Posted on 07/30/2004 9:20:26 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
Some of you know the story of Zia, my new kitten. Well, Wednesday night I found myself in custody of another kitten - poor thing just strolled up to me in my carport, mewing piteously. I took it to the vet, and it turns out the poor critter has good reason to mew - it has feline leukemia and a nasty upper respiratory infection.
This kitty is in trouble - I can't take her becase Zia would be in danger of infection, and no normal shelter would take her for the same reason. I have a call in to Waccamaw Animal Rescue Mission (the local no-kill animal shelter), but haven't heard from them so far. I'm currently boarding her at the vet. If I can't find a home for her by Monday, she'll be euthanized.
The respiratory infection is curable, and she could potentially live a long life. The problem is that she could not be in a house with other cats because of the feline leukemia, and in about seven years she'll probably start to develop other health problems. (So says the vet, I'm no expert.) I also expect she'd have to be an indoor cat because of the leukemia.
The kitten is female, about 6-8 weeks old (possibly a littermate of Zia's), brindled tan coat, and has no fear of dogs. I'll happily drive her to anywhere within a few hours of the Myrtle Beach area, but I doubt an air cargo company would take her without a clean bill of health (and she does have fleas). Sorry, no pics - maybe later.
I know this is a long shot. If anyone is interested in taking her, please post or freepmail.
The sick kitty is out of my house and boarding at the vet's.
I'm actually her (adoptive) daddy. Honest. I checked.
Yes, but the cat needs two shots for the vaccine to be effective. Kind of a throwback to kitten-hood, remember going to the vet every 3-4 weeks for shots? When you vaccinate for a new disease, the cat needs two vaccines 3-4 weeks apart for it to "stick". Then vaccinate yearly.
Sorry!
Great... you should toss out all foods, water, and litter it came in contact with, wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant... these kitty diseases are as easy to spread as the common cold! Take no chances... too many people find out the hard way. I'm very lucky that Jabez contracted a very, very mild variant of the herpes--it could have been much worse.
Your priorities are the misguided ones. Go lecture the Freepers who brag about how much their SUV guzzles gases on car/gas threads on where their money should go before you lecture Freepers who are already spending their time and money doing community work.
No harm done. I'm just glad you're not demanding proof. :-)
Done already. Haven't disinfected, but I will. I kept the sick kitty in a spare bathroom, and my kitty doesn't like to go in there, so that's stroke of luck.
IN fact, I have an internet connection precisely to be able to assist the children.
Good grief. That is what she loves. There are plenty of good causes in the world, we aren't all required to commit our lives to yours.
Great :o) Sorry for harping it on you so much--us humans don't have to worry about this stuff because we don't have any fatal diseases that spread like common colds--so we tend to not to realize just how easy it is to spread FIP, FIV, FeLV, and herpes. Good luck!
Keep on, keepin' on!
Thank you both for the tips. I don't know if the shots Zia got included FeLV, but if they didn't I'll surely correct that.
I have a cat too. I remember when he was born.
To be honest, I am sure I spend significant money on things that I don't need.
Again, my animal-loving relative is so lunatic about animals and animal rescue that it cause dme to think long and hard about what that is all about.
And my conclusion is that it is largely a way to find companionship from "friends" who can't really complain and to be a hero to "friends" who can never diappoint you later on.
Sadly, such focus on animals indicates to me a lack of healthy human relationships or a lack of a healthy perspective on animal relationships.
Its so easy to give to the animals - and often so hard to give to people. People are complex. But we can pretend animals are/think/feel whatever we want them to be/think/feel.
It can be theraputic for those who really don't have opportunity for human relationships, I am sure. But a majority of people who are sush die-hard animal-lovers really do have plenty of opportunity to focus on human realtionships - yet pour so much energy into animals rather than people.
I just don't see that helping animals
- and providing them with HUMAN luxuries
- like extremely expensive health care
- or "sports" programs
- or "rescue" programs
- or day care
- etc.
when similar needs of innocent people are neglected
is
"a good cause".
Because they want to.
Choice is what it comes down to. You think that is a waste of time. Others do not. That's it, no more, no less.
Exactly - its about our choice of priorities.
the klintons' have power as a priotity
terrorists have killing as a priority
volunteer firefighters have fighting fires as a priority
breast cancer advocates have sick women as a priority
animal rescue people have animals as a priority
I have four. No more for me!
So none of us can enjoy any dog or horse sports, or keep our animals healthy or save any that have been abandoned... or take care of our own, until all children are cared for. Veterinary science has no value, we should spend no money keeping our pets and livestock alive and healthy.
I am surprised you are on a conservative website. Telling people all their money should go to the children, other people's children, and they are wrong to spend their own money any way that brings them happiness, is a socialist attitude. I know you have some axe to grind about some relative of yours who has found a calling in critters. You ~resent~ that she hasn't adopted a bunch of children. She didn't ~want~ a bunch of children.
We have loves and hobbies. Some people buy sailboats, some horses some dogs. All hobbies cost money and save no children.... You are going to be very busy if you are consistent in trying to guilt every unnecessary purchase that doesn't save a child.
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