I love my longhairs, but I'm an alleycat lover at heart, and this little lady is perfect. My phone rang the other day, and Bill and Susie, from Animal Care Equipment and Services, had rescued a cat from a roadside spring (where people stop to fill their own jugs with spring water) when they were here in New York. Someone obviously had dumped her there.
Bill and Susie actually found a possible home for this little lady, but it did not work out with the adopter's current cat and upcoming travel plans. The adopter was able to hang onto her while I was in New Jersey, which was wonderful.
I picked her up today, and since I was driving right by the vet, I stopped in. They were able to fit her in. She is FeLV/FIV negative, has had her rabies shot and is (you guessed it) pregnant. The vet came through in a big way by squeezing her in for a spay appointment Friday.
Thank goodness.
But little Billie is a perfect cat. Yes, Perfect with a capital P. She is quiet, gentle, affectionate without being obnoxiously friendly, is fine in the car (just curled up and went to sleep) and is absolutely beautiful. She is a little tan tiger, with sort of an Abysinnian look (sp? too tired to look it up right now).
Someone is going to be very lucky when they adopt this cat.
5 comments:
This might sound so shallow of me, but I prefer the regular ol' shorthaired cats because they're less messy. Less hair around the house, less need to brush and groom constantly, and frankly, fewer, uh, dingleberries :) I've been brushing that stray cat we're caring for every single day, and every single day I end up with a brushful of hair -- it just amazes me how much she sheds. Our other longhaired cat is the same way.
I also like the fact that with the shorthairs, I can really see their faces clearly. We have a black male longhaired cat, and I've always wondered what his face truly looks like, as I can't see the details of it because of his fur. I like seeing all the little bumps and nuances.
She's beautiful. I hope she goes to a good home.
When I used to volunteer at the Humane Society we always had a hard time adopting out black cats--everyone seemed to think they were too plain looking. I guess that gave me a soft spot for them, 'cause when we went looking for a cat to adopt we found Salem, and I wouldn't trade him for anything. All those people that pass up on the 'plain' tabbies and black cats have no idea what they're missing.
So what are you going to do in this situation? Are you going to go ahead and spay her or let her deliver?
I heard it's standard procedure with some vets to spay and declaw at the same time. Wonder what your thoughts are on the choice to declaw or not to declaw. Seems to be a big question out there these days, with movements to outlaw the process altogether.
romi
http://cat-advisors-online.com
Hi Romi,
I spay the pregnant cats. When I first began, I held cats for them to deliver (because when I worked for an SPCA, all preg cats were euth. on arrival back in the "old days." Once I was on my own, I wanted all cats to have a chance at life, that came through me). However, I did have some feral cats that were so scared they aborted, or kittens were stillborn. Now that there is pediatric spay/neuter and I pay for all s/n before or just after adoption, I arrange s/n for all pregnant cats that come my way. If a cat gives birth before her s/n appointment, I of course raise the kittens for adoption. When these two feral cats gave birth, that meant $1000 more that I now have to come up with for FeLV/FIV testing, s/n, vaccinations, kitten chow, and gas, as well as time for off-site adoptions to get them homes. Two cats that would have cost me $200 are now ten cats costing me $1200. I hate to put ethical issues in dollars and cents, but $1000 would spay ten other female feral cats who now will not get done. Shelter space is limited in my area, and my local shelters is still hurting for homes for their kittens. Kittens are being left on the streets because of lack of shelter room. If I s/n the momcat, she is out of here in a short while and I can rescue more cats. If I hold for her to deliver, I can't take in more cats, and kittens who are already alive on the streets are left to die. It's a very tough decision, especially for those who want to give every living spark a chance. I am against declawing. I have had cats returned to me for behavioral issues post declawing. In one case, this resulted in the cat being euthanized because she became very aggressive, bit, and would not use her litter box. If someone needs a declawed cat, I will happily go scout Petfinder.com to find them one . I believe there are people (those with lupus, AIDS, etc.) who need to avoid scratches, so I don't condemn those who declaw. However, I do not allow my kittens to go to homes that will declaw. I would rather find them a shelter cat who is already declawed. If a cat comes back to me with big problems, she is either stuck with me for a long time until she finds a tolerant home, or she could be with me permanently. That means fewer cats rescued in the long run, due to one less space in my place.
My vet will not declaw.
**appplauds Susan**
I to have dealt with cats who were "just not right" after being declawed. It's amputating the tips of the fingers to just past the first joint. Many cats can't mentally adjust to suddenly being defenseless and having their tactile sense altered.
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