In 1995 my neighbor's Manx cat had kittens. There was a tiny runt in the litter that wasn't expected to survive. I was there when the kittens were born, and I volunteered to provide a home for the runt if she made it. That was Misty, and the beginning of my love for the Manx breed.
After several years of rescuing Manx and other tailless cats through all breed rescues, in 2006 I decided to start my own rescue and TCR was born.
FAQ's
Why do you have so few cats? TCR is run entirely out of foster homes. So the number of cats we can take at a time is limited to the space we have. We also have to respect NC law which limits the number of animals that can be fostered at a time. And we will only have as many cats as we can afford to care for at one time.
What makes TCR different? TCR is all about the cats. The rescue is based on the highest standards of honesty, ethics, and care for the cats in our program. Our motto is "Dedicated to finding exceptional homes for exceptional cats". And Manx and other tailless breeds really have exceptional personalities and deserve the best homes possible.
Where do your cats come from? Most of the cats come from animal shelters or pounds where they have run out of time and are going to be euthanized. We generally don't take owner surrendered cats. We believe that once you make a commitment to a cat, it should be for a lifetime. We will assist owners in how to find homes for their cats if they can no longer keep them, and will provide access to expert advice on solving behavioral or health problems so that it is more likely they can stay in their homes.
Why don't you ask for monetary donations? Two reasons. First, we want the rescue to be about the cats, finding them exceptional homes and providing excellent care until those homes can be found. When you start fundraising or asking for donations, there is the danger of losing the focus on the cats and the focus becoming money. Second, TCR is based on strong ethics. Many states require licenses to solicit for donations. Because we have a national website, it would be almost impossible to keep up with all the different states and locations we'd need to get licenses from. (It would also become very expensive). Although we will accept donations, we won't ask for them. (the closest we come is a wish list on Amazon.com under Tailless Cat Rescue see https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/315CPIY3MISTK
So how do you afford care for the cats? Most of our adoption fees are approximately equal to the cost of vet care, vaccinations, etc. to get a healthy cat ready for adoption. Additional costs like food, litter, or exceptional vet care when needed (surgery for injuries, etc.) are paid for by our volunteers, friends, and any donations we might receive.
What if I want to volunteer? Just e-mail us. We can discuss how you can best help us help tailless cats. We are always looking for high quality foster homes, and can sometimes use help with pulling needy cats from shelters or getting them to the vet for care. We could also use a person or two to come brush and pet cats and help us trim nails once or twice a month.
Why is your application/contract so detailed? Again, it's all about the cats. Most of the cats we rescue have ended up in shelters, so they've already had difficult lives. They deserve exceptional homes. We want our cats to be part of the family, to be loved and cared for the rest of their lives. So we make sure they go to exceptional homes.
Why do you require a home visit? See the question above. We don't care if your carpet is clean or if there is dust on your furniture. We do care if you have a cat door (TCR cats must be indoor only), if your other pets are well cared for, or if the address you provide on your application turns out to not be where you really live. Home visits can be fun, it's a chance to talk about our favorite subject, what else, cats! It's an opportunity for us to really get to know you, your other pets, your other family members, etc.
Why do you microchip your cats? First, it protects the cat if it ever gets lost. Accidents happen to the best of people, cats slip out doors, a car wreck throws a carrier free and the cat escapes, a tornado or high winds break a window and the cat gets out. With a microchipped cat, if they land in a shelter or at a vet they are immediately identifiable as yours. (Katrina was a great lesson to many rescue people about the need for microchipping)
The other reason is it deters theft. Since a microchip permanently identifies that cat as yours it makes it much less likely that anyone would steal the cat and try to sell it.