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Visakha SPCA: Cat tales

June 08, 2007, 12:0AM MT

By Joellen

The stories of three cats saved by VSPCA

The stories of three cats saved by VSPCA

As told by Ms. Sarada Buddhiraju and Mr. JVVS Rajsekhar, Visakha SPCA Shelter Managers

Tiffin
[Editor’s note: in India, a “tiffin” is a lunchbox]

Taking in injured animals is always a little bittersweet. Bitter in that they were injured, often by cruel and thoughtless people, but sweet because we found them before further harm could be done.

Our workers found Tiffin being attacked by the side of the road by dogs and his back legs were (thankfully) only slightly injured. Now, he thinks everyone is his mother. When anyone enters the cat house, they really have to be careful not to step on Tiffin as he follows them around. We cannot release motherless babies, as we do the healthy adults dogs and cats, back into the neighborhood where we found them. Tiffin awaits adoption, but in the meantime is honing his feline instincts with the other 37 cats in the meantime.

Taffy

Cruelties in the pet trade in Asia are not only limited to endangered species. While on patrol in one of the local markets notorious for illegal sales of restricted species, one of our workers found a little bundle in a dustbin. While we don't know the background of Taffy's abandonment, an increasing trend in this part of India reveals a disgusting practice. Dogs are much preferred over cats as pets in India. So, many of the cats sold in markets are not really for companionship--they are being sold for food. When nobody is buying, the cat is no longer needed. Whether this was Taffy's story or not, much of our feline family has been rescued from dustbins. Taffy has been with us for about two and a half years now.

[Editor’s note: The VSPCA has started a program to re-train and rehabilitate those who caught and killed cats for their meat. Skilled at capturing feral cats, these cat catchers are now paid by VSPCA to bring unharmed, live cats to the shelter.]

Milky

One of our sharp-eyed drivers spotted little Milky by the side of the road. He was about 4 months old. At that time, about 4 years ago, he had a very bad eye infection. After some antibiotics and other routine remedies, the eye still didn't heal that well. Finally, the eye was so bad that the only option was to perform surgery and remove the eyeball altogether. Milky had to be kept in his own cage for 2 months, to protect his eye from other cats' claws while the eye healed. Milky will live out his remaining eight lives in the safety of our shelter, where his sight problem cannot endanger him.

How you can help

Please look for the donation button for the India Campaign over to the side.

Thank you for your very kind generosity to the animal organizations in India

If you missed the introduction to the India Campaign, you may read it by going here

Visit the Visakha SPCA website.

Photos: By Eileen Weintraub, Visakha SPCA representative, and Scott Feldstein, Visakha SPCA volunteer

Comments

Posted June 11, 2007, 12:0PM by PamelaB

Rereading these cats' stories, I have so much respect and admiration for the Shelter Managers at Visakha!

Posted June 08, 2007, 12:45PM by PamelaB

What beautiful stories but even more, what beautiful energy! The "feel"--I don' t know the word--the vibrations that emanate from Visakha SPCA , its animals, plants, and people--are almost mystical.

Thank you, Eileen, for the updates!

Pamela at International Friends

Posted June 08, 2007, 12:55AM by sharonstjoan

Such beautiful stories! Tiffin's photo is priceless!

Posted June 08, 2007, 3:11AM by eileenwj

Dear Friends,
Thanks all at Best Friends for some great blogs that brings India's animals so much closer for the rest of us. It is not every animal group in the states that has this greater vision of a whole world of kindness.

An update on Tiffin who was recently rescued in the above photo but he is looking much stronger now. Scott Feldstein when he was volunteering at Visakha SPCA took the above two photos of Tiffin and Taffy. If you would like to see a more recent photo of Milky looking quite regal in the beautiful Visakha SPCA cat shelter please go to:
www.visakhaspca.org - click on "gallery " and go to photo #29 and see him lounging around with a friend. To sponsor any of these cats please go to our web site and click on "sponsor an animal".

If you travel in India and find a stray or suffering cat be warned it is a rare animal shelter to be found that can help the cat in conditions that are better than leaving it on the street. Visakha SPCA is one of the few that has trained personnel to rescue, understand and help them. Our vets through the thoughtful donations of the west have learned how to do all of this. We can only continue with your kind support.

Posted June 14, 2007, 7:28PM by gotchintz

Thanks to everyone involved in letting us know about the rescue efforts in India. These stories are priceless! The photo of Milky touched me so much!

Keep up the good work and thanks for the stories.