BtC4A | Savannah's Paw Tracks

15 Oct 2016

We Are a Throw Away Society #BTC4A

HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!

Welcome to my October, 2016 post dedicated to the Blog The Change 4 Animals movement. My Mom Linda is my guest today cuz she has something she wants to say.

People often say that we in the USA throw away too much food, too many items that could be recycled, too much trash that is harmful to our environment. We lament our actions and vow to do better. And now we in all or most states we have recycle bins everywhere in public places and rubbish and garbage companies provide us with special bins for all our recyclable trash at home. Great progress on the inanimate objects we used to just throw away.

Too bad, in fact it is shameful, that we have not applied this same effort to cut back on all the cats that get thrown away by humans every day. I know it is not just cats or dogs, but all species of living beings humans take into their home to enjoy until that living species becomes too much effort.

Take the chicks that were dumped outside a Petco store in my city three years ago. Not long after Easter. Guess some child got some real chicks for Easter and then as they began to grow, the parents decided it wasn’t such a good idea after all, and likely the kids no longer found them as cute.

Too ugly and difficult to keep

Thankfully for these chicks, a cat rescue was at Petco that day and immediately called our friend retired feline vet Dr Josie. She scooped up the chicks and they are now living a life of luxury with her other thirteen chickens in her lovely chicken yard. Those three “throw away” chicks have been producing some very fine eggs.

I see cats thrown away in ways that are very cruel. One of my community cat TNR friends received a call she could not turn down. In the middle of the night she drove several miles to pick up a sweet kitten someone found “thrown away” and left in a park to die. I met Clipper at the last SNIP clinic of 2016 when he was brought in to be introduced to many of us who try to network the “throw away” cats so many Americans seem to have no problem leaving behind.

Can’t I just go back to sleep please!

Now ask yourself why would this precious kitten, about five to six months old be tossed aside like rubbish that cannot be recycled?

Answer: Clipper appears to be semi-paralyzed in his two hind legs which also causes him to me semi-incontinent. Yet he has reflexive movement in his hind legs. Damaged goods to many humans, so he was thrown away, left to die. You should hear Clipper’s PURR MOTOR!! To die for!! So what would you do? Go straight to seeking euthanasia to end his suffering? But did you hear that purr motor? Or would you strive to at least get a diagnosis?

Ok guys, take you photos so I can get back to my nap

Clipper gleefully drags his butt around his rescuer’s home to follow her and get more pets and snuggles. Thankfully, a local rescue Umbrella of Hope agreed to get Clipper an x-ray and diagnosis. He has no spinal fracture and they are going to try laser therapy to begin. Just look at Clipper now in his new outfit that will help him scoot along the floor to be near a human, and not cause damage to his rear end

Sweet! Love my new outfit

At the same SNIP clinic this last Sunday, someone brought in yet another “throw away” cat. One of the volunteers left their home headed to work the SNIP clinic and there they found this sweet sole kitten. Barely two to three weeks old. Alone, cast off in a yard.

Thankfully the volunteer brought this kitten to SNIP and Savannah’s foster Mom Miss Tammy immediately stepped up to foster this sweetie until she/he can be moved to Contra Costa Humane Society’s Kitty Corner. That is the Alma Mater of both Savannah and The Kid Sage.

Just three days later I helped at Community Concern 4 Cats Kitchen Clinic held at the president’s home and run by Dr Josie. There again I was up close and personal to the “throw away” society of humans in the USA when it comes to cats.

Meet Lara—she has now been living in a community cat colony for about two months. One of the caregivers realized that she and two other cats were clearly new members AND bonded. Obviously they had all come from the same “home”. Like so many others, they had been “thrown away” for whatever reason. Personally, I suspect due to their age and medical concerns.

Please keep sweet Lara in your thoughts.

I am sorry if I got older and could not keep my health

She had a microchip which we could trace back to her original rescuers. We are hopeful that they will assist in helping her and her two roomies find another real forever home.

Lara may have herpes which is causing her eyes to water and lesions to break out around her nose. With daily meds she can have a wonderful remainder of her life. She is likely about ten to twelve years old based on the microchip.

Just one more “throw away” cat for America.

Lara never once tried to scratch, bite, hiss during her whole vet examine.

Are we done now?

I offer this video of sweet Lara. You will need to turn up your sound to hear her purr—and it will be worth your effort.

Lara kept trying to make bread during her entire examine, She is simply another precious “throw away” cat in American society.

When will America stop “throwing away” cats? They are not an “invasive species” on the mainland nor in the state of Hawaii. Cats are here due to humans. Please volunteer at you local animal rescue. Help them save lives.

All community cats originate from some human deciding to “throw away” a cat either by not spaying or neutering it or because they simply don’t want to attend to it, care for it, nurture it, etc.

