Fluffy update

I went to the shelter last night to check on Fluffy.  She was laying in her bed.  The blanket should have been on the bed, but she had kicked it off and so I "tucked her in"  She just laid there and didn't really move, which is mostly understandable as there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of room to move.  She was vocal with me and asked for some pats which I gave her.  She still isn't eating much and there was note that her stool is still soft.  Hopefully she will be seeing the vet at some point today.  I feel so bad for her.

Rescues on the Runway 2013

Last year, I went to Rescues on the Runway at the Maine Mall.  I decided to go again.

We just stopped by for a bit to see what was going on.  We were really shocked by just how many people were at the Mall on a Saturday afternoon, why I'm not really sure... Guess I thought we were still in a recession.  We had to park out in the boonies of the parking lot (oddly enough right near a shelter van) 

Last time I went I learned about CCART.  This year there were two new rescues I hadn't heard of before.  Buddy Up and The Pixel Fund which is always so interesting

Unfortunately for me (but not for them) there were a lot of people so there aren't wonderful photos. 

Miss Maine was on hand

The Maine Claws were on hand to sign autographs

HART brought kitties again

I love this tiny cat bed.. would be perfect for only kittens
(which I am so not fostering any more which is why I didn't attempt to steal it)

And don't forget, rescue isn't just for cats and dogs

I was amazed by the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society vans

They were Mercedes Benz!

There were a lot of people off on the part of the mall that doesn't have a store looking like they were doing meet and greets.  I didn't want to take photos as that seemed invasive, but it was nice to see so many people opting to adopt.

According to the Maine Mall update on Facebook there were a lot of adoptions!

Thanks to everyone who participated today. 48 animals were adopted and were either taken home or will be in the next week. Another couple dozen adoption processes were started via surveys or email followups with agencies that have more involved adoption protocols  Tall Tail Beagle, for example, had 10 inquiries in their inbox before the event was even over!

13 cats from HART found homes too! Apparently there were rabbits again this year.  I didn't see them, but they are in the 192 photos posted on Facebook by the Maine Mall 

Thoughts of Fluffy

Well sadly Fluffy isn't at Casa de Gato at this point.  I sent an email in about what was going on and I got an email back on Friday afternoon asking to bring her in for observation and to be seen.  I am hopeful she will be back by the end of the day, but I have no reason to suspect she will.  Purrs to her that she feels better right quick.

I also saw this on Facebook and love it

Videos of Fluffy

She wasn't thrilled with me taking videos.. she was a little more active and bright eyed when the camera was off

I wanted to put music over that first video, but I was on the wrong computer and didn't have my editing program at hand so I googled for some help.  I found Magisto  They not only put it to music, but edited it as well.  I thought it was really cool, so I wanted to share both the original and what they did

Owner dying wants cat euthanized

So I am on Facebook, surfing pictures of cute kittens, and every now and then my feed is interrupted with images of kitties who are on "the list".  You know the one, the list of animals scheduled to die.

I hate those images.  I totally understand them. People can't stand by and do nothing (good for them) and by sharing sometimes pets get saved.  Sadly often they do not.  The reason I hate them is because often people who are in no position emotionally or financially to do something have their heart strings pulled to the point of breaking and they have to do SOMETHING.  Sometimes they take in a pet that they really shouldn't, putting an emotional and financial burden on not only themselves but everyone (and every pet) in their lives.

But often the "something" is that they lash out.

Case in point. An elderly owner is dying.  The owner has no options for the three year old "Pumpkin" and brought it to the vet to be put to sleep.

Horrific right?  There has got to be a home for such healthy kitty.  But lets remember this owner is dying.  No one is stepping up to take Pumpkin with in the owner's circle of family and friends.  What options are there?  Put an ad in Craigslist or in the paper?  Sure, but that takes time and energy and you still don't know for sure what kind of life your kitty will have.  Will it be loved and cared for or will it just exist, or worse be used for bait or something else?  Most people rule out bringing an animal to a shelter.  They don't want their beloved cats sitting in a cage being traumatized with all the other animals and noises, before either being adopted by 'someone' or being put down.  Doesn't it seem like a more humane option to have the kitty's life end in love? (I am not condoning this, but I can understand it)

So my heart breaks for Pumpkin, and Pumpkin's owner faced with a beloved pet having to live her life with out everything she has ever known or loved.  As I'm reading over comments about the situation to see if someone was able to help Pumpkin, I see so many negative comments..

• vets who would even considering killing a healthy cat should not be practicing!! 
• I cannot believe how selfish this owner is to say that, a healthy cat, the right answer find her a good home. 
• The owner should step it up and donate some money to 'Pumpkin's' new owner to help with future housing/vet bills 
• A lot of things piss me off in rescue, and this is at the top of the list. Killing your perfectly healthy pet because you are dying. There are always options!

How is attacking the owner helpful?  How is attacking the vet helpful?   You do not know the owners situation.  What if there is no money because the health care system drained it all? Most people do not have the resources to network to find a cat a new home - and remember this person is dying, how much energy do they have. Even when pets are networked so many of them are unable to find homes - remember a companion animal is killed every eight seconds because there are not enough homes and resources to care for them all.  What makes Pumpkin special?  Why is Pumpkin more deserving than the thousands of others looking for a home right now?  I bet you there are at least a thousand three year old healthy cats waiting right now.  Do they not all deserve a home?  

There are no easy answers to this post.  I abhor the idea of killing Pumpkin.  There are times when I contemplate the end of my own life and I can not stand the thought of what would happen to my cats.  There is no one in my life that would take on seven cats.  I can barely see anyone taking one.  I am very very thankful that the shelter in my area has such a wonderful adoption rate, and the chances of my cats finding new homes if the unthinkable were to happen would be pretty good.  They know me, they would do right by my cats.  But if I lived in a high kill community and I knew I was dying and I could not find homes for my beloved kitties... 

As much as I would like us to be a no-kill nation, I do not see that happening.  Maybe one day when we take care of the human beings that are falling through the cracks - the homeless, the hungry, the mentally challenged,  the abused and neglected - maybe then I might believe that no-kill is an option everywhere.  Until then I accept that kindly ending a beloved pet's life instead of letting it face the unknown is sometimes should be an option.

not that I do not think people should help to help find a home.. but I by no means would be saying cruel things about the people involved.