.
What is this place's mission? Is their goal to work with the general public in any way?
Even the saddest most institutional county animal shelter I've ever visited was more welcoming (and seemingly better for the animals) than this.
posted by Sara C. at 10:31 PM on September 22, 2013
Because if so, ummmm, no.
Maybe you're comfortable volunteering at an animal "shelter" which is basically just a cat hoarding warehouse, and don't care whether any cats get adopted out. But that aspect of things just doesn't seem right to me.
What is this place's mission? Is their goal to work with the general public in any way?
Even the saddest most institutional county animal shelter I've ever visited was more welcoming (and seemingly better for the animals) than this.
posted by Sara C. at 10:31 PM on September 22, 2013
Response by poster: schroedinger: I do believe all the cats are spayed/neutered, yes. There is not a vet on-site, the Web site says "We have a guaranteed monthly visit from our team of vets to administer shots and complete health assessments. We also call on our vets or transport our animals to the vet clinic as needed."
The overall cleanliness is so-so to not-so-good. They do adoptions, at least in theory, but I don't see much emphasis on that and I think if I were arriving there to do an adoption I'd be very put off.
They do claim to be a 501(c)3. It seems to be a refurbished house that is entirely dedicated to the cats at this point. No one lives there, as far as I know.
posted by jzb at 10:33 PM on September 22, 2013
The overall cleanliness is so-so to not-so-good. They do adoptions, at least in theory, but I don't see much emphasis on that and I think if I were arriving there to do an adoption I'd be very put off.
They do claim to be a 501(c)3. It seems to be a refurbished house that is entirely dedicated to the cats at this point. No one lives there, as far as I know.
posted by jzb at 10:33 PM on September 22, 2013
I've volunteered at one no-kill shelter, and visited a few others in order to adopt cats.
None of them smelled overwhelming. The shelter at which I volunteered had hand-sanitizer dispensers all over the place, and signs asking that you use them between interactions with any of the animals. There were about 80 cats in the main room (so, no FIV or FeLv cats there) and I think about 20 litterboxes, which were cleaned/scooped very often (I don't know the schedule, but I never saw a dirty litterbox there). Every cat that was isolated in a cage had his or her own litterbox in the cage, which was also kept very clean. I do know that the entire facility was cleaned for 1-2 hours every single day they were open (they asked volunteers to either come in and help or avoid coming in at that time). The cats did tend to urinate outside the litterboxes, so I would occasionally come home smelling of fresh urine, but because I had my own cats I always stripped and showered immediately upon coming home so that I didn't transfer any viruses, parasites, or other issues. But even with that expectation, I never felt that my clothes or person retained any "shelter stink."
In terms of what you can do -- do you have the means to buy and donate more litter boxes? Volunteer time to clean the place? It sounds like that's what the shelter needs, but if they've not spearheaded those efforts themselves, maybe you could push them toward it?
posted by jaguar at 10:48 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
None of them smelled overwhelming. The shelter at which I volunteered had hand-sanitizer dispensers all over the place, and signs asking that you use them between interactions with any of the animals. There were about 80 cats in the main room (so, no FIV or FeLv cats there) and I think about 20 litterboxes, which were cleaned/scooped very often (I don't know the schedule, but I never saw a dirty litterbox there). Every cat that was isolated in a cage had his or her own litterbox in the cage, which was also kept very clean. I do know that the entire facility was cleaned for 1-2 hours every single day they were open (they asked volunteers to either come in and help or avoid coming in at that time). The cats did tend to urinate outside the litterboxes, so I would occasionally come home smelling of fresh urine, but because I had my own cats I always stripped and showered immediately upon coming home so that I didn't transfer any viruses, parasites, or other issues. But even with that expectation, I never felt that my clothes or person retained any "shelter stink."
In terms of what you can do -- do you have the means to buy and donate more litter boxes? Volunteer time to clean the place? It sounds like that's what the shelter needs, but if they've not spearheaded those efforts themselves, maybe you could push them toward it?
posted by jaguar at 10:48 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
The other long-term plan might be to develop or encourage a foster-care program.
