Kit Kat

Kit Kat is a young spayed female, almost a year old, who came to CROW when her owner died suddenly.

Yoda has been adopted!

And his new family paid his remaining vet bill balance as well. Yoda is now Nimbus and is happily settled in his new home. Yay!



Thank you to everyone who helped to make this happen!

Confirmed Case of H1N1 in Iowa Cat

Or as Yahoo! news reports, "I Can Has Swine Flu?"

This Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported the first confirmed case of H1N1 in any house pet. The patient is a 13-year-old house cat. Two of the human family members had been sick, so vets at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine tested the cat for H1N1, and the test came back positive.

Here's the H1N1 patient

photo credit: David Silverman/Getty Images



More news reports:
here
here
and here

Attention: Locals

Lydia--Grumpy Senior Cat

Lydia is an old lady cat whose owner died. She languished, depressed, in a small cage for several weeks afterward, and then transferred to CROW. She hid under the bed growling at everyone who walked by for about a week, and is still prone to snapping unpredictably. However, she is declawed and nearly toothless and couldn't hurt a fly. Her temper tantrums are decreasing, and she purrs mightily, loves being petted, has a love/hate relationship with the brush, and has slept in human arms the past two nights. Her heart is opening again and she is feeling love.











She has difficulty with her hind legs, and has an awkward gait, and falls if she is rushed. The rest of her body is very coordinated. She is so old and skittish that it will be a couple of weeks before she can handle getting blood drawn, but plans are in place to evaluate her as much as possible in the meantime.

Deaf Cat with Rainbow Eyes

One blue eye, one golden eye. Stone deaf. She loves watching TV, hanging out on the couch, being held on her back like a baby, and having her fur ruffled.

Yoda had his surgery today

It went well, and he came through it so strong that they sent him home early. He looks a bit worse for the wear, but should heal beautifully. Just picture white fur everywhere there isn't. :)

(He was still a bit dopey in these pictures, but is returning to normal now.)

More Yoda

He has just about 36 hours left before his surgery. He is going to feel so much better!

Unfortunately, his ruptured eye has ruptured again, so his once clean face is a mess again. However, it still doesn't slow him down much.










Thanks to all who have donated toward Yoda's surgery. We'll keep you updated on his recovery. :)

Oreo and Tiger

These sweet brothers are staying at CROW until the new year while their owner undergoes very difficult medical treatments. They are comfortable and settled in and are doing great!

Oreo


Tiger

Yoda needs help

Late in the evening on October 12, the son of CROW's secretary heard frantic mewing outside their country home. (The cats know where to go for help, don't they?) Thus, Yoda* came into our lives.



This picture was taken that night. This poor little 10-week-old boy was emaciated and starving, blinded, horribly sick, and cold. Some TLC unearthed his eyes and nose, and he seemed immediately grateful for the warmth and food provided. The vet diagnosed him with malnutrition, frostbite (on his ears), an upper respiratory infection, and--worst of all--a ruptured eye.

The vet recommended we wait 2 weeks from his initial appointment so we could clear up his upper respiratory infection and get some weight on him before he undergoes surgery. In spite of the extreme pain he must be in, Yoda is mellow and playful, curious and affectionate, and just an incredibly cool little cat. His good eye is a beautiful golden color (much like Bubba's), his frost-damaged ears tip back just slightly in the most charming way, and he is putting on weight. Ideally, he will have his bad eye removed on Monday.

Unfortunately, recent large vet bills for Henry and Baa (major dental problems) have nearly wiped out our funds, and while we have a fundraiser planned for next month, Yoda needs his eye out before his pain will stop. We know times are hard for a lot of people, but if anyone can spare even a few cents, we can get closer to helping Yoda begin a pain-free life. Please, if you are able, paypal a donation of any size to CrowCatRescue@animail.net, mail to the link on the right, or pay the vet directly (under CROW's account):

Alpine Veterinary Hospital
2835 Sherman Avenue
Monte Vista, CO 81144
719-852-2561

Please send all the love and good energy you can spare to Yoda and the other CROW Cats. We'll keep you posted! Thank you!




*name subject to change

Happy birthday to CROW!

CROW is one year old already!



Thanks for joining us on our journey!

Hey, click the link to the right!

The CROW cat page is current as of today. Please click the link and take a peek!

Feel free to check out our In Memory page and help us remember those who have moved on.

Thanks!

What To Do if You Find Newborn Kittens

Every spring and fall, animal rescue groups around the valley get flooded with calls from people who have taken in tiny kittens and don’t know how to care for them. Perhaps they were found behind a woodpile, in a garage, or in the bushes. If you find tiny kittens somewhere, please answer the following questions before removing the kittens from the nest:

• Do the kittens feel warm?
• Are they all alive?
• Are they in a relatively safe place?

If the answer to all three questions is “yes” then please leave them where they are. Mother cats often leave the nest to search for food and water, or to stretch their legs. They move their kittens frequently in the first few weeks, and chances are they will be coming back. Check back in 24 hours and answer the same questions again. If you have witnessed the death of a mother cat, or if the kittens are cold or unsafe, then removal is warranted.

If you remove kittens from a dangerous situation, please follow these guidelines:
• Keep them warm.
• Feed them kitten formula with a syringe, dropper, or kitten bottle. Formula and bottles can be found locally at Walmart, Alco, Safeway, and Big R. Do NOT feed them cow’s milk.
• Feed them every 1-3 hours, around the clock. If they are crying, they are probably hungry. If milk comes out of the nose, the milk is coming out too fast.
• Make sure all four of the kitten’s feet are on a horizontal surface. Feeding them when they are upright or on their backs increases the risk of milk going into their lungs.
• Young kittens cannot eliminate on their own during their first few weeks of life. You will need to wipe their bottoms with a damp cotton ball or soft cloth to stimulate elimination.

If you have rescued kittens from an unsafe situation in the San Luis Valley and need help, call one of the animal rescue organizations in the valley for advice, referrals, or potential fostering:

• Valley Humane League: 589-0703
• SLV Animal Welfare Society: 587-9663
• Alpha Humane League: 852-2201
• Conour Animal Shelter: 852-3366
• CROW Cat Rescue: 852-2769

Mothers whose kittens are removed too early risk suffering from mastitis, a painful and potentially deadly infection. The kittens risk death and failure to thrive, since even the best bottle-feeders cannot mimic a mother cat’s care and milk. Mother cats and kittens are healthiest when the kittens are allowed to nurse for at least 8 weeks. In addition, bottle-feeding is a LOT of work. Unnecessary removal of kittens is hard for all involved: mother cats, kittens, and humans.

Noisy Babies

Meet Cleo, A Senior Cat

Cleo traveled from Denver to join the CROW family on Monday. She is a fifteen-year-old chubby Siamese mix who will likely live the rest of her life at CROW. While she had a lot of difficulty with the initial transition, she is settling in now, just two days later. She still prefers the bathroom to any other room in the house, but she accepted some petting and wooing this evening and is eating and drinking well. We have high hopes that she will soon happily accept her new home.

Sorry for the picture quality, but I didn't want to startle her with the flash. Isn't she beautiful?