Every year animal shelters and rescues see a huge influx of kittens during the spring and summer months. Why? A female cat’s heat cycle is influenced by the seasonal changes in the amount of daylight each day. As the days begin to grow longer, the heat cycles begin and females go out in search of a mate. A healthy female can have up to 3 heats in a year producing an average of 4-6 kittens per litter. Shelters begin to see whole litters coming in either from feral/stray cats or from pet cats that have not been spayed.

The above is direct quote from the Playful Kitty blog, and pet blogger Robin Mudge is helping to get the word out about “Kitten Season.”

Our friends at Hill’s have provided over $240 million worth of food to nearly 1,000 shelters, 365 days a year helping over 6 million pets find a new home...and counting. Proper nutrition, such as Hill’s® Science Diet® Kitten Healthy Development which provides balanced, easy-to-digest nutrition for growing kittens, makes shelter pets happier, healthier and more adoptable.

Consider helping a local shelter in your area, especially as kitten season is upon us. Some cool things you can do:

• Be a foster mom to a cat or kittens in need: Learn more from Mocha’s Mysteries and Meows;
• Learn from Stunning Keisha how to help without becoming a “foster failure;”
• Find out the three T’s of kitten socialization with Amy Shojai;
• Is your shelter a part of the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program? Do you want to be? Find out all the details here.

It was February I picked up Boaz (then named Shania) from the vet. He did not seem like he had any issues and his history paper work did not show anything to be concerned about physically or mentally. However, it does insinuate that Boaz has been in numerous homes in the past. Despite that, this Shiz Tsu was quite friendly, did not seem to have that much fear in him. His first night was not stressful apart from some coughing. 

Days turned into weeks and after about a month, an adoption application came through. I was happy for him. 

A couple weeks later, turns out the family could not keep him and back in my living room he is:) 

One day I was trying to take off some dried gook (that a word?) from his chin with scissors and what I saw was a different dog! He started barking agressively, nipped at my hand. It was a shocker! Took him a few minutes to calm down and I did not let it get to me for too long. 

There was another scenario when he got cherry eye that was growing bigger so I took him to the vet and he gave him eye drops and suggested I give it to him every day for a week. (you can imagine)

I attempted to slowly put the eyedrop container closer to his eye, knowing what kind of reaction I'm going to get, and next thing you know, the fear-based aggression came out again! It took my friend and I to lure him into the bathroom and closed the door until he calmed down. 

As much as I love Boaz, I was afraid that this trait may hinder his adoption. I tried to work with him for his fear and slowly there was small improvements. Long story short, 4 months passed and the rescue organization was considering he may not have a chance at adoption and that I would have to be prepared that he'll have to be put down. I was devastated. 

I posted on my social media accounts for help, just praying his ideal forever parent can come through. I reached out to animal communicator to help me understand anything, anything about him. I was blown away by Claudia Hehr. The mystery of Boaz's history came together. The questions that kept me away was finally answered. 

I was considering keeping him should no one reach out but in the knick of time, a got a post from Google Plus by a woman name Lori. Turns out she was looking for a rescue after a year of her last rescue passing away. On the phone, she sounded like a wonderful lady....who happened to live within 25 minutes away!

Within the next couple days, I was on my way to visit her. That was the beginning of Boaz's happy story and this experience was meant-to-be in the stars in more ways than one. One, Lori finds a son! and Boaz gets a second chance of living life the way happy dogs should. Two, it made me realize I need to contribute to helping dogs. 

That's when SaveAPooch.com was born in my heart:) 

 

Beverly Isla is the founder of Save A Pooch. S.A.P helps pet businesses and rescue organizations to enhance awareness of their services and products. S.A.P provides distribution to media outlets, mobile networks and social influencers. SaveAPooch.com is also a community based portal of rescue dog handlers, dog professionals and businesses. In an effort to save pooches, we believe education and awareness is key.  

Website: www.rescueourdogs.com

Check out this #Rescuestory from Francis

Ah Cat was my very first animal rescue. In late November 2012, I was in Balakong for a meeting and the moment I came down from my car, I saw this terrible looking cat on the road side. For some reason, the cat approached me.

He was wounded and a terrible smell emitted from him. I decided to pick him up, found a box to put him in and looked for the nearest vet to get him treatment.


Ah Cat when I found him

I found a vet and the doctor agreed to treat Ah Cat and he was under close supervision and care in the vet for a couple of weeks. After two weeks, I paid Ah Cat a visit and was happy to see that his physical wounds had started to heal.


After a month in the vet, Ah Cat wounds healed a lot more and he looked much healthier.


In January, Ah Cat showed great improvement. He was actually placed in a separate room from the other animals as every time he scratched himself, the dry 'flakes' would fly everywhere.


In order for him to heal faster, the doctor recommended Science Plan Vet Essentials.

