Pets - General

[Logicaly]

Just jumping in here, I have 3 amazing fur babies, all cats, two females, and a male. Nyx, Hemera, and Tigger. Tigger is the baby of Nyx and Hemera because Nyx was supposed to be a female originally, but instead knocked up Hemera right before he was neutered. In the house though, we also have a boa which belongs to my girl, hes 5 feet long and his name is Kitten.

We are looking to add a pit to the mix, but due to my male cat being an extreme alpha male and very territorial when it comes to animals larger than him (around dogs his size, he has no issues, its dogs bigger than him he will attack), we have to get a female, and it has to be a puppy as young as possible in order to hopefully get him to adapt to it as it grows.

[SoNotHer]

http://www.change.org/petitions/just...imal-sanctuary


Do not allow Wydell Dixon to own/operate an animal rescue again and revoke her permits.

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: City of Texas City

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Do not allow Wydell Dixon to own/operate an animal rescue again and revoke her permits.

Having run this rescue for 12 years, Dixon had the knowledge that it was impossible for one employee to care for 200 cats on a daily basis. It takes a dedicated team to run the daily operations of a rescue. Furthermore, it takes the support of the community to donate, volunteer, & adopt. Dixon did not have enough support from the community before this tragedy and will now have even less, which is key in being successful.

She has demonstrated to our community that she can not properly, safely, & successfully run an animal rescue. There is no excuse for this senseless tragedy that could have been prevented. These cats were in the care of Dixon and ultimately her responsibility. Not only should her permits be revoked, she should also be charged with animal cruelty.

I am asking that you do not allow Wydell Dixon to own/operate an animal rescue again and to revoke her permits.
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Sincerely,

[Your name]

Why This Is Important

*UPDATE* As of 1/18/2012 Wydell Dixon and her employee have been charged with animal cruelty. On 1/17/2012 Judge Sonny James ruled that the state would keep custody of the cats. Dixon and her lawyer are appealing.

Wydell Dixon had the doors to her animal rescue, Whiskerville Animal Sanctuary in Texas City, TX. forced open on 1/3/2012, after animal control officers received complaints of neglect. The officers discovered 27 dead cats that had starved to death and 168 live cats that survived this horrible case of neglect.

*Update* As of 1/13/2012 there have been 18 more cats found alive since the initial raid on 1/3/2012. Total number of rescued cats is now 186.

These articles go into further detail.

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/283486

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/283858

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/283994

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/284582

Here is a link to the Whiskerville Animal Sanctuary Raid Texas City. Please like the page and share. Thanx!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whiske...28684625802972


http://www.change.org/petitions/just...imal-sanctuary

[DapperButch]

Thank you for posting this, SoNotHer!

[Electrocell]

I feel guilty of leaving my 6 kitties and my dog while I'm on the road . I know they miss me cause they won't leave me alone once I'm home lol. At least I have a good friend that I pay to care for them while I'm gone . She's a real animal lover too.

[Novelafemme]

I have a cat question for my fellow kitty lovers out there!

So, when my ex-husband and I split up six + years ago, I moved out with my dog and he kept our cats...there were five of them at the time. Then his now wife moved in with her two dogs who HATED cats and two of the kitties left home. They were two brothers who I adopted as adults from the Humane Society and they were just incredible. Roofus was skinny and mouthy and Aiken was fat and sweet. Anyway, so it's been 6+ years since I've seen them and Saturday when I dropped my girls off at their dad's house I happened to look up at the roof of the daycare across the street and there was Aiken, laying on the roof in the sun! I quickly pulled into the parking lot and went around to the front of the daycare and called his name. He looked at me for a few minutes and then started to make his way toward me. I was so happy and completely shocked that he remembered me! He ended up practically jumping into my arms, rolling around in my lap, and purring like a mad man! I tried to pick him up in order to get him into the car but he got scared and ran away. I coaxed him back by sitting on the ground and talking softly to him.

So here's my question...other than being dirty he looks to be in really good shape *except* for a horrible case of ear mites. So bad in fact that his right ear has a large hematoma on it, probably from him scratching at the mites. I can't bring him to my house for a couple of reasons...the primary one being that Katy is allergic to cats. If we kept him as an outdoor kitty I'm afraid he would be lunch for one of the numerous bobcats and/or coyotes that live around us. So, my thinking is to do one of two things: 1. somehow catch and crate him and get him to a vet, then either let him go again at the daycare or turn him over to a no-kill shelter, or 2. try to treat his ears homeopathically when I visit him at the daycare and just leave him be.

