Feline Founder Slinky

Slinky succumbed to a suspected thromboembulism last night and passed at 8:50pm. We will be holding a memorial service for her in aid of our Stray Cat Fund. Details will be rolled out soon.

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2013: What we at Love Kuching are looking forward to!

Have you ever come across a sick or injured stray kitty, and didn't know what to do? Or did something, but was hindered by financial difficulty? Found it difficult to find a shelter that could provide intensive care for critically ill or end-of-life stray kitties?

If you have been with us through the year thus far, you will know adopters have been few and far between. We do not know the mechanics why, and we know we are not the only ones in the cat rescue industry finding it hard to re-home rescues this year. Because of this trend we have had to freeze on new rescue intakes for the longest time. Perhaps the market is saturated or already mature. Perhaps stray cat populations are skyrocketing above adoption demands. What we know is the consequence of low adoption rates this year.

To wear us out even more, our Feline Founder Slinky has fallen ill. While we are used to having sick cats to care for, this has a morale drain regardless. We suffered from compassion fatigue: motivation was low, cat work felt dreary. For people who love cats, this is a big blow to us.

The downsides of 2012 have been aired above. What this has done is incite us forward for 2013. Without slumps there can be little victory.

We have strategised that for 2013, we will go where the need is greater. If kitten adoptions are down, we shall help other sectors of the cat populations in our lives and neighbourhoods. Which brings us back to the questions at the start of this post. There IS a need for critical intensive care for sick and injured stray and abandoned cats. These cats are either due to be released back into their territories when well, or to be cared for till they leave this world. Not everyone is available to foster cats like these not just due to lack of knowledge or funds, but also because of time.

This is timely because we have stored up experience in intensive care for cats over the years. Wound changes, injections, nutraceutical care, medications, handfeeding, dealing with incontinence, and yes, dealing with very feral cats that keep hissing and spitting at us while we try to care. We have also had requests coming in asking for help regarding sick and injured stray cats. There is currently still a low level of support for helping sick and injured cats from the streets and we want to help boost it a bit higher. And yes, Slinky has inspired us to care for more infirmed cats when they are vulnerable, and we are doing this for her.

So, come 2013, we will scale down on our rescue kitten intake, and open our foster home doors wider to the stray cats waiting in veterinary clinics for critical home care. For those we cannot take in, we hope to ease the financial burden for these rescuers by channelling your donations to these cats' vet care via our Stray Cat Fund.

Essentially, we are getting out of the adoption business. But for good reason, and for changes we are eagerly anticipating.

Our mode of operations is not changing much. We will still have the functions of boarding, veterinary care, and general operations costs. We will still be using sterilisation donations and reimbursements for TNR projects that we come across. We will also still be caring for the kitties already in our custody and available for adoption (see right side bar under 'Adoption Alert'). We will constantly be re-evaluating how we go about effectively caring for the welfare of stray cats to ensure mileage for your financial contributions.

To sum up, Love Kuching will continue loving the cats in our lives and neighbourhoods, and partner you to do the same. We are not going anywhere but to keep doing something better for cats' lives. And we would like for you to continue joining us on this mission.

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7  
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme  
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Update on Chanel in her new home

Here are pics of Chanel with her new parents and new home:

Before Chanel left our foster home

Chanel of course exhibited a bit of new-place stress, did some hiding, but eventually came out. She likes her new home and parents!

Chanel likes her TV. Our foster home had no TV for her!

Was okay and cuddly by her second day

Has a cat tree now too, which she uses!

So happy for Chanel! Let's make more forever homes, spread the word for us to your friends looking for kitty companions for life!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Updates

We are deliberating on letting Salmon become a stray kitty again, because he is not only not getting any adoption queries, he is too intraverted. He unlikely to bond well with humans which may make him a permanent shelter cat otherwise. Salmon is good at bonding with other cats and with asking humans for food, he is likely to survive as a stray cat. We will be releasing him in Ubi behind our block so we can keep an eye on him.

Chanel got adopted! Will blog her new family's pictures soon. So glad she has found her forever home! Times have been tough with finding adopters. Every cat has been and still is awaiting.

