Our first #FosNet success!

In August, we launched our Foster Network, and made an open call for folks like you to join us as volunteer foster caregivers. We asked for people to join us to be on standby to take in sick or injured stray cats, so we could move beyond the 5 cat suites we have dedicated for such cases. This also means we can boost the take-up rate on our Emergency Response Fund, which can only be activated if there is a foster caregiver on standby to receive the cat after it goes to the vet.

Sick and injured stray cats have varying needs in their care of course, some are more complicated requiring difficult medical care such as injections, some require simple care that is merely oral medication or topical medication. We only match difficult cases to volunteer foster caregivers with the experience and availability to handle them, and easy ones to those with limited experience or time.

Lee Ying, our first foster caregiver, having had no experience with cats at all, took on Gerry for whom we have been appealing for help in fostering because she is a very simple case to handle. By getting Gerry to a foster caregiver, her slot in our foster space can be freed up for more serious cases that require specialty critical and intensive care. This also lowers the load the volunteers have to medicate at the foster home. Lee Ying really made a difference when she stepped forward.

Lee Ying with Gerry

Gerry has been doing well in her new foster home! Not only is she receiving more attention because of the human:cat ratio, her current foster home has more cat amenities and space for her to roam instead of being in a cage most of the time!

Gerry's corner in her new room

Gerry in box with cushion from her LKP cat suite

Scratching post Lee Ying got for her

We passed Lee Ying medication, food and litter, which is what foster caregivers in our Foster Network will receive. For Gerry we administered a steroid jab before she went to Lee Ying's home, and also oral steroids for when the jab wears off. She also needs topical cleaning of the wound with saline, and Duoderm gel to help her wound heal. Our FosNet Volunteer, Ami, gets updates from Lee Ying about how Gerry is doing so we can help if she needs any more supplies, or if any problems arise so we can check with our vet.

Want to join our Foster Network? What difference will you make?

• Be on standby for cases that come in when we have no space.
• Help foster easier cases so we can save space for those who require more intensive care. This way we can save more cats together.
• Give more one-on-one attention to foster cats that they can never receive with the human:cat ratio we have at our foster home

What will you be given to help you become a foster caregiver?

• Food and litter
• Litter box and bowls if you do not have any
• Cage, if you do not have a spare room
• Medications and pharmaceutical supplies
• Supplements that the cat needs
• Briefing and demonstration on how to care for the cat medically before you start
• Support from us via our FosNet Volunteer, Ami, for any questions you may have

Want to ask more questions about our Foster Network? Ami is reachable at ami@lovekuchingproject.org. Tell all your friends, especially those who either want to have some prior short term experience before adopting a cat for life, or those who have already had cats for life and wish to help our strays on a short term commitment. Those with experience fostering kittens too, because adult strays who are sick or injured are not too dissimilar in their requirements of care. Remember, we only match you to cases we can handle. Share and RT away!

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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TNR project this week: at a back alley off Bendemeer - we will need your help

| Behind a coffeeshop |

Colony of unsterilised cats

About 12 cats have been residing at this location near Bendemeer, behind a back alley of a corner coffeeshop open at night. There are feeders, but they cannot raise enough money on their own to sterilise the entire colony of cats, and have enough only to feed them nightly. We did a reconnaissance of the area one late night with the feeder to do a cat count and scope the area. We will be going down to trap the cats here over two trips to get the entire colony sterilised and thus keep their population from burgeoning and causing complaints.

Our first trapping will take place this Wednesday night, 1 October.

Tabby under a car

Skittish black cat coming out to eat

Another black one

A handsome tabbe

One of the friendlier cats

Why we need your help for this project: 
We have 20 free sterilisation slots per month for stray cats that have been given to us by Cat Welfare Society - however - these are for residential stray cats, meaning they have to be microchipped with an HDB block number, a caregiver name and IC number. This Bendemeer back alley cat colony does not fall under this scheme, known as SCSP. Read more about the various sterilisation schemes from Cat Welfare Society, here.

To sterilise a male stray cat, it costs about $35, and a female varies from $45-65. This is excluding trapping and transport fees we have to pay our vendor, as well as the pre- and post-op boarding the cats need. If you can give to help offset our cost of this TNR project, we will be most grateful. You make a gift by depositing to our DBS current account 027-905975-3 and thereafter email us to indicate that you have given to the Sterilisation Fund.

If you cannot give, do share this project with your social circle so we can get as much help as needed to get these cats snipped, healthier and happier!

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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Cat Care Talk • 27 Sept, Saturday, 4pm to 6pm

We are finally able to launch our first ever inhouse cat care talk! Took us a lot of planning, getting over scheduling humps and finding the time to labour on designing this event specially for you.

