Love Kuching Project @luvkuching - kitten adoption, rescue, TNR: 2014

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

2015: Volunteer with us! Make it your new year goal

Come the new year, we will be growing even more in our existing work, and so various programmes will need more hands on deck. Like we always say in the rescue industry: if you cannot adopt, foster; if you cannot foster, volunteer; if you cannot volunteer, donate. There is something all of us can do to make lives better for cats in need. For what we love we shall stop at nothing to create change.

We want to use this blog post to highlight areas you can pick to join our Love Kuching family and extended network.

Where can you volunteer in 2015?

#FosNet

The first dire need we have, is for you to join us as a Foster Caregiver in our Foster Network. This volunteering option allows you to work from home, around your schedule, at a level you can commit. You will not be handling boisterous kittens that need a lot of poop scooping and play, nor need to host any adopters in your home. Your only liaison is with our Foster Network Volunteer, Amizadai.

The cats we will farm out to you will be sick or injured cats: this is so we can expand our current brick and mortar space of 5 suites for sick/injured cats. We often have more requests to shelter stray cats needing medical care than we actually have space for. Many people turn instead to expensive hospitalisation or boarding options for these stray cats, and their welfare is not great being in such locales because the human to cat ratio is not optimal. This is not counting many other stray cats that get sent to SPCA. Our other option to a Foster Network is to -actually- increase our brick and mortar space. But with rentals very high right now and our cash flow not optimally in excess, 2015 is not the right time for Love Kuching to move into that yet. You being in our Foster Network is the only way we can save more cats.

Foster Caregivers can give more dedicated care

Bring home a cat to foster, free up a space for another cat

But what if you have very little experience in medical care for cats? Medical care varies from cat to cat, as do the durations each cat will need fostering for. The simplest commitment will be a short 2 week duration, with oral medications you can mix in food. The most extended and intensive type of care will be those that need topical wound cleaning and medication application, injections, and some may will need fostering until they die because they cannot be released back to their original stray territory (terminal illness). You can commit to any level, the simplest, the most intensive, or anything in between. We will match the right case to you.

In case you worry that your cats might get into a fight with the foster cat, we will provide you a cage if you need one. Besides that, all medications and medical supplies will also be provided. You will also get food and litter supplies from us. And before you start, as well as along the way, you will get training support. This way, you can also learn and grow in your cat care skills.

Learn hands on medical care from us!

Adoption is a lifelong commitment, but fostering is not. Because we as cat lovers simply cannot adopt every cat in need, fostering is one way we can make a difference in the lives of cats that need help. If you want to find out more and/or sign up as a Foster Caregiver, drop an email to ami@lovekuchingproject.org

Foster Care

Currently, we have 6 Foster Care Volunteers who are paired up to cover Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights weekly. They come in every week to do cleaning of the foster space as well as medical care of the cats, hosting ad hoc play/clean volunteers, and interacting with the kitties that are for adoption in order to socialise them.

Shelter kittens need a lot of positive human contact

This job scope is expanding to preparation of medications, supplements in food, on three other nights: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. However, on these nights, whoever is on duty will not need to clean; the focus will be on the medical care of the cats and preparation of supplements. The time slot will also be different: instead of 7-9pm, it will be 8-9:30pm.

Application of topical medications

Learn clinical care like fluid administration

We have Foster Care Volunteer slots available for Wednesday nights weekly, and Friday nights weekly, from 8pm to 9:30pm. You can volunteer alone, or as a pair with a friend or loved one.

We do not need any experience in medical care of cats from you. The key attributes you should have are availability, teachability, and passion. As it is a weekly, long term commitment, you should be available on the night you choose (Wednesday or Friday) over the long haul, ad hoc personal commitments aside. Being great at learning on the go is also something we want - a hunger to learn is always better than experienced minds unwilling to learn. You will not only learn from Elaine who is in charge of the medical care on most days, you will also get a chance to learn from other Foster Care Volunteers during joint sessions with them. Also, we want passionate people - you should be interested in critical intensive care of medications, learning about holistic therapies, keen on hands-on work.

Basically, helping sickies feel better!

If you are keen on this, email elaine@lovekuchingproject.org.