Lenny will be made available for adoption as a special needs cat. He is likely to have chronic flu' / wheezing despite having been on inhaler therapy. He survives well ans does not seem bothered by his occasiona runny nose. We hope some human will be fine with that too.

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Complete report on last month's TNR at Selegie

We finally got all our receipts, got a working computer again, so here is the report on the Selegie TNR we did last month.

On the second round of TNR in that area we trapped a total of 7 cats:

7 cats

These cats were mostly from the areas opposite the HDB flats, at commercial buildings just nearby. We also released the cats neutered from the first round on the same day.

Bills from the second round of neutering were a tad higher than usual because the spay/neuter clinic could not operate on all 7 cats and once and those who had to wait needed extra boarding days which cost.

Bill incl. trapping/transport and boarding

Clinic bill #1

Clinic bill #2

So we spent exactly $810 on this Selegie TNR project. We want to do more. What you can do to help:

1. Look out for uncared for colonies of cats that have no one sterilising or feeders who are unable to sterilise the cats. Then contact us and let us know.
2. Support our Sterilisation Fund. Give to our POSB account (savings) 188-52652-7 and SMS Elaine at 90880675 to indicate you have given towards our Sterilisation Fund.

Our TNR efforts help stem the overpopulation of cats in our nation. Sure we can rescue, rehabilitate and rehome kitties, but sterilisation of stray cats to reduce the kitten population boom helps a lot more, and goes straight to the root of the problem. There are only so many homes kittens can go to. So, if you can do either step 1 or 2 of the above, PLEASE DO!

P.S. Glad to have a working computer again. :)

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Cute little Ebi needs a forever home!

| Contender for cutest bicolour kitten ever |

This is Ebi, sitting on a tree branch in Katong Park where Furry Photos did his photo shoot, so that he will look super gorgeous on photographs and make you want to take him home immediately. (He is wearing a leash in the photos.)

The cute faces of Ebi

Ebi's classic "I'm pitiful!" look...

We did a caption contest for Ebi's photoshoot and here is the winning entry! 

Submitted by Charmaine

Ebi is now about 4 months old. He first came to us with a burn on his leg. After his burn wound had healed, and he went through his vaccinations, he then came down with diarrhoea. The vet did a fecal exam and found there to be no bacterial infection, so we treated him for his runny poo till he got better. And hooray he is now a-okay!

Vet checked, he's healthy now!

Active and curious

Ebi is now about 4 months old, male black and white kitten with a mid-length tail. He is litter-trained, vaccinated and de-wormed. He is able to eat both dry and wet food and drink water on his own.

Ebi's bicoloured markings

Personality-wise he is confident most of the time, daring to make friends with other cats easily even if older ones give him a hissy fit first as is the norm in catty greetings. He charms humans over with his super cute face, "I am so poor thing!" that just makes anyone's heart melt. He is vocal when he needs something, like food, and loves affection, purring away the minute you pick him up. He also listens to us humans when we tell him yes or no, and he is not overly mischievous!

"Mreow!"

(Almost) Always a good boy!

Ebi posing with his friend Sunkist, also for adoption

If you would like to adopt Ebi, please see right side bar under 'How to adopt' or click here to find out how to adopt Ebi.

Please don't let Ebi be homeless!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme  
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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We will be back from a short break, very soon. Promise.

Sorry we haven't been around for the past 2 weeks. Human Elaine was in the hospital, and Slinky our Feline Founder fell even more ill than she already was. She has FIV.

We will resume blogging as soon as possible as Elaine needs to recover after returning from hospital also. Meanwhile, here is a little nugget on FIV:

"FIV transmission is mainly through the bloodstream and therefore is primarily passed from cat to cat through bite wounds.That explained why no one else in my cat household caught it because they never bit each other. Cats that live together don't generally bite each other hard enough to break the skin even when in rough play."

This however does not relate to foster cats as truly, because fosters are entering a new environment and with that and stress they may attack other cats. This is why we try to avoid situations where we have to take in a foster cat with FIV.

