This little sweetie is a very timely example of why affordable, accessible spay/neuter is needed so badly in our community and so many others around the country. As many of us know, this time of year is commonly known as “Kitten Season.” It starts in early spring and runs into summer and each year it seems to get longer and longer. This is when unspayed female cats start having babies - and those of us in rescue start to feel like kittens are coming out of the woodwork. Every day we receive multiple phone calls requesting help with kittens found under a friend’s deck, a stray kitten found in someone’s yard, an animal shelter overrun with babies that need to be bottle fed. It’s overwhelming to say the least.
”Doc” was found by my sister late Friday night on her way out of the parking lot of the hospital where she is a nurse. Fate sent him running in front of her car at exactly the right time, while she was stopping at the security arm at the exit of the parking garage. My sister threw her car in park and hopped out to chase after this little blur of black fur. Into the dark night in a not-so-nice neighborhood, she tiptoed, calling out to him while he darted away under the bushes. When she finally scooped him up with her lab coat, he melted into her arms, realizing he was finally safe. He was so thin, dehydrated, and dirty, weighing only about a pound, far too underweight for his age (about 10 weeks). He’s got a slight upper respiratory infection (antibiotics on board), diarrhea (clearing up after three days of good food and some pumpkin), and ringworm. And somehow, even after this rough start at life, he is the sweetest kitten I’ve ever fostered. He purrs constantly and nuzzles my nose (story to follow soon, I’m sure, on how I got ringworm on my nose).
Doc is the best example we could give all our friends and supporters of why we are opening Planned PEThood. Our shelters are always full, but especially overwhelmed at this time of year. If spay/neuter was more affordable and accessible to the general public, there would be fewer kittens entering our shelters every spring and fewer animals killed each year. We don’t even need to mention the fact that an adult cat has little or no chance for adoption at this time of year because of all the cute kittens available at shelters. How can they compete?
So, when we start to wonder why we’ve given up a year of our lives and financial security to start a venture that will be time-consuming, emotionally frustrating, and physically exhausting? This is why:
As always, thanks so much for your support!
Lynette
