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Home > Out of the Cage! > January 2005 > New York Breed Rescue Network (NYBRN): An Interview with NYC Siamese Rescue New York Breed Rescue Network (NYBRN) An Interview with NYC Siamese Rescue
OOTC: Tell us about NYC Siamese Rescue's beginnings. NYC Siamese Rescue began as an off-shoot of the National Siamese Rescue Alliance. Our four founding members — Beth, Joanette, Karen, and LJ were volunteering here in New York City for the Texas Division National Siamese Rescue Alliance, when it became evident that we needed a locally based and Metro-focused rescue to cope with the unique dynamics of animal rescue in the Big Apple. So, we formed New York City Siamese Rescue, which became completely independent of the National Siamese Rescue Alliance and fully geared toward our home town — NYC. OOTC: What cats do you rescue — pure Siamese? Mixes? Other breeds? We try to stay focused as a breed rescue on Siamese, because those are the cats we are best equipped to handle. In addition, we want to provide adopters with a viable alternative to buying from pet shops by providing a selection of wonderful, adoptable Siamese cats from which to choose. As we have limited foster space, we must give priority to our rescue mission to be effective. While many of our cats have a "purebred appearance," we do not have registration papers on any, so they are all technically Siamese mixes. When we have space, we rescue Siamese mix-appearance cats (blue-eyed cats with colored coats) and Siamese-derived breeds such as Balinese, Birman, Himalayan, Ragdoll, and Tonkinese. In addition, we host the occasional non-Siamese cat, usually found by our volunteers as street rescues. When we rescue a litter from the pound, we will sponsor the entire family, even if some kittens do not have the Siamese coloration, which is called "points." We also try to place Siamese that are attached to their non-Siamese feline housemates as pairs, because we understand how Siamese can bond deeply with family members and suffer an animal form of depression when forced to be separated. Otherwise, a Siamese can die from its sadness, a condition our vet calls "Siamese Fade-away Syndrome." OOTC: What makes the Siamese breed so special? Probably the best way to sum up a Siamese is that they have an intensity that you cannot ignore! They are very interactive and will follow you around like a puppy dog, craving both companionship and mental stimulation. Meezers may be conversational talkers with their sometimes strident yowls, and they are often high-contact cats who can insist on sitting on top of you no matter where you are or what you are doing. As a result, they are not for everyone! Siamese also tend to be slightly longer-lived than other cats; 20 years is not uncommon. That blessing is a double-edged sword. While you can be assured of a long companionship, 20 years can see a lot of changes in a human's lifestyle and personal situation — whether they are 14 at the time they get a cat, or 74. It's a big, long-term commitment — and that, too, is not for everyone. OOTC: Do you take cats out of AC&C? Absolutely, and as many as we can! When we have space available, we will contact AC&C to check for releasable Siamese, but often they will pre-empt us by sending out a plea. We will pick up these cats and transport them to our "Tier One" foster homes who have easy access to vets and are more readily able to assess and treat health or behavior problems. As the cats pass an observation period, we will move them in to suitable "Tier Two" foster homes as space allows. And then, of course, into their permanent adoptive homes! OOTC: Tell us more about your foster program. All of our cats are fostered in private homes; we do not have a shelter. We can ALWAYS use more foster homes, which would enable us to help more cats on their way to new lives! If anyone is interested in fostering these special creatures, they can contact us at nycsiameserescue@yahoo.com. Siamese often fare poorly in boarding or cage situations, which is why foster home placement is critical to their care. This ties in with why Siamese Rescue was formed in the first place! Siamese are bred not only for their beautiful looks, but also for their intelligence. When you confine such a creature in a small cage without distraction, the stress of boredom can prompt them to act out, and become a hazard to themselves and others. Because of this, many shelters were euthanizing Siamese — even before they became a hazard. Siamese Rescue provides an alternative to this with caregivers experienced with the breed's special requirements. OOTC: Where do you find adopters? Forty percent of our adopters find our web site through search engines, 21 percent find us through Petfinder, 14 percent learn of us by word-of-mouth, 10 percent from our store outposts, 10 percent are referred by other groups, 2 percent come from events, 2 percent are our own volunteers, and 1 percent from the BigApplePets.com web site. OOTC: Where do your cats come from, and how many do you typically rescue? Each month we take in anywhere from none to 20 cats, from a variety of sources, including AC&C, street rescues, transfers from other groups, and owner surrenders. OOTC: How many cats do you adopt out each month? Anywhere between none and 20 cats — just like what we intake! OOTC: What is the greatest challenge you face? First is finding enough foster home space! Secondly, volunteers to cover the store outposts and Alliance events.
