Bee Holistic Cat Rescue and Care

Chiropractic Care for Cats? YES!!!!!!!!!

9/1/2019

It was through a friend that I learned about Doctor Margaret, chiropractor to the stars (animal stars only)
Head slap! Cats have long spines (tails are extensions of the spines) and do a lot of jumping, twisting, wrestling, etc., so...often get out of alignment! This can cause all kinds of pains and problems. I started taking my cats to see the good doctor, and found that maybe 80% or so had one or more vertebrae needing adjustment. Wow! We go on a regular basis now, and I'd urge everyone with cats or other animals to do the same. Any animal can benefit! Dr. Margaret serves newborns to horses, and I can't say how much I admire and appreciate her wisdom and work! Margaret Holiday: she visits several of the clinics in the San Francisco bay area. She's one of those folks with a very wide range of knowledge! Often she had been the most valuable member of a cat's medical team!

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My Cat (S) Would Never.....

8/13/2019

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In my years as a real estate broker, I learned to focus on doing the most productive activities first. And to appreciate the difference between urgent, important, urgent and important, and urgent and unimportant ones.
Urgent and important right now is my need, goal, desire, passion, to get folks disabused of the "My cat would never accept another cat" way of thinking! NOT SO, in virtually ALL cases. I can speak with authority as I have had literally thousands of cats through my shelter, and they all, always, pretty much immediately, get along!
Lots to unpack here, to coin a phrase.
I bring home old, young, traumatized, starving, injured, cats. Cats who have had to fight for food on the streets. Cats who have never lived with another cat, and those who have lived with too many (hoarding situations) And......
THEY ALL GET ALONG FINE!

I've given this a lot of thought, and have come up with a few ideas about why mine do, and folks are so convinced that theirs will not, co-exist peacefully, even lovingly.

1. My first theory is a tad snarky, but in many cases, I'm sure, spot-on: folks don't want any more cats, and use their cat or cats as an excuse. "It's not me, it's my cat ".
2. Cats are following the expectations of the guardian. They are way more astute than we give them credit for. they understand your expectation or thinking that they won't accept another cat, and act accordingly.
3. Folks don't introduce the new cat diplomatically and tactfully! They don't explain that the new cat is for the existing one's benefit, that the existing cat's place in their hearts will not change, etc., etc.! Anitra Frasier in her book The Natural Cat, lays out a good scenario for the introduction. Six Pages! Lots to ponder and learn from!
I would be delighted to talk with you about introducing a new cat or cats!

So many more cats would be in loving homes and out of the steel shelter cages or off the streets if we could teach folks that adding cats is doable. Give it a think!

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Day in the Life...