And in terms of ethical shelters, you might want to ask around and see how easy it is to adopt from this shelter. I have a shelter nearby that every single person I've mentioned it to has told me is "impossible" to adopt from because they're overprotective of the animals. I'm glad when shelters are protective and do appropriate screening, but if they're more or less hoarding the animals by claiming that no one else is possibly responsible enough to take care of the cats, then that's a bad sign.
posted by jaguar at 10:53 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
And in terms of ethical shelters, you might want to ask around and see how easy it is to adopt from this shelter. I have a shelter nearby that every single person I've mentioned it to has told me is "impossible" to adopt from because they're overprotective of the animals. I'm glad when shelters are protective and do appropriate screening, but if they're more or less hoarding the animals by claiming that no one else is possibly responsible enough to take care of the cats, then that's a bad sign.
posted by jaguar at 10:53 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree with jaguar- maybe you could help start a foster care program. And some shelters really do turn down everyone.
Also, this sounds disgusting and not at all normal (at least from my experience). And I'm not sure about the safety for you, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable being there... I'm just picturing it being covered in toxoplasmosis... (not that normal cat shelters probably aren't, too)
posted by kerri13 at 10:57 PM on September 22, 2013
Also, this sounds disgusting and not at all normal (at least from my experience). And I'm not sure about the safety for you, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable being there... I'm just picturing it being covered in toxoplasmosis... (not that normal cat shelters probably aren't, too)
posted by kerri13 at 10:57 PM on September 22, 2013
a well-run shelter should not smell this bad. the coos county, oregon shelter where i went 8/20 to adopt "margie the trouble-puss" seemed like a well-run outfit with hardly any smell at all, but they had only 30 or so kittens in a bank of cages against a wall, and a room with maybe 15 adult cats in stages from maturity to decrepitude.
margie is doing fine here, she's >3 months old, black american medium-hair, highly mobile and athletic (first mouse, check) and past affectionate all the way to demanding.
posted by bruce at 10:58 PM on September 22, 2013
margie is doing fine here, she's >3 months old, black american medium-hair, highly mobile and athletic (first mouse, check) and past affectionate all the way to demanding.
posted by bruce at 10:58 PM on September 22, 2013
Best answer: Not normal, no.
This needs to be addressed. It's probably stressful for the cats, too. Also, a few cats are so into cleanliness that they will, when faced with a less-than-ideal elimination option, refrain from eliminating and make themselves sick.
Also, the pervasive odor will make it difficult to detect 1) if a cat or cats is sick and producing unusually foul waste (i.e. the many conditions that lead to diarrhea, which is a common and often life-threatening thing for kittens), 2) if a cat eliminates outside of the box because of urinary tract crystals (common in older cats, and deadly), or 3) if the cats are really good about using the litter boxes -- being able to say that a cat has good litter box habits is really important to most adopters, so a situation that makes that seem unlikely or unproveable will hinder that.
Natural litter is good, and many caring people are avoiding clay litter for cat health reasons (this is especially important for young kittens). Some natural litter absorbs odor better than others, though (the "World's Best Cat Litter" brand, which I think is corn-based, works pretty well; I know one lady who uses poultry-feed pellets, which are cheaper but dissolve rather than clumping - OK for odor, though). Still, any litter is _really_ _expensive_, especially when you're talking about that many cats.
If you want to help, I'd recommend trying to talk the main manager into allowing you (or a group of volunteers) to raise funds _specifically_ for litter, and probably for cleaning the carpets, upholstery, and baseboards for the entire house. You'll need to launder stuff and possibly wipe down the walls, etc., to really get the scent out.
One other important point -- it is really, really easy to become so acclimated to this scent that one doesn't perceive it at all. This is probably true for the owner of the shelter and maybe some of the volunteers too. You may have difficulty convincing these folks of a) the existence of the problem, and b) of the strong reaction others will have to the odor.
One idea for convincing others that their noses aren't registering it: ask them (non-confrontationally; you must provide your own finesse here) if they are able to notice an odor from something that obviously _should_ smell strongly of cat urine. Then ask if they can remember how bad cat urine _used_ to smell to them.
Regarding starting a foster program: sounds good, but please be warned: these cat rescue programs tend to expand to fill whatever space is available. There are _always_ more cats needing help, and leaders in this case tend to be extremely compassionate, caring people -- who, in any case, could turn away a needy kitty? If you want to limit the number of cats in the house, providing more capacity isn't enough of a solution. I've heard several stories of cat rescues that just get fuller and fuller until they are overwhelmed.
I'm not trying to dissuade you; far from it! I'm pointing this out to you now, before you've had a chance to be burned out by the slooow realization of these things, so that you can apply your brain to dealing with these issues if you choose.
For example, how to limit cat volume, given infinitely compassionate gatekeepers and an infinite supply of sad kitties? Maybe some kind of admission process that doesn't involve a human being having to say "no".