(Psst. Have we yet bragged about how great a place we are to volunteer at? We bond over common interests, our common passion about cats, be it with other volunteers in the same portfolio or across other portfolios during our gatherings. We are also open and don't hold back, and everything is about the 'we' not the 'I' in our work. All of us share the same goals and agenda in Love Kuching, and there is mutual respect for one another. 32 people have helped create it as such a community, why not come be a part of making it too? We are an all-inclusive community!)

And, as always, if you are keen on ad hoc volunteering instead, you can always join the play/clean sessions hosted by our volunteers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. Volunteering is fun with friends or family so you can also feel free to volunteer with someone instead of going it alone.

Share this post with people you know might fit the bill for any of the volunteering opportunities listed above. We want our family to grow!

Donate to our cause by making a deposit to our Love Kuching Project DBS Current Account 027-905975-3 or via Credit Card
Donate us food or litter at charity rates with free delivery via Pawfection

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Monday, December 29, 2014

A stray cat with skin infection: Yvie from Yishun's story

| Yvie, a tortoiseshell tabby cat |

Yvie's rescuer Evon contacted us about a stray cat near her home which had some apparent flesh wounds. The wounds seemed superficial, but then it got worse, and was not flea dermatitis as Evon had applied Frontline for Yvie already. We took Yvie in on Sunday 21st December.

Her flesh wounds were mostly around her face and ears:

Yvie in our last remaining suite

The infection around her face and external ears

Both sides of her face affected

Since the vet was closed on Sunday, we cleaned and medicated Yvie's wound that night and then took her to the vet the next day. Because she had been scratching, we applied a steroidal antibacterial cream, and the redness of her scratches went down the next day.

The vet did a skin scrape to look under the microscope and found that Yvie had mites (scabies). Because her skin had gotten so infected and itchy, she was given steroidal and antibiotic jabs. We also applied Revolution for her, and she has a second dose to follow up, so as to make sure she is mite-free.

We continued to keep her wounds cleaned and medicated. She was not very keen on being indoors though: she disturbed her neighbours, messed up her suite, did not want to eat food with any supplements. She only needed a follow up dose of Revolution, so Evon came to take Yvie back to her stray territory, and we passed the Revolution to her so she can apply for Yvie back at Yishun.

Yvie was happy to be back at her place!

Yvie back at Yishun

Looking at ease indeed!

We love happy rescue story endings like this. Keep up the good work, vigilante rescuers!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

#ERFund | Bat Boy, stray cat from Sengkang, attacked by feral dogs.

We got a call from Kim yesterday, who together with another cat feeder from Sengkang, had rescued a cat from being attacked by 3 dogs. Kim brought Bat Boy to SPCA, where his external wound was treated, but because SPCA has no diagnostic equipment like xray machines, they recommended Kim take Bat Boy to a private vet, in case he had any internal injuries. Kim, being a housewife, was not able to finance a private vet bill, and through SPCA's recommendation, found us to get help through our ER Fund.

Bat Boy from Sengkang

His wound after being cleaned at SPCA

Whilst at our vet

At our vet, Dr Chong further examined the wound, and found it to be mostly subcutaneous but very deep. Xrays showed no damage to bones and major organs, but it was still a touch and go situation for Bat Boy. Dr Chong liaised with her colleague who worked on Bat Boy at SPCA that morning and found out that he had been given antibiotics and painkiller jabs. Despite this, Bat Boy was still in a lot of pain and he had to be sedated for xray and examination. Dr Chong further debrided his wound, and gave him fluids as he hadn't eaten since the attack the night before, and gave him additional painkillers.

Back at Kim's home where he was being fostered, he started to eat and drink a little. But alas, he passed away in the early morning before sunrise.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Jerry from Pasir Ris with kidney failure and gum disease

Jerry arrived at our foster home on 15 November, a stray cat that is from Pasir Ris, rescued by Lynn. She sent us photos and descriptions of Jerry's symptoms: he wasn't eating very well, very emaciated. We met Lynn and Jerry at the vet before bringing him to our foster home, to get his condition diagnosed.

It turns out Jerry had gum disease, and he got a steroid and antibiotic jab for it. His heart was okay, and he has no FIV or FeLV, which is a good sign. But upon testing his kidney function, we found out he had kidney disease. He had to go on subcutaneous fluids daily from then on.

Back at the foster home, Jerry was very feral, he didn't eat, and was not easy to administer SC fluids to.

