SPATZ

Spatz is still with me and doing great. She would do better without Little One but is dealing with her. Spatz is very playful and active at night. She still doesn't play much with me but is getting better. Little One took her spot so now Spatz hangs out behind my chair. I look back and there she is staring at me.

RINGWORM PROCEDURES

Ringworm procedures. This is what works best for Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter and if you ever have to deal with it I hope these procedures help you. 1st quarantine the animal. Ringworm is highly contagious and a pain in the ass to get rid of. Keep in mind where ever you quarantine the animal has to be easily cleaned because ringworm can live in carpet, bedding, scratching posts, and basically anything the animal touches. Keeping them in a small bathroom or closet you cleaned out, sounds so mean, but you get ringworm on you and can't go anywhere and will probably screw up your life for a little while. I'm talking no work, church, school and or social engagements. Basically the doctor is going to order you quarantined. 2nd get information. The more you know the better it will be. Don't trust just one source. Some may have had a really bad outbreak and others a very mild episode. Everyone's situation is different so take it all in then do what works for you. 3rd make sure it is ringworm. A black light only shows that you have dead flaky skin. Keep in mind they use a black light to freak people out about what's on your hotel bed spread. You really think that it's ringworm? A black light can be used once you know it's ringworm to check its progress. The actual test takes 7 to 21 days to get results.  They take hair and skin then add it to a solution and see what grows. By the way anything less then 21 days sucks because that means you got it. After 21 days your clear. 4th clean everything!  This crap lives for a very long time so anywhere the animal has been needs thoroughly sanitized. And keep cleaning where the animal is quarantined to keep it from reoccurring. That also means the animal. You will need at least 2 spray bottles. I'm the only one that will bathe cats at the shelter. Others could but don't. You need a special shampoo. I use a spray bottle. Fill it up with water and then add the shampoo, that way it won't foam up. Work up a good lather and don't get it in the animals eyes or you could blind them. Rinse thoroughly and dry the best you can. Then spray down with dip medicated kill all ringworm stuff. It's orange and will look yellow when sprayed on your animal especially white fur. It dries clear so don't freak. Do this at least once a week. Then you can spray the dip on the animal in between bathing as well. Use a medicated cream on visible areas daily to help get rid of it. 5th keep in mind that most shelters euthanize because it's a royal pain in the ass. The vet may also give you an oral medicine so see a vet. They may also give you a mousse. It has to be used daily so didn't work for the shelter. Remember it has to work for you! If you can't bath your animal then move on and do things you can do. Good luck!

RINGWORM

Ringworm is back at Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter.  The No Kill in the name means lots of work for everyone at Happy Endings. My first big adventure with ringworm was last year 2014 when the shelter rescued 6 kittens from a shelter that said they won't deal with ringworm, that shelter just euthanizes them. They gave us only days to decide. Happy Endings quickly discussed it and even though are way under staffed took the kittens in. I help medicate and bath them. The shelter tried something new a mousse. You have to use it every day so didn't work for Happy Endings.  What no one was told until they got the kittens is that they were also very sick. So on top of treating for ringworm they had upper respiratory as well. It took forever to get them healthy. And now the Shelter has a major break out.  Over 20 cats and at least 4 are adults. I am the only one that will bathe them and spray on the medicine.  The problem for me is that I'm highly allergic to sulfa which is what the stuff is made of. My hands swell up and it makes me light headed. Gloves don't work the kittens shred them. They just don't understand that the bath is for their benefit.

LITTLE ONE

Little One does not have an injury in her mouth. It's some kind of mouth disease that they are looking into. She is eating great with me. However I had to take her home this past weekend and she stopped eating. Little One was in our bathroom with Spatz and it's just not big enough for her to move around and get comfortable.  We have too many bullies to let them out with our cats. Back in the truck and eating constantly. Little One eats canned and dry food. She has slept next to me, along my back and on my feet. She also loves looking out the bunk window. If anyone reads this and has 1 room that Little One could hang out in please take her. I believe with some more work she would be a very loving cat. There is a difference between a friendly from the start and a feral made friendly. The feral made friendly will be your cat and tend to want only you.