This is probably ambitious for a volunteer who's just starting out, but it's very likely that there are nearly-burned-out experienced volunteers who already have ideas for improving the process, but who just don't have the energy to go through the same arguments again and again, always delicately, with the person who's at the heart of the rescue -- who does most of the work anyway, and who everybody loves and respects.
I see from your blog that you're a programmer. Maybe you can analyze the situation and figure out procedural approaches that will help (but, unless you're brilliant with people, start by asking lots of questions and get help from a smart, respected insider in formulating any ideas you want to propose).
Thanks for volunteering! Good luck to you, and have fun with the kitties. Don't feel you have to solve every single problem; I hope my words here are more of a help than a burden.
posted by amtho at 11:19 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
This needs to be addressed. It's probably stressful for the cats, too. Also, a few cats are so into cleanliness that they will, when faced with a less-than-ideal elimination option, refrain from eliminating and make themselves sick.
Also, the pervasive odor will make it difficult to detect 1) if a cat or cats is sick and producing unusually foul waste (i.e. the many conditions that lead to diarrhea, which is a common and often life-threatening thing for kittens), 2) if a cat eliminates outside of the box because of urinary tract crystals (common in older cats, and deadly), or 3) if the cats are really good about using the litter boxes -- being able to say that a cat has good litter box habits is really important to most adopters, so a situation that makes that seem unlikely or unproveable will hinder that.
Natural litter is good, and many caring people are avoiding clay litter for cat health reasons (this is especially important for young kittens). Some natural litter absorbs odor better than others, though (the "World's Best Cat Litter" brand, which I think is corn-based, works pretty well; I know one lady who uses poultry-feed pellets, which are cheaper but dissolve rather than clumping - OK for odor, though). Still, any litter is _really_ _expensive_, especially when you're talking about that many cats.
If you want to help, I'd recommend trying to talk the main manager into allowing you (or a group of volunteers) to raise funds _specifically_ for litter, and probably for cleaning the carpets, upholstery, and baseboards for the entire house. You'll need to launder stuff and possibly wipe down the walls, etc., to really get the scent out.
One other important point -- it is really, really easy to become so acclimated to this scent that one doesn't perceive it at all. This is probably true for the owner of the shelter and maybe some of the volunteers too. You may have difficulty convincing these folks of a) the existence of the problem, and b) of the strong reaction others will have to the odor.
One idea for convincing others that their noses aren't registering it: ask them (non-confrontationally; you must provide your own finesse here) if they are able to notice an odor from something that obviously _should_ smell strongly of cat urine. Then ask if they can remember how bad cat urine _used_ to smell to them.
Regarding starting a foster program: sounds good, but please be warned: these cat rescue programs tend to expand to fill whatever space is available. There are _always_ more cats needing help, and leaders in this case tend to be extremely compassionate, caring people -- who, in any case, could turn away a needy kitty? If you want to limit the number of cats in the house, providing more capacity isn't enough of a solution. I've heard several stories of cat rescues that just get fuller and fuller until they are overwhelmed.
I'm not trying to dissuade you; far from it! I'm pointing this out to you now, before you've had a chance to be burned out by the slooow realization of these things, so that you can apply your brain to dealing with these issues if you choose.
For example, how to limit cat volume, given infinitely compassionate gatekeepers and an infinite supply of sad kitties? Maybe some kind of admission process that doesn't involve a human being having to say "no".
This is probably ambitious for a volunteer who's just starting out, but it's very likely that there are nearly-burned-out experienced volunteers who already have ideas for improving the process, but who just don't have the energy to go through the same arguments again and again, always delicately, with the person who's at the heart of the rescue -- who does most of the work anyway, and who everybody loves and respects.
I see from your blog that you're a programmer. Maybe you can analyze the situation and figure out procedural approaches that will help (but, unless you're brilliant with people, start by asking lots of questions and get help from a smart, respected insider in formulating any ideas you want to propose).
Thanks for volunteering! Good luck to you, and have fun with the kitties. Don't feel you have to solve every single problem; I hope my words here are more of a help than a burden.
posted by amtho at 11:19 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I am a part-time groomer. I have been in MANY, MANY, MANY rescues and shelters. This is NOT normal and should be reported to whatever animal control/aspca/humane society is available to you.
