Faces of Rescue

Adoptions, Vet Visits, and Catching Cats - Lots of Updates!

atuttle32 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:45:00 GMT

Congratulations to Ernie and Selena for getting adopted into a wonderful home - together! It's been a very busy few weeks. It seems like all the foster homes I have under me have sick kittens and/or cats. Frances had a sinus infection, Annabelle and her five kittens have a "tummy" issue - as yet undiagnosed, but we are providing a second type of treatment per the vet. And then my two kittens have a tummy issue, too - Virginia and Delma are now receiving a metronidazole suspension, and I really hope that works! Lots of vet visits - some adoptions - and of course catching cats!!

Oliver's momma, Frances, was adopted yesterday to a wonderful person who lives two hours away. Frances is already adjusting to her new home and her new momma. She now has two rescued lab brothers - one from a puppy mill, an the other from the shelter. Frances still has a mild sinus infection, so her new momma is going to keep treating her for that. Our vet doesn't think it will be a problem to get rid of it. Here is Frances just a few hours after arriving in her new home.

Oliver on the other hand, caught a URI in the adoption center, but his foster momma is giving him Reiki every day and treating him with medication, and he is rebounding very well. His behavior problems seem to be straightening out as well (thank you Silvia - you have made me a true believer in Reiki), and it is now required that he be adopted with his little foster sister, Cleo (I think she is part kangaroo the way she springs and bounces around the room!). She has helped teach Oliver manners, and has also taught him that people are OK. And she even wraps her paws around him when he isn't feeling well. It's really sweet.

After 3 1/2 years, I was finally able to trap Dale, Oliver's daddy, from that apartment complex. Does it seem like they know when it is time for them to go? Dale had an injured leg, and after waiting for an hour, he finally went into the trap. He was very nice and didn't get too upset, and he even behaved himself at the vet when I dropped him off that Saturday morning. But Monday came, and when he was examined and tested, it was found that he had AIDS, heartworm, and a mass on his leg. So I had to make the decision to have him put down. It broke my heart, and it still hurts, but I know it was best. I could have dealt with the AIDS since he was not an aggressive cat, but the mass and heartworm were not a good thing, and I did not think it was fair to save Dale to only have him die a horrible death. He is at the bridge now. Here is his picture at the vet's office before he was removed from the trap. The vet said he was a good boy when they took care of him. Do you see Oliver in him?

Big Daddy, the daddy cat from Mrs. Thomas' house, was finally caught and taken to the vet. A lot of people came together to help this little guy, so I am very grateful that he is safe now. He was the last cat from there, but I have mixed feelings about it - mainly because Frisbee has passed. But I like to think that Frisbee had something to do with his daddy being saved. Here is Big Daddy in the adoption center - he's still available! He a complete floosie when it comes to having his belly rubbed. It's hard to believe this is the same cat who would run circles around the cat trap then take off like a bullet. He runs to me now and flops over on his back for belly rubs, and if you're not fast at opening his cage door, he digs to try and get out.

I also got to see Marilyn yesterday - she is a rumpie (manx) that Jackie and her husband, Mike, brought here from Virginia. She is spoiled rotten, a little growly when she's not sure what is going on (it's adorable, believe me!!), and absolutely beautiful. To think that this baby faced death at the pound from where she was saved. She was recently spayed, and since she decided she liked her incision open rather than closed, she has to wear a collar. I dressed her up for halloween while she was there, and seemed to like the orange! Her new mom and dad love her very much.

What other updates since the last time I wrote? Let me see, Marguerite's foster, Albany - a homeless sealpoint siamese, was adopted. Star, Phantom, and Spot were adopted (Phantom and Spot together - yeah!!). Big Max was adopted. Our special needs foster, Gracie, was adopted, as was Lucy, a little dog. Two other kittens - Lizzie and Izzie - were adopted, too. The past couple of months have been absolutely crazy. Eight cats have been dumped at the apartment complex where I've been working to pull cats out for the last 3 1/2 years. Dale made the 26th cat I've gotten from there. And now in just a short couple of months, it's all going downhill again. We have nowhere to put new cats - all foster homes are past full. Donations are low, low, low - so I'm going to contact the local shelter/clinic and see if they can help out there by providing some free spay/neuter and maybe some food, too.