LITTLE ONE

Little One is back in the truck. If you have read past posts about this cat you know she doesn't eat at the shelter. I told them to find her a home as an adopted cat or foster. So what happened? Happy Endings No Kill Cat Shelter found Little One a foster home. This was great and I was glad to hear it. So what went wrong?  Little One doesn't eat at the shelter because she is frightened and in a cage. The foster reported that Little One was not eating so the cat was taken to Crawford Animal Hospital. They put her under to do a full exam. People can pet her but holding her is not happening.  The doctor found a injury or something in Little One's mouth. It looked like an electrical burn like she bit a cord. They sent out a biopsy and should be able to tell exactly what it is. The foster said Little One has not been out of the cage she has been in at the fosters home. WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING IN A CAGE? This cat hates being caged and is frightened. STUPID PEOPLE! Little One needs to go to a home with not only a loving person but one smart enough to understand her needs. I put her in the truck and within 24 hours Little One has eaten over a POUND of canned food and a half a cup of dry. I put a can in front of her and she starts eating. This is what Little One needs; 1. A room. Not a whole house! A home office or bedroom with a closed door would be great. Not forever but maybe 6 months to a year. 2. A strategically designed hiding place. Nothing hard for her owner/foster to get to. Close off under the bed or behind a dresser or closet. She and her loving person need access to it. Something at least waist high so you can sit and pet her or chest high so you can stand comfortably and pet her.  It needs to be about 1 to 1.5ft deep 1.5 to 2ft wide and less then a foot high. The front should be completely open. Needs to be able to easily reach in and Little One needs to know she can escape if needed. 3. She needs time to get used to whoever.  Go slow and use a winter insulated leather glove covered in cat nip. When everyone feels comfortable take off the glove. I never used a glove and never got bit by her. But cats can tell if your frightened so do what feels good. 4. Litter box and food should be close to the hiding place the move them back a few inches a week, but move them back if she doesn't like it! Or kill her! Because what she is going through right now will!

SPATZ

Spatz is back in the truck and got another experience.  We had to go to a truck wash to get the oil off which was everywhere.  I usually wash it at the shop but I couldn't wait. She was fascinated by the soapy water hitting the windshield.  Spatz kept looking right then left and moved up close to the side window to check out the soap suds. When they sprayed the side window she was looking out Spatz flinched back but kept  looking. I would have thought she would be afraid. A little while after hitting the road I think she was glad to be back in the truck.  I'm not sure what happened but Spatz fell or miss jumped off the shelf she likes to hang out on. I heard a crash and looked back to see food scattered everywhere and Spatz on the bed looking upset, scared and pissed like I did something wrong.  My guess is she fell off. She is a very clean and playful cat. Spatz is the only cat I have ever seen that I would testify cleans her entire body. Most cat clean certain areas, but Spatz will twist around and get everywhere. She also likes to roll around. No toy needed she just rolls and streches out and looks like she wants to play with me. Then I approach and she stops and looks like she's fearing for her life. As long as a keep an arms length away she will play with a string. So I don't know, but she doesn't usually jump straight to the floor so my guess is she fell off. A little while later I heard her burying something in her litter box. So I figured everything is good.

SPATZ

Spatz and I are spending a few days at a hotel.  My turbo blow and the dealer said they would get to it but it will be a day or two. I let Spatz out in the hotel room and set up her food, water and litter box. She immediately found a place to hide. The beds were on a pedistalls. Spatz went into the small gap between the wall and the bed. I left her alone for the first night. The next day when I was told we would be staying another day I reached in and petted her. Shocking she was fine with it. Sitting watching old movies I could hear her crunching on food. She would sneak past my bed to the bathroom and her litter box. If I looked over I could see her looking at me from under the bed. When I went to sleep Spatz would come out and look around. I know because the bed next to me was messed up from her being on it. The only screw up was no poop scooper. So like a kid playing in a sand box I reached in and sifted it with my hands. So I will have to add a scooper to my emergency cat supplies. I have Frebreeze and Lisal, dishes and food. I've never had a cat pee in a hotel but you have to be prepared because a hotel cleaning bill would be a cost I don't want to pay.