OOTC: Tell us about a special adoption experience. Well, Chowder is a case of Siamese smarts spilling over into a Siamese-related breed. He is a gorgeous buff-colored Himalayan, whose good looks seduced an adopter to apply to adopt him. However, when this couple saw Chowder's long-fur-bulked form, they lost heart, as they were hoping for a smaller cat. Of course, we had lots of other felines to consider, so we asked them to return another day to meet more of our wonderful candidates. They brought their cat crate, which was of the smallest variety, and joked, as they placed it on the floor, that they needed a kitty small enough to fit inside it. While the folks were meeting other cats, a volunteer noticed Chowder staring at the carrier — no, at the latch on the door of the carrier — with such concentration as one might expect from a spoon-bending psychic! When the volunteer opened the carrier door, Chowder marched in like he was disappearing into Mary Poppin's carpet bag. The adopters noticed this and walked over to comment, "It looks like an awfully tight fit in there!" At that, Chowder turned 720 degrees inside the carrier, so his tail passed the door twice before he faced forward again to lie down, smiling. What else could the people say?! They took him home and all have been happy ever since! OOTC: What does it mean to you to be a part of the Mayor's Alliance and the NYC Breed Rescue Network? The best part of the Mayor's Alliance, for us, is being part of a larger group able to provide a higher impact message about the plight of animals in New York City, and all the wonderful groups working to improve those circumstances. There has been supportive sharing of ideas and concerns, both in the Alliance as a whole and within Breed Rescue. The NYC Breed Rescue Network has promoted the idea of adopting a purebreed rather than just buying one, helped the small breed-specific groups share critical resources, and also worked to educate AC&C staff on how best to collaborate with the Breed Rescue, so we can all help more animals get great new homes. OOTC: Tell us about your volunteers and how they contribute to your organization. Never enough! We are an all-volunteer organization, so without our hardworking volunteers, we would not exist! We are happy to make use of anyone's abilities, so we have wonderful folk who do pound pick-ups, foster, showing cats in store for adoption, screening adopters, taking photos, retouching pictures, updating web sites, cross-posting our cats, answering e-mails, and providing post-placement support. We currently rely on the combined efforts of fifty volunteers! There are many valuable contributions a volunteer can make right from their own home — and even via long distance: processing applications, interviewing references and adopters, and coordinating Meet & Greets are just a few. Regardless of whether a volunteer has one hour or ten hours per week to give, it all makes a difference.
OOTC: Who is available for adoption today? Alvinia is a stunning sealpoint Siamese female with the most gorgeous sapphire blue eyes. This petite girl was turned in to the Manhattan AC&C shelter as a stray, but she is far too loving and attention-seeking for her to have wandered afar. Alvinia is a typical Siamese control freak who gets upset at disruptions in her environment, so she needs a breed-knowledgeable and understanding person who can give her time to settle into her cuddly and talkative self. Ingrid is a lovely and affectionate bluepoint Siamese girl who was kept in the dark cellar below a Manhattan deli to catch mice. Luckily, a kind patron learned of her existence and prevailed upon the proprietor to release this cat to rescue, so Ingrid could enjoy the company of people and basking in sunny windows! The pretty baby is moderately talkative and a bit nervous in new situations, but very sweet when she's not startled by unexpected events! OOTC: How did you get involved in this rescue work? Jean responds: In my own case, I got my first Siamese when I was about 15 years old. At 17, I was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and, as a result, had numerous hospitalizations (including a stay at NYC's Sloan Kettering Hospital) and a prolonged recuperation at home in bed. At home, my cat never left my side for months except for the few minutes a day to eat and go to the bathroom. I had her for 20 years through some very dramatic life changes. At approximately five pounds, she was the most tenacious and resilient little cat I've ever known — a fighter (for herself and me) until the very end. I started volunteering with NYC Siamese Rescue as a sort of "payback" for the loyalty my old cat showed me when I found myself living cat-less in Manhattan for the first time in my life. I have since adopted two rescued Siamese of my own — and they are truly the best-natured cats I've ever had. That makes them welcomed guests both on the airlines and at my family's home when I visit. To find out more about NYC Siamese Rescue, please visit the web site at www.nycsiamese.org.
The New York Breed Rescue Network (NYBRN) is a sub-coalition of groups within the Mayor's Alliance who have chosen to concentrate on the placement of purebred (or nearly pure) dogs and cats. These groups view puppy mills, pet shops, and irresponsible breeders as the problem, and believe that by combining efforts toward a common goal, they will make a real difference. For a list of NYBRN member groups and links to their web sites, click here.
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