June 30th. Went to Petsmart and sat with Karen for an hour.She had been there since morning. My turn is tomorrow. She placed 3 kittens today so it was a good day.I did not place any at Pet Barn>Just sat for hours, shopped and ate two candy bars.
On the drive home I nearly ran over what appeared to be a slow moving rat in the road.I stopped to take a look and it was actually a baby possum. Very weak and dehydrated so I decided to bring him home. Ugly little thing. Gave him a bath and pulled no less then 50 fleas. He will probably die as he is so starved , ribby , skin and bones. Must have been away from mom for at least a couple days. I gave him diluted formula he eagerly drank. He is a bit more active but still weak At least he is clean. I have to disinfect well and keep him in an isolated area, as I am afraid of germs wild baby animals can carry.I emailed a possum rescue for advice.
Took some more pictures of puppies. Gave two moms bathes, did nails on all the puppies. Gave a couple puppies vaccines yesterday. Kittens are feisty and little piggies who beg for formula a hundred times aday. I wish they would eat their kibbles more.
He may be ugly , but he is still a baby. I think he is cute. He has a mouth full of teeth.He is about 5 inches long without counting the tail.The size of a small adult rat.A face only a mama possum could love?
After his bath. Heating pad is wrapped in the fabric. cat knibble soaks in the tin. His nose and gums are white so he must be anemic unless all possums noses are white. He has cute hands that look like a humans.He grabs onto the stuffed dog in his crate.
JULY 1- Up at 6am with puppies and moms, our possum baby is doing well. Time to go and take care of kittens. Today as every week-end, we have kitten adoption stations set up at petshops. I devote at least several hours Saturday and Sunday to this. Between myself and two other ladies we have pulled no less then 40 kittens from the pounds in the last month, and a dozen or more feral kittens trapped that we work very hard to tame. Some tame up fast and others are frustrating for us, taking weeks or even months.You can help save a life by going to your local pound .They usually only keep felines for 3 days before giving them the blue glue. Call a rescue in your area. Adult cats especially need homes.
Our little Possum is doing better I need to find a possum rescue who has experience. I have none, but am learning fast by researching online. I just read that 20 newborn possums can fit on a teaspoon when born. They stay in a pouch on their mother like a kangaroo does.You only see the babies like the one we have when they start riding on the moms back at 3 months of age. So this baby we have is at least 12 weeks old. I thought he was about 3 weeks old!
Just got home from Petsmart and placed 1 kitten today. I was there for four hours.I shopped a few times in the store, as well as read. I have so many things to do at home but I do this only on the weekend
July 3rd - Other then the care of our dogs and rescues, I took a couple puppies into the vet for flight certificates.Lidice little white longcoat and Marisas cream .On the way back home I saw a small sports car pulled over to the side of the road and the occupants were out looking at something. It didn't appear to be a blown tire so I suspected the worst. After finding a road to turn around on I pulled up beside them. They were waiting for animal control and they had their hands on a kitten, around 8 weeks, who had been hit by a car. He had a bloody mouth and was panting rapidly. I drove a bit fast to rush him to the Pet hospital.While driving someone noticed I was in a hurry and gave me the middle finger. Why did I decide to let you know about this ? Because from now on when I see someone rushing in and out of traffic, I will remember today and not jump to conclusions that the person is rude.
I think the vet will have to put the poor kitten down. Later I will go to the area where he was hit and look to see if I can find others from his litter.UPDATE 6 pm The kitten was put to sleep, too many internal injuries. Poor baby. We will try to find any siblings.The kitten was hit near an overpass right by a freeway entrance/exit, hilly grassy sides, so perhaps the mother has her babies in this dangerous area.
July 8th. to 11th United goofed and set a flight for a puppy on Saturday when no such flight exists. I was even given a confirmation number for the flight! What a mess up! I paid a courier to take puppy to Sac airport and they had to just turn around and bring the puppy back. How terrible,because the customer was waiting in Los Angeles for the flight, she was already in a hotel and no puppy to arrive to her Sat evening. Awful.I made arrangements to pay a relative 400.00 to drive the puppy from here all the way to the waiting family Sunday morning.Started trip at 6 am. Customer has their baby now and all is okay .WHEW!! They LOVE the puppy.