Jerry didn't eat

Worried about him not eating, we decided to hospitalise him and see if being on IV fluids with vitamin B will perk up his appetite. He was so aggressive that they had to sedate him to insert the IV catheter.

Jerry at the vet

By the next day, Jerry had started eating! We brought him back and he continued to eat. We administered vitamin B jabs to keep him going whenever his appetite was down, and tested out which food he would prefer: he had a choice of Addiction brushtail (our preferred choice), Wellness CORE fish (which Julie was eating cos she doesn't like anything else), and steamed pureed chicken. He finally settled on Addiction Brushtail.

He started to feel better after awhile, and eating daily became a norm. Eventually, this aggressive cat became docile, and we could even pat him and stroke him.

He is now also on a phosphorus binding agent for his food (necessary for renal conditions) and we will bring him for a review when he shows signs of improvement.

We are adding supplements to his regime slowly, as we don't want to 'spook' him and make his food taste funky and then he doesn't eat again. So he is now on a basal regime of vitamins and probiotics. He has a bit of constipation so we add pumpkin and psyllium husk to his diet too. We hope to introduce him slowly to the full range of supplements that will help with his kidney disease and gum disease.

Jerry now, still shy, but better!

He continues to be on 80-100ml of SC fluids a day. We just ordered more bags of Hartmann's solution, 18G needles and IV lines from Yeap Medical Supplies that distributes to clinics and hospitals. If you wish to help financially, make a donation to our Boarding Fund, which pays for such supplies. Our bank account number is below, and after you give, email to indicate you have given to the Boarding Fund. Thank you!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Julie, cat from Jurong West with spinal and neurological disorder

Julie, a gorgeous black kitty

Julie was found in Jurong West by the caregiver of the stray kitties there. Likely abandoned, because she looked well taken care of, but she seemed to have problems walking.

Julie walks in a circle and has a tilted neck.

Her caregiver brought her to the vet for check up. After she came over to our foster home, we realised immediately that it was a nerve disorder, and that meant we needed to get her TCM and acupuncture treatment as nerve disorders cannot be cured by pharmaceuticals.

Dr Oh our TCM vet saw her xrays and found out she has additional bone spurs alone her spine. This creates pressure and pain on her spinal cord and thus affects her ability to walk properly. She is also incontinent and has constipation, which are related.

Acupuncture needles along her spine

Sits still throughout the session, great kitty patient!

After her first acupuncture session, we immediately saw improvement. She walked with more ease, and instead of in tight circles with a stiff neck, her movement was smoother.

At the foster home we also do Kitty Raindrop Technique aromatherapy massage for her along her spine with vet recommended essential oils for nerve disorders.

Will update her progress on our social media platforms, follow her story with us there!

Julie after a bath

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Come meet the kitties and luvkuching humans at Paws & Furs Carnival! |

| Paws & Furs Carnival |

This pets event is a 2 day happening on the last weekend of November. We will be having a booth there on the 30th and Elaine will be giving short talks on both days at 2:30pm on cat behaviour management.

At our booth, we will be bringing Gurly, our current cat available and still waiting for adoption, and -for the first time - kittens that will not be yet ready for adoption but will be there for a cuddle-preview! You can come down to meet all of them, and if you are interested in adopting, to fill out our adoption checklist. For kitties not ready for adoption that week, we will follow up with you once they are available and you have passed the screening.

Also, for the first time, we will be showcasing our outreach to nursing homes and hospitals with our feline therapy! Meet our therapy cat volunteers (yes, the actual cats!) and learn more about our work helping humans who need the love of cats.

Wanna know more about the event? Go to the Pets and Furs Carnival FB page.

Monday, November 17, 2014

ER Fund case: Spot, cat with bite wound, from Pasir Ris Park

Spot, the cat with the white spot on his back

We got contacted by the caregivers of this colony of cats at Pasir Ris, Elle and her family, because one of the cats, Spot, a dark tabby white male, was found with a flesh wound at the base of his tail. Because previously another one of the cats here had flea dermatitis and we advised them to buy Revolution for the cats, they spent their budget on that and had no finances to care for Spot's newfound injury. Here we came in with help from our ER Fund, funded by our donors who pledge monthly to this fund for rescuers needing financial help for stray cat rescues.

