I work with, and am supported by, Pet Food Express. The El Cerrito store manager called me on July 11, saying....gasp...that a box had been found in their parking lot with four cats in it. That's a photo hint. I went down, in the store's bathroom, was a large box with four sad looking kittens in it. One was VERY thin. There was a paper dish with some toxic, worthless "food" in it. They had wet in the box, and, if they hadn't been found, could have gotten out and been lost to us forever.
Pet Food Express (more about them below!!) gave me three new cardboard carriers, and helped them into my car. Fortunately, we live close by, and got home quickly. I put them all in a large cage, raised off the floor, and they huddled together in fear, as you see above. Happy photos to follow!! They were withdrawn, and shrunk away rather than struck out when I touched them. Made my job easier!
I left them alone to decompress after I'd talked to them, reassured them that the worst was over, that they'd be loved and cared for from now on, and had sung to them a bit.
The thin one had been given a very quick look-over at the vet on the way home. I'd thought she'd need IV fluids, but the vet said that because she was so anemic, those would dilute her blood dangerously, and to give sub-cutaneous fluids. I did that, with some B-12 in the line. Then I spend over an hour combing fleas and flea dirt off her. I had never seen so much flea dirt (shit & blood it is) on a cat.
She slept with the others. Some ate a bit, others not. Spent another hour in the morning combing The thin one, and giving more fluids. I had been mistaken in thinking, since the other three didn't have many fleas, that she would not pick many up overnight, and that the comfort of the company of her sibs outweighed that danger.
I could not believe the number of fleas on her in the morning. TMI? I was upset: she could not afford to lose any more blood! I got some liquid food and supplements into her via syringe. But, sure enough, late in the morning she started the dying process, and was gone in an hour.
Next comes the happy part.
I had consulted with our homeopath the day they arrived, and she had prescribed the remedy for Glenda, above, of Phosphorus, and for Sunny, the calico, one dose of a high potency of Sulphur. Sunny had what appeared to be a bad flea dermatitis, even though she had virtually no fleas. It only takes one...tiny scabs all over her body. Otherwise she, and her two sisters, are in good shape. Interestingly, Glenda was not ear-tipped, as the others were, indicating that they had been spayed. Had little Glenda, obviously a sister, been stuck in a shed or garage while the others were spayed? If she had gotten stuck somewhere, it would have taken weeks for her to get this emaciated. We'll never know. Bless her! She did live to see her sisters rescued and safe, and to have a day of love and care.
And now: Pet Food Express! Why go anywhere else?? They not only sell the best food, far and away, no junk at all, but are also EXTREMELY supportive of those of us in rescue! Just one example of their stunning generosity is that....they told me to send them the invoices for these cats' care! Not for a month, not up to a certain amount...just send them. Pet Food Express also has promotions often, which result in literally thousands of dollars for rescue groups, and so much more!! They support us; let's support them! Look at their site, https://www.petfood.express/about .
So: saw the vet yesterday, all of them! Melanie has one bad tooth, which needs to come out. Vet didn't know what (on earth) was going on with the eyes...