Learn an overview about cat behaviour, use of supplements and essential oils, and feline health. The talk will be conducted by our President, Elaine, and will be participant-led - you ask the questions for the discussion on the given topics.

Event details:

Where: Function Room at Terra Vue, 42 St Patrick's Road

 When: 27th September 2014, Saturday, 4pm to 6pm

Cost per particpant:$18.50

What you will get:

A goody bag containing: holistic supplement samples worth $36, pet supplies from Pawfection, cat-themed accessory from Alfie De Meow, cat-themed phone accessory from Dulcetfig, discount vouchers from Goood Pet Collars, Alfie De Meow and from Furry Photos. Light refreshment will be provided from Dough Empire.

How to sign up:

Make payment to our bank account DBS current 027-905975-3 and note the transaction reference number. 

Go to our registration link to submit your name and details so we can verify payment.

Do it fast because the goody bags are limited to the first 20 sign ups only!

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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Naughty from Admiralty: His story and his road to recovery

| Naughty when he first arrived at Love Kuching |

Naughty is a cat diagnosed with megacolon, which causes chronic constipation. His rescuer, whose mother is his stray cat caregiver, noticed him straining to poop and brought him to the vet. Thereafter, he had to return a number of times to do faecal evacuation, a costly procedure where he has to be sedated for poop to be manually removed from his system. He needed daily medication and a special diet, but it did not help much. He was also found to be FIV positive.

He arrived at our foster home on 29 August, and we started to research into his condition, and brought him to the vet the following Monday. After discussing with the vet based on our research, we decided that he needed more than what he was previously given as clinical treatment: he was only given Lactulose and bulk-forming fibre supplements. We put him on Cisapride, and that day itself checked him in for faecal evacuation because he was constipated yet again.

Main medications for megacolon treatment

We also discussed surgery, as it would be the best treatment for him eventually, so that he would not have to be on lifetime medication, and perpetually go in for faecal evacuation. Because he is not showing any signs yet of his FIV, outlook on healing from surgery is good, and if necessary, we can give him FIV medications post surgery to help him heal better.

Partial removal of his colon is best route

We have booked for him a surgery date and in the meantime, his treatment is not easy. Firstly because his condition is really severe. Secondly, he doesn't take well to all the treatments. He eats his medicine and supplements in food, but is not easy to administer enemas to because he is a strong cat that becomes very aggressive when he is unhappy.

We have also done a few other things: changed his diet to wet food, as that will help form bulk for gut motility. Also, we will be adding pumpkin to his food as that will ease constipation, and procure Metamucil for him as well (something like Fibrogel). We have ordered the special veterinary canned diet for gastro-intestinal problems and depending on cost, Naughty's preference and which works better, we will decide on the canned food option for him. He is currently on Wellness CORE fish as he does not like Addiction Brushtail, our economic choice of canned food. His supplements are mainly slippery elm bark, probiotics, and olive oil. We have also started (with much effort) administering enemas to him to soften his stool even further. The fewer times he has to go to the vet for faecal evacuation before his surgery, the better.

Dietary requirements of cats with megacolon

Our Veterinary Fund is currently at -$339.88 as of end of day 31 Aug 2014. We will need more funds to sustain our care for Naughty in the meantime before his surgery, and his surgery itself will also be costly. If you can give, please help by depositing to our DBS corporate account 027-905975-3 and email us to indicate you have given to the Veterinary Fund.

We will update more on Naughty on our social media platforms, fb.com/luvkuching and @luvkuching on Twitter and Instagram. Follow us there to get involved in Naughty's road to recovery.

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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Adopted: Stout and Ranger

Jeslyn with Stout and Ranger

 An update email from Jeslyn:

Both of them have been renamed. Stout is now known as Usko (pronounced wush-ko), which means Faith in Finnish and Ranger is now known as Gioia (pronounced joy-ah), which means Joy in Italian. 

 

I'm really glad that the both of them have adapted well to the new environment and are eating, drinking, pooping and playing well. I'm actually really glad to have adopted two; they are great companions to each other, sleeping together, playing together and I've seen Usko groom Gioia as well. They are really friendly with people as well! I have friends who came over to play with them and so far, they have been interacting well with everyone who came by. When it comes to sleep, they will sometimes show their bellies and Gioia sleeps like a log; no matter how we touch him, he refuses to wake up, which is really adorable.

Two brothers for life. BFFs!

 Thank you Jeslyn for giving them a forever home!

Love Kuching Project adoption booth at Happy Pets Day partnered by Cat Welfare Society!

Adoption Drive will be from 1pm to 6pm with a contest at 3pm to 5pm

Come see the adoptable cats of Love Kuching at Tampines 1 Rooftop Water Playground on Saturday, 6 September, 1pm to 6pm!

