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: 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: 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: Jaguar

This is post #5 in the series. You can read post #6 at A Tonk's Tail...er, Tale...

Today's guest blogger is Kathryn Bloomer. She's the hostess with the mostess for the kitty parties during the mornings at Wayside Waifs. She spoke with Jaguar who is available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. This is what he had to say about his situation:

Hi, I’m Jaguar and I’m a 12-year-old shelter cat.  That makes me a senior cat, and it’s not easy being a senior shelter cat, because, well, seems like everyone wants a kitten.  But we seniors have our attractions as well, the first being – we’re not kittens!  No curtain climbing, no screaming banshee raids from room to room, no sudden ankle attacks – well, not usually.  We senior cats know how to savor life one dignified step at a time.

I can tell you from experience that shelter life isn’t easy for us seniors.  For one thing, being a senior is a little like having a hangover 24/7.  You know – everything hurts, you hate bright lights and loud noises, you’re a little cranky, the brain is a little fuzzy, you don’t want to have to learn anything new, you don’t move very fast, and most of all you just want to go home and go to bed. So we senior cats are usually to be found napping.

We senior cats might act a little depressed here at the shelter, missing the old life maybe. And if we look a little scruffy, well, sometimes it’s hard to get excited about grooming when surrounded by a new environment, new faces, and the occasional noisy visitor who likes to poke us to see if we’ll respond.  Just ask my friend Annabella about the visitor who kept poking at her just to see her slap at him.  “Oh, I like to box with cats – they enjoy it!” the guy said.  Grrrr.  Is it any wonder that we get a little swatty sometimes? 

But just because we might get a little grouchy at the shelter doesn’t mean we will stay that way.  I mean, you get cranky at work sometimes don’t you?  And then you like to go home to the cozy sanctuary of your home?  It’s like that for us, too.  We just want to go to a quiet, cozy home, where we can nuzzle you in peace, climb into your lap, and give you the loving that you deserve.  Then we will blossom.  We will get a new spring in our step, take extra care in our grooming and probably look and act years younger.

I’ve heard some visitors say that older cats don’t bond as well to new people. Excuse me?  I don’t know about you, but when I meet that special someone, I don’t care how old I am, I’m gonna love on them like crazy – make up for lost time, you know? 

It takes a special person to adopt a senior cat.  I may not have as many years left as the younger cats, but we indoor cats have pretty long life spans – 16, 18, maybe 22 or 23.  And then after I’m gone, that will make room for another sweet kitty in your life. 

How will you know that I’m the senior kitty for you?  Just come and visit me. I’ll look up into your eyes, and you’ll know…you’ll know.

Thank you Kathryn and Jaguar! I can understand where Jaguar is coming from. When Mom adopted me I was 7 years old. Not elderly, but certainly not a kitten. She saw the benefits of adopting an older cat and we have lived in harmony ever since! 

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.

Less Adoptable Pets Who Are Actually Very Adoptable

Since this is the final day of Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week, I thought I'd introduce you to a few pets in my Mom's life that some people may have seen as "less-adoptable", but to her they were very adoptable!

First is Oscar. Mom had him before she had me, while she was living in a different city. Oscar is a Borzoi that was 2 years old when Mom got him. He had never been a "pet", instead he was raised to be a show dog, but had too many faults. The breeder gave him to Mom on the condition that Mom would pay to have his papers changed over and have him neutered.

Mom fell in love with him right away, but things were difficult from the very beginning. Since he wasn't raised as a pet, he had never been inside a house until the day Mom went to get him. He didn't know how to act in a house and had never encountered stairs. The whole idea of being indoors was very unnerving for him and his entire life, he never spent much time inside.

He had been cared for by one person before Mom adopted him, so it was hard for him to bond with people and was frightened of most humans he came into contact with. Most people would have considered Oscar too neurotic to make a good pet, but Mom's patience and understanding paid off and they developed a strong bond over the 6 years they spent together. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Oscar because he passed away due to cancer 3 years ago.