My many rescue kittens are all still too small to be placed in the PetSmart and Pet Barn and so are Melanies.So I asked her if she would go to the pound and pick out older friendly kittens on death row.She did.and chose 5 that were to be put down tomorrow. Such pretty babies, all five brought in by families who did not take the time to find them homes. Melanie picked them up and I gave them their first shots.They should go within a week and then my kittens will start their turns. We set up adoption stations with kittens at a couple petshops every weekend.
GOOOOOD NEWS- The three ferals I trapped 4 weeks ago.The ones who tore oven mitts up every time I picked them up. The ones that for weeks just sit and are depressed, unhappy no matter how much we hold and kiss them,.WELL TODAY I SAW THEM PLAY!! I saw the feral kittens run 6 feet IN PLAY ACTION..One actually walked up to me and then she remembered her old life and ran away.Then it was all over. They sat quiet again. I HAVE HOPE FOR THEM. Not all kittens can be tamed and I was losing hope but within a couple weeks UPDATE It took "Snorts" months to convert to a loving cat.We kept her due to chrnic Sinusitis. We had her sister put down as she sat for 6 weeks and never played, Never gained weight although we fed her and she ate. I hate to think of it, if I made a msitake. I had never thought to have her put down, but it was suggested by a couple rescue people who said it was not normal for a thin kitten to sit week after week after week for two months in a corner and perhaps she was suffering. I cannot go back in time to evaluate the kitten, but once in awhile I remember her and wonder if I did the wrong thing. Perhaps "Snorts" sister was just depressed and with more time she could have been okay.Now here I go crying over that choice I made.Geez.
MORE GOOD NEWS- Tarzan a black male I traped about 7 weeks ago.....The one that has been in the petshop for no less then 4 weeks without adoption......the one who has a has been to no less then 5 adoption stations .....The one I even placed a red color with bows on to try to get him so cute to adopt..... No one wanted him......WELL TODAY HE WAS ADOPTED. How happy can one be?
POSSUM NEWS- I can't wait to drive him to a rescue. I just don't have time for him. He eats 1 cherry aday, applesauce, greens and cat food and he is somewhat cute. Really? I try to think he is so adorable but it just doesn't work . I think he is a bit gross, but cute too. I sure am contradicting myself aren't I?
UPDATE- Drove the possum to a wildlife rescue so he can be wih his own kind. I am glad he is alive and healthy and glad he is gone.
JULY 12 The 5 kittens we pulled from the pound and placed in the petshop have been adopted.They were given first shots and were on the larger side.They were due to be put down Monday.We pulled them Sunday just one day............
Went to Raleys and 2 young men, about 20 were sitting with kittens in a box. All that was left was a manx, tiny runted cutest kitten ever. Poopy butt meant possible manx syndrome and if they gave the kitten to someone who didnt know, then it could be heartbreak for them. I called Melanie and we are so full of kittens she said to let them keep it and to walk on into the store which looking the other way
I went into the stroe and then turned around and took the kitten. So now will I have the heartbreak? Why does the butt stay crusted? I have to soak and wipe and then put ointment.I will treat for cocci and Giardia and worms for a week and see if the loose stool goes away.Maybe the kitten will not have the syndrome.I have researched and also contacted cat breeders who say that it is a disorder that usually requires the kitten to be put down.Anyone ever deal with this? I contacted a special "DISABLED" animal adoption team to see if they can help me if the kitten has the disorder.I will post a picture of him soon.I am soooo sick with serious sinus infection myself.
The kittens butt caked hour after hour and she was put down.. large clots that caked on her butt, not tiny drops She had the condition in a serious way I was told, not mild that might be out grown.I could not do it so Melanie picked the baby up and took the pain on herself for me.She is so strong. I wish I could be like her.
