Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: It's A Wrap!

This is post #17 in a series. You can read post #18 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Well, pals, we've reached the end of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week. I hope that you've kept up with all the posts here and over at Ryker's blog. We've covered a lot of issues that might make cats seem less adoptable, but hopefully we've given you lots of reasons to overlook those issues and see all the benefits to taking one of these kitties into your home.

Remember, just because we blogged about these pets this week, doesn't mean that there aren't pets like these waiting for homes all year long. There will always be a homeless pet that's just a little different, but they will give just as much love as any other pet you adopt. They will be likely to linger in shelters, however. Give them another look when you're trying to decide who will be your next family member. If you're not sure if your shelter has one of these "less adoptable" pets, ask a volunteer or staff member if they have a hard to place pet. They will be more than happy to direct you to one of these animals and will tell you all the things that make him special.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Alex the Wobbly Cat

This is post #15 in the series. You can read post #16 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is Bonnie Still who leads the Feline Comfort Crew at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. All the kitties tell her their special requests. She's going to share about Alex, who was adopted despite being "less-adoptable."

For 1 week, I fostered a 10 month old kitten named Alex.  He had been surrendered to Wayside Waifs in Kansas City, Missouri because his owner had to move.  Before I met Alex, one of the ladies I work with told me I would immediately fall in love with him, but did not mention anything “different” about him.

Photo by Bonnie Still.

Alex was in the C.A.T. room (Cats Awaiting Transition), one of the rooms new cats are housed until they are ready to move to the adoption floor.  I walked in and said hello to all the cats, including Alex.  I didn’t notice anything “different” about him, he was lying down watching everything.  My co-worker had said Alex was fine to be let out into the room, so when it came time to clean his kennel, I opened the door, and out walked this shaky, wobbly, kitten.  I then looked at his paperwork and saw that he had Cerebellar Hypoplasia aka Wobbly-Cat Syndrome.  The vets told me Alex’s condition was mild.

Definition of Cerebellar Hypoplasia adapted from Wikipedia

Symptoms

Usually symptoms of cerebellar hypoplasia can be seen immediately at birth in cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.

Causes

There are several bacterial infections and viral infections such as feline panleukopenia, caused by feline parvovirus,[1] that can result in the disorder in both cats and dogs. However, the disease can also be caused by malnutrition, poisoning, injury or general accidents during development in the fetus.

Prognosis

The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it and should have a normal lifespan. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerations for the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner.

I had seen much younger kittens with CH at the shelter before, but this was the first time I’d seen an older cat/kitten.  For some reason, this made me more emotional towards a cat than normal.  Maybe it was because he wasn’t a stray that had been brought in, but someone had owned him, and gave him up. 

I watched Alex walking around the room.  I realized he was wobbliest when he first came out of his kennel, but as he continued to move around, it lessened.  I picked him up and snuggled right into me, purring and making biscuits (kneading with his paws).  Yep, I fell in love completely.

Photo by Bonnie Still.

The following day, I found out that before Alex could move to the adoption floor, we had to know for certain that he could use his litterbox consistently.  I offered to foster him, and within a few days, I was able to take him home with me.

Alex did very well in my home, using the litterbox consistently and properly.  He enjoyed snuggle time and play time.  It was a new experience for me.  I was used to allowing a cat to go wherever s/he wanted in our basement, but I couldn’t do that with Alex unless I was there to supervise him.  He was not afraid or timid of anything, I was the one constantly worrying!  Nothing stopped Alex. When he first saw the stairs, his eyes lit up.  He was cautious at first, and then became so confident that I had to stop him before he would overdo it and possibly hurt himself – he was not happy with me for that. 

I had researched CH and found a fantastic yahoo group devoted to CH cats.  http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/chkittyclub/  These cat owners are phenomenal!  I was blown away by their passion for these cats, and the extremes they would go to for them to have a safe, comfortable, loving home.  They offered so many wonderful tips.  One of the most important ones I probably never would have thought of – CH cats can not have their nails trimmed short – they need them to pull themselves up onto furniture.