He has managed for nearly seven years on his own and I would hate to see him in a dinky cage for the rest of his life. He's already 9 years old and with all the cute kittens being born right now I'm not sure he'd have a good shot at being adopted.

Thoughts, advice? Please, no judgement. I am a HUGE animal lover and do the very best I can for not just my own pets but animals everywhere. Thanks in advance.

[Glenn]

If Aiken was my furbaby and acted like that after six years, I would do this:

1. Talk to my ex and ask if he's seen him.
2. I would not take him to a shelter. Our furkids are pretty smart at finding a shelter on their own. I would definitely feed him there regularly.
3. I do not know what kind of house you live in, but if it's an apartment forget taking him home with you. If you live in a house, maybe you can isolate him away from Katy in the night time and leave him out in the day where he can see the coyotes better? The coyotes around here only bother the kittens they never bother my older cats because I feed the coyotes too lol! They even eat together.
4. I'm not sure, but I think there are cat allergy meds out there.
5. If all of the above won't work for you, take him to a vet so they can treat the ear and give him a shot,then take him back to the daycare and hide some food for him nearby. I would visit my poor furbaby there and feed him as regularly as I could.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by Glenn

If Aiken was my furbaby and acted like that after six years, I would do this:

1. Talk to my ex and ask if he's seen him.
2. I would not take him to a shelter. Our furkids are pretty smart at finding a shelter on their own. I would definitely feed him there regularly.
3. I do not know what kind of house you live in, but if it's an apartment forget taking him home with you. If you live in a house, maybe you can isolate him away from Katy in the night time and leave him out in the day where he can see the coyotes better? The coyotes around here only bother the kittens they never bother my older cats because I feed the coyotes too lol! They even eat together.
4. I'm not sure, but I think there are cat allergy meds out there.
5. If all of the above won't work for you, take him to a vet so they can treat the ear and give him a shot,then take him back to the daycare and hide some food for him nearby. I would visit my poor furbaby there and feed him as regularly as I could.

Hi Glenn.

I've been tossing around all of your suggestions, as well as many from other friends. I really appreciate the advice!

I have talked to my ex many, many times regarding the kitties. He leaves food out for the one remaining cat and so we are assuming that is where Aiken gets the bulk of his food from. When I was at Trader Joe's on Sunday I bought several cans of wet cat food and some nutritional supplements for him and then stopped by the day care and left the food with some powdered vitamins mixed in on the walk way for him. He didn't come around when I called for him, though.

I put our pet carrier in the back of my car so in the event I am able to catch him I can transport him to the vet safely. I called three vet offices yesterday and none of them will take him without an appointment already in place so I will have to bring him home to my house during the interim.

I'm working on finding him a home and hopefully that will come together quickly. It's not so much the coyotes here as it is the bobcats. I watched one make a meal for herself and two kitts out of a big fluffy white kitty and it wasn't pretty. At least down by my ex's house there aren't any bobcats.

I live in a big house but having Aiken here is not doable. It was an agreement I made with my partner when we moved in together and I need to honor her request to not have cats. We also have two dogs, a ferret, three rats, and four birds.

[Sachita]

Cats are very smart and survivors. Once a cat adapts to the wild its very hard to take them out of that environment. Although I am allergic to cats I have a few rescues that were once feral kittens. If kittens are found and the mother missing we will bring them in, however an adult cat is captured for spay or neutering then released back to the area they were captured. People do feed them but there is also a big rat/mouse/rabbit population here. It's far healthier for them to eat rodents then most of the cat foods available. Pet foods will harm animals quicker then anything else and in the shelters they feed really cheap food because its what they can afford.

The mites are a problem. He could have health issues which would make mites worse.

I wish I could be more helpful but the truth is he is probably better off where he is, just check on him and if possible take him to the vet or at the very least treat the mites. I would see if someone in the neighborhood would also help feed and check on him. There are lots of great herbs cats will eat that you can put in food to help build immunity.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Sachita

Cats are very smart and survivors. Once a cat adapts to the wild its very hard to take them out of that environment. Although I am allergic to cats I have a few rescues that were once feral kittens. If kittens are found and the mother missing we will bring them in, however an adult cat is captured for spay or neutering then released back to the area they were captured.