And I have to include this picture. Camille's cat, Moe, is just the BEST - he was tomcat who showed up at her house one day, and after getting neutered and fixed up, he decided he liked it there, so he decided to stay. He plays with a tennis ball like a dog does. He loves to get his back scratched, and he is very tolerant of being dressed up (well, fairly tolerant). Here is he is wearing the halloween collar, too (he wouldn't allow me to show the pumpkin at the same time he looked happy). He did NOT appreciate the cow hat or pirate hat with dreadlocks at all, so I promised him I wouldn't post those pics of him. You are very handsome indeed, Moe!

I hope to begin posting updates more frequently - it has just been non-stop for several weeks, and with working full-time too, the blog has to take the back seat. More pictures will follow later in the week with other updates.

And for everyone who has sent me emails - little Pumpkin (aka Mighty Mouse) is doing great. I'm waiting on a new picture, but he rebounded from the pneumonia, and he and his little friend, Curtis, are both having the times of their lives at Marguerite's!! They will be available for adoption very soon!!

Kittens in PetSmart Adoption Center / Update on Mrs. Thomas' Daddy Cat

atuttle32 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:49:00 GMT

Oliver tuckered out for the evening ...

Oliver and six other kittens (Max, Selina, Cleo, Ernie, Virginia, and Delma) all went into the PetSmart adoption center last night. My group and the other one using that adoption center take turns using the big cage, so the kittens are there for three weeks or until they get adopted. Hopefully they all get adopted! Max had an adoption pending, so he went straight to his forever home. He took right to his new mom and wouldn't budge from her lap. All the other kittens are doing great, except for Virginia. She doesn't want to be there and is a little nervous, but she'll be OK in a day or two. Ernie and the other kittens were fixed last Wednesday (yay for juvenile spay and neuter!), and he was a little swollen still, but the vet checked him out, and he is fine. Needless to say, the adoption center was a comedy factory tonight when I let them all out to play. If only I could bottle that kitten energy and sell it! We wouldn't have to worry about donations!!

Here is a picture of Max with his new mom. He goes home to a mom and dad, and two older cat sisters:

Max with his mom, Miss Andy ...

And an update on the daddy cat at Mrs. Thomas' house. He has a vet appointment on Friday to get tested, vaccinated, neutered, ear tipped, and treated for his infection. Our vet seems to think she can treat the infection with a convenia injection so that he can be released right away, but I have someone who can take him and hold him for a couple of weeks if necessary. I'll post an update hopefully this coming weekend.

Frisbee Has Died

atuttle32 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:54:00 GMT

Frisbee, an older feral kitten I neutered and released this past February was found dead a few days ago by his caregivers. He was still living at Mrs. Thomas' house. Mrs. Thomas' health is failing, and her daughter Ramona was on the verge of bringing Frisbee inside since he was beginning to finally tame down. Mrs. Thomas loves Frisbee and hasn't been told about his death yet. Ramona found him lying in the yard with no obvious injuries, so we are not sure what happened.

I'm just sad. So sad. This poor little one. We didn't have anywhere to foster him, so I did the next best thing I could. Later I was able to find a foster home when I trapped his sister, Birdie, and she was adopted soon after. I wa never able to catch Frisbee again. I just wish Frisbee had had the same happy ending as his sister.

I've also learned that Frisbee and Birdie's daddy is injured. I am desperately trying to find a foster home to care for him. I'm trying to accomplish this by tonight so that he can go to the vet tomorrow. Please say prayers for him! He is feral also and will need to be held and treated until he is well. The original momma cat, Summer, disappeared and has never been seen again. It seems that when Mrs. Thomas fell ill and was taken to the hospital, her ferals knew it and they all disappeared except for Birdie. Only Frisbee and the daddy cat came back.

