Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Are these areas run by PetSmart, or are they done by volunteers for adoption?
The cats are brought over by the SPCA, but the employees at PetSmart are responsible for their care during the day. I was told by the employee working in the "Pet Care" department at PetSmart that they are only allowed to feed the cats and clean the cages twice a day: Once before opening and once after closing. During regular business hours, the cats are on their own.
Merkava_4;
I am as big an animal lover as there is and I support anyone who goes out of their way to help animals who can not help themselves. What I am about to say is not an attack on you just FYI.
With that said, if the cages are cleaned, and the cats are fed and watered 2X's a day, in the AM & PM when the store is closed, I don't really see the issue here? I am confused as it sounds to me like the cats are being cared for on a schedule?
1/2 full water dishes is not neglect and empty dishes if it is just for a few hours is not either as long as the cats get fresh clean water 2X's everyday. I mean my dg can go out and empty or almost empty the water dish in one drinking. If I don't immediately refill it am I neglecting her? I mean she just drank a whole dish of water so she should be good for a while right? Wouldn't that apply to cats too? As to the condition of the litter boxes, are they so full it looks like a mine field in Iraq and the cats have no place to go or is it just got a pile or two that were done that day? If it is just the daily business then there is nothing wrong with waiting until the store closes to clean them. Most people don't clean every pile in their own home as it was done so I wouldn't hold a store to a standard I wouldn't do myself.
I am having trouble reconciling your concern with what info you have posted about the scheduled care of the cats in question. Unless that store is not caring for them in the morning and evening, while the store is closed, I think you might be overreacting( with good intentions - this is not a slam on you as said ^^^ ).
I would suggest you try going to the store 1st thing in the morning and see if the cats are fed and watered and have clean LB's when they 1st open. If so then it sounds to me like they are in fact cared for properly. If you are going there in the late afternoon or early evening then you are getting there at the tail end( no pun intended )of the cat's day and thus shortly before the PM feeding, watering, and cleaning of the [censored]. In other words it would look worse late in the day but scheduled care is coming shortly.
I haven't seen the conditions you have so I don't know how bad they really are. Can only go by your comments and info given. The 1/2 full water dishes in at least some cages shows me they are being watered( some animals just drink more than others ). I have cared for dogs at a kennel and owned dogs and drinking amounts varies by animal just as it does humans. As to the litter boxes. Again, is it days and/or weeks worth of waste or just a days worth? I wouldn't expect employees to clean them each time a cat went.
More info would be nice and regardless of how it turns out I applaud you for caring.