Our last day together in my home, I brought him upstairs into our den.  I watched him shakily reach up to look out the window, and then pull himself up onto the futon to curl up next to me for a nap.  That is one of the sweetest fostering moments I have had and will always cherish.

I love all the cats that I have fostered, but there is definitely a special place in my heart just for Alex.  He taught me to not feel sorry for him, but to encourage and help him.  I also learned it takes a special person to adopt a CH cat.

Thank you Alex, for allowing me to be a small part of your life.  Alex was adopted a few weeks after being fostered!

Thank you, Ms. Bonnie for telling us about Alex and CH. I bet you miss him, but you helped him find his forever home by sharing yours with him for a week.

CH kitties need a little more supervision, but an experienced cat owner could be a great match for a wobbly cat. Please consider these special kitties when looking for your next family member!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Chronic "Cold & Flu"

This is post #13 in a series. You can read post #14 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is none other than Ryker's mom, Lisa Richman from A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale... and Mom's partner in crime at Wayside Waifs. She's going to share about Arnet, a kitty with calicivirus.

Meet Arnet, a 3 month old darling who’ll purr her way straight to your heart! Arnet was almost adopted a few days ago…until they learned she had just recovered from calicivirus.

Photo by Cathy Sherman.

Calici is one of two viruses responsible for most upper respiratory infections, or “kitty colds,” in cats. (The second is feline herpes virus or FHV-1.)

Don’t blame the adopters – this time. They have an older cat undergoing treatment for cancer. In their case, with an older cat who has a compromised immune system, it was the right thing to do.

But most cats have healthy immune systems. And many cats have not only been exposed to calicivirus, they’ve been vaccinated against it as well.  Responsible cat owners continue to vaccinate against it annually.

Every feline wellness exam includes FVRCP, the core vaccine that inoculates kitties against both calici and FHV-1. And while it can’t guarantee your cat won’t ever catch the kitty flu, it’s a good way to ensure that any upper respiratory infection they come down with is much milder.

Does this make Arnet less adoptable? Yes.

Arnet taking a break from a play session.

A responsible shelter has to provide full disclosure to any potential adopter, and that full disclosure includes the fact that a cat infected with calicivirus can become a lifelong carrier. And those are scary words to the uninformed.

Here’s what those words don’t mean.

They don’t mean a cat like Arnet is contagious all the time.

In fact, barring any stress in this young lady’s life, it’s possible she’ll never show signs of calici again.  Usually after the age of three these kinds of infections are mild or asymptomatic, according to one feline medical journal.

However, things happen. A move to a new home. The introduction of a new pet – or a child – to the family. Disruption in routine. These stressers could cause Arnet’s calicivirus to flare up. If she were to get sick again, then it’s important that Arnet see a vet…for the same reasons you’d take your child to see a doctor if she came down with the flu.

And just like the flu, calicivirus symptoms can include a runny, snotty nose, sneezing, lethargy, a fever, achy joints and disinterest in food. Like your child, you’ll want to push the liquids, make sure they stay warm and rested, and get plenty of good things to eat. Unlike your child, you can’t exactly tell a cat she needs to eat and drink more! Food doesn’t taste as flavorful when your nose is all stuffy whether you’re human or feline…so warming it a bit may help entice her to eat. 

I speak from experience. If you’ve read my blog on deaf cats at A Tonk’s Tail…err, Tale… then you’ve met Maxwell and heard about his early run-in with ear infections. What I didn’t mention in my blog was that poor Maxie also came down with calicivirus in the middle of it all! (Have you ever heard a snotty cat purr? *purr SKRANKKKK purr SKRANKKKK* Kinda noisy…) But today he’s hale & hearty, and my vet’s not a bit worried about our other cats contracting it.

Bottom line: do what you can to educate potential adopters. Often it’s the unknown that’s the boogeyman in the closet. Shed a little light on medical conditions like calicivirus and FHV-1 and help adopters understand it’s not something they necessarily need to shy away from.

I have great news! Arnet went to her forever home yesterday! She was adopted by a Wayside Waifs volunteer who has renamed her Cloe. What a lucky girl! There are other kitties out there like Arnet though. Make sure everyone knows that calicivirus doesn't have to be a reason to NOT adopt a cat.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Divas

This is post #11 in the series. You can read post #12 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

I welcome Michelle Cour as guest blogger once again.

