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You probably know by now that usually our Happy Beginnings stories come to us straight from the adopters who’ve given a homeless pet their new happy beginning. (If you have a happy adoption story thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com, we’d love to hear from you! Email your story with a photo attached to info@cms.adoptapet.com.) But today we have a Happy Beginnings story direct from a rescue that lists their pets for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com!  Half The Way Home Rescue sent us this story about Gia & Gigi as part of their application for an Adopt-a-Pet.com Happy Beginnings Fund, which helped create more “Happy Beginnings” with grants for adoptions programs at shelters and rescues. Half The Way Home writes…

“It was Sept. and the middle of kitten season in the south.  half the way home had just completed all paperwork for set-up and was ready to help. The responsibility, results, and reality of animal rescuing lay before us…we were nervous.

I (Vicki) went to the county animal control facility, as I had done for several years, but this time was different. I could now help instead of simply plead for help.  In the isolation room, awaiting their fate, were the bite cases, eviction cases, arrest cases, feral cats, feral kittens, and orphaned kittens. I went in to see who we could help.  Smooched up against the back of the cage, behind the litter box, were two sets of tiny ears…I never saw their faces…just their ears. “I’ll take those two,” I said. The animal control officer said, “There are three of them.” “Okay, I’ll take all three then.”

Gia, Gigi, and Pixie, three little feral kittens, were now half the way home. The three kittens went to a foster mom who had retired from the Dept. of Natural Resources –a woman well-versed in working with wild creatures of all sorts. A month later, the girls were attending adoption events. Gia came to an all-day, outside art show one Sat. in November. She was such a hit! All the kids pet her and played with her. Gia was so very gentle and affectionate – nary a feral bone in her body. A young girl named Karma fell in love with her; but her mom said, “Not today, Honey”.  Mom took one of our cards and we all parted ways.

Two weeks later, we got an email from mom…she said she and Karma had been looking online at bunches of kittens but Karma just kept saying she wanted Gia!  Mom wanted to know if Gia was still available. She was. She and her sisters were set to be spayed and would be ready to go soon. Pixie had already found her home and went a couple days after her surgery. That was perfect because mom wanted to surprise Karma on Christmas with Gia and Gigi! Their foster mom kept the two girls until Christmas Eve and then delivered them to mom. Karma was not only surprised…she, Gia and Gigi were all very happy girls!

Three little feral kittens ALL the way home… what better way could we start.”

We’ve heard all of the untrue and often downright, absurd stereotypes before. You know, “shelter pets are aggressive” or “shelter pets have all been abused.”  It’s enough to really scare off some adopters not only from saving the life of an animal that really deserves a chance, but experiencing the tremendous gifts that rescue animals have to give. As it turns out, by and large, shelter pets are soulful animals that have been known to pay back adopters tenfold with gratitude and love.  They are fun-loving, silly, and loyal. Shelter pets are just like any other pets. In an effort to help spread awareness of how terrific shelter pets are, we’re asking those of you on Facebook to click on this link and “SHARE” the image with your Facebook following, and the rest of you can share this post by using the share options below! Because the truth is, the ONLY thing wrong with shelter pets is that they are in a shelter!

My favorite books from my childhood that I remember the most clearly are ones that told a moral tale, wrapped up in an imaginative story. The Little Red Hen was one I asked to have read to me over and over, and aside from making me love chickens (as friends not food!) I really do believe it helped me understand me the value of patience, hard work, and the fruit – delicious bread – I’d get to eat as the result of my labors. When an acquaintance I admire told me she’d written a children’s book, I was intrigued. Author Denise Fleck  is not only a talented writer, she is the Past President of the Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter, has her own line of pet first-aid kits, and she’s been on many TV shows demonstrating Pet First-Aid & CPCR. While she has written a series of animal care pocket guides, her latest book is a beautifully illustrated children’s story, Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover. Here’s more about this modern moral tale which can help teach children not to make judgements based solely on appearances – not just pets, but people too…

“Mary-Alice and her friends like pretty clothes and hanging with the in-crowd, but when she requests a puppy for her birthday, her parents decide the fluffy one with the pink bow in the pet store may not be the best choice. Instead Mary-Alice ends up at the local Animal Shelter where she not only saves the life of a loving older dog, but learns that once you look beyond the plain cover of things, you can be treated to the true joys that lie underneath! Looking beyond the cover is truly canine in that dogs do not judge others based on their income, beauty or status. They live in the moment rejoicing in every kindness they are shown. Humans, young and not-so-young, can learn pawmazing lessons from our four-legged friends and when they Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.”