Look, people go into these situations with the best of intentions. Really. Some people shouldn't be running a rescue with more than about three animals, though. The rescue probably got overwhelmed and just doesn't know what to do. This is bad for the kitties and bad for the people working there. Report it.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:37 PM on September 22, 2013 [7 favorites]
Look, people go into these situations with the best of intentions. Really. Some people shouldn't be running a rescue with more than about three animals, though. The rescue probably got overwhelmed and just doesn't know what to do. This is bad for the kitties and bad for the people working there. Report it.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:37 PM on September 22, 2013 [7 favorites]
Just wanted to add another: Not normal. Yikes!
posted by ablazingsaddle at 11:41 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ablazingsaddle at 11:41 PM on September 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I spent some time in a cat shelter recently helping a friend adopt his adorable cats. I'm somewhat allergic to cats, and I was able to stay inside the shelter for about an hour with almost no symptoms, because the place was so clean that the only fur/dander I came into contact with was physically attached to cats I petted. The place was (as someone mentioned above) cleaned for at least an hour every day, and I personally saw every litterbox in the place scooped, some more than once, while I was there. The place smelled like animals, but not like animal excrement. And I was happy to sit on the floor (to play with the adorable cats, of course), because it was obviously quite clean.
I think you need to call the authorities to make sure that someone who knows the applicable laws and standards of care can look in on things and make sure the animals are safe and cared-for. While I know that animals often have far lower standards of cleanliness than humans do, I wouldn't make an animal sleep and eat and live in a place that made my eyes water. Animal control/ASPCA/whoever the relevant authority is in your jurisdiction will know whether these animals are being mistreated and how to proceed if they need to be rescued from their rescuers. Because yeah, this sounds more like animal hoarding with a thin gloss of charity than it does like an actual, functioning animal shelter.
posted by decathecting at 12:46 AM on September 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
I think you need to call the authorities to make sure that someone who knows the applicable laws and standards of care can look in on things and make sure the animals are safe and cared-for. While I know that animals often have far lower standards of cleanliness than humans do, I wouldn't make an animal sleep and eat and live in a place that made my eyes water. Animal control/ASPCA/whoever the relevant authority is in your jurisdiction will know whether these animals are being mistreated and how to proceed if they need to be rescued from their rescuers. Because yeah, this sounds more like animal hoarding with a thin gloss of charity than it does like an actual, functioning animal shelter.
posted by decathecting at 12:46 AM on September 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
This isn't a no-kill animal shelter.
This is a house with 250 cats inside of it.
Whatever you do, don't do nothing.
posted by oceanjesse at 2:32 AM on September 23, 2013 [21 favorites]
This is a house with 250 cats inside of it.
Whatever you do, don't do nothing.
posted by oceanjesse at 2:32 AM on September 23, 2013 [21 favorites]
I volunteered at a shelter like this except it had cats and dogs, it was no-kill and owned/operated by a family, and I think the reason why it smelled so bad was because they didn't have enough volunteers to go through and clean all the cages on a regular basis.
Not sure what to do about that, but I've volunteered at other shelters that haven't smelled like that. This one was so bad I almost felt like I was suffocating and felt horrible for the animals who were stuck there.
posted by fromageball at 5:19 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not sure what to do about that, but I've volunteered at other shelters that haven't smelled like that. This one was so bad I almost felt like I was suffocating and felt horrible for the animals who were stuck there.
posted by fromageball at 5:19 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
I volunteered at a cat shelter for a while and they washed (not just changed) the cat boxes every day, using hot water and soap. They had one box per small cage and multiple boxes for the big rooms. They also washed the animal bedding in industrial washers every single day.
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:48 AM on September 23, 2013
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:48 AM on September 23, 2013
I am trying to imagine what size house could house 250 cats safely and I'm really at a loss. These people probably started with the best of intentions but this is not good. Please call your local animal control so they can go check the place out.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 6:02 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 6:02 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
No, shelters should not smell as badly as you describe. Period. I have visited numerous cat shelters, catteries etc. and never encountered anything worse than "hmm, might be time to change a couple of litter boxes."
One litter box for ten cats is really bad; no wonder the place stinks. I'd say no more than two to a box, changed twice daily, regular sweeping and basic cleaning as a minimum. Then any smell should be minimal and perfectly tolerable.
posted by Decani at 6:30 AM on September 23, 2013
One litter box for ten cats is really bad; no wonder the place stinks. I'd say no more than two to a box, changed twice daily, regular sweeping and basic cleaning as a minimum. Then any smell should be minimal and perfectly tolerable.
posted by Decani at 6:30 AM on September 23, 2013
Worth repeating: "This isn't a no-kill animal shelter.This is a house with 250 cats inside of it. "
These situations never end well.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:50 AM on September 23, 2013 [4 favorites]
These situations never end well.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:50 AM on September 23, 2013 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Hi all - thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate it. I'm going to talk to my cat's vet today about the best way to handle reporting the facility, and if they think there's any good in trying to work with the people running it first. Without reducing the number of cats in the facility drastically, I just don't see any way that trying to improve its conditions would be more than putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound.