Spot's flesh wound when first discovered

The wound looked like something that the caregivers could do aftercare for when he went back to the park, or if needed, the family was willing to foster him for a short period of time before he recovered. So we met Elle and family and Spot at our vet, and there we found that Spot's wound is most likely a bite mark.

At the vet during examination

Spot was given antibiotics and painkillers, and because Elle had spotted the injury early, no secondary infection had set in yet, and the wound was easy to manage. The vet said it would heal on it own and would not need surgery.

Elle and her family decided to foster Spot for one week before releasing him back to his siblings at Pasir Ris Park, and during then, his wound was cleaned by them with supplies we gave them, medications applied/administered. He did very well.

Spot at his caregivers' home resting

Now his wound has healed and he returned back to join his brothers at the park, eating and playing with them happily again. A success story! Thank you ER Fund donors!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

[Adopt] Bowie, rescued from a bush on NTU's campus

Bowie is a 9 week old (as of this post) boy kitten who was likely abandoned on NTU campus. The NTU cat management network, that cares for the cats on campus, has sterilised all the cats in the area, and after they found Bowie, investigated if there was a new mother cat on site, but to no avail. Bowie is also very friendly and seemed very used to people from the get-go, which is often evident in cats that have already been exposed to people from a young age. He was 6 weeks old when rescued.

Bowie, a confident kitty

After he arrived at our foster space, we bathed him while doing a flea-check, applied Revolution for him, introduced him to his new foster siblings with the aid of Feliway and essential oils. He even took to the Socialisation IC Scotty the canine member of the staff.

We also realised that he really, really enjoyed the companionship and affection of older cats, and would often take the initiative to go up to them.

Bowie trying to smell Echo, who wasn't keen!

He is also extremely curious and enjoys roaming as wide an area as possible. He learned very early on how to go back to his cat suite where his litterbox, food and water are, no matter how 'far' he decided to explore around the foster home. Being such a curious kitty, getting him to sit still for the following photos - not easy! Kudos to Furry Photos.

Sit still? Why...

Why do I haz to pose for this camera things?

Thingy to pounce on, sighted! Ready, get set...

Nom on the toy!

Last pose for you ok

I SAID LAST ONE!

Bowie has been vet-checked, vaccinated, dewormed, litter trained, able to eat and drink on his own, and is ready for adoption. He would do well in a home that already has cats as he enjoys looking for companionship from other felines. He does well with dogs, does not attack, and is confident enough to stand up to a 22kg heavy Scotty.

If you would like to adopt Bowie, see right side bar under 'How to adopt' or click here.

Molly, stray cat with liver problem and asthma

This is Molly, who was found wheezing and open-mouth breathing one day by her rescuers, and was brought to the vet. There, they discovered she also had a liver disease - her ALT was elevated - and her lungs were found to have fluid as well.

Molly

Her liver either has an inflammation or an infection, and she is now on a variety of supplements to help her liver heal, including milk thistle, and nutraceuticals of SAM-e and NAC at vet-prescribed doses.

Because her lungs had fluid at her previous vet where she stayed for two days, we have to observe if it occurs again. If it does, it may indicate a heart failure that affects the liver and causes fluid accumulation in the lungs. So far since she arrived 27 October, she hasn't displayed any symptom of fluids in lungs. Her asthma is likely a separate issue, and is now being controlled well by her medication which is a form of steroids.

Molly's default position when she lies down

Unfortunately, while Molly's liver needs time to heal, she suffers pain from it and needs a painkiller injection every day. Her liver damage means she does not respond well to aromatherapy even when the essential oils are on her peepads/blanket. She is also quite easily upset due to the pain and does not do well when stressed. Thankfully she is not aggressive and it just takes a little bit more skill in cat-handling to administer her daily jabs.

We will update more on Molly on our social media platforms (see below for the links to follow us on them!) and share her progress with everyone. We hope she visibily improves soon.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

NUS PEACE Fundraiser | 29 & 30 October 2014 at UTown | Come support!

In benefit of Love Kuching Project among other shelters

NUS PEACE - PEACE standing for People Ending Animal Cruelty & Exploitation is holding a fundraiser next week in benefit of a few shelters, including us! Head to UTown next Wednesday and Thursday and help chip in. Funds directed to us will be going to our Veterinary Fund shortfall.

Here is a sneak peak of what you can purchase:

Spread the word to your NUS friends!