And with that, we present the cover of the book, and one more illustrated page below! You can purchase Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover on Amazon.com click here.

While most of our Happy Beginnings stories come from adopters, we do hear some amazing stories of happily adopted pets from the shelters and rescues that list their pets for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com too! Here’s one now, from the S.A.V.E. Rescue Coalition in Santa Fe, Texas from their Happy Beginnings grant application: “One of our favorite “Happy Beginnings” tales is of Callie, a small maltese mix. Callie was abandoned with what are believed to be her daughters in a trailer park in a small town outside of Houston. The three pups were filthy, cold and tired, but glad to be in the pound. The small pound filled up quickly and their time was up, so a volunteer called us and asked if we could take them. We took in all three and the two younger ones were adopted shortly afterward together to a wonderful family. Little Callie had a very bad skin condition and battled it for three months, going from a mangy, ragged pup to a budding beauty. Her trouble was not up yet, as she was taken on a sleepover by a couple but returned as her skin issue had still not completely resolved. No one could figure out why her face would not heal. Finally, one of our great vets, looked at her teeth and she had a very bad abscess that was continually breaking through to the skin on her face. Mystery solved. The tooth came out and she was really on the mend this time. Throughout all of this she was a little trooper, never grumpy and always loving to her foster mom and family. Her hair on her face was still growing in but we decided that it was time to go out and meet the public again. We had our new trailer out for the second time and Callie was at the event. She was out getting ready to take a walk when this lovely couple walked in. They were there to see another dog but their eyes fell on Callie, with her slightly crooked smile and it was love at first sight. Callie had found her forever home. After some questions, an application, and a meet and greet with her new Doxie brother, Callie went “home” for the first time in months. She came back to visit a few days later, and although she was still very friendly, she was ready to go back to her “mom” right away. She knew she was where she was meant to be. As her foster mom, I missed her so much, but was so glad that she had found her very own home. Attached are pictures of Callie at the shelter, during her recovery and with her new family.”

Callie and her pups at the shelter

Callie healing

 

Cat bites are serious! A small bite from a cat or kitten may seem like not a big deal, especially if you were playing with your kitten and oops one of their teeth gave you a tiny pin puncture. But this is one situation where your immediate actions can be the difference between a momentary ouch – and days spent in the hospital with multiple surgeries. I am not exaggerating!  A cat’s teeth are like sharp needles. There is bacteria on your skin and a lot of bacteria in their mouth. When a cat tooth punctures your skin, it pushes bacteria into the wound, which because of the tiny opening size, often closes up quickly, sealing the bacteria inside. This is why even tiny cat bites should not to be ignored.  Bites to the hand are particular prone to getting infected, because hands have so many bones and lower blood circulation than other parts of the body. So what should you do if you’re bitten by your cat or kitten?

The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine recommends taking these simple steps below if you are bitten by a cat. Disclaimer: The information presented here is not intended to take the place of professional medical advice. If you are bitten by any animal, always consult your physician for his/her recommendations.

1. Immediately and thoroughly wash the wound with plenty of soap and warm water. The idea is to remove as much dirt and saliva—and therefore, bacteria—as possible. It may hurt to scrub a wound, but an infection will hurt a lot more. Scrub it well and run water over it for several minutes to make sure it is clean and all soap is rinsed out.

2. It is a good idea to follow the washing with an antiseptic solution, such as iodine or other disinfectant, but always wash with soap and water first.

3. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover the wound with gauze or a bandage.

If the wound is severe, if you notice any signs of infection (pain, reddening, and swelling), or if you have any of the risk factors listed on their page here, seek medical advice at once. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics, and may have you come in daily for an IV antibiotic drip if the bite is infected.