*Here is my original blog post on Frisbee*

Frisbee ... Another Feral Kitten Neutered!

February 24, 2009 : 6:19 AM

So ... one of my adopters delivers Meals on Wheels, and she told me about Mrs. Thomas, a 93-year-old woman who was taking care of a female cat and her two kittens. I went out there and found that the female cat (named Summer) had two kittens about six months old. She was also very, very pregnant.

I had nowhere to put a pregnant cat, and I couldn't find anyone else to take her either. So after checking out the accommodations that Mrs. Thomas had made for Summer, I decided to let Summer have her babies there and I would take them when they got about four weeks old. I think Summer had her babies last week, but I haven't been able to get back out there, but I'll check this weekend when I go.

In the meantime, I trapped her son, Frisbee, and had him neutered. Next on the list is his sister, Birdie, who I will hopefully be able to trap this weekend. I'm sure she's already pregnant since I saw the daddy cat chasing her the last time I was there.

Bless Mrs. Thomas for taking care of these kitties. She can barely get around her house, but she manages to feed them every day, and she had her daughter make them a little house under her trailer. And they did a GREAT job, too!! Her daughter is 74 years old, so this was no small feat!!!

More later as trapping and fixing progresses ...

Mighty Mouse, aka Pumpkin, Needs Prayers

atuttle32 — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:54:00 GMT

Mighty Mouse was found amongst a litter of stray kittens, and was much smaller than the others, so he came to Marguerite to be raised as a bottle-baby. He had done wonderfully well until suffering from hypoglycemia a couple of weeks ago. He rebounded right away and was gaining weight like crazy. But then Marguerite found him breathing through his mouth and pitifully crying on Saturday morning - he had come down with pneumonia overnight.

Please say prayers that Mighty Mouse makes it through the next couple of days. He is gravely ill. He has come so far and deserves a long life.

Meet MyTy - an FIV+/FeLV+ Kitty

atuttle32 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:46:00 GMT

MyTy was dumped at Cypress Gardens, close to the boat landing - a very convenient and well-used place for people dumping animals. Fortunately for MyTy, our president, Peggy, used to work at Cypress Gardens and is still on their speed dial.

MyTy was found wandering the gardens, skinny and flea-ridden. When he was taken into the vet to get "the works", he was found to be positive for both feline leukemia and feline AIDS. The tests were re-done at our normal rescue vet, and the outcome was the same. So what to do? It used to be that any positive cat coming into a rescue or shelter situation was immediately put down. No more!

MyTy is resting, rehabbing, and eating lots of groceries at Peggy's house. He came to our adoption day last weekend, but he was very shy and very introverted. It's no wonder considering all that he has been through. Even though it's barely visible in the pictures, MyTy's coat of fur is one of the most elegant and beautiful I have ever seen. He is a long-haired black smoke tabby! His coat pattern is very close to the below picture, but with very distinct tabby markings and an extreme smoke pattern. We hope to get better pictures of MyTy soon, once he's settled into the foster life.

So .... please pass the word! MyTy is looking for a forever home. He has been neutered and vaccinated, dewormed and de-flead, and of course tested (positive) for both feline leukemia and feline AIDS. He shows no symptoms of any illness, and the vet says it is very possible that he will live a very long and very healthy life.

For more information on feline leukemia and feline AIDS, visit here:

Feline Leukemia - click here: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/felv.html

Feline Aids - click here: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html

Jenna, A Rescuer in the Making

atuttle32 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:48:00 GMT

Jenna is the daughter of one of our volunteers, and she is a true animal lover. She has three cats and one dog at home, and she is helping to foster Frances and her baby, Oliver.

