Hello Kitty Room is Popular

Well, Mr. Rogers, the kitty with the tumor in his face is no longer with me. After a brief rebound where he seemed to be doing better in terms of overall well-being even though he never re-hydrated properly or gained weight, he began to slide back downhill again, reverting to his constant pacing and poor appetite. I really felt that the mass on his face was causing him disorientation and pain. He had two weeks of safety and warmth, food and medication, but he never found the comfort and relief from pain he deserved. 

After getting the Hello Kitty room cleaned and reset, I'm afraid the it is once again occupied. A previous tenant, Siouxsie Sioux is back. She managed to catch the cold that was going through the shelter, and it hit her hard. She's been on death's door for more than a week, neither eating nor drinking, and I finally couldn't stand it anymore and brought her back to see if it would help. Did it ever! After 10 minutes of prowling around checking out the room, she sat down in front of the water bowl and drank probably 1/2 cup. Then she cuddled and purred with me for a while, visited the litter box, drank some more water, and settled in for a grooming session followed by a nap.

I have no idea what we're going to do with this cat long term. She's simply not cut out to be in the shelter, in terms of either temperament or immune system. She hates other cats and needs to be in a single pet household. She's such a lovely creature, sleek and shiny, and a perfect medium size. She doesn't look anything like the scrawny, scabby, hairless, wreck of a cat that first came to us. Keeps herself at a nice body condition, not too thin or too plump. She's happy and affectionate, perhaps even annoyingly so, if you're used to a more independent pet. Well, ok, she's kind of a mess right now, with runny nose, swollen eyes, poor body condition, and shabby fur from being sick (but she still HAS her fur this time), but give her a week and she'll be good as new, as long as she hits the food bowl the way she did the water. Someone PLEASE adopt this cat! It's no fair to keep bouncing her back and forth between the shelter and an isolated bedroom at my house.

I think they're multiplying...

I have another bottle baby.  She's about the same age and size as the one yesterday, and considering I'm running out of cage space at home, I'm declaring them siblings.  I dub them Samantha and Darrin (Bewitched.)

Happy Goodbye

I had to say goodbye to Dove, the little lilac kitten from the LDS church yesterday.  She plumped up nicely and was ready to go to her new home... with one of my veterinarians!  So happy she got a good home, I know she'll be spoiled by the whole family, and I'll still be able to get regular updates on her as she grows up.

Her poor little brother is alone now.  He's still half the size he should be, but is in great health.  I still can't believe he survived.

One of my co-workers is going on vacation, so I've got her bottle babies while she's gone.  Unfortunately, one was quite sick and died today.  The other two look great, and I hope to have them weaned soon.  To top things off, I got another little bottle baby today.  The corner of my bedroom where I keep kitten cages is looking like some sort of trashy apartment complex.

Mr. Rogers in My Neighborhood

This is my latest special care kitty, Mr. Rogers. We're still not sure if his misshapen face is due entirely to infection, or if there's a tumor in there. It has responded to antibiotics, but he's still lumpy. He's spent the last couple days anxiously prowling a large dog crate, so I finally relented and have given him free run of the Hello Kitty room now that is face isn't draining quite so freely. Oddly, he is still anxiously prowling the perimeter of the room, always clockwise, always hugging the walls, always keeping his eyes straight on the floor in front of him. I fear his eyesight is gone or nearly so even in his good eye. And since he won't go up even the 6" onto the low bed, I'm going to have to figure out a snug comfy place that he can find but won't be an obstacle. But he is eating well and fights getting fluids to the point where I can no longer do it, so he must feel ok! It's sad though, I'll be surprised if he can ultimately be saved. I'm really pretty sure that's a tumor.

Transaction in a Dimly Lit Parking Lot

The phone rings RIGHT at closing time tonight.  It's a lady in a town an hour away.  Her daughter was driving into town with a friend and came across an injured cat.  She has it in her car, and wants to know if she can bring it in.  Well, nobody will be here, and all the vet clinics are closed.  I finally agree to meet her in the grocery store parking lot, as I have a couple errands to run before I head home, and groceries is one of them.  I'll collect the cat, take him home and stabilize him as much as possible, and decide what to do with him in the morning.  Nothing else I can really do that late anyway.  When I finally meet up with the young girl and cat, my first thought was the good news is I don't think it's head trauma. The bad news is, I think it's either a tumor or an infected eye that has ruptured through the sinuses and out below the cheekbone. I'll be stopping off at the vet clinic on the way to work tomorrow I guess.