There are myths and conflicting advice surrounding indoor cats and what is best for their health. Though cats have been domestic pets for more than 9,500 years (and so well-loved they were buried in human graveyards!), keeping cats as “indoor-only” pets has only risen in popularity in the last 100 years or so. As our cities expanded, so did urban and sub-urban dangers to free roaming cats, and caring cat owners learned the best way to keep their cats safe was to keep them indoors.  This may be one reason why what is best for an indoor-only cat’s health is still the subject of differing opinions and debate.  One of the biggest concerns potential pet parents have about cats they adopt is their health. We were fortunate enough to have the chance to ask a well-credentialed expert, Dr. Mary Beth Leininger with the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program, frequently asked questions about adopting pets’ health, including about indoor cats. Dr. Leininger is a former President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and co-owned a successful, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)-accredited companion animal hospital in Michigan for nearly 30 years. Read on for the 3rd and final installment of our short series of shelter pet health Q&A articles, here’s the 1st article, and here’s the 2nd. Click the more link to read what Dr. Leininger has to say about indoor cat health, and along with some indoor-cat health tips from some other cat experts too!

Question: If I adopt a healthy cat and keep her indoors only, does she ever need to see a vet?

Dr. Leninger’s Answer: “Even if your cat is strictly an indoor cat, it’s very important for all cats to receive regular veterinary care, including a complete checkup and screening tests at least once yearly. One important factor to consider when determining your cat’s vet visit frequency is its age or stage of life. If your cat is a senior (11 years of age or older) or experiencing ongoing health issues, visiting the vet twice a year should be common practice. This allows the vet to assess your cat’s overall health and catch any conditions that often surface as a pet ages before they advance. Particularly when a cat is young and healthy, it’s a great idea to have a cat insurance plan to help lend a hand with a cat’s care over his or her life.”

Indoor Cat Health & Happiness Tips

There’s no question that cats who live indoors-only live longer, healthier lives.  Since health is directly related to happiness and lack of stress, and it is up to us cat caretakers to always be adding new hunting, watching, chasing, pouncing, sniffing, hiding, and listening enrichment to their indoor environment. Here are four ideas for doing just that!

1. One way to keep your indoor-cat entertained is to give them lots of interesting and changing things to look at from their safe haven. Here’s a few ways you can give your cat a view.
   
2. Some cats are “alpine explorers” who like to climb and get up as high as they can! They are the ones you’ll see at the top of the cat trees in a shelter’s communal cat room, who can nap on the back of the couch or on the narrowest bookshelf edge way up above your head. You can celebrate their mountaineering skills by creating indoor alpine kitties skyways and penthouses for their (and your!) enjoyment. Here’s one idea: a DIY sisal pole & perch video.
   
3. Some cats are “cave dwellers” who like to hide in closets, under beds, and in cardboard boxes. Well, pretty much every cat I’ve ever met likes cardboard boxes! You can enrich your indoor cat’s life by helping a friend move and then recycling those boxes, or be inspired by this amazing video of a caring cat owner creating a cardboard box cat castle in this video.
   
4. Some cats love treats and really enjoy being treated for doing tricks! Tricks-for-treats training is a great way to provide mental stimulation for an indoor cat. Some tricks cats enjoy doing are coming when called, jumping up onto something on command, sitting, and sitting up. See one kitty (who’s for adoption!) do these cat tricks in this video.

Bad pet breath is not just an unpleasant odor – it can be a sign of dental disease! Just like with people, your pet’s teeth wear down over time and periodontal disease and infections can set in. And just like with people, dental disease untreated can lead to more serious problems, including heart and kidney disease. But unlike with people, your pet can’t point to their mouth and say when they have a toothache. This is why it is so important to prevent problems before they occur and get regular vet checkups to spot problems if they exist. There are many special toys and treats designed to help keep your pet’s mouth clean, but on top of regular cleanings with your vet, you really should learn to brush your pet’s teeth. Our friends over at PetParents know this isn’t the easiest mission to accomplish with dogs and cats! They have a simple three-step process you can follow to get your pet used to teeth brushing (click that link) if they’re not so keen on the idea at first.