Jenna came with her mom and brother, Dylan, and helped us on adoption day last Saturday. What a wonderful helper! She helped pick out toys for the kitties, and she even helped weigh little Oliver. When Oliver did his little hissy slappy thing, Jenna stood there holding him like a little trouper. And of course Oliver loves her to pieces, so he didn't do anything but stare right back at her. She is an expert in socializing the babies - wrapping them up in a blanket and singing to them. The kittens get to attend tea parties and put puzzles together with her.

When I asked Jenna if she had had a talk with Oliver about his being so onery, she said "No, but the cats have *sigh*." Jenna is truly precious.

Adoption Day - August 2009

atuttle32 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:18:00 GMT

While we didn't adopt anyone out at our monthly adoption day, it wasn't for lack of trying! Our volunteers turned out in force, Terri being among them. She took all these wonderful pictures for us! We did get quite a few people who are interested in our very young fosters who aren't quite old enough for adoption yet. And then Miss Helen was adopted on Sunday ... and someone is very interested in Virginia - so it wasn't a total waste of time!

Virginia, left / Miss Helen, right

Baby Oliver definitely showed his stuff - and lived up to his nickname of Jaws, Captain Evil, Little Stinker, etc. He tried biting many faces, and he is the only kitten I've ever seen who could make three grown women run for their life. Let's suffice it to say that he does not like his nails trimmed! Since he's an only kitten and his cat momma doesn't make him mind, he is going to "kitty camp" and joining four other kittens in another foster home. Hopefully Max, Ernie, Selina, and Cleo will teach him a few manners! He did wonderfully with them when we introduced them. They all curled up and made one huge fur-ball!

Baby Oliver, dressed for trouble

From left to right, Selina, Baby Oliver, & Ernie

Then there is Pumpkin … who I affectionately call Mighty Mouse. He is a tiny, emaciated, four-week old kitten that my friend, Marguerite, just took in and is bottle-feeding. Isn’t he adorable? One day after this and he was playing and purring up a storm. He made many fans that day, and already has a potential home. It’s going to be quite a few weeks before he can go anywhere, though. He only weighs about half a pound.

Pumpkin, aka Mighty Mouse –

“Where’s the bottle?”

Updates ... Adoptions, Baby Oliver, Virginia Kitty Rescue, Adoption Day ...

atuttle32 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:29:00 GMT

First of all - Samantha was adopted (again)!!! I have really good feelings about this one. I'm going to be following up later today, and I hope all goes well.

Alden was adopted a few weeks ago, but he remains very shy (as in hissy) and elusive (as in hiding under the bed). So Marguerite and I will be making a "well visit" to him and having a serious discussion with him. He has a wonderful new momma who gives fabulous belly rubs to the fur monsters, so he should be estatic. That's the problem with former ferals who stay in foster for so long ... sometimes they take a while to come around. But he will - of that I'm sure!!

So little Oliver has gotten quite vicious sometimes! He is still cute as a button, isn't feral - but bites the face of every person who picks him up. He's as fast a snake, and if you don't hold still for him to bite you, he puts his paws on your face to hold you still! He's an only baby and his momma, Frances, is too sweet - she doesn't correct him when his little attitude needs adjusting (she's not a year old herself just yet ...). So we are going to experiment and put him with some other kittens tomorrow at adoption day and see what happens. Hopefully the little stinker will stop this behavior soon. Here he is taking a much needed rest from his duties as a guard-dog - doesn't he look sweet?

The mother of one of my adopters is in Virginia for a while, and she contacted me regarding some kittens and cats she is feeding. Fortunately, I was able to find someone down here in Charleston who can take them into foster (we are FULLLLLLLLL), so Claudette will hopefully be able to transport all five down here next week. If not, then we'll arrange transport somehow to get them here. My friend, Jackie, in Virginia referred us to Richmond Hero (www.richmondhero.com), and they are going to assist Claudette in placing the remainder of the cats, and also five kittens that Claudette's husband is feeding at his worksite. Here are a couple of the kittens. Does it never stop?

