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Alteisen posted:So today I go downstairs to go get one of my boys like I always do at night and this completely beat to poo poo, scruffy bastard comes up to me, first hissing a little then meowing, it takes me a few moments but I place his face, I know this cat but I haven't seen him in 4 years. I know the odds are against him, but did he make it? If so how is he doing?
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Jul 14, 2016 03:13
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Alteisen posted:He made it. Hey, as far as I'm concerned by taking him in and getting him to a shelter you've saved his life. If I had a job I'd offer to make a donation to at least get the dental taken care of - that's something that will deteriorate over time and can affect his health as it does so, but is also loving expensive. Call the shelter ahead of time and make sure they will take him? Good on you for helping this poor guy out. As he gets regular food and water those last two will sort themselves out. The fleas and mites, although gross and disgusting, are easy enough to take care of for the shelter too. Many thanks for the update, I'm glad he made it through the night.
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Jul 16, 2016 07:08
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Found a dog today. Completely on accident. I'm not in any way, shape or form in a good position to foster, but I have a question after the brief story. I literally found the dog at the bottom of a canyon off of the middle of a mountain road. The only reason I stopped was because it was so windy I needed to puke, even while driving myself. I heard the dog growling from the side of the road and decided to investigate. The poor dude was several yards down, surrounded by discarded trash and extremely unhappy. I spent hours trying to get help, on the phone with various shelters and counties, all while getting cut off because of poor cell reception in the middle of the mountains. I should mention this is in SoCal, so it's hot and part of it was on fire recently. The best help I got was hours after finding the dog being told that a service officer would be dispatched to see if I was 'in their jurisdiction'. It took them entirely too long to respond to me so I climbed down the hill and got the dog myself. Ultimately I was told that they 'suspected I was in X County' (after being turned away by said county for not being in their territory) and therefore was not getting help, but this was after I managed to get the puppers safely into the car.  He's a puppy. Not fixed, and with a lame back leg and several skin injuries on his paws. I had to approach him slowly because he was absolutely terrified, stuck behind a bunch of branches and unwilling to move. I ended up lugging a blanket down from my car, laying it out and breaking the branches out of the way for him to come crawling out, immediately affectionate and super accepting of water. I managed to coax him without a leash up to the highway, where he was absolutely terrified and refused to move, so I carried him into the car. He was a very Good Boy and didn't mess up my car at all on the ride to a shelter I trust. Now, the shelter I turned him into was extremely aggressive in their questioning, and seemed convinced that I was here to abandon the dog. I told them my story a couple times and they took him in, but despite them being a no-kill shelter with only 10 dogs up for adoption right now (They have room for much more in my experience at this facility) they told me they would be 'conducting an investigation to ensure' that I have no association with the dog, just because I live in another city. They kept asking me why I was where I found him in the first place and overall were very suspicious of my behavior, which was a huge turn-off for me. They also told me if he was deemed unadoptable he would be euthanized, which I know is generally the deal but as I said before this is a well known no-kill shelter. I think they were trying to scare me into taking him back? I have no idea what they were trying to do, threatening officers to come to my apartment as part of the investigation. Do you guys have experience with shelters doing this? Why were they so suspicious of me being in their area? It felt like they were trying to instill a magic rule where I was not allowed to visit the cities they care for, which is super weird to me. I really hope they don't euth him just for his lame leg, that would be a huge dick move and not really in line with the shelter's history as I've known it. Even if he is euth'd it won't be starving/overheating to death at the bottom of a canyon, in a spot that someone clearly meant for him not to be found. I'm mostly concerned about how aggressive one lady especially was about me knowing that there's a huge fine for abandonment and that she totally wasn't buying my story. Which is hilarious because I walked into their shelter covered in dirt and foxtails in my shoes, socks and pants from retrieving the pup. I mean...what? Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Sep 14, 2018 |
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Sep 14, 2018 03:50
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Chili posted:
DeusExMchna posted:
Cat taaax! Thanks for the words, Chili. I guess my story does sound pretty out-there and suspicious to someone who has been there for a while, and it's not like there's any way they can tell that I'm legit. I can only hope he can get some care and find a good home. For now, I will live vicariously through you guys and your adorable cats.
