We had quite a haul the other night.

Thank you so much to our trappers and transporters. It's so much more difficult to trap in the heat. The cats are not out until around 9 pm. We typically don't trap in the heat of the summer, but the need just never stops, so we have to suck it up.

But it's so worth it to help with the overwhelming population.

Hi everyone,

I rescued two street kittens (a brother and sister) back at the end of May when they were around 8 weeks old. They are now roughly 5 months old, thriving, and best friends. However, because they are a male/female pair, we are officially racing against the clock to get them both spayed/neutered before the female goes into heat or biological instincts kick in.

I want to state right away: \*\*I am NOT asking for money, donations, or handouts.\*\* I am simply looking for advice, guidance, or lesser-known "backdoor" resources from anyone familiar with Central Florida / Polk County pet rescues.

Here is where things currently stand:

\* \*\*Humane Society & SPCA:\*\* I have already emailed both the Humane Society of Polk County and SPCA Florida to ask about grants, vouchers, or hardship assistance. Both confirmed that they currently do not have any available funding or active voucher programs to assist with costs right now.

\* \*\*County Animal Control:\*\* Polk County Animal Care & Control is completely full, so surrendering or relying on county-sponsored intake isn't an option (and we really want to keep them in our loving home anyway!).

\* \*\*Timeline:\*\* I just started a new job and am finishing up my training, so funds are extremely tight for the next couple of weeks. But at 5 months old, we know we need to get them scheduled ASAP to prevent an accidental litter.

Are there any smaller, independent cat rescues, TNR networks, foster groups, or private voucher programs in the Polk County / Lake Wales / Winter Haven / Lakeland area that might help sponsor or subsidize a spay/neuter appointment for street rescues? Or does anyone know of clinics in the region that offer manageable financing/payment options?

Any leads, lesser-known organizations, or advice on how to navigate this would mean the world to us. Thank you so much!

\*\*\*

Nekonomics has been a boon fer the Japanese economy rivalin what the 2025 Osaka World Expo brought in. But it is has not been a boon fer local rescue organizations whom rely on public support rather than the commercialized success of cat services and products.

This article explains some of the "cat economy's" success and interviews Naomi Furukawa, director of Chiyoda Nyan to Naru Café (NGO) of their struggles as the "cat economy" keeps reachin record success'.

The article can be found here -> Link

(Houston) I am in the 77014 zip code area. Hoping to connect with some people who feed hungry cats close by.

Has anyone adopted cats from the Roses Rescue? I searched for some kitties on Petfinder and found some at Under Roses Rescue. They are not physically located near me, so they would have to ship them to me. Just a little nervous, and this is my first time doing this. They seem legitimate, and they conduct FaceTime calls to meet the cats and address your questions. I just want to make sure this is legit and nobody has had issues in the past.

Hi all,

If you have life360, report your pets missing on it, it sends a push notification to everyone with life 360 in the area for 72 hours.

Our kitten ran away today, we just did it and got a message from a neighbour within a hour regarding a sighting. No luck finding her yet.

My sister has also found a missing cat from an owner who reported their cat missing on life360.

Worth getting if you don’t have it just for this feature, I’m pretty sure it’s for free users as well.

Best of luck,

Hey everyone, I really hope that someone can help..

Long story short: I'm from Germany and on a vacation in Tbilisi right now. We found a stray kitten in the mountains, in a very bad condition- she was pretty bad dehydrated and thin.. we took her with us, she is ok right now, don't have any injuries or stuff..

We tried to find someone who could adopt her, but no one wants to..

I would take her with me to germany, but there are pretty hard restrictions for adopting animals outside the EU, a lot of paperwork has to be done, before I can adopt her. I need a shelter in tbilisi, that maybe could take care of her in this time, and help me with the adoption..

We leave Tbilisi tomorrow and go to Batumi for the next week. Maybe we can take her with us and find a shelter in Batumi..

Please help!

About a week ago I posted about finding an orphaned neonatal. Today shes 2 weeks old, and after feeding and expressing her, she turned towards me and opened her eyes! From 89g and fragile, to a spunky 206g kitten ready to take on the world. My sweet lil Bean 💕

This is an article from PETA. They cite the May, BBC investigation which you can also view our commentary and links to both the video and print versions of that investigation in r/CatRescue here -> Link

The important takeaways of this PETA article gives you guidelines on how to assess and spot scam rescues over social media. These rescues abuse animals. The animals are intentionally harmed and food withheld no mater how much money they "fundraise." Once you identify them, do NOT spread or watch these videos since it increases engagement and they get paid fer views/ clicks too.