Our monthly adoption day is tomorrow ... we'll have lots and lots of kittens there up for adoption, as well as some older kittens and adult cats. No dogs this month -we are flooded with feline fosters - about 90 total - and our goal is to push them for adoption. We will also be discussing dropping our adoption fees. We already do this for people who adopt a senior pet or more than one cat/kitten. But some of the other no-kill shelters and rescues in our area are dropping their fees, so we may do the same. It's not necessarily being competitive - we truly try to match people with a pet who will meet their needs, requirements, and wants ... but at the same time we need to be realistic, and we need to get the kitties adopted. It's not fair to them to stay in foster for so long (or us - it's too easy to get attached).

Ernie will be there and available for adoption, as well as Rusty (affectionately known as Rustoleum)!

A Week in the Life of a Rescue Group

atuttle32 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:44:00 GMT

Small Fry wearing his "I'm the Cat's Meow" t-shirt, who was adopted with his brother, Whopper

So, what have we been doing this week? What does a rescuer really do? What does a non-profit really do? Here's a glimpse of what a few of the people in my rescue group can accomplish in a single week...

Let me see ... between Camille, Marguerite, Peggy, me, Laura, Christine, Barb, Miss Helen ... this is some of what we've accomplished this week - some but not all !!

made about ten trips to the PetSmart adoption center for a total of about 30 hours spent there ...
made a trip to the Charleston Animal Society to take candy and spend some time visiting with staff ...
spent two days in the ASPCA's Meet Your Match SAFER Dog Training (temperment testing for dogs) ...
spent a total of about 40 hours on the phone regarding rescues, sick animals, fosters, policies ...
two people visited our Dog Park every day for three hours, for a total of about 42 hours
continually updated our website and answered emails from people needing assistance
reviewed SNIP (spay/neuter incentive program) forms and approving for financial assistance
handled three adoptions
ordered medications for the foster animals
spoke with the rescue veterinarian regarding rehabbing kitties in foster
followed up with veterinarians on vet visits for the fosters
took countless pictures for new animal listings on our website
tolled many hours on-line promoting adoption event
coordinated rescue of 12 cats and kittens at an RV park in Virginia (from SC!! still working on that)
and then there is a large adoption day tomorrow ....

Cats and Kittens and Mouse Tails - Oh My!!

atuttle32 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:53:00 GMT

Poor Virginia. She's still feeling under the weather, but she continues to slowly improve. I'll call the vet today and give her some more fluids this evening, and that should make her feel lots better! She was running a low fever this morning, but she continues to eat and take all her meds like a champion. I usually gauge how good she is feeling by whether or not she plays with the laser dot … not scientific I know, but it works since it tells me very quickly how lethargic she is. Unfortunately, my cat Scooby loves to play with the actual toy – and it had disappeared when I got home from work last night. It needed new batteries – maybe they were trying to be helpful? I can hope, right?

Virginia

Virginia’s sisters help me take care of her. Miss Helen is constantly making sure she is clean, and Delma makes an effort to keep her warm. All three are sweethearts, but it is heartbreaking to see Virginia so ill. I named her after my old Mrs. Thomas because of the spunk she has – if only that spunk would come back!

Delma & Miss Helen

Virginia Getting a Quick Bath, and Not Thrilled About It!!

Meanwhile, Lindsay has developed a slight crush on Hardee … I think it’s because he’s a squishy and soft cat, and he doesn’t mind the other kitties using his belly as a pillow. Anyway, I had to throw this picture in for Jackie, since Lindsay was one of the babies she rescued from the pound last year.

Hardee & Lindsay

And have you ever wondered where all the stuffed mouse tails go? Every time I hand out new stuffed mousies to my furbabies, the tails are gone within a day. And I mean gone. I never see them lying around – never see them in the – ahem – *output*…. so where do they go? Well, I found one this morning. And here’s proof … sometimes the tails do survive!!

