Test Before Investing Love in Cats

by Joya DiStefano

One lunch hour, an elderly couple brought a lovely young cat to the County Shelter.  She had been dumped on their property and the woman had “been giving her a few scraps.”  When they realized the cat was pregnant, with heavy hearts they brought her in. The shelter was closed.

A FOTAS volunteer offered a county crate, intending to surrender the cat when staff reappeared. She lifted the delicate, pewter-gray cat, the cat purred, touched her heart, and went, instead, to the SPCA Albrecht Center clinic to be “combo-tested” for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). 

The test was negative; the cat charmed the SPCA staff, went home with the FOTAS volunteer and that night bore six kittens in a walk-in closet.  In a couple of weeks, six lovely, healthy kittens will be available for adoption to loving homes.

If the test were positive for either virus, the FOTAS volunteer would have had the cat euthanized. Why?  Because a cat carrying either virus will eventually (a few months or few years) have its immune system severely compromised, get deathly sick, likely run up huge vet bills and die a horrible death.  It will contaminate its offspring, and any other cat that it eats with, plays with, spits on, fights with, or shares a litter box or turf with.  FeLV one of the most commonly diagnosed causes of disease and death in domestic cats.  FIV’s ravages are usually felt later in life, but that does not make the financial or emotional damage any easier to bear.

All over Aiken County people are taking pity on cats that show up at their door and “giving them scraps,” or buying 20-pound bags of cat food.  Next they have a “community cat colony” out of control, and quite possibly some, or all, of those cats are carrying one of these lethal viruses.

Smart, independent, affectionate and entertaining, cats make fabulous additions to any household.  They are fairly easy to maintain, don’t eat a lot, don’t make much noise and do not need to be walked.

On the other hand, cats can react badly to overcrowding, sharing litter pans, or boredom.  Like all sentient beings, they need mental stimulation and physical exercise, or they may present avoidable behavior and health issues.

Unwanted litters are everywhere.  The lucky ones end up in a shelter, or a local vet’s office, where they are tested, the healthy ones vaccinated, adopted, spayed or neutered.  These are highly recommended as places to go to adopt a cat. For a nominal fee, you get a healthy animal that is not going to reproduce or spread illness to the community or other pets.

At times, like the gray mama cat, our next pet finds us unbidden.  Please, if you rescue cats, kittens, or support a cat colony, get them tested, spayed and neutered.  FOTAS can help.  Call the Lenny’s Brigade hotline (803) 507-6315, and we will help you find the best options and resources for our feline friends.  Please test before you invest your love.

Retired organizational problem-solver and radical educator, Joya is an artist, Servant Leader, and co-founder of FOTAS, Inc.

Aiken County Animal Shelter:  “By the Numbers”

August 12^th thru 18^th 2013

Received:       39 dogs and 34 cats

Adopted:         7 dogs and 5 cats

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

HERBERT

ALBERT

HERBERT and ALBERT -  Neutered, declawed and very best friends.  They would like to remain together, if possible. $70 for the pair. 

*All adoption fees include: Spay/Neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.

Amazing Gracie Makes the Case for a Second Chance

by Joya Jiménez DiStefano

Gracie was supposed to die.  Her family wanted her euthanized at the County Shelter for “nipping at the children.”

The Chief Enforcement Officer passed Gracie’s kennel and she cowered and growled.  He said that Gracie should not go on the adoption floor.  The senior vet tech looked at the black-and-white Spitz with a touch of brown and a lot of class, and she thought what a shame it was to destroy such a lovely animal.

The noise and smells in the overcrowded county shelter overwhelmed Gracie.  Seeing her fear, the vet tech showed Gracie the power of confident kindness, perhaps the first Gracie had ever known.  Five days later, Gracie responded by allowing her heartworm test without a fuss.

Gracie went on the adoption floor.  The volunteers continued to work to earn her trust and build her confidence.  A FOTAS’ transfer partner agreed to pull Gracie and work with her shyness, necessitating a short-term foster placement until she was transported.  Priscilla agreed to take Gracie.

The day Gracie left the shelter, she hopped in Priscilla’s car, sat on the passenger seat, and looked forward, bright-eyed, with a grin of anticipation on her lovely face.

When they arrived at the house, Gracie was respectfully considerate of Priscilla’s two little dogs.  They walked out in the fenced pool yard where Gracie promptly jumped into the pool. And Priscilla immediately pulled her out.

“I think she wanted to be rid of the shelter smell,” Priscilla said, “because she never jumped in again.”

In the eleven days that Gracie lived with Priscilla and her two dogs, Gracie never growled or even raised her lip.  She needed meds for kennel cough and let Priscilla give her pills and squeeze cough medicine down her throat.  Gracie sat when asked and came when called. She was good on a leash and not aggressive with cats.  She liked being brushed.  At night, Priscilla’s two little dogs slept beside her on the bed, and Gracie curled up happily beside them, on her own bed on the floor.

Priscilla wrote a letter, recounting their experience together, to send with Gracie to her new forever home.  It ended, “Please be good to her; she is such a good dog.”

And to God, Priscilla sent a simple prayer, “Please, God, make sure she gets a good home with lots of love and care.”  More likely than not, Gracie will.

 What is the lesson for us here?  One, we can work miracles together with dedication, insight, compassion, and common sense.  Two, even dogs aren’t always what they seem at first look.  Three, the programs emerging among shelter staff, volunteers and foster care can do great things; that is, if there are enough of us.  So far, there aren’t. 

Finally, even with all of the above, if we don’t get the unwanted population under control with spay/neuter, we will fail miserably.  Just look at the numbers for 2 Julys, think about all the Gracies, and then decide what you are going to do to help.  Please.

Joya is a retired organizational problem-solver and radical educator, Joya is an artist, Servant Leader, and co-founder of FOTAS, Inc.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 411 Wire Road.  For more information, contact “info@fotasaiken.org” or visit FOTAS on line at www.fotasaiken.org

Aiken County Animal Shelter:  “By the Numbers”

July                               2012 vs. 2013

Animal intake	427	642!
Return to Owner	19	21
Adopted	52	59
Transferred	41	53
Euthanized	324	496

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!”

BAMA – Boxer/hound mix.  9 mos./62 lbs. The volunteers love this guy, a sweetheart!  Only $70

BEESHA – 1 yr./7lbs. She is exotic, with lovely green-gold eyes, and affectionate!  Only $35

*All adoption fees include: Spay/Neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.