Thank you all who have gathered in a #pawcircle for Slinky on Facebook and Twitter. On her new meds, Interferon, she is eating better. Currently her weight has already dropped to 2kg only. Her liver and kidney functions are fine.

This is a reminder to all of you who have cats that are 8 years and older, their veterinary visits should be twice yearly from this age onwards. Slinky is still able to move about, use the loo, jump (slowly) and come to us for affection. Not in pain. Regular vet checks will make sure anything wrong will be caught early, not late. 

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
 Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Adopt: Sunkist [Photos taken by @furryphotos]

| Sunkist, 6 mths old male neutered red tabby kitten|

Sunkist came to us for rehabilitation after his rescuers found him abandoned in Marsiling with a serious eye infection. He was taken to the vet and hospitalised.

When first rescued

When he came to us his eye was still red. We continued his medication regime. Today his eye is no longer infected, but there is still some residual scarring that is visible up close. He however sees perfectly well and has no need for medication any more.

His scarred eye, close up

As of today, he is 25 weeks old, litter-trained, has all his booster shots done (sponsored by Shela), dewormed, on Revolution, neutered - he sports a slightly tipped ear now, and healthy and vet-checked.

Thinking of mischief?

Sunkist is a very active kitten who is playful and full of energy. He may get into mischief but responds to discipline as all our foster cats do (they have to)! He gets along well with other kittens, especially Ebi, who is also for adoption. He also interacts well with older cats. When he is in the mood he loves hugs too!

Sunkist and Ebi at the end of their photoshoot

He has a mid-length tail, tabby markings are mackarel, and has a white chin.

Tabby markings and white chin features

Here is the entire collection of the photos Furry Photos took of Sunkist at Katong Park last week:

To adopt Sunkist, see right side bar under 'How to adopt' or click here to find out how.

If you cannot adopt, do share the word! Every RT and share makes a difference!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7   
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Selegie TNR round 1 report

On Sunday we went to Selegie to conduct a round of TNR for the stray cat colony there. It was fruitful; we trapped 8 kitties to send to the clinic. We are going again today at 5pm to conduct the 2nd round of trapping for the remaining stray cats there. So look forward to another report after this one!

Sunday's weather was a bit ominous but turned out to be dry when we went there, thankfully. Which meant that the cats weren't all in hiding and were easily trapped.

The cats were gathered around the perimeter of a substation, and as instructed to the feeders, were not fed for the day so were all waiting there instead of hiding.

Back of the substation

Front of the substation, their main feeding point

Quite clean, wouldn't you agree? The feeders are very responsible ones who clear up after feeding. They also help negotiate complaints to the town council regarding cats. Main complaints though, are still as usual about indoor cats that are allowed to roam, disturbing neighbours that live on high floors - not the fault of the stray cats at all.

The feeders used to do the sterilisation, so there are some already tipped-ear cats around. Unfortunately their previous trapper stopped answering their calls when they needed to sterilise more. And so the population kept growing, until they could no longer afford to sterilise them all.

One of the already tipped-ear cats

None of the cats are friendly enough to be touched, and so transporting them to the vet without trapping services is out of the question.

Preparing the traps

Traps laid, cats lured by the food within

A lot of the kitties we trapped were kittens that just hit maturity, so the timing we went was really apt. Here are the 8 cats we trapped. They return to their territory today.

The 8 cats from this first round of TNR

Tabby/white

White/tabby

White/tabby

Tabby/white

Black/white

Tabby/white

Tabby/white

Tabby

There are about 4-6 cats still needing to be sterilised at this spot. Also, about 2-4 across the road:

2-4 cats across the substation, outside a hostel

Cats hiding in the bush outside the hostel

We will be there this evening at 5pm, look out for our updates on Twitter and Instagram on site (@luvkuching) and we will report the total bills for this Selegie TNR project once we have completed. If you would like to give to this TNR project, deposit into our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7, write us an email at elaine@lovekuchingproject.org to state that you wish to give to our Sterilisation Fund. Thank you in advance!

Righto, see you later Selegie cats!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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