Talking about our Beautiful Shelter!
ADOPTION
Advised Procedures to Spay/Neuter Ferals
Collar Your Cat but Make It Safe!
Explanation of why cats die in our shelter.
A Cat's First Month in Our Program
by Kathy Williams, President
December 8, 2009
One of our goals is to encourage the public to understand how shelters operate because we believe an informed public is invaluable to the welfare of cats in shelters.
Our shelter operates in this manner: (1) first, cats are treated for illnesses, given health care, and allowed time needed to become ready for adoption; and (2) after attaining good emotional and physical health, cats arrive at our free-roaming Adoption Center in Klamath Falls. (3) We recognize shelters are poor environments for felines, including our own, due to presence of hard-to-kill viruses and rampant spreading of upper respiratory infections among young cats with weak immune systems and high stresss factors.
At home:
Our framework is that felines are prone to illnesses when stressed from abandonment and commonly need at least three weeks to resolve health issues that develop. Evaluation of adoptability, based on personality and behavior, is conducted during this period.
Advantages for new arrivals include a longer time span for treatment each day, a more quiet environment, and development of trust by the cat. Since I arise at 5:00 a.m., medications can easily be given twice daily, such as 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. I can also detect and treat illnesses more easily because time at home is focused. Our Adoption Center hours of 9:00 to 4:00 prevent twice daily medications and much of the day is consumed with maintenance and interacting with the public. Very little time is available to resolve health problems of our cats at the Center. So they come home for needed treatment.
Because we have limited cage space we are limited in the number of felines we can accept into our program on any given day. We have also learned taking in too many further stresess the felines already present in the program, causing more serious illnesses and even longer recovery time.
Our bottom line is we will not euthanize to create an open up space to take in another. But our tradeoff is we are limited on how many we can accept. We struggle to help the public understand this basic concept, particularly in a community that has only known another organization which is the traditional humane society.
Whereas, we worked with a total of 327 felines during the entire year of 2009, the Klamath Humane Society will take in 300 to 400 animals per month.
Daily Routine:
Each feline is confined to a cage for a minimjm of ten days (sometimes much longer) which allows 360-degree observation. This period helps detect illnesses that may develop and enables prompt beginnings of treatment. The maximum number of young kittens sharing a cage is two. All other cats are caged individually. Since felines are easily stressed by change, this confinement gives time for adjustment to the new environment.
Because we work with abandoned, often sick young cats, we have learned beginning antibiotics on the day of arrival is most effective. Medications used include Clavamox, Baytril, and Zithromax, along with Flagyl, and Sporonox. De-wormings are done every ten days for a series of three times for young cats, and two for adults.
For kittens, after 10 days of confinement has passed and good healt is attained, each is set free to roam and play until strong enough to be altered and placed up for adoption. To prevent marking and other territorial behaviors, adults are caged until they arrive at the Adoption Center.
Dependent upon the health of the feline, vaccines are not given earlier than two weeks after induction and not before the kitten is 8 weeks of age. We have had cases of vaccinating healthy-looking kittens only for them to die from apparent stress paced on the immune system by the vaccine. We have reduced deaths by witholding vaccines until a kitten has been in our program for a minimum of two weeks and all health issues resolved.
Felines are tested for FeLv/FIV at a local veterinary clinic, commonly 14 days after induction and past the period of health problems.
Spaying or neutering occurs only when the feline has substantial good health to easily withstand the procedure, commonly two to four weeks after induction.
Arriving at the Adoption Center:
To allow time to adjust to the new environment, all cats are placed in cages giving 360 degrees observation of activity around them. We give each feline the time needed to adjust before opening the door and allowing exploration in the Center. Some felines need three days of adjustment; some need seven days; others simply need one day. To release too soon only causes stress, resulting in further illness, fear and possible failure.
Since life in our shelter is group living, we constantly monitor behavior and illnesses. Diarrhea and upper respiratory infections occasionally occur, requiring temporary confinement until clear. Those unable to live in a group return to the rural setting and are set free.
Life at the Adoption Center:
We know our felines would rather live in smaller numbrs, but we give priority to their needs of freedom, play, and interaction. We wish our shelter had no homeless cats but until that day arrives we truly believe cats must have stimulation to be happy and feelings of security to be adoptable. Isolating them in cages enclosed on three sides is, to us, inhumane and unreasonable.
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