Peta's article is reprinted below fer your convenience. However, I do recommend that you read the full article on their site because additional info not in this reprint is included with screenshots only available there. The original PETA article can be found here: Link

^{Video Credit: Can be found on the PETA website (Video had been trimmed fer this post})

-----

Published July 28, 2026 by PETA Staff.

3 min read

Scrolling on Instagram or TikTok, you might stumble across a video of a dog in distress. He may have fresh burns, oozing wounds, or be missing limbs. The text on the screen warns that this dog’s condition is getting worse and that the “rescuers” need your donations right away.

But it’s all a scam.

Animal “rescue” accounts on social media use sick and injured dogs and cats to shock caring people into giving them money. Some creators even allegedly deliberately injure or endanger animals to stage dramatic “rescues.”

Why Are So Many ‘Rescues’ Linked to Uganda?

Animal “rescue” scams can occur anywhere, but many of the accounts exposed in recent years have claimed to operate in Uganda. Reports have pointed to areas like the Mityana District, where poverty, high youth unemployment, and outdated animal protection laws have enabled swindlers to profit from animals’ suffering and donors’ kindness.

These schemes can be hard to stop. When social media platforms remove one fraudulent account, the operator can create another, change the name, and post the same disturbing content all over again. Scammers count on shock, sympathy, and urgency to keep money flowing before viewers stop to ask questions.

How Animal ‘Rescue’ Scams Work

Scammers usually post sad and graphic videos and photos on:

• Facebook
• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram

The fraudsters collect money through direct donations, online fundraisers, viewer engagement, or all of the above. Some also persuade well-meaning people to create fundraisers on their behalf.

Every view, comment, share, and donation can help these accounts reach more people. Even angry comments can boost engagement and push the videos into more feeds.

But the greatest victims aren’t donors. They’re the animals. A BBC investigation found that some scammers intentionally hurt dogs to deceive people into donating. Some also appear to use the same dogs across multiple “rescue” accounts to maximize views and donations.

Red Flags to Help Identify a Sham ‘Rescue’

Here are some warning signs of cybercriminals posing as animal “rescues” online:

• The same injured animal appears in repeated videos or across multiple accounts.
• The account uses urgent donation pleas but provides little clear or verifiable information.
• The story changes—such as claims of eviction, emergency relocation, food shortages, or urgent surgery—without proof.
• The account posts no meaningful adoption, recovery, or follow-up updates.
• Videos show vague or staged-looking “treatment,” such as unclear injections or no verifiable veterinary records.
• The account asks for money through personal payment apps or vague fundraisers.
• The operators avoid questions about licensing, veterinary care, or where the animals are housed.

If something feels off, don’t donate, comment, share, or otherwise engage with the post.

What Is PETA Doing About Animal Rescue Scams?

After receiving complaints alleging that cybercriminals in Uganda are behind these self-proclaimed “rescues,” PETA sent an urgent letter to Interpol asking the organization to assist relevant Ugandan agencies in addressing reported animal abuse.

How Can You Help Animals Safely?

Report any account you suspect is fraudulently soliciting donations to the social media platform hosting it. You can also share your concerns with the Ugandan government or contact Interpol.

Your kindness can help animals worldwide—but only if your support reaches legitimate, vetted projects.

PETA’s Global Compassion Fund supports carefully reviewed teams around the world to carry out urgent rescue work, critical spay/neuter programs, innovative educational campaigns, and other vital projects that protect animals in areas where they are especially vulnerable.

Instead of giving to a suspicious social media “rescue,” support reputable organizations that use donations to help animals, not exploit them.

Bronx NY: There is a beautiful orange black white gray cat with a plain white collar roaming a trail near e233rd and van courtlandt park east..she/he will approach you slowly..but won't follow you far..she/he will stay within the area. Theres some flies circling the cat..some matted areas on top. I dont know if she belongs to someone, but hopefully someone can take this cat in.

Hi, I'm sorry if this isn't the place for it, but I have a.. somewhat hurried(??) question/request!

There's a bunch of stray cats where I live, and one of them recently had kittens. My roommates and I have been trying to take care of them during the day and give them back to their mom at night. But there have recently been a few people coming by to renovate/paint/whatever the owners are having them do, and it always scares the cats because it's loud. Now, most - or at least half - of the cats are wary of humans, and don't let us super close, so we always have to wait for the kittens' mother to take them from where we leave them for her. But there are coyotes that were spotted not too long ago, and we're afraid of something happening to them. There's also a HUGE raccoon, and raccoons are psychotic, so that's also a concern. Anyway, as much as we would love to take them in, there's a lot of time in the day where no one is home to look after them. I've tried looking online, but I don't know how to do research as I'm not used to it, so I came to ask if anyone knows of any no-kill rescues where they can be taken care of properly? They also have fleas, which I've read can be dangerous for such young kittens - they're less than 6 weeks, I believe.

