Hi Nina, thank you for welcoming
us. I'll describe our arrangements, and how we got started.
Over three-hundred cats have come through
my home, wherever it was, in the past twenty years. In CA, so many healthy
cats are killed yearly because of overpopulation that I chose to have the
positives euthanized, so that remained my policy. In '96, we returned from
Zaire and moved to MA. We immediately became extensively involved in
rescue work. In '01, a co-director of a humane society begged me to take
in a litter of 8-wk-old kittens, six of whom had tested positive for
leukemia. We were their last chance. We decided to take them.
That was the turning point in our policy. Initially, we kept the kittens
isolated, but eventually integrated them. The first kitten died at six
months; the last, at 3 yrs. 10 months. The seventh is still
negative.
In the mid-eighties, I took in positives,
thinking that the Felv vaccine was sufficiently effective to protect my other
cats. It wasn't. That's why I stopped keeping positives. But
now, although not foolproof, the vaccination is much more
effective.
We did our rescue work from apartments
until '03, when we bought a modest house. We had the carpets removed and
wall-to-wall vinyl flooring installed throughout the house. The vinyl is
imitation marble: white with gray tracery, and shows anything that
spills on it--hairballs, urine, anything. We can spot anything and
clean it up immediately. We have eleven jumbo litter pans in several
rooms, and change them often. Our back yard is enclosed with cat-proof
fencing; only certain cats are allowed to go out there. Everett
built an outdoor enclosed, roofed cat porch behind our bedroom
window. It is accessible 24/7, 365, by an enclosed tunnel that runs to
it through the window. All the cats are able to use
that.
We have quilted calico cat-pads
throughout the house, on semi-high surfaces, for the cats' comfort and
privacy. We feed the cats on two enormous polished wooden tables in
our kitchen. This makes clean-up easier, and the cats enjoy being on
a high surface. We have a supplementary snacking station on the
floor. The kitchen is actually quite lovely.
Newcomers are isolated in our study, a
large room with a picture-window, until two weeks after they've had their second
FVRCCP/Felv vaccination and have been spayed etcetera. Then they are
introduced.
We live with thirty-six cats, which
is too many, but will go down through the sad attrition of death. Only two
are placeable. The others are feral or positive or both. We
have resisted taking in any more, unless the case is extreme and there is
no other alternative.
Alley Cat Allies recently asked me to
take in some positives from their hurricane rescuees. I couldn't do
it. I was devastated. We sent them twenty Tomahawk traps and
cash, but we're full-up and cannot adopt. They have a group of sweet,
feral positives they call the "Circle K's," who are fed in a store parking
lot. Does anyone want them?
Our cats get along beautifully. I
attribute it to the following. Careful engineering of the household to
reduce stress upon them. A combination of love and respect. An
attempt to understand them, and to meet them half-way in communication
styles. No anger, only gentle redirection. And total integration of
them into our lives. It also helps that I am home 24/7, a luxury to
most people.
Thank you for your inquiry, Nina.
May I learn about you?
Presto
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- Nina's Greeting and Question Presto
- Re: Nina's Greeting and Question Belinda Sauro
- Re: Nina's Greeting and Question Nina