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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TNR project: Selegie

In a residential estate spanning 3 blocks off Selegie Road, there lives a colony of stray cats numbering at about 20. Many are not sterilised, and some are already pregnant. When we received the appeal for conducting Trap-Neuter-Return at this area, we therefore had to act quickly.

After a short recce, we found that one of the sub-colonies resides at one of the residential blocks.

Sub-colony at substation

Some of the strays are already neutered, but the caregivers simply do not have enough financial resources to neuter all of the cats fast enough. Reproduction is rampant.

We will be conducting the first round of trapping for sterilisation this Sunday 30 Sept at 6pm. 

It is likely at least 2 rounds will be needed, and we will be able to gauge better after this Sunday with a more in-depth reconnaissance. As of end July 2012 our Sterilisation Fund balance is at S$870.22. We may need your help if we need to conduct more than 2 rounds as we have only sufficient funds to conduct 2 rounds of sterilisation. If so, we will be publishing a fundraising appeal.

We will report the TNR project happenings here and on Twitter so do watch this space.

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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Latest arrival: Ebi, rescued from Ubi Techpark by @edmondchua

Ebi came to us on 22 Aug, covered in ash, with a burn wound on his hind leg. Rescued by Edmond, from Ubi Techpark, he was about 8 weeks old by estimate, and really grey in colour when he arrived. Apart from the burn wound on his leg, he also had diarrhoea from worms.

He is rehabilitated to good health now, and is ready for a new home! Here are some of his earlier photos - more will come soon by the end of this week after his Furry Photos photoshoot, we will update when they are ready!

Ebi while waiting at the vet

His leg wound, likely a burn

Getting a chin tickle!

Ebi is a really sweet natured boy kitty. When he first got to our foster home and got 'scolded' by the older kitties, he did not retaliate at all, and eventually won them over with gentleness. He likes to meow when he is hungry, is a teensy bit timid but loves affection by familiar humans, purring away when loved. And he has this adorable 'poor-thing' face that one just cannot help but give into.

He is litter trained, able to eat both wet and dry food. His leg wound has healed, and he no longer has diarrhoea. He is also vaccinated and vet-checked. At the time of this post he is estimated to ba about 12 weeks old, past the threshold where major health problems are likely to occur - which means he is healthy and ready for a new home!

If you can't adopt him, do share this post. You can also consider sponsoring his vaccination (bottom of the list, another one due this coming week).

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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burnout

We are really sorry we haven't been online much. We know we pretty much live online through our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Interacting with all of you is a joy to us. But it has been hard of late, because we are experiencing burnout.

We have read about this syndrome. Being burnt out while working in the animal rescue industry is a common, worrying phenomenon. We never expected it to happen to us, really, but it did.

It started to go downhill when Calipod passed away.

Her tumour had caused the vein that is close to it, to rupture, spurting out blood everywhere. She likely died because of the loss of blood. We could not make it to the 24hour vet in time, deteriorating badly in the cab. CPR was performed and we made it to Calipod's old home in Geylang where she took her last breath.

We miss her.

Burnout syndrome in the animal rescue industry is caused by events like these. Regardless of knowing inside you that you did your best and that death is inevitable, it still saps a bit of life of you.

Apart from Calipod's death, we also are demoralised by the lack of enquiries about adopting the rescue cats on our adoption alert. Our Adoption volunteer, Imran is busy refresshing ads on the cats for adoption but there are simply too many cats and too few adopters calling in.

Inundated instead by emails and calls about rescued cats needed help, needing a space in our foster home, where we have to say no because cats are not being adopted and making space for new ones. Add burnout to the mix, and we really are so fatigued we cannot take in newbies for now. And having to say no to rescue cats is demoralising in itself.

How do we shake ourselves out of this fatigue? The recommended strategy, time out to do something else and explore new experiences. We are trying. Give us some time.

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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Blog posts to come...

Blog posts we owe you all catty folks! -

• Report on NUS PEACE Animal Welfare Symposium event!
• Ebi's rescue and rehabilitation; our newest arrival!

We promise you these two stories soon! (Waiting on pictures and such.)

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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Our @luvkuching Instagram account gets TODAY-ed!

Is Instagram the new Twitter?

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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Orphan kitties from a school: Iodine and Bromine

Update 8am 21 Aug: Bromine faded on Tuesday morning, cause of death Fading Kitten Syndrome. No sign of respiratory distress. Iodine faded at 1020pm. Same cause of death. CPR was administered.

| Bromine, tabby and white male; Iodine, black female |

Two 2-week-old orphaned newborns came to our foster home yesterday. Their mother is a feral cat around Temasek Secondary School and some humans separated her kittens from her, leaving them orphaned. There were three kittens at first, one has been fostered/adopted, and the remaining two are at ours now.

