I have a problem-I've had a few enquiries as to how much I want for our foster kittens. I've told everyone we aren't asking a set amount but just a donation towards the money we've spent on them. I think people find this embarassing and wondered whether I should be asking a set amount, as people don't seem to know how much to give. I'm happy to just find them good homes and that's the most important thing to me, but obviously a bit of money towards stuff does come in handy. I have been in the situation where I don't know how much to give, and know how awkward it can be.

Does anyone have a solution? How much did you pay for your rescue kitten if he or she didn't come from a charity? Help!:help:

I think that you should definitely ask a price, there is nothing worse than someone saying give me what you think...then looking disappointed when you offer too little for them :rolleyes:

I reckon about £20-25 but you really should try to cover your costs, if you don't it makes it harder to do the fostering, I am sure that no one is going to mind paying in the circumstances and judging by ads on here some charge an hell of a lot more just for unwanted kittens.

I think that you should definitely ask a price, there is nothing worse than someone saying give me what you think...then looking disappointed when you offer too little for them :rolleyes:

I reckon about £20-25 but you really should try to cover your costs, if you don't it makes it harder to do the fostering, I am sure that no one is going to mind paying in the circumstances and judging by ads on here some charge an hell of a lot more just for unwanted kittens.

Thanks moonbird! I know I wouldn't mind at all paying someone who has relentlessly looked after my new baby, through bouts of the runs and such-why do we do it??!:hihi:

When I asked someone else's opinion, they said £20-30, which along with your post, has helped immensely!

We are so poor at the moment, and I don't want to stop fostering, so you are right. A donation will make things so much easier, for the next lot we have as well as these ones.

Ta:)

Oh I know all about kittens and runs believe me :gag: :hihi:

Until you foster you just don't realise how much expense it can be, its not just feeding the animals but there is worming and vet fee's and animals do damage to flooring, furnishings etc, if you want to foster and your not rich then you really do have to be practical and make a charge, otherwise other animals miss out when you can no longer do it.

i have the same problem with reptiles...when i rehome stuff i have no idea what to ask...but the trouble is, i know rehoming prices around the country, so i asked them, and got some prices, but most of the time, its cheaper to buy from a shop, yet i have spent a small fortune on heating, food, vits...and even trip to the vets.

if i charged a tenner, that would cover a week say for X animal, yet to get it upto weight, kept it for at least 6 weeks to know its ok etc. nowhere near...and for 30quid you can buy one from a shop

im having another bearded dragon coming this week...another male.....

pet shops never make money from bearded dragons (unless a morph etc) but they eat so much, thats where money is made people coming back etc. luckily i get mine at cost...but still running costs.

if a kitten, i have no idea about how much worming/snipped bits etc cost..but i know our lass is going to pay a lot soon for the rehomed ferrets.

It's hard, you don't want to sound like you're trying to make a profit out of them either! But I agree, a small donation towards their food and stuff certainly helps towards pay towards things for the next lot!!

I foster rescue kittens and although I say we like people to make donations I dont enforce it. In my experience the people that make donations sometimes arent the best pet owners. To me finding the best home is the most important thing. Someone recently took 2 cats off me, and borrowed my cat carrier. They said they would drop the donation off with the cats. nealry 2 weeks on and no donation and no cat carrier and worst of all no update about how the cats are :( I feel sick with worry. Where as I have had people who havent made a donation (and havent said they would) and have always kept in touch with pictures and stuff and kept up to date with injections etc....

Although a donation helps its not everything.

I know the council charge £30 for a kitten and I don't know if that includes a neutering voucher for it or not? I know at Rain Rescue we had to buy some kitten food for the kittens down there, because they didn't have actual kitten food in once - i don't know if they actually do buy proper kitten food in.
But thats what costs the money - and why people do ask for donations to go towards costs.

Its like with our rescue - we ask for donations for some dogs which every penny goes towards us helping more - but some dogs - we are just so grateful they have a home - and I know that who has taken them will do right by the dog - we don't ask for or get a donation. Some costs us hundreds - and we still don't get a donation. But thats why we have to be doing other types of fund raising to try to balance those costs.

Keep trying to find out info on the mum and kitts would you?

It's hard, you don't want to sound like you're trying to make a profit out of them either! But I agree, a small donation towards their food and stuff certainly helps towards pay towards things for the next lot!!

Exactly!

I hesitated before putting up this thread, as I didn't want to make it sound as though I was demanding money for looking after them. Me and haddock are doing nothing of the sort, but although I know very well that a good home is much more important then a rich one, the hard truth is that we are really struggling for cash at the moment, and will find it difficult to help anyone else for a while if we don't get any donations. I'm not sure I agree with the general statement that the people who make donations aren't the best owners, I know I've made donations for all my animals and they are spoilt little sods:D

If someone truly can't afford a donation on top of spaying and vaccination costs, then of course a good home is put before money, of course it is. It's just sometimes not as black and white as all that is it?

