Update 1 On Kittens

Warning: Those of you sensitive to eye or cat neglect issues may not want to view this. It is very graphic. But you might!

There is some really good news in here (and no bad news!) and you can see the difference in some of these kittens over the four week period of their treatment which says a great deal.

First, the good news. (No bad news in this post... horray!)

A total of 6 of the 15 hoarder kittens have been medically released (and given their first FvrCPC vaccinations) for both spay/neuter and enucleation (eye removal).

I know that doesn't sound all that great, but it IS!!!

Two of these, particularly, have had quite a massive change (you can click on the photos to go to the original and enlarge by zooming in):

Swiss: now 16wo, m, black domestic short hair (dsh):

Entry photo, 9-23-09 taken at vet:

While Swiss (one of the the seven cheese and nuts cats) will still have to have his right (OD) eye removed, he is healthy now and playing up a storm. This is a spirited and fun
little guy that will do JUST FINE when he gets the remainder of his vetting (neuter/microchip) a new, loving home, disabled or not! Coming in, he was sick and lethargic. What a change in this great little guy, not to mention the health of his good eye, now, ear mites under control, and no snotty nose.

Swiss photo 10-20-09 taken at vet:


Garganzola: now 16wo, m black DSH.

Entry photo, 9-23-09 taken at vet:













Garganzola photo 10-20-09 taken at vet:

You can see exactly how badly that kitten felt when he came in (went from pick up directly to vet with the others). Lethargic, (and what you can't see...) dirty, runny eyes, massive ear mites and a runny nose. This little guy, probably a brother of Swiss (but who knows: five moms and dozens of babies were living together in the hoarder's garage so she said) is healthy as a horse, loves to play and his eyes are beautifully perfect.

Perhaps you now see WHY I do this. A veterinarian, a mere mortal, a lot of prayers, a LOT of medication and a lot of time, love and attention (and in this case, quite a bit of money) makes a HUGE difference. Garganzola is ready to fly now after being neutered and microchipped. He's a great little guy.

The Hopeful News.

Mazarella

The more I watch this kitten, over time, the more I become convinced that her right eye (she is blind in her left eye) has some kind of sight.

This little kitten--in despicable condition coming in, lethargic, runny nose, filthy, full of ear mites and eyes a disaster--plays and seems to see some kind of light and image through her right micropthalmic (small, and in this case diseased) eye.

So, we are trying to raise enough money to get this little one to the kitty eye specialist to see if there is ANY hope that this wee one can keep her eye if, as we suspect, she uses it even a little.

Expensive, but well worth it if she can keep ANY kind of sight.

Mazarella at home (vet pics didn't turn out well) 9-23-09










Mazzi after clean up and a few days post entry at 9-23-09




















Mazzi 10-20-09 at vet







This beautiful and loving (and fun! even mostly blind) little girl, Mazzarella, is a wonderful kitten that deserves the best.

One can cradle her in their arms, tummy up, and she purrs away...

None of this ever needed to happen. This is a case of massive neglect.

And you know what most amazes (and disgusts) me?

Given the horrid condition of these kittens, the hoarder asked me if we were going to change their names. As if that would somehow magically change the neglect of their lives.

That is a glimpse into the mind of a hoarder.

Photo Journal of OC's Prop 8 Protest

Update: go here for IT's diary on dKos.

In order to minimize the suffering of my poor mouse which is going south, I refer you here.

I'll have more to say about this later, but I think you will enjoy the protest wherever you may be in the world.

And if you have delicate feelings about language... just ignore all the swearing... heh.

Update with cartoon (hat tip to JekyllnHyde at dKos) Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Great New Vid on Prop 8: Don't Divorce Our Families

The Courage Campaign has put out a wonderful new video on Ken Starr's ugly attempt to break up some 18,000 then-legal lgbt marriages in CA. Pitiful and sad and so very wrong.

Please watch this new video and sign their letter to the CA Supreme Court.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Now, please sign the letter!

Dieting a Cat, Part 1: Introduction and Calculations

Introduction
Meet Whaler, above. Whaler came it at 25 lbs. His estimated correct weight is 10-12 lbs. The cat posts on Whaler are ALL about getting him down to proper weight and keeping his health sound in the process.

Feline obesity is becoming a more common intake problem in our rescue. MORE cats are coming in clinically obese. Not only will we not adopt them out in this state (meaning, ultimately, we can take fewer cats in, so more cats will die in shelters), we are increasingly concerned as to the why and how this is occurring..

I promised to post tracks on our newest obese cat, Whaler (the 25 lb. cat), as we get him down a trim, healthy cat. I didn't forget. I have written pages and pages and decided to do this in stages. Whaler is still in food transition while doing weight loss. This is one of those "I hope it doesn't go that way" situations. He is a worst example, but, actually, common.