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Sep 14, 2018 19:17
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Blue Footed Booby posted:Did she literally say this? With the legal threats and tone, she didn’t say “I’m not buying it’ in so few words, but made it clear that she thought I was abandoning the dog and not that I found the dog in a bush by coincidence. She made it very clear she’d be sending police to my neighborhood to investigate me and question my neighbors about if I have ‘any association with this animal.’ She also made it clear that she wasn’t convinced that I was simply in the area to be in the area, because evidently I need a reason to drive on public streets and highways. So no. Not exact words, but it was a pretty close translation, I feel. Pupdate: I called yesterday and they had him in at the vet and gave him a name at the shelter, so I'm hopeful that they won't deem him unadoptable and euth him. They had him listed as a 'lab mix' which I find hilarious, as he's very clearly a pit, but I understand if it's for legal reasons. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Sep 15, 2018 |
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Sep 15, 2018 18:23
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You gave her a safe, quiet, warm place to rest. Her chances and comfort were multiplied by your kindness, thank you for caring for her.
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Sep 17, 2018 12:26
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ZoeDomingo posted:I'm cross-posting from the Cat FAQ Megathread to try to get as much info as possible. I used to work as a veterinary assistant and helped on two of those surgeries. In both cases, it was a life-or-death situation, as the blockages on the male cats had been there for a while by the time the owners took them in. They were both considered emergencies and both cats recovered from the surgery well. Given the situation, both bounced back much happier now that they could pass urine. Both cats recovered fully from the procedure and continued on with their lives as normal. The first cat was around 7 and the second closer to 10, if I recall correctly. The younger Tom seemed to have a little aiming trouble in the litter box at first, but otherwise was fine behaviorally. Unfortunately I cannot report on how other cats treated them, as I do not know. It didn't come up, so there either were no other cats in each family or it wasn't a problem. As a side note, that was one of the more interesting surgeries we performed.
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Sep 25, 2018 23:53
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ZoeDomingo posted:Thank you both! He's doing better now, but I'm still discussing the surgery option with the vet. One weird thing: the first time he had this blockage, the urine test showed very few crystals. The vet recommended I put him on the prescription diet anyway, and I did. This time the urine test showed that he had tons of struvite crystals, which the diet was supposed to prevent. I don't get it. The vet doesn't either. I was going to mention the diet and decided against it, as I'm not a professional and if he didn't mention it to you then it means he didn't think the kitty needed it. I don't want you questioning a doctor who has proven to be good based on the off-hand remark of an assistant. That being said, did he recommend distilled water, too? What kind of prescription diet? The Dr. I used to work for always prescribed distilled water for the rest of the cat's life, as well as Hill's prescription diet metabolic urinary, c/d or k/d depending on the specific diagnosis. There was also a ban on all fish, to prevent salt from getting into the cat whenever possible. Generally if the cat seemed to respond well to the diet, that was what they ate for life. You can always get a second opinion to see if you can talk to another doctor about the struvite crystals. Most of the time you can't just call them on the phone, as you aren't a client and they won't know your case personally. They will definitely want an exam, and you can have your current vet send over all the information on your case for them to review so you don't need to do all the labs and such that you've already taken care of. Edit: Royal Canin is fine, we just didn't stock it because the clinic wasn't big enough for two brands of various diets. I am of the opinion that a phone call can't hurt if the vet already knows the cat. It'd be more of a 'do you have any other advice?" sort of call instead of a 'please question the emergency personnel' deal. Like people doctors, vets will have various backgrounds, learning and experience. Your vet may happen to have picked up a tidbit of information over the years that the specific emergency vet hasn't encountered, or vice versa. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 01:20
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Forest pup update: The shelter said his lame leg was a minor injury, and he is getting all of the parasites taken care of. He is expected to make a full recovery and will be put up for adoption soon!