After almost 4 months in the vet, and spending at least RM3k on medication and boarding charges, his wounds returned. The doctor sadly confirmed that this was a deadly virus. Ah Cat had an animal's version of HIV .

If he was to go back to the street and fight with other animals, the other injured animal would get infected too. After much consideration and for the safety of other animals and humans, I decided to put him to sleep and this was the toughest decision I have ever made :(


What I thought was to be a successful rescue mission turned out to be a sad ending instead. I spent a total of four months visiting him in Balakong despite living in Klang. I hope I made a difference in his short and painful life. I also hope this story won't deter others from rescuing strays (yes, the cost is high) but instead inspire them to make a difference when possible and give as much love no matter whatever situation the stray may be in.

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION (FIV) IN CATS ACCORDING TO PETMD

The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is a complex retrovirus that causes immunodeficiency disease in domestic cats. Immunodeficiency is the medical term used to describe the body’s inability to develop a normal immune response. FIV is slow moving, capable of lying dormant in the body before causing symptoms (lentivirus). It is in the same class of viruses as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in people.

There is no genetic susceptibility for infection, although genetics may play a role in the progression and severity of the disease. The average age is five years at the time of diagnosis, and the likelihood of infection increases with age. FIV is a transmissible disease that occurs more often in males because of their tendency to be more aggressive, and because they are more likely to roam, thereby increasing their exposure to the virus.

SYMPTOMS 

• Diverse symptoms owing to the decreased ability to develop a normal immune response. Associated immunodeficiencies cannot be distinguished clinically from feline leukemia virus (FeLV)
• Recurrent minor illnesses, especially with upper respiratory and gastrointestinal signs
• Mild to moderately enlarged lymph nodes
• Inflammation of the gums of the mouth and/or the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth is seen in 25 percent to 50 percent of cases
• Upper respiratory tract disease is seen in 30 percent of cases - inflammation of the nose; inflammation of the moist tissues of the eye; inflammation of the cornea (the clear part of the eye, located in the front of the eyeball); often associated with feline herpes virus and calicivirus infections
• Eye disease - inflammation of the front part of the eye, including the iris; disease of the eye in which the pressure within the eye is increased (glaucoma)
• Long-term (chronic) kidney insufficiency
• Persistent diarrhea seen in 10 percent to 20 percent of cases
• Long-term, nonresponsive, or recurrent infections of the external ear and skin resulting from bacterial or fungal infections
• Fever and wasting - especially in later stage
• Cancer (such as lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops from lymphoid tissue, including lymphocytes, a type of white-blood cell formed in lymphatic tissues throughout the body)
• Nervous system abnormalities - disruption of normal sleep patterns; behavioral changes (such as pacing and aggression); changes in vision and hearing; disorders usually affecting the nerves in the legs and paws. 

CAUSES 

• Cat-to-cat transmission; usually through bite wounds and scratches
• Occasional transmission of the virus at the time of birth
• Sexual transmission is uncommon, although FIV has been detected in semen

  
DIAGNOSIS

Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your cat, taking into account the background history of symptoms and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition. A complete blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. Your doctor will need to rule out bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, and will also test for parasites and tumors before settling on a final diagnosis.

TREATMENT

Unless your cat is severely dehydrated, it will be treated on an outpatient basis. Your veterinarian will first work to manage any secondary infections. While secondary infections will not usually cause disease, your cat’s weakened immune system will given them entrée and they will cause further complications in your cat’s overall health. Surgery may be necessary for dealing with infected teeth and for the removal of tumors. A special diet plan may also need to be put into place.

LIVING AND MANAGEMENT

How much monitoring your cat will need from you depends on secondary infections and other manifestations of the disease. You will need to watch for the occurrence of infections in your sick cat, and be aware that wasting may occur, and that your pet may die of this disease. But, in general, the earlier FIV is detected, the better your cat’s chances are for living a long and relatively healthy life.

Within 4.5 to 6 years after the time of infections, about 20 percent of cats die; however, over 50 percent will remain without clinical signs of the disease. In the late stages of the disease, when wasting and frequent infections are most likely to occur, life expectancy is less than a year. Inflammation of the gums and mouth may not respond to treatment or may be difficult to treat.


In order to prevent this disease from occurring in the first place, you should vaccinate your cat against the virus, and protect your cat from coming into contact with cats that are FIV positive. You will also want to quarantine and test new cats that are coming into your household until you are sure that they are free of the virus. It is important to note that some cats will test positive for FIV if they are carriers, although they may never have symptoms of the virus, and that cats that have been vaccinated against the virus will test positive for it even though they do not carry it. Euthanasia is not normally called for when a cat has tested positive in part because of these reasons. If your cat has tested positive you will need to talk to your veterinarian about what to do to prevent possible transmission to other cats, and what symptoms to be watchful for, should they occur.