UPDATE ON PIT BULL kitten- growing like a weed.Spoiled.I have to re wrap his broken leg at least 2 -3 times aday because it gets wet. Sores and ulcers developed and so it has to be kept dry.He is healing well now since I started the daily re wrap.If I had left the splint for 2 weeks and not undone it to find the damage he could have lost his leg.That is exactly what happened over 2 weeks ago..I didnt know his foot was getting wet and soaking up the inside of the wrap .Good thing I didnt wait tthe weeks to have him rechecked at the Vet! I removed the bandage after a week and was shocked.His bottom leg was black and I thought it was gangrene. Anyway with meds and daily wrapping he is okay.Whew!
AUGUST 20th- So much has happened in the last month, some heartbreaking and some good. The heartbreaking is my poor cat Roxy who fell into a water treatment pond and could not get out. She drown. Water treatment ponds have thick plastic sides that are like ice when wet. We found her floating after a few days of searching for her. Someone mentioned a raccoon was floating in the pond and it was my sweet little girl.The sides of the pond give the false impression that a cat could climb out.Needless to say, upon her death and resulting sadness in my family, we threw wood planks in the pond until the city put ladders on three sides.The pond is only 4 feet away from my backyard fence and a reminder of the sickening event.I am beside myself with grief. I cannot believe I am even able to type.
Another sad story. I assumed the 10 cats at the old woman's house were continuing to be fed. I went to her home a week ago to find she went into assisted living SEVERAL weeks ago :and how easily he stated to me that he had instructed the woman who regularly fed the cats to stop. I will not even write down the thoughts I had regarding this man who I am sure hasn't seen a day without good in his lifetime. The cats will die of starvation before giving up their home.People don't understand that. They think cats can easily feed themselves if you stop feeding them.
Sick inside I searched the neighborhood for the cats and couldn't find them. Over a course of a week noticed that at least 6 had stayed, their weight was down to the point of being 1/2 the weight they had been during the time I had trapped at the woman's home and fixed 8 .The food they had depended on from the woman that fed them was suddenly gone and the owman must have lost my phone number as she never called me. I had not even checked on them for over 6 weeks so busy with everything else in my life.
The house is up for sale and I am given permission to trap. Of course started supplying food while I think what can be done. TO relocate is not easy. Ferals will not stay where you relocate them.They will wander and search for their old hime and get run over by cars or killed by dogs in the process of looking. In order to relocate you need to cage the cats in the new area for a week so they grow used to the sounds, smells and area. Then you can release them and they should stay. Or I might be abler to slowly move them to another yard if the neighbor permits but how many would permit?
I am placing the food in the back of the yard near a 5 foot brick wall and will somehow get the cats to go over the fence to feed.The fence leads to a medical building parking lot, far end, not used much.I'm sure the cats wont want to be so exposed. What is a family with a dog moves into the home? What if they board up the sides of the house while the cats are underneath?????? I need to get the cats to go over the fence into the parking lot to feed. What am I to do with 10 feral cats? My worst fear is that a dog will move into the yard. I guess the cats can hop the fence to the neighbors yard where there isn't a dog and lots of junk and sheds for them to hid in.
Ont he brighter side( ?) I trapped a black female who appeared to be nursing. I called my Vet and arranged to get her in ASAP at an emergency rate$$$, and I had her fixed and released within 10 hours.Mistake.I should have looked for her kittens before releasing her.
The next day I heard the 5 hungry kittens and took them home as no mom in sight. So I was worried that the feral mom thought she was dying due tot he spay pain and hiding. I .Ordered 5 lbs of kitten milk from Revivial pets and still waiting..........For the last 4 days I fed those babies and have a movie I took that I might post.
For three days I trapped for their mother with no success. Even had taken her crying kittens to use as bait and she refused to go into the cage.
Yesterday I got lucky and mom went into the cage .I have her here at home now in a large German Shepard carrier with her kittens. Her babies are so happy and hopefully their nursing will bring her milk back in. I'm feeding morning and night with bottles through the wire door. Kittens come right up and nurse through the wire door while mom watches.I could remove them one at a time but it distresses the mother and the babies handle the bottle well through the wire door.They are happy content to have mom but mom is not happy to be in my home.As of today, Saturday, mom only hissing and growls at me. Yesterday she was spitting while lunging at me and swiping so fast with her arms that I couldn't even see the arms come at me. Today she did spit once and made me jump!
