Our Office Kitty

[Jennifer-Quit]

Our stray office cat that we rescued to live in our warehouse at work is very sick.  We have been feeding it really high protein canned food but he just isn't putting on any weight.  And he cries a lot.  He warmed up to us - so he is used to being around people.  We managed to get him to the vet today but unfortunately he has an incurable form of leukemia and will have to be put down.  I really got attached to him in such a short period of time.  I feel so sad.  I think I may check into adopting a cat from a shelter. 

[susan_m]

Aww, so very sweet, Jennifer, and I'm sorry to read that you're having to put the cat down.  I hope you do adopt another, and soon.  ❤

[cpsono]

Awww I’m so sorry for your loss.  But what a cool thing that you had an office cat. That certainly made your work day enjoyable. I think you should adopt two cats—a home cat and a work cat-would be a great Christmas present to your self and to your co-workers!

[minihorses]

I'm so sorry about the cat. fHaving to put down any animal is so emotionally difficult even when it's to keep them from suffering.  I had tried to adopt a cat from the local shelter quite a few years ago and I always take them to the vet immediately before they come in contact with my other cats. The one I had chosen had FIP (basically kitty-aids). I had to take him back to the shelter. If you are going to adopt a cat PLEASE have them checked by a reputable vet first. Your other option is getting one from rescue organization, where the cats live in a foster home until they are adopted. Most rescue orgs. charge what seems to be a lot of money but the animals are (or should be) neutered, up to date on all shots, wormed, preferably microchipped, and socialized. That alone would cost over $250 depending on sex as it costs more to spay a female. All of my animals, except a couple horses, have been rescued either by me, or have come from local shelters and rescue organizations. Consider getting an adult as well, everybody wants a kitten because they're 'so cute!' which leaves the adults being passed by without getting a permanent home. Besides they are hopefully past all the kitten bull-crap (about 3 years old).

Our last adoptee ended up being a kitten who had been removed (mama and the babies) from a feral cat community and was with a rescue we'd used before.  I didn't want a kitten and went to look at the adults they had at the adopt-a-thon. We meet and she convinces us to at least look at the kitten. We hit it off and for some reason she really wanted US to be his permanent home. I guess it might have been from our years of experience and great vet records. So home we went to the other 4 boys with a kitten. Sometimes I regret that decision, the little pain in the butt! He's 2 1/2 now and still a kitten yet... grrrr! 

Good luck, may the kitty you lost be always in your heart and please help a sheltered or rescued cat get a forever home. Keep us posted.

Julie

[elvan]

I adopted two cats from a feral cat rescue, they were both spayed, had been tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV, and were up to date on shots.  They were in foster care until they were completely cleared...the adoption fee was whatever donation you wanted to make.  One of those cats is my avatar, she perished in the fire.  The other one is a little buff colored cat who has feline herpes, it makes her eyes drain and need attention.  Her immune system is not what it should be but we give her L-lysine every day...she seems healthy and we give the L-lysine to the other two to boost their immune systems.  

Shelters can be iffy but most here now require that the animal is vet checked before they release them, they also require that they be spayed or neutered.  We adopted three cats from the same shelter a few months after the fire. One had issues with using the litter box, she had an infection and we had her treated and tried but she kept using my sweaters and blankets to pee on, I just about lost my mind. We had to take her back to the shelter and it nearly killed me because she was just beautiful and the last thing I wanted to do was to take her back there, we got a kitten when we took her back, we have him now and he immediately bonded with the other cat we had gotten from the shelter.  They were inseparable until the older cat began to sleep all of the time, after spending a small fortune trying to find out what was wrong with him...we never got a diagnosis but we kept taking him back and changing medications.  He was so sick that he could not even stand up, we had no choice but to have him put to sleep and it was an incredibly difficult decision.  We got the little buff colored kitten because we felt that the other cat needed company.  They have been friends since they first met.  The emotional investment in an animal is huge but, in my opinion, it is worth every minute of it...including whatever pain might be associated with the relationship.  The rewards are immense.

XOXO,

Ellen