After Oscar went to the Rainbow Bridge, Mom's dad was anxious for her to get another dog. Mom wasn't ready yet, so Grandpa decided he would adopt one of his own. After reading a story in the local paper about black dogs having a harder time finding their forever homes, he made up his mind that he would find a black dog to adopt.

Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma all went to the Kansas Humane Society in Wichita one afternoon and that's where they met Yaz, a corgi mix.

His name when they met him was Flash and Grandpa decided he liked his friendly demeanor. They decided to change his name and Mom suggested Yaz, after a former Red Sox player. Grandpa agreed and Yaz became part of the family. He has been a great pal for Grandpa and Mom loves to visit him. He's a spunky, fun-loving little dog that makes everybody who sees him smile!

Of course, the most recent "less-adoptable" pet Mom has let into her life is me! When Mom and I met at Wayside Waifs I was 7 years old. It's easy to overlook a chubby, mature kitty that just wants to lay around and cuddle when there's so many frisky kittens around. But Mom saw something in me that she connected with and I did my best to convey what a good kitty I would be. The rest is history!

I hope you remember these success stories when you are looking to adopt your own pet. Pay close attention to ALL of the pets who are looking for their forever homes. You never know what you could be missing if you pass up a pet who seems "less-adoptable".

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week: Itchy

Today's featured pet for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week is Itchy. He's a 6 year old kitty looking for his forever home at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. Itchy is front declawed, so he will need to be an indoor-only cat. Mom has spent some time with Itchy and says he's very sweet and loves to be petted. He gets along with other cats and with children.

His previous owners gave him up because of the lady's allergies. Can you imagine living somewhere with a family that loves you, then suddenly being in a shelter? Let's find somebody who can #BeTheChange for Itchy.

If you want more info about less-adoptable pets, take a look at what Petfinder has to say. Older pets are the ones hardest to place in homes. So many families looking to adopt a cat will pick a kitten instead of seeing the benefits to adopting a mature kitty like Itchy. It's time to stop overlooking these so-called "less-adoptable" pets and seeing them for the awesome family members they could be!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week-Tri

Honestly, I don't see anything "less-adoptable" about Tri at all. He has a black coat and walks with just three legs, but he's young and full of energy. What's less adoptable about that? He's 10 months old and his amputated leg doesn't seem to cause him a problem getting around. He's a typical puppy and is learning to walk on a leash. He already knows "sit" and is treat motivated.

Black dogs and cats are often overlooked in shelters, but don't overlook Tri! He would make a great addition to your home and would make a wonderful pal. He's available for adoption from Wayside Waifs in Kansas City. You can #BeTheChange for a cool dog and I'm sure he could #BeTheChange for you too!

Blackie Is VERY Adoptable-Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

My Wednesday selection for Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week is Blackie. Not only is he a black cat, but he's 8 years old.

Not long ago, Mom had a family come into Wayside Waifs looking to adopt a cat. The lady said "No black cats, they're bad luck." Well, Mom couldn't believe her ears! She let the family look around and one of the cats they looked at was a black kitten. Mom told the lady that black pets have a harder time finding homes because of superstitions. The lady seemed leery, but relented and the family adopted the little black kitten. Maybe if people realized that black pets are many times the last picked in shelters, they would adopt more of them!

If you're in the Kansas City area, come on by Wayside Waifs and take a look at Blackie. Maybe you could #BeTheChange for him. I'm sure he would appreciate it!

Anipal Photo Hunt #6: Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week Challenge

I'll be posting all week for the #BeTheChange challenge to spotlight less adoptable pets, but for this week's Anipal Photo Hunt I'll throw in an extra!



This is Sarah. She's considered less adoptable because she's 12 years old. Some people don't want to adopt pets of a certain age, but an older pet can have so many advantages! They are usually already litter/house trained, they have settled into their personalities and many times they come with background information.

Sarah is available for adoption at Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.

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.