Like everyone else, we've been "sheltering in place" during the last several months. And like many animal people, we've been fostering kitties! Most animal shelters have been operating on a skeleton staff and are only open to the public by appointment. While the resident animals are of course being fed, they are likely not getting the attention and exercise they usually do. Smart shelter staff have placed as many animals in foster care as possible, and many foster folks have committed to fostering for longer periods or even adopting the animals. The only problem is that many spay/neuter clinics had to shut down, or focus only on the animals in their care and could not accept pets who needed a low cost surgery from the public. Fortunately many rescue groups found a way around this by hosting private clinics - where a generous donor funds a mash style S/N day and rescue groups bring in as many cats as the vets can do in one day. This doesn't mean the cats got a "budget operation." On the contrary, since these veterinarians care enough to work for far less money than they would make in a private practice and since they do such a high volume of spay and neuters, the cats might be getting better surgeries than from a private clinic.
We fostered several litters from Yakima, where trappers actually had access to S/N for feral cats but had run out of rescues and shelters able to socialize, foster and adopt out kittens. One litter came with they mama and were perfectly social already. They were a special treat for us since we usually only get very shy/under socialized kittens. There were also two found under a wood pile at such a young age that they tamed very quickly ( Jake and Johnny pictured immediately below). These six went to our incredibly fun Kitty Yoga class at the historic school house on Camano. Nicole with Blue Monarch Health sponsored the event and led two socially distant class.
Kitty Yoga was our first fund raiser since Covid 19 shut down most events. We rescheduled the rummage sale, which is now taking place Sept. 26th at the Camano Multi Purpose Building. The new normal is that everyone is required to wear a mask/face covering and the number of shoppers allowed inside will be limited to the governor's current guideline. We have a fabulous array of items - antiques, kitchen equipment/small appliances, books, DVDs, holiday decor, cat themed items and pet supplies, costume jewelry, and other fun stuff. Your purchase will help us continue to foster and provide medical care for these kitties such as Jean Pierre, who would have "fallen through the cracks."
Jean Pierre was a stray cat in Aberdeen for about 2 years. He was "intact." I am guessing he was kept as a pet for perhaps the first year of his life. Someone posted via a FB cat group that this cat needed help badly. This person had been feeding Jean Pierre but couldn't afford any medical. At some point he had been hit by a car and dragged his back legs for a period of time, which many people witnessed. Transportation was arranged and I was able to pick Jean Pierre up in Seattle. This kitty had a terrible combination of lice, fleas, and internal parasites. All his energy was going to scratching and even though he was eating, nothing was being absorbed. I couldn't get into our regular vet clinic and made the grave error of trying the Cat Clinic at Canyon Park because they had immediate openings. This vet not only ignored my wishes and did $200 labs I thought were unnecessary, she literally created wounds on Jean Pierre's scrotum and sedated him unnecessarily. These wounds had to heal up (luckily I had pain meds to give him) before he got neutered at our regular vet, Cats Exclusive in Shoreline, along with a full mouth extraction due to advanced periodontal disease. While he was healing, he developed a staph infection on his back where all the raw skin was from the lice and fleas. JP loves raw food and I had immediately started him on an immune building diet or super high quality raw food with probiotics and digestive enzymes. Eventually JP's body was able to heal (along with antibiotics) and he was playing and feeling like a young cat again. The best part is that a dear friend and supporter of FFS took JP to live with her, so I can visit and hear all about his antics! His voracious appetite slowed down after he built up his body again. Look at the bottom photo and you will see how handsome this guy turned out to be!
Having over 20 years in rescue and natural cat care experience, I have strong opinions on what cats should eat. When a vet tries to sell you kibble designed for IBD for a cat with such severe dental disease he will need all his teeth out - RUN! I hear many stories about vets who appear to be practicing medicine the same way they did at the beginning of their career 50 years ago. They do not listen to people who love their kitties and do research on their own. They do not want to admit that people may have some innate knowledge and intuition about caring for the animals they live with, that may be opposed to what the vet was taught in school. We know when we have a funny feeling something isn't right but sadly we often ignore this, trying to be practical. Don't go to a vet simply because they are close to your house, or other people you know use that vet. You have to feel good about the doctor working with you to create vibrant health for your cat. Healing is about so many things beside just medication.
Hope to see you at our rummage sale - take care!