8/13/2019

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Up, got coffee immediately. Checked emails and ebay.
Took a call from San Lorenzo...(I’m in Richmond) Needed help with a kitten she’d found. Needed bottle feeding, told her to take the baby to work with her. She is a pre-school teacher, hope she could and did do that…
Scheduled eye surgery for Eliza (entropian: lashes rub eyes, sometimes causing rupture, always causing irritation and worse.)
Made food for the horde…fed. Changed water dishes, etc. Gave medications. Flea combing. Ken did litter boxes, laundry, cutting up of chickens, shopping, taking ebay items to post office, and so much more J
Ordered Idexx combo Leukemia/ Feline Immunodeficiency tests. Found to my surprise that I had over $200 credit for various things (Idexx rocks) and so my order was just $40.00 or so!
Updated my gofundme.com campaign for Eliza, asking for help with the entropian surgery.
Took a call from Pinole: stray cat needing eye treatment. Recommended a vet. AND, the caller didn’t hesitate, or say “ It’s not my cat”. Hope the cats gets to a vet!
Packed up two sold items (ebay)
Looked at a VERY smart and pretty calico/tortoise shell kitten. A fellow cat lady didn’t quite know what to do with her. 10 ounces, but at least four weeks old. They usually weigh about 16 ounces at her age, but although thin, she seemed just fine! Pink gums & tongue, clear eyes…Gave her (the cat) fluids & B-12, flea combed her, saw that she was eating just fine, and reluctantly sent her on her way.
Emailed holistic vet re: Gloria’s urine sample…nothing too serious, suggested I give her Vetriscience UT chews…
Closed windows and put Gloria on the far side of the house: Got a call from a neighbor two doors over: neighbor next to us was putting poison on his deck!
Captured getting-wild Berry and picked up her brother Knight and put them in a big cage. Knight is almost over his ringworm, but Berry was on the loose (won’t let us near unless she’s sleeping) and her ringworm spread. Treated them both.
Housekeepers came, yay. Gloria all ears and eyes. I’d just sat down to feed her. She can’t stand still (old head trauma) to eat without falling, so it’s a nice time for us both. I sit on the couch with her over my lap. But if ANYTHING goes on, she is on the alert till it’s over. The ladies worked in the back of the house, and Gloria ate an okay breakfast…
Cleaned the big “Grind and Brew” coffee maker donated to the rescue. Photographed and listed it, stored it in the shed. It’s huge…want one, call me!
Time to make food again…made food, fed the ones here, went to my colonies…two dishes gone again from one spot…sigh. Everyone showed up as usual.
Got an email from a woman in Richmond…”where many feral cats come and go” lord…no thoughts of spay/neuter folks?? A kitten showed up” she can’t take her in…same old story…I’ll get back to her any see what I can do.
Getting late…called cat lady trapper friend, to see if she can help a mom and 5 babies. No place to put them if trapped, no funding for spay…oy.
Commiserated over the lack of funding for Trap Neuter Return…and placement for rescued cats. Determined to look for fosters tomorrow.
Sat down and watched Netflix Family with cats! My favorite! About a religious group in Washington with waaay too much influence. Keeping the “chosen ones” in power. Need to see how closely it hews to the truth.
Did last round of supplements, and off to bed. A nice quiet day it was!!

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'Nother Mystery...

8/6/2019

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Cat time! One more of the great mysteries....what universe are they living in? They take eons to make a change. the most notable example is the time it takes a cat to enter or exit through a door...Shadow here prompted this morning's post...she had a rocky last few years...her person died, and she was left on the street by a care home. A kind woman started feeding her. The woman's caretaker brought her to me after Shadow developed a horrible skin condition on her neck. Probably from a Hartz (TOXIC) flea collar, which should be outlawed. Never buy Hartz products. I digress. The cat is lovely, as you can see, but was pretty shaken up...she loved to be touched, but would startle and worry. I had her in a big cage in the living room, so that she could see what was going on and get the lay of the land here. I took her out and held her, that was okay. Eventually, after a week or so, she ventured out to explore the house a bit, and always retreated into the safety of the cage...high off the ground. After a few weeks, she took up residence on top of the toilet in one of the bathrooms. Stays there. Eats well. WTF? We put a bed in there, and a litter box...she's eating well and seems happy. Never on the vanity or in her bed, just there on the back of the toilet. Bless her heart. I hope she feel comfortable taking her place among the others soon.

When she was in her cage...

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Cats o' the Day!

7/24/2019

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Here we have Miller and Mabelline, with a photo bomb from Patrick, on the right. M & M are better behaved, They were born here at the shelter, to a sweet feral mother. From the start, they were sweet and affectionate, and are now ready for a home of their own, ideally together! They love to climb trees and celebrate crazy hour at dusk.

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Rant Alert

7/23/2019

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But first a cute kitten photo, of the miraculous Miss Heather! I don't say this lightly...story to follow, but the rant:
Folks, do NOT complain about the cost of vet care! Vets have JUST ( will try to limit the use of caps, promise) as much medical training as a MD has! Same student loan load, same cost to set up a practice, etc.!
A procedure which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for a human, is done for maybe $2000.00 and folks complain! Put it into perspective please! And get health insurance! Of course it's a pain till you need it, but when something big happens, you NEED it! I've had nearly $10,000 this year in medical bills...surgeries, etc. With as many cats as I have, having multiple policies isn't tenable. I've done it.
Do you know that the suicide rate for vets is off the charts? Here's one of the many articles on the subject:
www.care2.com/causes/why-is-the-suicide-rate-for-veterinarians-so-high.html
So take a breath people. Respect your vet. She or he has to deal with neglect, "here kill my cat, I'm moving", hoarding; all sorts of situations in which the animals coming to them are not loved, respected, or cared for properly. What they charge is not nearly enough.

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