For any of you that are rescues, some of this you will know much of this and some not. I am sure you have some great techniques, hints, information and ideas, as well. Please share them as we move along. We can never know enough!

For those of you new to this, there is a lot to know about how to safely and successfully reduce your cat's weight. But you can do it! Once you do the reading, get organized and set up, do the weight and/or calorie calculations, you are on your way. This is not to say you won't have problems and challenges on the way. You may well have them.

An obese cat isn't a healthy cat. And for those of you determined to have a healthy cat, then watch over months as we chart Whaler's path back to good cat weight and good cat health.

This is, however, not something to read and implement in a day. Please don't do that. It is the worst thing you can do. Make the decision now, understand the mechanics, then get prepared, then do it. If it takes you a month to do that, great.

Your cat didn't get obese in a day, and you cannot expect that to change in a day, either. So chill! Give yourself the time and breathing room needed to approach this rationally and properly.

It is important that you understand what you are doing, and why, and that you seek guidance of a veterinarian (and for this kind of thing, a good veterinarian with an interest in cat nutrition might be helpful) and that you make a decided choice to do it with full involvement, knowledge and care.

Please read and understand this fine article authored by Dr. Lisa Pierson DVM on cat obesity and WHY it is important to get that weight off. She also has other very excellent sections on cat health, and diet.

Calculations
This section is all about calculations which we think we have made pretty simple. You will constantly need to do these calculations when your cat is on a diet, so knowing how to do them, and doing them (which is just second nature after a while!) is critical.

Maintenance calories for a cat
Maintenance calculations are vital for weight loss of a cat, especially in the food transitioning weeks which are the first many weeks of a cat's diet.

Many cats do not change foods easily (and thankfully some do!) and this initial stage is very critical to do right for the cat's health.

Calorie Calculation for weight maintenance:
(13.6 x cat's weight) +70 = calories per day (cal/day). So, we take 13.6 and multiply it by the cats weight. Once we have that figure, we add 70.

For example, Whaler (25 lbs):
(13.6 X 25) + 70 =
340 + 70 = 410 calories/day

2% Weekly Weightloss Calculation
Weigh the dieting cat on the first day of the week of EVERY week. In other words, you take the cat's weight on a digital scale (has to be an accurate digital... get a human scale) once every 7 days. 2% of that weight, that week, can be lost. NO more. The following week, the weight you start with is different, thus the amount the cat can lose, assuming they lost some weight, is less.

Weekly 2% calculation:
For example, Whaler (25 lbs.). There are two easy steps in this calculation:

1. Convert pounds to ounces since this is the scale we will be working with:
1 pound (lb.) = 16 ounces (oz.)

Whaler's weight in ounces:
25 lbs. X 16oz/lb. = 400 oz.

2. 2% of 400 oz = 8 oz can be lost, but no more, the first week.

In the following week, you take the original oz. (400 for Whaler), subtract the oz. he lost that week, then take 2% of that figure for the next week.

For example, if Whaler lost 4.2 oz. in the first week, then:
400 oz. - 4.2 oz = 395.8 oz. (current weight)

395.8 would be the starting weight for week 2, and that week's 2% would calculate like this:
2% of 395.8 = 7.9 oz. Whaler can lose, maximum, the second week.

A cat must eat to SAFELY transition to another diet. This is NOT a cold-turkey diet. The cold-turkey approach could harm your cat or make them severely ill. Cat's are not humans, and their biology doesn't work like a human body so dispense now with any comparison.

And get yourself on a cat-treat diet: No more treats for the cat!

Stay Tuned for Part 2: Transitioning Your Cat Onto A High Quality Wet Food

McCain on Gas Prices: "I don't see how it matters..."

Yeah, we know, John. We get it. You are married to a second, wealthy wife. Most of us are struggling to buy food, pay our mortgages, clothe the kids, pay bills and buy gas. We get it. Even here, in "The Weird OC", we get it. You don't.

Not surprisingly, this quote was uttered in Orange County, CA where the Orange County Register (a whacky Libertarian journal) couldn't even exist in most places. The reporters generally do their jobs. The Ed department and certainly the Editorial page should have a medical alert sign on the top: Toxic to your health: may cause sudden blood pressure rise and/or heart attack or stroke.

Never, ever read the Orange County Register Ed page. And if you choose this assault on your intellect, don't do it first thing in the morning (it may wreck your day), or last thing at night (may wreck your sleep). Read only at lunch when your cerebral cortex has time to deal with the irrational.

And should you be brave, read the entire interview.

But please, only at lunch.