Hey there, Halley here!  My name was formerly Luna because I had a crescent moon shaped patch of light fur on my dark fur. One of mom’s roommates used to call me Lunatic and unfortunately the name fit, so I had to get my attitude adjusted and stop being such a diva. I whined a lot at the shelter and wanted tons of attention from everyone, but nobody wanted me. I missed my family I had for 11 years and had to come to Wayside Waifs because my owner had to report for basic training. It would be fair to say I was rather cranky, and some people called me a diva.

Photo by Michelle Cour.

I’m Hannah (formerly Josie). I loved free time out of my kennel and I’d purr like crazy for anyone who took me out and gave me loving, but then I’d swat them when it was time to put me back. I didn’t get it that my behavior discouraged them from letting me out, which I loved. The worst was when I slapped a nice lady who fed and cared for me because I was mad she brought kittens to live next door to me. I wasn’t getting enough attention already, and kittens are huge competition for a scrawny 10 year old like me. I wasn’t very friendly and made little effort to meet adopters. Lots of people called me a holy terror.

Photo by Michelle Cour.

I’m mom. I adopted these two. They needed and deserved a home, and I knew their behavior was most likely due to the stress of living in the shelter so long, more than 6 months. Halley was 11, a tortoiseshell which many people don’t find attractive, and black too; 3 strikes against her. Hannah also a senior was skinny and swatty. I’m an experienced cat owner so took a chance knowing life in a shelter can turn even the sweetest cat into a diva. Hannah has only swatted me once, more than a year ago. Halley whines far less often and learned to share my attention with Hannah and Harrison, my male cat.  We’re all good!

No happy ending so far for Annabella, who’s available for adoption at Wayside Waifs. She’s also 10 and wouldn’t have been given up but for the failing health of her owner.  She’s an example of a cat who sometimes behaves like a diva, but actually is a very nice cat. She acts territorial about her kennel, (hey, it’s all she has left after losing her person and her home) so is particular about who can visit her at her kennel and how they interact. She also doesn’t like the Comfort Crew changing her litter or cleaning the kennel. She hangs out in the sunroom while they work and grouches if they put her back in her kennel. If they leave the door open, she goes back in on her own, especially if they leave a few dry treats for her.

Photo by Cathy Sherman.

I’d encourage anyone who’s an experienced cat owner and open minded to consider Annabella. It’s tough on some cats, with different volunteers and adopters walking through all the time. It’s too busy and noisy a place for some, so they can begin to act out. When our “diva” cats go to their forever homes, we almost always get a note or email how the cat’s personality changed once they got in a stable quiet place with a person of their very own. And the adopters? So happy they chose them.

I sure hope somebody adopts Annabella from Wayside Waifs very soon! Too much time in a shelter can make any cat a little grumpy, but once you get settled into your forever home, you start enjoying life a whole lot more!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Diabetic Cats

This is post #9 in the series. You can read post #10 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Once again, I welcome Kathryn Bloomer, volunteer at Wayside Waifs. She spoke with Jason, a diabetic kitty who went from a very sick kitty to thriving and enjoying life.

Jason the Argonaut here. I'm one of those shelter cat success stories that you sometimes hear about. I came to Wayside Waifs as an elderly stray in September of 2010. I was very thin, very loving, but unfortunately I turned out to be diabetic. I had won the hearts of everyone who met me, and they were going to try to treat the diabetes, but bad turned to worse when my frequent upper respiratory infections became systemic. Not a good prognosis for a shelter kitty.

Jason on his first night home with his foster mom, October 2010. Photo by Sarah Dieterle.

I was pretty sick by then, but one of the vet clinic staff decided to foster me, to give me a good end of life experience. My life expectancy at that point was a couple of weeks. But, enterprising woman that she is, Sarah my foster mom decided to treat the diabetes and the systemic infection while she had me. First she tried several antibiotics to find one that worked for me. And, just like for human diabetes, my new mom learned how to give me insulin shots, how to test my blood sugar to make sure I was okay for the insulin shot, and how to track how the insulin was affecting my blood sugar. I even got to go on a diabetic friendly low-carb diet. You can't go wrong with high protein for a cat!