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Sep 28, 2018 18:57
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Chili posted:Hey all, I know it's been a bit but we have some news! I am relieved for Butters, but now worried about Monty. Any update concerning homes for him? Edit: Thank you, please tell us when he gets a good home. He's also a top tier catte. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Mar 23, 2019 |
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Mar 23, 2019 17:16
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I. M. Gei posted:I got a Lizzie update today. She is 8 weeks old, about 2 pounds, loves playing with toys, and has given up the bottle. Lookit that little life you saved  I'm so glad she's doing well.
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May 22, 2019 21:44
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OtspIII posted:My girlfriend and I just got a new pup! The only one I feel qualified to talk about is the licking, so I hope someone can field the prey drive. Unfortunately licking can be a lot of things - as you mentioned it can be from anxiety. She's had a lot happen to her recently, and even though you two are providing her a good home and she is probably happy, it's still a lot for anyone to go through, much less a dog. It can also be a way to relieve itching, as in she has itchy skin from allergies or skin sensitivity in general. This could be environmental, it could be seasonal, it could be both. A visit to the vet would be good for this - most of the time if something isn't mentioned (like excessive licking or hot spots) and they don't catch it in their general review of the dog they will miss it. If you make a vet appointment specifically for this at the very least they can try to treat for it if it's an allergy issue, and if she has no relief after treatment then you know it's not this. Subset of medical - it could be a parasite of some sort. A vet visit will help treat that and if she has bugs or critters on or in her that's a relatively easy fix. Fleas are a pain in the rear end, mostly because of all the furniture cleaning you have to do, but they are just as treatable as long as you are willing to give your pup flea control. Once again if you put her on regular flea control and she continues her licking habit, you'll know this isn't the issue, but it's a good idea to keep your critters protected from bugs anyway. It also can be behavioral - a bad habit that she's developed from her old home, like an adult chewing on their nails. In small amounts it doesn't hurt her but we don't want it becoming a sore and turning into something medical. This would require training, much like the prey drive thing, and would be difficult but I imagine it's also just as solvable. It will just take some time and patience, and I would expect her to relapse if she gets extremely stressed. Congratulations on the new addition to your family and I hope you three have many happy years together ahead of you!
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Oct 15, 2019 06:50
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Chili posted:Still just as fun to take pictures of this cat. Portrait mode was made for Butterboy. Although I am furious at the people you re-homed Butters with (mostly for the abandonment, swiftly followed by not being loving honest with you. How hard is it to say "you know what, we aren't a great match, do you want to take him back and re-home him or would you prefer a foster do this?") I am mostly relieved that he got help and is back to being himself. Poor guy had the worst weight loss program possible. Welcome home, Butters.
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Nov 11, 2019 02:40
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It's a good picture of a happy Butters that helped soothe a bad day. Thank you.
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Sep 12, 2020 15:03
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I have no idea but since this seems to be an immediate problem here are my thoughts: I am guessing a box they can hide in with an electric blanket + some other towel or warmth to cuddle up to is too expensive, given the number of cats. Plus I don't know what that electric bill would look like, even if you have accessible outlets in your garage. Can you make 'outdoor cat shelters' to put in your garage? If your garage stays closed it won't get quite as cold as outside, and the inside of the shelters should be slightly warmer than that, especially if some of them cuddle up. A steady supply of food so they can keep building up energy to burn off should help, too. A quick google involves styrofoam, rubber maid totes, duct tape, straw and a knife. Those individually are pretty affordable if you can get your hands on them, but I don't know if you have those in easy reach. If you don't mind taking trips to your garage if you warm up the wet food that might help them be encouraged to eat it and digest it (while warming them in the process for a small while). If you can get it shipped to you a heated water dish might help, too.
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Feb 12, 2021 04:39
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I'm glad he's so happy and healthy with you. Good job, both of you
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Jan 12, 2022 17:24
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Butterscotch looks like is he enjoying his health and retirement. There are of course other good friends here too.
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Nov 15, 2022 22:44
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