I knew a young couple whose cat somehow got out of their apartment. They went crazy looking for her, you have no idea the lengths they went to. Anyway, the girl finally came upon the cat about 3 weeks after the cat had left, in this field/wooded kind of area behind the couple's apartment complex. The cat came up to the girl, but wouldn't get too close. She then ran off. The next day the same thing happened. Day three, the cat got close enough that the girl was able to pick her up. The cat freaked out trying to get away from the girl. However, there was no way in hell the girl was going to let her cat go after losing her for 3 weeks, even though the cat started scratching the hell out of her. The boyfriend actually heard the girlfriend screaming for him and by the time he got to her, the girlfriend actually had to go to the hospital for stitches b/c the cat tore her up so bad.

The point is, the cat became feral within 3 weeks. She eventually got back to normal after they brought her back into the apartment, but hell. 3 weeks and this happens? Amazing.

[DapperButch]

I posted this in the petition thread:

Double decker horse transport was to be banned (horses cannot stand straight up in these, subsequently, they trip, fall and injure themselves), as part of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, but there is a last minute amendment put on the table to remove this part from the bill (a Republican, of course). Please act quickly.

http://capwiz.com/aspca/issues/alert/?alertid=60942061

[Martina]

i spend Monday through Thursday away from home and really miss my cats. They are clingy by the time i get home, but seem OK. This is not how i want to live, but it will only be for a few more months. Still, . . sniffle. i miss Zuzu catapulting off my bladder at the most inconvenient moments.

[Martina]

Whether you believe in dog breeding and/or dog shows or not, you gotta admit that this is one cute little dog. He got Best in Show at Westminster.

[cuddlyfemme]

My kitty Goldie has what seems like a kitty cold but I'm taking her to the vet to make sure and probably get her on some antibiotics. When it comes to getting a cat in a cat carrier, I'm terrible....any tips or suggestions????

[Liam]

Originally Posted by cuddlyfemme

My kitty Goldie has what seems like a kitty cold but I'm taking her to the vet to make sure and probably get her on some antibiotics. When it comes to getting a cat in a cat carrier, I'm terrible....any tips or suggestions????

Years ago, we used to put my partner's cats in pillow cases; they just turned into big noodles, allowing us to place them in a carrier with ease. Best of luck. I hope Goldie feels better soon.

If your cat is anything like mine she sleeps a lot. I grab the Wuppster when she's snoozing and put her in the carrier. Failing that a towel helps to gather her up in.

[LaneyDoll]

Originally Posted by Glenn

3. I do not know what kind of house you live in, but if it's an apartment forget taking him home with you. If you live in a house, maybe you can isolate him away from Katy in the night time and leave him out in the day where he can see the coyotes better? The coyotes around here only bother the kittens they never bother my older cats because I feed the coyotes too lol! They even eat together.

4. I'm not sure, but I think there are cat allergy meds out there.

To point number 3, isolation may not work. My son is horribly allergic to cats and if he touches what they have touched, then touches his face, he begins to react immediately.

To point number 4, yes there are allergy meds out there. But some allergy shots must be given 2-3 times weekly. If the patient cannot give themselves the shot, a doctor/nurse must. In time, this could be a huge commitment in time & money. And not all insurance plans cover these shots-especially if they view the situation as "elective."

[Glenn]

Originally Posted by cuddlyfemme

My kitty Goldie has what seems like a kitty cold but I'm taking her to the vet to make sure and probably get her on some antibiotics. When it comes to getting a cat in a cat carrier, I'm terrible....any tips or suggestions????

Lol! I built my own custom trap with plywood. I put tuna inside, plus, it has a section inside that keeps a live mouse. I hear there are nets out there with long poles, or you can make one yourself. I use to cover them with something thick like a small quilt, or double some thick towels, and wait until they were deeply sleeping, wear thick gloves and shirt sleeves, get behind them, then as fast as I could, covered them, got a good, tight, grip, and put my furbaby in. The bigger the carrier the easier this is.

[Glenn]

Originally Posted by Incubus

If your cat is anything like mine she sleeps a lot. I grab the Wuppster when she's snoozing and put her in the carrier. Failing that a towel helps to gather her up in.

What is a wuppster?

[Electrocell]

Originally Posted by cuddlyfemme

My kitty Goldie has what seems like a kitty cold but I'm taking her to the vet to make sure and probably get her on some antibiotics. When it comes to getting a cat in a cat carrier, I'm terrible....any tips or suggestions????

Awwwwwwwww poor kitty . I've always just opened the door on the carrier eventually the right one will check it out lol then just close the door . Or you can grab her by the nape of her neck like a mother cat would do and put her in back feet 1st with the carrier door up. Then when you get her in just put the carrier back down like it's suppose to be. If this makes any sense lol. If not call me will be able to explain better.

[cuddlyfemme]

Originally Posted by Glenn

What is a wuppster?

that was my next question too