 

One of the biggest concerns potential pet parents have about the animals for adoption at shelters and rescues is their health. Are pets for adoption at shelters and rescues healthy? Can my family and my pets get sick if they are sick? Pets at shelters are just like pets from any communal environment, including pet stores and commercial breeders. It’s good to educate yourself before getting a new pet, and we’re lucky enough to have had the chance to ask a well-credentialed expert, Dr. Mary Beth Leininger with the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program, the most-asked questions many people have about adopting pets and their health! Dr. Leininger is a former President of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and co-owned a successful, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)-accredited companion animal hospital in Michigan for nearly 30 years. Read on for the 2nd in our short series of shelter pet health Q&A articles, here’s the 1st article, and check back here next week for the last installment!

Q: I want to adopt a dog/cat, and I already have a dog/cat. How can I protect my current pet’s health?

Adopt-a-Pet.com says: Before adopting a new pet, have your current pet’s health checked by your vet. Your vet can make sure they are up to date on parasite protection appropriate for your individual pet and your geographical area, and make sure enough – but not too much – time has passed since your pet’s last  preventative vaccinations, so they are most effective. Your personal vet can also let you know about possible communicative illnesses common in your local area, that a new pet might be incubating and bring into your home. Follow your vet’s advice on isolating a new pet from your current pets. Depending on your current pets and the pet being brought in, vets may give the go-ahead for an immediate introduction, or may recommend an isolation period, especially if you have senior or baby pets.

Dr. Leininger says: There are several steps any current pet owner should take prior to adopting another cat or dog. Interested adopters should adopt from reputable shelters or rescue organizations. For example, it’s a good sign if they inquire about the adopter’s home before completing the adoption.

To protect your current pet’s health, you should make note of the adopted animal’s medical history. Let’s take a closer look at some important health-related items you should check.

Dogs:

• Spayed or neutered?
• Heartworm test (dogs older than 6 months) and preventive medication
• Parasite testing and deworming treatment history
• Temperament evaluation
• Age and gender
• Medical history
• Microchipped?

Cats:

• Spayed or neutered?
• FeLV / FIV tested
• Vaccination history
• Parasite testing and deworming treatment history
• Temperament evaluation
• Age and gender
• Medical history

That’s all for this week! Check back next week for our final installment of our mini-series of pet health Q&A with a vet, where you can find out about keeping an indoor cat healthy!

Here’s another wonderful adoption story… two actually! Both these cats were given a chance at a new happy beginning to the rest of their lives thanks to the combined efforts of an animal shelter who took them in, a rescue group who rescued them, and then two amazing compassionate families that adopted them. We heard about these doubly happy adoption stories thank to the Adopt-a-Pet.com Happy Beginnings Fund grant program for shelters and rescues. The grants provide funding to shelters and rescues for their adoption programs, to make more Happy Beginnings like these two possible. If Adopt-a-Pet.com helped you find a pet to adopt, and you have a happy adoption story and photo that you’d like to share to help inspire others to adopt a pet, we’d love to hear from you! Please send an email with a photo or two of you and your adopted pet (or just your pet, but we love seeing your smiling faces too) attached to us here at  info@cms.adoptapet.com, and let us know how Adopt-a-Pet.com helped you find your pet! Now on to the wonderful story of Sushi & Rita…

Their rescue Mutts N Stuff Small Dog Rescue – Cats In Tow Program writes, “We took in two 12-year old cats from East Valley Shelter, one named Rita, a lynx point Siamese and one named Sushi, a long-haired Siamese/Persian mix. Because of their age the condition they arrived in, they were overlooked by the public and finally scheduled for euthanasia. 

We took them into our PetSmart Brea Cat Adoption Center because they had done well in a cage and were volunteer favorites. Rita seemed pretty calm but Sushi was overly thin and bony. Both quickly ate a can of wet food each!

We took Sushi to the vet and ran a blood panel and had her teeth checked. She suffered from the affects of starvation but good food and care could counteract it. By her teeth she was actually 6 years old–that’s a 6 year difference!

We were very upfront with potential adopters; had their vet records available; and our own recommendations of what would help make them healthier.  Within a week, both cats found loving, caring homes. Rita went to a couple where she would be a buddy to a 9-year old who lost his lifetime friend. Their vet confirmed she was really 12 and they had blood work and her teeth cleaned and she was healthy. Sushi went to a caring woman who was going to nurse her back to health and a good weight. Just what she needed to survive her ordeal successfully! Both overlooked in the shelter, these cats found homes not heaven in our rescue!