Just look into these cat’s eyes, “thrown away” by Americans, now living in community cat colonies, not of their own choice. Please help stop our American “throw away” society when it comes to cats.

I wish I could have a home

what did I do wrong?

A warm bed would be really nice

Did I do something to make humans dislike me?

Can I go home with you?

My last plea is related to all of us who “share” the need for adoption of adoptable “thrown away” cats, as well as pleas for promoting TNR of community cats. My plea is this—SHARE, RETWEET—If you are not willing to do that at least, then say nothing, leave no comment. Do not leave comments that say “prayers for this cat’s survival” etc. Just tell those of us who work our social media networks a comment saying “shared”!!.

That makes our efforts worthwhile. SHARING IS CARING!

Warm hugs to all who stuck in to read my very long guest post on Nana’s blog.

BE WELL, MOM LINDA

Posted in Blog The Change 4 Animals and tagged BtC4A, feral cat rescue

15 Apr 2016

36 Comments

Thirty Nine Years with Cats—and Counting #BtC4A

HIYA! SAVANNAH HERE!!

Strange title, I know. The title was the toughest part of writing this blog post to be honest. I am participating in the Be The Change 4 Animals blog event.

I pawticipate

I want to use this special blog post to share with all my readers the degree of commitment my Mom L and Dad P have to being the change for animals.

When Mom L first learned that Dad P had two cats, Squeaky and Barney, as a single guy in his early 30’s—she thought he was someone she would like to know better. And when they married, Dad P made sure Mom L had her very own kitty. All three cats were rescues in one way or another. And their commitment to making the lives of companion animals better has bonded them for thirty nine years.

Squeaky the tuxie girl lived to 19

Mom L always wanted another gray kitty so Dad P heard about a kitten and brought her home. Dad P’s other cat, Barney, took the kitten under his paw and the kitten worshiped Barney. Mom L named her Ixtaccihuatl. I know, I know—hard to wrap your tongue around that name, right? Ixtaccihuatl, in Nahuatl, means “white woman” and it is the name of a dormant volcano above Mexico City. It is also called Mujer Dormida meaning sleeping woman. Mom L somehow thought that was the perfect name for her kitten. Thankfully for that kitten, they called her Ixy.

Boris and side kick Ixy

Now what does all this have to do with Be The Change 4 Animals you might be wondering. Well, I wanna let you all know that thirty nine years later, my human guardians are still helping cats have the best life possible. I have shared more than once the SNIP (spay,neuter impact program) clinic where they both now volunteer. SNIP is held only four times a year and the April clinic this month fell smack dab on their thirty ninth wedding anniversary—April 10th.

Getting hitched

And what did they do to celebrate their thirty nine years together? You got it, they Pawed It Forward, and worked the SNIP clinic to celebrate their special day. They and all the other volunteers who staff this special clinic were the change for 71 community cats that day. Many of those cats were pregnant and are returned to their trap location, without having to ever have kittens again. And those males with big jowls and fight scars will hopefully never feel they need to protect their territory again.

Here are some photos of Mom and Dad’s thirty ninth wedding anniversary celebration.

Relaxing before opening and admitting first patiet

Relaxing before opening and admitting first patient

And yes, the above photo of the man wearing a Savannah’s Paw Tracks t-shirt is my Dad P! *proud ears* Here is the lucky kitty who arrived first. He was really nervous, but because he is young, he will not have to face years of fighting other un-neutered male cats for turf. Dad P transported him in his trap to await his surgery. TNR WORKS!!

Oh noes!

What’s gonna happen?

Next is waiting for surgery—the hall before patients arrive and after they come flooding in.

Surgery waiting hall

From the waiting hall, they go to sedation, then weigh in and first quick medical check for obvious wounds, pregnancy, etc.

Sedation room. Large scale waiting for patient’s in traps

From here they are hand carried (Mom L got to help do weigh in and hand carry!!) to the surgery prep area for shaving and ear tipping.

Surgery prep is quiet and then it is NOT!!

Now they are in to surgery.

The surgery room is quiet and then filled with six DVMs

After surgery they receive vaccinations, flea and ear mite treatment.

The table and supplies are ready and then it begins!

The photo above of the kitties getting their vaccinations is blurred on purpose. They deserve some privacy, don’t you think? And then they are reunited with their own personal trap and whisked off to recovery where it is warm and quiet.

Have a look at some of the patients up close and personal. They are not always in the best of body condition, often matted fur and dirty, but they go back home as cleaned up as they can be.

Mom L just adored this cat. She glanced down as she was tagging his trap and saw two sweet paws gripping the trap for dear life!

Hanging on for dear life

Isn’t he just precious! So hard to believe that they can’t all be scooped up and taken home for a cuddle. But because of SNIP and all the volunteers, including the couple who used SNIP as their celebration event for their thirty ninth wedding anniversary, this cat will have a better chance at living a longer and more healthy life as a community cat.