I went into the shelter this afternoon to rescue an awesome Maine Coon, along with a declawed guy and a sweet black and white kitten. When I walked up to the declawed guy, his cage card had new information on it that wasn't there yesterday: "Urinated in the House" Dammit! Were the owners lying just to get rid of him? They originally brought him in as a stray, but the microchipped was traced back to them. We know these people are liars...but is this going to cost this guy his life?
Then I walked over to the black and white kitten and lovingly took her out of her cage. As I stroked her fur, I stopped suddenly. She had tiny white *things* attached to the follicles of her fur. Dammit! Lice?? The vet tech at the shelter thought so, but we didn't see any live bugs, and lice are very very rare in cats. I can't rescue a cat with lice and place her in a home with other cats! Is this going to cost this darling little girl her life??
I walked out only with my newest rescue "Mack" - the Maine Coon. I'm sitting here feeling awful about the two that I went to rescue only to walk away without them. I even started to sing my rescue song to them....
Yesterday, while I was at the shelter a Mom and her babies came in. I was fairly certain Mom was feral, but the kittens were not. They were beautiful and adoptable:
When I went back today, I decided to have a little "talk" with the Mom. I don't want her to die. I was surprised when she let me touch her...then I stroked her back....then under her chin....
Wait...
She isn't feral at all! She's just scared!! So here it is - the video to pass around. This little family needs help and I don't have placement for a frightened Mom and her babies.
There's a good chance Mom will be euthanized on Friday. It's really breaking my heart and I already feel so fragile.
9 comments:
You're breaking my heart! I want to take the mom and all her babies out of that shelter! Unfortunately the place isn't ours until Saturday and it'll be no home for kitties for at least a week :(
My heart's breaking, too. I hope someone is able to come forward and save this beautiful group.
Beth, I'm sorry you had such an emotionally difficult day. I hope tomorrow is better. I honestly don't know how you do what you do.
Oh, they're so adorable!
I'm so sorry you had such a crappy day... just focus on how Mack must be feeling today. And how he's got a future he didn't yesterday.
Renee
Oh God, you make me wish I was closer...I've taken fosters with all kinds of critters living on them. First stop, my groomer! And mom's and kittens are my specialty, I even have Speedy the Male Nanny, who every mother accepts as help for her (he does draw the line at nursing them).~Donna
Couldn't someone just dust the kitten with some kind of lice-killing powder???? And re the cat urinating in the house, sometimes that's a sign of a physical or emotional problem, assuming it had been behaving itself previously. If it isn't a physical problem, it may well never happen again if the cat is placed in a good home. And if it's physical, like a urinary tract infection, it could be easily curable.
They both do deserve a second chance!
Rhonda: The problem with lice is that it's very rare in cats and IS contagious to other cats. Is finding a foster home with no other cats so she can be treated is tough. :(
*hugs* Beth. Prayers for pissy kitty, lice kitty, and momma kitty.
Re: pissy kitty...
usually stress related and territory related. odour removers are helpful to stop cat from going to same innapropriate spot. Clean litter box often makes a difference too. Rescue remedy in water also helpful.
My male sprayed every door and window in his first month off the street. Hubby would have made cat go if he knew, but Odour remover worked so well, he never knew.
Re: lice...diatomaceous earth works great. At pet store you'll find it as chinchilla dust.
Re: momma...maybe someone would take mamma with one kitten and someone else would take other kittens if the whole lot was too much for 1 person. The kittens are soooo cute, hopefully they'll sell themselves!
Fingers crossed!
If anyone reading this wants some excitment in their life then please offer to foster the Mom and her babies. I fostered a family 2 years ago and it is lots of fun, lots of work but lots of fun! Also the Siamese would be a good choice for someone looking for a short term committment of a few years. Older cats are much easier to manage and really just want to be fed and have a roof over their shoulder. Chin up Beth, you are doing great!
Mom and kitties are also on th Abbey cats web site. They're getting good publicity...
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