This event is ideal if you want to adopt our cats but want to see them first before making an adoption application. Come stroke their delicious fur and see their wonderful feline expressions. Also, meet our volunteers who will tell you all about our adoptable cats!

You can also bring your own pets and enter the contest that Tampines 1 has organised between 3 and 5pm. It will be a fun day. Mark your calendar and share this post!

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      
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Gerry from Jervois Road: Her story, and an appeal for fostering help. #FosNet

Serene from Jervois Road contacted us last week about a stray cat with what seems like a large flesh wound on her side.

Photos that were sent to us

We got a trapper to transport her over to our foster home, and brought her to our vet the next day.

Gerry's wound being cleaned at the vet

Turns out that what Gerry has is eosinophilic ulcers, a severe allergic reaction. A course of steroids and topical medication will help it to heal, and if it really doesn't, we will arrange a skin graft surgery for her.

Gerry posing in her cat suite

She is quite a neat cat that is used to indoors

New skin tissue is already forming around her ulcer

She has been very obedient thus far, except that she doesn't like canned food with supplements, so she only eats dry food. She willingly lets us clean her ulcer on the side of her body, and apply Duoderm gel (which helps flesh wounds to close). New skin tissue is already forming around the edges of the ulcer.

She received a long-acting steroidal jab, which lasts for two weeks. After that, she will switch to oral steroids.

Gerry is very easy to foster, and because of this, we have an appeal to make.

Will you be able to help foster Gerry, if all the food, litter and medical supplies are provided?

We ask this because there are many other cases on our waiting list right now that are not easy to foster, those needing full-day care, or palliative care. And they are still waiting for a slot, but we are absolutely full.

If you can join us as a foster caregiver, do email Ami at ami@lovekuchingproject.org to sign up as a foster caregiver for us. We will give you the supplies you need, provide you advice and direction, and we just need updates from you (photos etc.) regarding her progress. Any vet fees that may be incurred will be paid for by us. You can also email Ami if you have enquiries before you decide.

Spread the word to those you think can volunteer as Gerry's foster caregiver. We need the help, and other much sicker kitties need the spaces we can clear out.

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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CALL TO ACTION: Foster Caregivers needed for sick/injured cats in Foster Network #FosNet

On average, we can take in one to two sick or injured cats per month. This means whoever else needs the space, we have to turn away. Where do they go? As of this week alone when this post was written, we already turned away two cats.

Here is how you can help make a difference and provide them Love Kuching care offsite, in your own home.

We are looking for Foster Caregivers who, supplied with food, litter, supplements and medication, can help give foster care in a home environment for cats we cannot take in ourselves due to space constraints.

Pharmaceutical and veterinary supplies will be given

Provision of cat food and litter

You will likely be a stay at home mom, someone who works part-time, a retiree or someone who works from home. You do not need incredible amounts of experience, as we can show you how to care for a case you take in.

This Foster Network is for cats that are sick or injured, not for rehoming. You do not need to host potential adopters, and the only visits you will get are liaisons from Love Kuching to give you the support you need and your supplies.

How can you become a Foster Caregiver for #FosNet? Email our Committee Member in charge of #FosNet, Ami, at ami@lovekuchingproject.org. You can also direct your questions there.

Join us in making a difference. Say yes to fostering. 

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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Cuddy and Fanta got adopted by a volunteer, now named Peaches and Buttercup

| Gracie, Outreach Volunteer, and family |

On Tuesday, Cuddy went to her forever home with Fanta, adopted by one of our volunteers, Gracie. Our prerequisite for Cuddy's adoption was that she be adopted with a foster sibling, so this was a match made in heaven!

Gracie is an Outreach Volunteer, who brings cats to nursing homes and hospitals to administer Feline Therapy. On Saturday, she brought Peaches and Buttercup to Renci Nursing Home, to help them kick off their therapy cat career as pet cats.

Both of them have seen the vet already! Super responsible parents. Dr Dawn Chong advised them as much as a new cat owner would need in a consultation. Cuddy had developed teary eyes as a result of her new move - stress-induced flu' - and both of them had a bacterial skin infection and medications were given.

They have already eased into their new home well and play with each other every day. We love these kinds of happy endings.

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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Handmade Crochet Keychains by Whitesundays - 10-40% of proceeds go to LKP

Crafting for a cause - Whitesundays is pledging to support Love Kuching Project.

For items with the Love Kuching signs, 40% of the sale price will be donated.

Black Crochet Cat

The black and white cat keychain is modelled after Sayang, Love Kuching mascot. Designed specially for this merchandise partnership with us!

For all other sales, 10% will be donated.

View more designs at Whitesundays Etsy store

Shop away and support our local crafters!

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      
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram