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North Toronto Cat Rescue is a large cat rescue just north of Toronto. Last year, they refused to take in cats that were abandoned because they were filled to capacity. Why were they filled to capacity? Because they do not spay pregnant cats and therefore have too many kittens. What happens? Often the kittens get adopted and the mothers don't. North Toronto Cat Rescue is not following the advice set forth by Humane Societies and Veternarians. Yes, it is very nice to have all these wonderful and cute kittens around, but what about the mothers who don't get adopted? Also, since the mother cats are often in bad shape when they arrive, the kittens sometimes die just after birth. There are not enough homes for cats and therefore the population needs to be controlled. This is a complete scam.
I already have numerous rescued cats. Humane Society specifically says that rescue organizations spay pregnant cats if the Vet recommends. People who care for strays are different - they are not rescue organizations. North Toronto Cat Rescue doesn't take in any cats - how can they with all these kittens being born? Yes, the kittens are adorable and all that, but there are just too many of them. North Toronto Cat Rescue also sells all this stuff on eBay. They seem to know how to ask for donations, but they don't take in any cats! North Toronto Cat Rescue also invents stories about how Toronto Humane Society euthanizes animals. These stories are false. SPCA does euthanize animals needlessly, but Toronto Humane Society does not.
best way to help is to donate to another cat rescue or just take in strays yourself
3 years ago I approached North Toronto Cat Rescue about a stray cat. They were reluctant to take it in but they did lend me a humane trap for FREE and answered my numerous phone calls when I asked for advice in calming it. Later on when I attempted to surrender the cat again, they declined because they were at capacity. They, however did offer to take the cat for neutering at their rescue rate with their vet. I ended up keeping the cat and he's been a welcome addition to my home.
On the other hand, at roughly the same time I had a friend who also found a stray cat and the North Toronto Cat Rescue did take that one in. I'm not sure of the reasons why but you cannot say they don't take in cats when they clearly took in my friend's stray. They also learned that their stray was later adopted too.
They also took in a bunch during the Huntsville floods so I'm not sure where you're getting your info from.
They're also a no-kill shelter who advertise their adoptions so if the mother cats aren't adopted out immediately, they are cared for until they are.
I think there is a confusion. North Toronto Cat Rescue is different from Toronto Cat Rescue. My experience is that Toronto Cat Rescue is very helpful and caring.
We adopted a cat from them and when we brought it home it peed on our furniture and didn't get along with our existing cat. He was a very sweet cat though and so we put up with it and tried to make a home. Later on he starts throwing up everywhere and we find out he is very sick. Our original cat still doesn't get along with him and it just seems like this isn't a happy place for him and we can't provide what he needs so we ask to bring him back to the shelter where they can take care of him properly. I send the woman in charge several emails asking after him (after he's been returned) and if I can come visit because I do love the little guy and in return I get this response "If you had ever loved him you would never gave given him up...you don't give away a family member that you adopted for its lifetime... He is at the Vet's til any decision is made ...Donna". This is a horrible spiteful woman and entirely unprofessional. While I'd love for cats to be helped and would have loved even more to take care of this little guy properly I knew we couldn't so we did what we thought was best for him. She had no right to treat us this way and I will never recommend a shelter that treats people so callously.
I've been working at various pet stores & I have to say that Donna is one of the worst people I've ever met. She comes into the stores demanding discounts and any donations that we can give & complains about any tiny little dent she might find in canned foods. At one store, she actually gets better discount than the employees... That's just not right. She thinks that she's entitled to everything just because she runs a cat rescue. She flat out told me that she won't shop at certain stores because she doesn't get discount. I understand that caring for animals is expensive, seeing as I have 2 cats, 2 dogs & small animals myself, but if she doesn't want to spend the extra $10-$20 on food for the cats she claims she cares so dearly about, then why is she walking around with designer clothes/handbags & a $50, 000 car. No, just because you work for a rescue doesn't mean that you have to put all your money towards it, but when she's just a bad customer & when you just happen to mention North Toronto to other pet stores & they go "UGH", you know that there's something wrong there.
Also, I don't know if this is fact or fiction, but I've also heard that she doesn't adopt out as many cats as she should be. As far as the whole "she should have them spayed/she shouldn't have them spayed" debate going on... I can say that I've worked with Rescue Angels quite a bit & I've never met people so caring & so passionate about cats without going into the "crazy cat lady" territory. Mimi & Sook-ye & all the other guys at Rescue Angels have such big hearts & they'll come in to visit the cats up for adoption even if they're not the ones who are supposed to clean them & take care of them on that day. As far as I know, they do spay/neuter all cats who come in & if they're not spayed when they're adopted, they make sure that they will be spayed/neutered after they go home. Seriously, Mimi is the biggest sweetheart & you can really tell that she loves what she does without being a bitter old hag about it.
Anyway, that's just my two cents as someone who has worked with Donna first hand & from what I've heard around the pet industry community.
My problem with North Toronto Cat Rescue is that they (meaning their Director -- Donna Cox) often leaves her foster people to fend for themselves on caring for the cat. Donna Cox left me with 7 feral cats that I was fostering. She has not provided food for those cats or medical care in the past 7 years and she did not take them back to her "feral room" when her shelter opened as she said she would. She does not answer my emails or phone calls and would not open the door of the shelter to me when I went there to ask for help for one of the cats who got sick. Unfortunately, the poor cat died and I was left with the large Vet bill. Donna Cox does not run her shelter with ethics. She is a sham. Her volunteers work tirelessly to care for the cats at North Toronto Cat Rescue -- not her -- she is too busy with her own agenda and looking good on paper.
As a long time volunteer for North Toronto Cat Rescue the comment of them not spaying the mothers is absolutely untrue. Before a cat is adopted out, they are spayed or neutered to prevent them from populating again in the future.
I understand the frustration of not being able to have a cat rescued when needed, but the organization has limited space and must ensure cats can be adequately cared for if they are taken in.