Animal Lovers, Please Help!

Robyn D. in Riverside, CA

I'm requesting donations for my sister, the sweetest, most kind hearted person you will ever meet. She would never ask for herself, but she really needs help.

Several years ago her husband of 15 years left her when she was diagnosed with Progressive Systemic Scleroderma, an incurable, usually fatal, auto-immune illness. Then she couldn't work anymore and had to leave a job that she loved. She ended up renting a tiny run-down house in a neighborhood full of feral cat colonies. Feral cats are cats born in the wild after someone abandons a housecat that's not 'fixed'. They have never had contact with humans and are pretty wild.

My sister had a huge Irish Wolfhound at the time who loved cats and let the feral cats move in. He had a dog door so the cats just kind of moved in and started to live there. My sister could never turn away a hungry creature so she began taking care of the cats, too. They bonded with her and became very tame. But only with her. They aren't adoptable. She ended up with 20 something cats which she had spayed and neutered and has taken care of for many years. All this time there was never a problem with the neighbors. In fact the neighbors on one side really enjoy the cats. They video tape their antics and help out with food when they can.

Unfortunately there is a rental property across the alley behind her house. The owner apparently hates cats and has started calling the city and animal control. She even went door-to-door in the neighborhood asking everyone to trap the cats. This woman doesn't even live there and we haven't seen any cats going onto her property. I can't see how the cats are bothering her. To make a long story short....animal control says she can only keep 3 cats and the rest have to go. They say this knowing that feral cats are not adoptable. In other words she's suppose to put the rest to sleep. Don't they have a right to live?

My sister has already lived longer than predicted. I'm sure that it's the cats that keep her going. She's in a lot of pain and admits that she would probably stay in bed if she didn't have to get up and care for the cats. She's not a crazy cat lady or a 'collector'. She does it because no one else would 'step-up'. It would kill her to put healthy cats to sleep. I think it would be the end of this wonderful human being. She would never recover from the sadness.

My sister lives on a small disability annuity which she spends most of on the care of the cats. I know there are months when she can't fill her prescriptions because a cat needed vet care. In other words she absolutely has no money and is barely surviving. I help her as much as I can, but I live in another state. After living there all these years, now she's going to have to move because of this lady. I would have her move in with me, but she can't breathe anymore at this altitude. Your donations would be used to help her move and save the cats. Please help. My sister is so despondent over this. You would be saving my sister and the cats. Thank you.