And guess what. After about a month of insulin and antibiotics, I was doing a lot better. My URI symptoms resolved and my blood sugar began to reach more normal levels. Finally, I didn't even need the insulin any longer. I was officially an in-remission diabetic.

Jason in May 2011. Photo by Sarah Dieterle.

And here I am, a year later, still a kitty to be reckoned with. My foster mom officially adopted me last December. I was a calendar kitty for our 2011 calendar, and you can see from my photo how good I look now. Although I'm in remission, I still am, and always will be a diabetic, and there is always the possibility that I might go back on insulin at some point. But I just wanted to let you know that you CAN deal with us diabetic kitties. I may be old and sometimes bratty, but I'm a dearly loved miracle kitty. Thank you so much to my foster mom Sarah. Like her, maybe you, too, will someday make a difference in the life of a less adoptable shelter cat.

Thanks Kathryn and Jason! And special thanks to Jason's mom Sarah for making such a difference in the life of a shelter cat! Just because a cat has special health needs, it doesn't mean they should be overlooked at the shelter.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Bombay the Black Cat

This is post #7 in the series. You can read post #8 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is, once again, Michelle Cour. She spoke with Bombay, a three year old cat available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

Hi, I’m Bombay and I’m an all black domestic shorthair cat. As cute as I am, you’d think I’d have found a home by now, but I’m still stuck at the shelter. We black cats have a really hard time finding families. Some people never got over that old superstition of black cats and witches (witches, really? – this is the 21^st century, folks). Some people may have been outside when it’s dark and one of us walked in front of them. Scared them too; not because we’re snarly or evil, they just got startled they didn’t see us coming. And some folks believe that deal about good guys - white hats, bad guys - black hats. It wasn’t true for cowboys and it ain’t true for cats neither! Thanks for letting me vent. I needed that! Ahem…

Okay, I admit sometimes it’s hard to see details of our pretty faces clearly. A black nose no matter how cute doesn’t stand out very well against black fur. And unless our photographer takes us into a sunny room for our photo shoot, you really don’t see all the beautiful coppery brown tones in our fur and underfur. Gorgeous! You’d pay hundreds of dollars for highlights like this at the salon, ladies! So please, next time you’re shopping for a cat, please consider us.

Here are the top 10 reasons to own a black cat:

10.  You can always find your black cat in the snow. For Florida, easy to find on any light colored surface such as carpeting or the beach.

9.    Black goes with everything and it’s a powerful color. It's true. You know it. We know it. You've got your black power suit, your little black dress, best black heels etc.

8.  Black cats look like little panthers. Their regal breeding is very apparent under their sleek black coats.

7.  A black cat will match any décor. You won't have to redecorate your house to coordinate with your cat. They go with gold brocade, white velvet, pink moiré etc.

6.  Black is beautiful. There's deep auburn black, blue black, the black with tiny white highlights, sleek black, fluffy black, the black with bunny-soft fur, you get the idea.

5.  Black is slimming. Hold a black cat on your lap and you look 10 pounds thinner.  

4.  Black cats have more fun. You only thought it was blondes that had more fun, look at their black roots.

3.  Black cats try harder to make up for the image they somehow got of being scary or evil. We’re nothing like that. We go overboard to be as affectionate and loving as any fluffy white, pink-nosed bunny kitty could be.

2.  Love knows no color! Black cats don’t care what color YOUR hair is! Turning grey or falling out? Fine with us.

And the # 1 reason to adopt a black cat is that Black Cats are the least likely to get adopted! We need you. You seem like a really nice person reading about us, kind and open-minded. So come meet a few of us and take one or two home today. Otherwise, I’ll have to put an evil spell on you.      Just kidding!

Thanks Bombay and thanks again Michelle! So many great reasons to adopt a black cat. If you're not in the Kansas City area to give Bombay a forever home, there are always plenty of black cats to choose from in your area.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week 2011

This is the first in a series. You can read Post #2 here.