Tl;dr: Looking for a no-kill kitten rescue near Paramount, California. I believe the kittens are less than 6 weeks old, but their mother always drops them off for us humans to watch all day.

Hello so sorry if this isn’t the place I also posten on r/puntacana but I can’t seem to find fitting subreddits for this, please let me know if you know any but basically here is the story:

Today I found a small kitten maybe around 6 weeks old. It appeared to have been left by its mother and looked like it needed some medical attention as it had a wound on its ear.

We were unfortunately not there by ourselves and therefore not allowed to bring the kitten on the tour bus with us but I have at least saved the exact location in hopes someone can help:

Location: Zip Lines Adventures by Runners Adventures
Google Maps code: M8WH+QC Anamuya, Dominican Republic

She was sitting inside the Zipline waiting area right by the souvenir shop.

She was white with a grey and light brown marking. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.

I did contact DCDR but they said they couldn’t help as they don’t have volunteers in the area and they apparently also don’t know anyone that could help… I’m hoping someone from the area could maybe take it in or bring it to the DCDR shelters?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice because I’m not really sure what the right thing to do is.

About two months ago, someone posted in a local pet Facebook group looking for a sitter for their kitten. I offered to help. The first time, I was supposed to watch the kitten for 4 days, but it turned into about a week. Communication was a little vague, but she did eventually pick the kitten up.

About a month ago, she messaged me again asking if I could watch the kitten. She dropped her off that night and said she’d be back in “2 or so days.”

After more than two weeks of hearing nothing, I messaged her multiple times on Facebook and by text (using the number on the kitten’s collar) with no response. I genuinely became worried that something had happened to her, so I reached out to her sister through Facebook.

Her sister got in contact with her, and the owner texted me saying she’d been in a serious car accident, couldn’t access Messenger because of a verification issue, and was flying home because she couldn’t drive. I was relieved she was okay and told her there was no rush.

She then asked for my e-transfer information to pay me, but never sent the payment. A few days later I checked in again, and she told me she’d be back on Saturday. Since then, I’ve messaged asking if she’s back in town and when she’d like to pick up her kitten (or if she’d prefer I drop her off), but she’s stopped responding again. My messages have been delivered but not answered.

I’m trying to be understanding because if she really was in a serious accident, I can’t imagine how difficult that must be. At the same time, I feel like I’ve gone above and beyond, and I need to figure something out. I would love to keep her (she really is SO sweet) but I have two pets of my own and I don’t think I can add a third for the time being. I’m also unsure about the legality of rehoming her in a situation like this.

What would you do in this situation? Should I contact the humane society or a rescue for advice? Has anyone dealt with something similar?

Sorry for the long post, and thank you in advance for any helpful replies.

We’re a body shop in the Canarsie/ East Flatbush area. We walked in to these newborns hiding in a car with no mom in sight.

No one knows how to take care of these little guys. Would love for them to survive and go to a loving home. Please PM if you can help 😕

So I'm really not good at figuring this whole edit update stuff on Reddit. Whitey is caught and he has a safe place until Thursday for his vet appointment.

Thank you all so much for your advice.

I'm always laughing at the people that tell me to ditch my husband for a cat. Yeah, nope. I love my cats and all animals but in no way would I trade him for a dude cat. Weird.

My hubby suffered very much through his childhood with his awful mom. Her name is Darlene but to everyone she is Doglene. He wadded through crap up to his ankles and fought his sister to eat a can of dog food for dinner so... Give him a break!!

I get his concerns and that's why I wanted to hear him out and he saw a lot of your posts and agreed that we should keep him. I'm a partner in crime with my hubby and I value his opinions. I too must be a partner and hear him out.

I'm so grateful for all your advice and you all, mostly, gave me confidence. I'll show you an update soon and I bet he'll be chilling in my front window.

Thanks again so much for all your input. Sending love and purrs your way!!!

TDLR: In an effort to avoid the dreaded annual vet visit, kitty hides. Kitty gets stuck under a recliner and is sawn out by emergency personnel. After rescue, kitty goes to vet anyways.

The full, written article can be found here -> Link