Their eyes haven't opened yet but their canines are starting to bud, which puts them at about close to 2 weeks old. They are drinking well, but having a touch of diarrhoea. Iodine is smaller in size and weaker, and we hope she pulls through and does not fade. Both of them are relatively healthy so far, if a bit hypothermic when first arrived.

Iodine, with a milk moustache

Bromine, also with a milk moustache

They are currently on 2- to 4-hourly feeds of KMR milk with vitamins B, C, colostrum, CoQ10, probiotics, glucose. When they are healthy and on solid food, vet checked, they will be put available for adoption. For now, paws crossed for them!

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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NUS PEACE Animal Welfare Symposium 2012

Love Kuching has been invited to participate in this awesome animal welfare symposium at NUS! We will be presenting a session on rescue work, and taking part in a panel discussion.

Event: NUS PEACE Animal Welfare Symposium 2012

Date: 25th August 2012, Saturday

Time: 10am-3pm

Venue: NUS, Faculty of Science, LT27


Some of the speakers we will be joining in the same session, 'Rescue Work':

We would like for you to come join us! Not only to support us but also to learn, engage, and be inspired for animal welfare by amazing folks involved in animal welfare issues.

How to register for the event? Just click here, and sign up! Every single one of us can get involved in animal welfare. So, see you at NUS on August 25!

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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Sunkist arrives at our foster home

On 23 July we received an email from Lydia, telling us about an abandoned kitten found in Marsiling. The kitten's eye was severely infected and she brought it to the vet.

Sunkist when rescued

Sunkist when he was at the vet

Worried it might be flu', we advised Lydia to keep the kitten hospitalised until the infection was better because we fear there might be cross-contagion with Lenny, one of our foster kittens who is a chronic flu' carrier.

Sunkist was hospitalised for 2 weeks before he finally arrived at our foster home on Friday, at 14 weeks old. His eye is much better now but not completely healed yet. Being past 3 months old he is at a lower risk now of being spread the flu' by Lenny too.

Sunkist at Lydia's place

Sunkist at our foster home

Looking almost completely healed now!

The area where Sunkist was rescued in Marsiling has no unsterilised cats, so Sunkist is an abandoned kitten. Whether his eye was injured accidentally or he is a victim of abuse we are not certain. 

He is currently on topical eye medications which need to be applied three times a day until his eye is completely healed. It has some signs of redness still especially under the eyelids. He is also on supplements that help with mucous membrane health (mullein) and inflammation (tumeric, fish oil). We will be bringing him for his vaccination this coming week and after he gets well he will be available for adoption.

In the meantime, Lydia has posted Sunkist's medical bill on Cat Welfare Society. Do see if you can help defray the cost. Lydia is a caregiver of stray cats in Marsiling. Thank you.

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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#Pawcircle | Update on Calipod

Calipod is a stray cat that contracted cancer. She has a tumour in her cheek area and is now being cared for in our foster home until her time has come to go.

Calipod has a tumour on her cheek, affected her eye

She is currently on cyproheptadine to stimulate appetite and Tramadol for pain relief, as well as piroxicam which slows down the growth of the tumour. Unfortunately, despite this, the tumour has extended to her shoulder area. Tramadol is still sufficient for her pain management and she is coping well in spite of the tumour.

Having a warm bath. Tumour visible.

She is quite comfortable, and is still eating, albeit very little. She is happier now that she doesn't require regular injections too: our vet Dr Chong advised that if her eye cavity was bigger, the pus can flow out on its own, minimising swelling of the tumour. So we enlarged it and now Calipod doesn't need needles to get her eye cavity flushed, just direct from the saline vial. Likewise her ciprofloxacin antibiotic eye drops. Her stress level has gone down a lot since doing away with needles. We are going to get retinoic acid cream to apply topically on her tumour, starting tomorrow - we found out that it is good for Calipod's type of cancer, squamous cell carcinoma.

For supplements she is on very little because she doesn't like being fed them, and rejects a lot of supplements, especially herbal and TCM ones. Syringing her with the supplements instead of mixing it with food makes her very stressed out, so when she does eat canned food, she gets supplements care from that as we mix it in for her every wet food meal.

Her medical expenses are still minimal, owing to donations in kind and veterinary discounts. She has only spent $62.04 in total from the Stray Cat Fund. We will continue to tweet any updates on Calipod's health, just look out for the #pawcircle hashtag on Twitter.

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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