It's that time of year again! Petfinder has designated September 17-25 "Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week." What makes a pet "less adoptable"? There could be many factors: special needs, blindness/deafness, FIV+, black coats, or advanced age. Sometimes, these pets linger in the shelter, waiting for the right family to come along and adopt them.

This week, I'm going to turn my blog over to some guest bloggers to help spotlight some different pets who are, for one reason or another, less adoptable. I'm teaming up with my pals over at A Tonk's Tail...err, Tale... and together we'll share the stories of pets who, on the surface, might not seem very adoptable, but once you get to know them, you will learn that they make great additions to the family.

Also, as a look back, you can check out my posts from last year's Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week. Last year I posted about both cats and dogs, but this year I will focus on cats because, well, there are a lot of "less adoptable" cats to talk about! You probably have a few "less adoptable" cats at your local shelter, too, so be sure to give them a second look if you're thinking about adopting.

Take Your Cat to the Vet Week 2011

Today, August 22, through August 28 is Take Your Cat to the Vet Week. Did you know that cats only get taken to the vet about half as often as dogs? As much as I don't enjoy going to the V-E-T, it has to be done. In fact, I'm set up to go for a routine exam every 6 months.

Today was the day that I went in for my routine exam, including bloodwork. Mom had to drop me off and leave me at the V-E-T for a little while so that they could wait for the results. When the V-E-T called Mom about an hour later, she said that everything looked good and Mom could pick me up any time. Mom and Dad came right over to get me because they know I don't like it there (the staff says I get pretty "angry" the longer I'm there) plus they missed having my handsome face around the house.

When they got there, the vet tech gave Mom my "report card" for the visit.

It listed all the things they checked on me and if I needed to have anything done. It showed I was in good health, with only some tartar on my toofers. The vet tech reminded Mom that at my next exam in 6 months, I would get my vaccinations, have more bloodwork and would have my dental cleaning.

It's important to make sure you're a healthy kitty, especially as you get older. I would encourage all my kitty anipals to check out the Facebook event that Petfinder created for Take Your Cat to the Vet Week and pledge to go to the V-E-T for a check-up. There's lots of good information and tips on their Facebook page about making the trip to the V-E-T easier for you and your human.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

Mom received a new #BeTheChange challenge when she was at BlogPaws in Denver last weekend. September 19-25 is "Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week" as designated by PetFinder. The challenge was to put the spotlight on pets who might have a more difficult time finding their forever homes. Which pets fit this description? A pet might be considered "less adoptable" for a variety of reasons. Maybe it's a senior pet. It could be a pet with special needs. It might simply be the color of the pet's coat! Check out Petfinder's page to get the stats on these special pets. You might be surprised which ones are harder to place in homes.

Mom sees her share of "less adoptable" pets during the time she spends at Wayside Waifs. You can read about some of these pets Mom has cared for in previous posts of mine. Do you remember Luke or Thumper? Mom blogged about Annie, a long time resident at Wayside Waifs who finally found a home after a year in the shelter. All this week, I'm going to be featuring different pets who fall into this category.

Today, I'd like to share the story of Andromeda with you. Andromeda is a shy, one-year old girl who has been available for adoption since early July. When you approach her kennel, she will walk up to the front and and rub against the door. She acts like a kitty who wants attention. Unfortunately, if you open the door and reach inside, your hand is going to get swatted. Andromeda is afraid of hands. She is usually very polite and doesn't use her claws, but she makes it clear that you need to stay back! She plays very well with toys and seems to enjoy this kind of attention from people, but she isn't comfortable with you getting in her personal space.

It's hard for a family who is looking to adopt a pet to feel a connection with Andromeda if she won't even allow you to stroke her. She needs a special adopter who will understand her fears. She might also be a good choice for an adopter who is looking for a more independent kitty. Keep this in mind if you are looking to adopt: Pets are under a great deal of stress while they are in a shelter. Once they get into their forever home and have time to adjust, they will relax and may show a completely different personality!

It's possible that YOU could #BeTheChange for a pet like Andromeda! Please keep an open mind and an open heart when looking to add to your family.