Today and tomorrow I am going to PetSmart for kitten adoptions.I usually go every week-end, trade off with Pet Barn sometimes. I really dont have the time, but that is how I spend my weekends. It is hard for me to sit for three or four hours, so I end up walking around and spending money.
I have paperwork to do, flights to plan and it is hard to give up so much of my time on the week-ends.Also local people who wish to visit to see puppies never can because one reason is, I dont have the time for them.
I placed one kitten today after 4 hours in the store....made my day to have one go....but so long ,4 hours, so boring........... I spent only 45.00 this time shopping ,not so bad
11:00 pm updated 9/2
The feral mother softly growls at me while she sniffs and then begins to eat the chicken I placed near her. Glad she is relaxing enough to enjoy a meal while I watch.Usually she waits until I cover her pen before eating. She has also spread herself wide open to allow her babies to nurse under her. She was too nervous to do this the first day I brought her home.It is a relief to see her calm down. I feel so bad to have snatched her away from her familiar surroundings, but with 105 temp days, she and her babies are safe and sound, eating well :) with nice air conditioning
9/20/2007
I have placed one kitten a week at Petshop for the last three weeks so three kittens down. But in the last 2 weeks I grabbed two kittens off an intersection ( one is a bob tail). Both are currently available and I know will go quick once placed in my local Pet shops new kitten display case that should be in over the next two week.The kittens have a 20.00 adoption fee that covers the first one or two sets of shots and a month later ( depending on size of kitten) the buyer has a 30.00 to 50.00 spay/neuter fee coupon.The rescue I work with has given out dozens of coupons this month !
Also this month I paid a mentally challenged young man for his 2 kittens. At first he wouldn't sell them to me. But I saw the danger. At any time the kittens could have spooked, fallen and been run over. The young man had fliers he had written for 5.00 a kitten and he tried to hold onto the fliers and the kittens at the same time. I called his parents and no one answered. Left them a message asking if they knew he was out walking in parking lots and sides of streets holding kittens while trying to find them homes.
I asked the young man again if I could buy the two and find homes for them. He stated that his father had told HIM to find homes for them.So I gave him a carrier and let him go on his way. I watched him look over at the Pizza place and he came back to me and stated he would let me give him 10.00 for the two kittens which I did.He went and bought pizza and soda and started to walk home.
I bought this pen at PetSmart. It is the largest one they had and has a place for the wild ferral mom to hide. ( I hated putting it together as I am always in a rush and so put the sides on back wards and had to take it apart again) The ferral mother is as wild as they come and it is so hard to clean the cage which I must do twice aday and replace food and water a few times as well. She swipes at me, growls and hisses but at least doesnt lunge at me anymore.Hyst her spitting action makes me jump. To transfer her to this pen from her cage was a nightmare. Her jaw was so powerful it crushed one of my fingers through the double towel and turned it purple..( no bite through skin:)
I then used a net which worked like a charm! The little kittens are a bit confused as they hear mom growl and hiss and wonder why. Yhey raise their backs up and pounce at me in play.To them it is a game. Really cute.
Mom does look forward to her moist food I give to her twice away. She looks eagerly for it and eats it right away. Her wild instincts are just so strong she cant help herself when it comes to her hissing and spit attacks ( like when you blink when someone swats at your face) but I am sure she knows I have no intnetion on harming her nor her kittens.
I thought it would help her to have the hidding place.You can see the entrance to the cubby she hides in on the right side.
OCTOBER was a very frustrating month. Took in four tortie females that I put on the ferral mom to nurse but she had already nursed for about 5 weeks and I figured a few more weeks wouldnt hurt. Then I released her back to her old home. She was so happy to gp back. I wish she would have tamed up while I had her in my care, but she didnt.
.Spent 35 hours over 4 week ends and didnt place one kitten.Very upsetting to me. Karen took a few of mine to Modesto which she was able to place for me. Such a relief as I get anxious when I have too many kittens to palce and I literally have nightmares over this.
If I was a millionaire............. I wouldnt be one for long .haha
Munchkinland Chihuahuas Felines Rescue Journal