See Sushi & Rita’s “before” photos at the shelter directly above, and at their happily ever after adopted photos at the top and bottom of this page! 

Imagine how it feels trying to swallow an enormous pill without any water. Ack! From a cat’s perspective, making them to swallow a medication pill or capsule without a liquid chaser probably feels worse than than what you just imagined, given the relative size of the pill to the cat’s throat.  That’s one reason why cats need some help swallowing pills — see our tips below! My vet recently told me about an even more important reason why you should use these tips: it could save your kitten or cat’s life. She also showed me this x-ray that’s posted here, which I’ll discuss in detail below too, but it’s a sad story… so first I’ll tell you how you can prevent a fatal dry pilling situation from happening first!

Getting a cat to take a pill can be like a bad comedy routine if you have a strong willed cat who doesn’t want to be pilled, and you aren’t experienced! So what can you do?

Cat Pilling Tricks

•  Liquid medication instead of a pill! Many medications are readily available in a liquid form, you just have to ask. If not already made, some can be compounded into a chicken- or tuna-flavored liquid, or even a gel you rub on their ears. Ask your vet what’s possible!
• Crushed & mixed into canned food. Ask your vet if you can crush the pill or cut it into tiny bits, then mix it into very fragrant canned cat food when they are hungry. Only try this if you have an extra pill, as you cat may refuse to eat it.
• Hide pill in pill pockets. Pill Pockets or Kitty Doh are a soft treat you can mold around the pill so your cat will eat it. If it’s a bigger pill, ask your vet if you can cut the pill up – make sure to ask, because some pills have a coating that shouldn’t be cut. The vet over at CatInfo has this great video showing how to use pill pockets in the middle of giving other treats, so the cat swallows it then other things afterwards. (She also has other great advice!)

Cat Pilling Tips

If you can’t get a liquid, and your cat won’t or can’t eat the pill in food or a pocket, you’ll have to “pill” your cat. Do not dry pill a cat without a chaser. Always follow a pill by immediately offering your cat a chaser: canned food, broth, or water… and making sure they eat or drink at least one full teaspoon. This will help the pill go all the way down. If they are sick or just won’t eat canned food, or even lap up watered-down chicken baby food, you may have to gently syringe 6cc of water into the corner of their mouths. NEVER DRY PILL a cat or kitten. The pill can get stuck and be fatal!

(You can see this published vet study for scientific proof that a chaser is needed, and here’s another showing that hiding the pill in a pill pocket works just as well.)

 

 

1. First, coat pill with butter. Check with your vet, but most pills can safely be coated with butter or hidden in a tiny butter ball, which will help them slide all the way down.
2. Second, offer pill like a treat, out of your hand. Every once in a while one of my foster cats surprises me by eating the pill no fuss! If they do, follow with a chaser, and you’re done.
3. Third, make a Kitty Burrito: Use a towel to gently but securely wrap your cat up like a burrito in a towel, with just his head showing. It really helps to have an assistant (I owe my friends so many favors!) to hold the kitty burrito on a table or floor, so you have both hands free to open cat’s mouth, insert pill, and hold your cat’s mouth closed till they swallow. See this video for how to get your cat to open his mouth, pill, & swallow. Don’t forget to give the chaser after!

Now for the sad story…

What you’re seeing in the X-ray image above is a tragic result of “dry” pilling a kitten. This was a kitten who was given a standard deworming pill, without any liquid afterwards. The pill got stuck in the kitten’s esophagus before it reached his stomach. The medication caused irritation, which caused the esophagus to swell around the pill, effectively blocking food from getting to the stomach. You can see the swollen bulbous looking mass above the red arrow, and the normal size skinny tube of the esophagus below it.

The poor kitten was starving and trying to eat, would throw up up, and then try again. As the kitten tried and tried to eat, the food and inflammation stretched out the esophagus — it was only two days after the pilling when this xray was taken. By then the esphagus was so badly stretched out, it was too late. The smaller the kitten and the bigger the pill, the more important a pill chaser becomes, but any size pill and any size cat can have this happen. That’s why a liquid or canned food chaser is so important!

So now you have some tips for how to pill or your cat or kitten, and you know about giving a pill safely wrapped in a soft treat, followed by a chaser of liquid or canned food. You just need full body armor, and you’re ready to pill your cat! 😉