Stumpy

atuttle32 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:22:00 GMT

My niece, Emily, adopted a three-legged cat and has named him Stumpy. Emily is teasing me with details, so more information will be coming later. All I know is he's a sweetheart and of course loveable....

And of course he's very handsome!!

STUMPY

Cleo, Max, Ernie, & Selina

atuttle32 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:54:00 GMT

How could you not love these little faces? Just look at Ernie's ear tips!! Kitten season continues - these are the four that were just caught about a week and a half ago. They've tested neg/neg and have received their first FVRCP booster. I had the priviledge of meeting the little ones when I went to their foster home to deworm them and give them some flea control on Friday night. I love the feral babies who only take two days to tame! They are having a wonderful time playing with Silvia and her family.

In the meantime - their momma doesn't miss them a bit, which probably means she's pregnant. So once again the trapping and catching game continues ... hopefully there won't be a second litter this summer!!!

Please say prayers for little Virginia. She isn't feeling well - she has a bad case of coccidia which is proving tough to get rid of. Thankfully, though, her energy level is coming back up - but her other "issues", errr - tummy troubles, continue. She is the runt of the litter and is small anyway, but she's about 11 weeks old and only weighed 1.7 pounds on Saturday. Her siblings (Delma and Helen) are 3.7 pounds and very healthy. It looks like I'll be taking her back to the vet tomorrow unless there is a drastic change this evening. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Cleo

Ernie

Max

Selina

Kahlua & Bailey Adopted

atuttle32 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:55:00 GMT

Good news! A lady in North Carolina saw the listings for Kahlua and Bailey on our website and contacted our vet's office. After filling out an application, she was approved as a new home! This is wonderful news - they were adopted together! Their new mom is driving down on Sunday to pick up these girls and take them to their forever home!

Congratulations Kahlua & Bailey!

Kahlua & Bailey Need a Home!

atuttle32 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:53:00 GMT

These two girls were recently turned into our rescue vet's office after a life of neglect. Beautiful, tabby Persian sisters about two years old, they were flea infested when they showed up for the first time, very sick, at the vet's last December. Poor Bailey's PCV values were so low, she required a transfusion, which saved her life. Their fur was horribly matted, they were thin, and also required deworming.

It took about five months for the owner to agree to surrender these girls. Now Leslie, a wonderful vet tech, is financially supporting these sisters until they can find their forever home. They are currently being housed in the isolation area of the vet practice, and they really need a home of their own - together. Won't you think about adopting them? We are willing to arrange for transport anywhere in the United States.

Both girls are spayed, vaccinated, and up to date on their flea and heartworm prevention. They have also tested negative for feline leukemia and feline AIDS.

Please contact Leslie, at Northwoods Veterinary Clinic, at (843) 553-0441 for more details on these lovely girls.

Frances, Momma Cat

atuttle32 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:50:00 GMT

It was Mr. Gould's job to tame the little black, feral kitten who showed up on his doorstep in March. At least that's what I told him at the time. I couldn't catch her, and we didn't have one spot left to place her in foster. She wouldn't come near me and was very skittish. I thought by having him work with her, it would be easier to catch her and find her a home when the time was right.

The next time I went back to visit with Mr. Gould, Frances was sleeping on his doorstep at night, never missing a meal. A little bit bigger, she looked to be about four months old now.

The third time I met Frances, I was able to pet her for a second before she ran off. She had fallen in love with Mr. Gould and was always by his front door visiting.

The fourth time I saw Frances, she was about five to six months old - and pregnant. Babies having babies. Catching her was a joke - at least the joke was on me - she knew what I was up to and wouldn't come near. I frantically looked for a foster home for her, but could not find one.

The fifth time I saw Frances? She was lying in a soft bed with her baby, Oliver, warm and dry and happy. She has a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection, but thanks to Camille (and Dylan and Jenna), Frances has spent the last six weeks slowly getting better. She has been given the chance to simply live - live in comfort and live in love.