Thanks for your opinions everyone, I really appreciate it! :)

Rotherham Cats in need charge £25, but they do give a voucher towards getting them done as well

Mermaid
If ever you or Haddock are struggling for anything - ask me and I will see if we can help.
I am meeting up with the lady from Pets at Home this week - and hoping to be involved with their sheffield branch. I have told her how much we struggle for food - and so maybe we would be allowed a basket/collection point there.
Would you be able to collect /store/hold if we could do and which is your closest collection point? Magsie is going to be involved with us for this too.

I can also get hold of wormers/flea drops via the web sites, and being a charity - we don't have to pay vat on them - so thats cheaper if you need anything like that we can order in bulk before hand.

As long as they are used for people who are helping with rescuing cats and kittens (or anything else for that matter) only i can help. I can't be involved in anyone wanting cheap medicine or things for animals that they have purposely bred from/with. (which I know that you 2 don't).

I don't know if the people who do the reptile rescues would need any help with that from here? are there certain things that you use a lot of that would benefit from being bought like that?

thanks for helping - oh - i also have small and large crates if ever you need to borrow those too.

Mermaid
If ever you or Haddock are struggling for anything - ask me and I will see if we can help.
I am meeting up with the lady from Pets at Home this week - and hoping to be involved with their sheffield branch. I have told her how much we struggle for food - and so maybe we would be allowed a basket/collection point there.
Would you be able to collect /store/hold if we could do and which is your closest collection point? Magsie is going to be involved with us for this too.

I can also get hold of wormers/flea drops via the web sites, and being a charity - we don't have to pay vat on them - so thats cheaper if you need anything like that we can order in bulk before hand.

As long as they are used for people who are helping with rescuing cats and kittens only i can help. I can't be involved in anyone wanting cheap medicine or things for animals that they have purposely bred from/with. (which I know that you 2 don't).

thanks for helping - oh - i also have small and large crates if ever you need to borrow those too.

What an amazing offer, thank you so much! I can get pretty much anywhere for collection-trusty old buses take me everywhere I need to get:hihi:

But we are in Walkley:)

We've borrowed a crate from olliekitten for this lot (thanks again to ollie:) ) but may need one again in the future until I have enough pennies to buy our own:roll: Got some extra hours coming up at work (fingers crossed) so things shouldn't be too dire for that much longer.

Flea and worming products aren't cheap are they??! That would be a tremendous help if you can get them cheaper for us.

Thank you so much, you don't know how much we appreciate offers like this:)

Crates are no problem at all.
I have got an un used one with magsie at the moment - but thats a 48"

we bought a few from a lady, and so can use them.

ok re wormers etc., which do you use?

no problems - thats what our rescue is all about - if we all pull together and pool resources - it should make it easier on everyone

will let u know how we got on with the store - but its actually the lady from Head Office thats coming to meet up with us.

The sponsored 2 kennels for us which have been a god send - but we took out 4 staffy's from sheffield yesterday cos they were bursting - and so are heaving cos we have 5 now in boarding. eeeeek

thanks - will let u know but keep on at me about getting the stuff - will do later and i have a memory like a seive (talk to magsie cos i getting her some too - maybe we could get a load of what u need)

I just really wish we could help you with the dog situation, but I'm not sure our landlord would welcome a different dog every other week etc, which is a shame, however, he has been so good about the cats so I can hardly complain!

I know what it's like to have a memory like a sieve, believe me:hihi:

Again, thanks for the offer, and I'll be in touch! Bit busy this afternoon but may be in this evening-I'm torn as to whether to leave the bubs what with the fireworks and stuff. My lot are fine but the kits are only lickle:hihi: I'm sure they aren't quite as brave as they pretend to be :suspect:

I don't think that a donation ensures an animal is better looked after, I think that is just down to common sense and good judgement, no matter how hard you try people if they want to will make you believe what they say.

So the money isn't really to ensure that as far as I am concerned but just to help you to keep going and cover some of the expense, it is not making money out of them its all about covering some of the expense and helping towards the next lot that might be far more costly if vets are involved.

I don't think that a donation ensures an animal is better looked after, I think that is just down to common sense and good judgement, no matter how hard you try people if they want to will make you believe what they say.

So the money isn't really to ensure that as far as I am concerned but just to help you to keep going and cover some of the expense, it is not making money out of them its all about covering some of the expense and helping towards the next lot that might be far more costly if vets are involved.

Thank you, that's what I meant, but you've put it into words far more eloquently then I did:hihi:

It would be best if any problems with another group user were dealt with via pm and not on the open forum, there may well be a very good reason that she has not been in touch....and she could be mightily upset to find herself being talked about on here when she does get online.

I totally agree

do you want to remove any reference to it Moonbird

sos

I totally agree

do you want to remove any reference to it Moonbird

sos

I have removed most (I think) and any names :)

This is why I stopped with the piggies. Some have cost me £50-£60+ to treat, and all I've been given is a couple of quid. People don't think how much work goes into rehabilitating the animals, just the fact they can go to a pet shop and get one cheaper.