Trauma Cats Need Experienced Adopters

Ten weeks ago I agreed to care for a rescued kitten that was near death; eyes had clouded over.  My friend had found the kitten in an abandoned field, she saw that the other littermates had been hit by cars and a few died of malnutrition and or dehydration.  She rescued the one remaining kitten and nursed it back to a stable condition, but could not keep it.  The kitten was surrendered to a senior citizen who loved cats, but the little trauma kitten was too much for the adopter.

The senior citizen was overwhelmed with caring for the trauma kitten. This kitten very small for its age and does not know when to go to their food bowl and needs help with the litter box. We suspect that when the eyes clouded over that perhaps oxygen was lacking in the brain, making this 10-week old kitten slower than most kittens at this age.   When there was no rescue to take the kitten, I took him in.

We named him Oliver and he is now 14 weeks old and is growing very slowly.  He weighs 3.75 pounds, does not know to go to his food bowl to eat when he is hungry and still needs help getting into his litter box.  Other than that he is a delicate little angel.

We had one cat adopter that had teenage boys and both parents worked long hours. The mother said the house was loud and doors were always being left open.  This home was not a good fit for delicate Oliver, as he needs people who will pay attention to him and are aware of his special needs.

Oliver is not a sickly cat, but that is not to say he does not get ill.  Last night   Oliver started vomiting.  It is normal for cats to vomit, but Oliver was throwing up all of his food and when I checked him I realized that he had a fever.  Oliver spent the next two hours on my lap and when my husband came home and examined him we both agreed that he was too small to have a fever and to be sick.

Even though Oliver was up to date with his booster shots, he had symptoms of a cat cold with a fever.  So he got an antibiotic shot and we were told to watch him  and if there were no signs of improvement we were to take him back to the veterinarian

Today I spoke to the rescue who had surrendered Oliver to me and we both agreed that whoever adopts Oliver, that they need to be experienced with handling trauma cats because Oliver is a cat that needs special loving care.

The Truth About Animal Shelters

Many people surrender their pets to an animal shelter because they assume the shelter will find their beloved pet a forever home. But the truth is that most animals will only see a cage and a cold table where they will be euthanized. Yes, I know that when you surrendered your pet that they told you “we will find a home for your pet, or we have a family looking for a cat just like yours” They will smile at you and you will leave knowing your pet was in good hands.

WRONG!

That is what animal shelter workers tell everyone.  It is in their employee handbook to say this to every person that surrenders a pet.  The truth of the matter is that animal shelters are in every city and on average they take in more animals than they adopt out. My local humane shelter wrote that they have room for 125 cats and 275 dogs and took in 800 animals in August this year. When I asked what happened to the excess animals I was told that 100 were adopted, other animals went to fosters and other pets that did not meet the standards of the shelter were euthanized.

On average, an animal shelter will keep the surrendered pet for seven days however if the pet is sick, feral or not socialized, or fearful of their new surroundings, or deemed not adoptable they will euthanize it to make room for pets that fit the profile.

If you are in a predicament where you can no longer keep your pet then I would recommend that you try to find a home for your pet before surrendering to a shelter and choose your shelter wisely. Better to surrender to NO Kill shelter. Best to keep your pet.

Example if your companion does not like your pet, then explain to them that your cat is important to you and that you will not get rid of it. My husband did not like cats, I did not get rid of my cats, and my husband learned to love them. We have been married 22 years.

The apartment that I like does not allow pets. Instead of getting rid of my cat, I looked for an apartment that accepts pets.

I am allergic to cats, the doctor asked me if I would get rid of them, I said no. I take allergy pills daily and use Earthbath grooming wipes daily to remove cat dander and saliva. Two things that I am allergic to. I took steps to live under the same roof as my cats. I did not surrender them to a shelter.

With so many cats being killed annually at humane shelters, please stop before you surrender your pet, see if you can make changes in your life to accommodate your pet or network community, neighbors, family and friends for a new home for your cat.