posted by jzb at 7:25 AM on September 23, 2013
posted by jzb at 7:25 AM on September 23, 2013
If this facility is in St. Louis, I found it by googling the information in your question/follow up comments. I looked around online and everyone seems to have had the exact opposite reaction to the place than you did. This isn't to say that your impression is wrong, but in the half hour or so I looked into the place, I only read really really good things, including that it's a very clean facility and that the cats are very well cared for. And if it is the same facility, the visuals I've seen seem to go along with all of the really really good things. They have a Youtube channel, and in one of the videos, I can see, literally, like 10 litter boxes just in the background of one frame (I can post a link to their channel if it is the correct place.) Also, it's not a house, it's a 14,000 square foot converted warehouse.
Most importantly, it's not a standard shelter. It's described most places as a sanctuary and/or a retirement/nursing home for cats. Their emphasis is not on adoption because the whole purpose of the facility is to provide a home for cats that are unlikely to be adopted due to age/health, etc. 200 of the ~300 cats are permanent residents.
Obviously, if you think the place needs to be reported, do so, but also do some research into the place itself. To me, from the pictures and videos and volunteer accounts, it looks like a wonderful place that needs more people who care about kitties to help out.
If I have the place completely wrong then you can ignore the entirety of this message.
posted by eunoia at 9:53 AM on September 23, 2013
Most importantly, it's not a standard shelter. It's described most places as a sanctuary and/or a retirement/nursing home for cats. Their emphasis is not on adoption because the whole purpose of the facility is to provide a home for cats that are unlikely to be adopted due to age/health, etc. 200 of the ~300 cats are permanent residents.
Obviously, if you think the place needs to be reported, do so, but also do some research into the place itself. To me, from the pictures and videos and volunteer accounts, it looks like a wonderful place that needs more people who care about kitties to help out.
If I have the place completely wrong then you can ignore the entirety of this message.
posted by eunoia at 9:53 AM on September 23, 2013
Please do talk to people at the shelter, ask questions, see what happens over time -- all before any kind of reporting or spreading information.
posted by amtho at 10:06 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 10:06 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: eunoia: Yes, I did search for info before posting this and what I'd found online suggested it was clean. What I have found, though, seems outdated - I didn't find any recent reviews, etc. - feel free to PM me with something recent if you have it.
My take on it currently is that they've continued taking in cats faster than they can cope with the numbers.
posted by jzb at 10:49 AM on September 23, 2013
My take on it currently is that they've continued taking in cats faster than they can cope with the numbers.
posted by jzb at 10:49 AM on September 23, 2013
Their Youtube channel.
Video I mentioned above showing litter boxes.
Article from July.
Guidestar Review from May.
Blurb from April.
Forum post from a volunteer June.
Lastly, in 2007, the founder stated in an interview that her goal was to eventually care for 300 cats- it's probable that that they know how many cats would work well in such an environment.
Again, I'm not negating your experience, but I [seriously] love cats and the service being performed here is super admirable so please make sure that there's something to report before you do so.
posted by eunoia at 11:26 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Video I mentioned above showing litter boxes.
Article from July.
Guidestar Review from May.
Blurb from April.
Forum post from a volunteer June.
Lastly, in 2007, the founder stated in an interview that her goal was to eventually care for 300 cats- it's probable that that they know how many cats would work well in such an environment.
Again, I'm not negating your experience, but I [seriously] love cats and the service being performed here is super admirable so please make sure that there's something to report before you do so.
posted by eunoia at 11:26 AM on September 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
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If the caretakers here are cleaning those litter boxes at least several times a day, then maybe it's not so bad. If they aren't, then they are over their heads and this does not sound acceptable to me.
Like humans, some cats are slobs and don't care about having to use a dirty litter box, but others get really agitated and upset... not cool to force them to deal with pig sty conditions every day.
Anyway, your alarm bells are going off with this place for a reason. You seem like a responsible pet caretaker, and if you're sensing this is slipshod and not being done properly, you're probably right, even if these people mean well. It sure sounds iffy to me. That sounds like a LOT of animals for a space like that. I've never been to a shelter that smells like roses... cats stink. But I've never been anywhere that smelled as bad as what you are describing.
posted by Old Man McKay at 10:19 PM on September 22, 2013