two updates and a grody

First update: went to the shelter last night.  They were holding a "foster kitten forum" and I wasn't going to go, but I decided to give it a shot.  I'm not happy right now and I figured if I kept expecting them to continue to make me unhappy it was going to be a self fulfilling prophecy.  I know my ideas on how to raise kittens does not exactly line up with theirs, but for the most part I can deal with their "dry food is great" attitude and the few other places we diverge.

The forum was a great disappointment.  The first year they held it a ton of people showed up, and NO ONE was listened to.  The second year they held it half the people showed up and there was a bit more listening.  I know I didn't attend it one year, and I don't think they held it another year.. well today it was 75% staff and three foster homes... two who had been doing it for years (myself included) and one who was contemplating it.  *sigh*  Probably because they held it on a 5:30 on a Tuesday.  I mean come on.. volunteers work and have families.. a Saturday or Sunday would have been better.. heck the shelter is open till 7 most days, and holding it later would have been much easier for me and I'm sure most of the people who didn't show up.  I heard one of the staff say "well I posted it on Facebook this morning".. really?  you think that is A) enough time and B) a good way to communicate this sort of thing?  Why on earth did they not call the foster families?? especially since they had a "whole new" foster booklet to hand out to us..

I'm ranting..   *deep breath*  They do the best they can with the limitations they have *another deep breath*

so, disappointing turn out.  Semi interesting discussions.  I had to bite my tongue when they started talking dry food and how it is preferable to give to a cat who has diarrhea.. (sure, give a kitten who is in danger of being dehydrated from diarrhea a dehydrating food.. ok.. ow ow ow.. my tongue) and I did.  I suggested that they might have an "on call" phone for after hour emergencies  because they discussed how it can be hard to get a hold of anyone, but they said since they are hourly they wouldn't do it.  I tried to explain how my husband's company does it and how it is beneficial to the hourly paid staff, but it was dismissed.  I get that.  I wasn't thrilled when my husband was on call myself, but the extra money was nice.  They might not want to do it now, but a seed was planted and if something in the future comes up, it might sprout..

then I read through the new booklet when I got home, and they suggest starting kittens out on a gruel of formula and dry food.  I wrote into the shelter.  I tried to be as factual as I could and as self dismissive as I could so they wouldn't think I was being militant or insistent that they were wrong. (which I think they are, but we all have different points of view when it comes to food).  It is just that dry food mixed with water can quickly become a bacteria soup and be very dangerous to kittens, and there was NO mention of not letting it sit, or throwing it out..etc.
*sigh*

I get it... I really do.  While I wish every kitty could get a good meat based diet, I fully understand many people are still being told by their vets (and I'm sure the staff is being told by their vet) that dry food is perfectly acceptable and comparable to wet food.  Heck I've even been told that the only difference between wet food and dry food is the water content, and since water is free it is a crime that they "charge more" for wet..   *sigh*

For those of you who don't know the difference, check out http://www.catinfo.org or the book Your Cat.

Ok, so I'm ranting again.. on to the second update..

I asked about Jordan since I hadn't heard back.  They set her up in a cage for adoption.  They put her on a hypoallergenic diet, and the new vet wanted to see what her eyes looked like with out medication for a few days.. Poor girl was even more bald and so squinty I wasn't sure she had eyeballs.  I pulled her out of the cage to give her some love and noticed her incision (they did spay her) was infected.  I mentioned it to the staff and they are pulling her from adoption, starting her on an antibiotic and it was wondered if she doesn't have an auto immune disease.  I feel so bad for her, I wish she could go into a foster home who could give her a LOT of one on one attention because she is starved for it.

Now.. the grody.. and it is GROSS, so feel free to stop reading here



you were warned...





I went to feed the kittens this morning.  I pulled out two packets of food in a pouch.  I opened up the first one and the kittens were all over it.  I opened up the second and poured it into the second bowl and a black sludge issued forth from the container.  Pure sludge.  No chunks, no gravy, it looked like thin oil and the smell.. I can't believe I didn't hurl on the spot.  Of course the kittens were all like "hey, what's that??" and I had to herd kittens to keep them from jumping in it.  Some how I got them in the cage so I could clean up the floor and since I was late for work (yup, big surprise) I tossed both plates of food outside so no one would get into them and they didn't stink up the room (they'll stink up right outside of the house with the hot weather we are going to get today)

One of the kittens vomited again last night.  They aren't losing weight but they have stopped gaining.  Nigel is 1lb 7oz now.. Lily is the largest at 1lb 10.  I can feel Nigel's bones again but not Lily's.   There are so many tiny little things that are off with this set.  I know I'm paranoid because of all the things that HAVE gone wrong in the past while fostering, but this set sets off every warning bell I have.  I don't think it is major but I do think it is something.  Maybe Jordan does have an immune deficiency and passed something on to them??  I just wish I had a concrete symptom.

but then again maybe they are just a little off today because they got their first vaccine last night?