 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / September 2004Rescued cat - why didn't they spay?
Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing with the rescue group I got her from. They think she is a year old, and she and her kittens were rescued from a kill-shelter into a foster home. I adopted the mom and was told that she would be spayed right after adoption. Well I've had her for a month - and no one from the group has contacted me with an spay appointment time. The group has a set of vets that do the spay and it is included in the adoption fee. Now I believe the cat is going into heat - she has begun to pee in inappropriate places and she is doing the rolling around on the floor. I have not changed anything - no food changes, no litter changes. I have a fully carpeted apartment and my landlords were very reluctant to let me have her in the first place so I'm keeping her confined to the bathroom to minimize the area that she can pee on until I can get something done. Anyway, my question is why would the group have waited to spay her before adopting? Did it have something to do with the fact that she had her kittens with her at the time? All the other groups I contacted had had their cats fixed before turning over to adopters. I suppose I know the answer, I should just get her to a vet and get her spayed ASAP and deal with the group later? I'm just frustrated that it seems like they haven't even made an appointment yet. Any advice? TIA, DC >I adopted the mom and was told that >she would be spayed right after adoption. Well I've had her for a month >- and no one from the group has contacted me with an spay appointment >time. The group has a set of vets that do the spay and it is included in >the adoption fee. IMO, the rescue group has been pretty irresponsible. They should have never, ever, let that cat go to a new home without specific instructions about the spay, or preferably already having her done. In this state, it's actually illegal to allow an unspayed cat to be adopted--but the law can be bypassed by collecting a "deposit" from the adoptor, which is what it sounds like has happened, since you mentioned the surgery is paid for with the fee. There is absolutely no reason why the cat couldn't have been spayed before she was turned over to you. I don't blame you for not wanting to spend your own $$$ for a surgery you've basically already paid for. Can you call the rescue org., insist that an appointment be set ASAP, or tell them you'll do it yourself and want a partial refund on the fee you paid? Don't worry too much about the disgusting behavior and inappropriate peeing/spraying. My Biskit did the same thing, and those behaviors completely ceased as soon as she was spayed. Good luck. Sherry > Now I believe the cat is going into heat - she has begun to pee in >inappropriate places and she is doing the rolling around on the floor. I [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >DC > Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing > with the rescue group I got her from. Have you called them to ask what is up? >>Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing >>with the rescue group I got her from. > > Have you called them to ask what is up? I have - no response as of yet. I'm getting a bit desperate though. DC I would have her spayed ASAP and deal with them later. You can then ask for the spay fee back. Gail >>>Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing >>>with the rescue group I got her from. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > DC > Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing > with the rescue group I got her from. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > DC As the others have said, your first priority should be to get the cat spayed -- then deal with the rescue group (who have failed both you and the cat). Check your paperwork to see if a spay/neuter certificate is included. Also, please ask your vet to check for possible UTI -- just to make sure that is not a problem, in addition to the immediate need to have her spayed. In fact, she should have a complete medical exam if that has not already been done. Good luck with your new adoption. There are lots of people on this group who will be happy to try to answer any questions you may have. MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'< http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") >>Hi there - I'm looking for some advice about a rescued cat and dealing >>with the rescue group I got her from. [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly) > http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in") Thank you all for the advice. I will call tomorrow to see if I can get her an appt. this week. I will also make sure to have a full check-up done, I asked if she had seen a vet and the foster person said she probably had when she was in the shelter but they hadn't taken her in during the time they had her. Should I keep her confined to the bathroom until then? I put her food and litter in there and I've been checking on her every hour. She has meowed and scratched a bit but I think she's sleeping. Her peeing on the carpet has really gotten worse in the past day or so. Her litter box is clean and I use corncob clumping litter with the Arm and Hammer deodorizer sprinkled on top. This is my first cat so I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. Thanks again, DC >From: Darkchild > Well I've had her for a month >>>- and no one from the group has contacted me with an spay appointment >>>time. Do you have a contract number for the cat? Call the shelter and ask for it....tell them you are taking the cat in to be fixed and need the number so they can be billed. Or, talk to the vet, tell them its a shelter kitty and you dont have the contract number...if they do business with the shelter, they should know how to go about billing them. Good luck, Tracy >hould I keep her confined to the bathroom until then? I put her food >and litter in there and I've been checking on her every hour. She has [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >DC Don't worry about confining her to the bathroom; that's what I would do. Go in and play with her, but she'll be fine. The less chance she has to pee on the carpet, the less chance it's going to become a habitual behavior. One thing you might do is to treat the pee spots with a good enzyme cleaner. To get the smell out as much as you can, and she won't be as tempted to use those spots again once she's back from being spayed. Sherry >> Don't worry about confining her to the bathroom; that's what I would do. Go in > and play with her, but she'll be fine. The less chance she has to pee on the > carpet, the less chance it's going to become a habitual behavior. One thing you > might do is to treat the pee spots with a good enzyme cleaner. To get the smell > out as much as you can, and she won't be as tempted to use those spots again > once she's back from being spayed. DC--Just wanted to say that Sherry is right, this is really important. Have you got a Petsmart near you? I went a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at how cheap things were. You can also get good scratchpads at WalMart. > Should I keep her confined to the bathroom until then? I don't think it will hurt. You really do need to nip the inappropriate peeing in the bud--especially since you rent. [...] > This is my first cat so I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. Dark Child: Bless you for rescuing her! I know she will bring you great joy. Everyone is right about just getting her spayed and then dealing with the shelter people. I would let the top people know how they failed you both. Keep us posted, come here and ask anything at all. You will need to get her some good scratching things, so she won't scratch on stuff you don't want her too. I got two scratchpads, one that sits on the floor and has catnip in it, and one that is on an incline and also has catnip. Since I got them, my rescue Cheeky never goes near the furniture to scratch. It isn't a fun for her to scratch. Good luck. Cats in heat are a PIA, but you two will get through this! > > Should I keep her confined to the bathroom until then? > > I don't think it will hurt. You really do need to nip the inappropriate > peeing in the bud--especially since you rent. My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have her spayed (this was in '74, I think), & she began to mark. Once she was spayed, that was the end of the marking. The OP's kitty may have a UTI, or she may be marking. Cathy "Cathy Friedmann" <clfr@adelphia.net> wrote> My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have her > spayed (this was in '74, I think), & she began to mark. Once she was > spayed, that was the end of the marking. The OP's kitty may have a UTI, or > she may be marking. > > Cathy Yes, indeed. But regardless, it has to be nipped in the bud. It is too hard on the person, hence on the cat. Damages the new relationship. >My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have her >spayed (this was in '74, I think), & she began to mark. Once she was >spayed, that was the end of the marking. The OP's kitty may have a UTI, or >she may be marking. > >Cathy I remember you telling me this back when I posted about Biskit marking all over the place and exhibiting other disgusting cat-in-heat behavior. I was totally overwhelmed and imagined my whole house would be reeking. . But you were right. The spraying stopped, abruptly and she never did it again. Sherry > >My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have her > >spayed (this was in '74, I think), & she began to mark. Once she was [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Sherry Oh, good! Glad it was helpful, & that the spay op cured the marking. Cathy >>>My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >>>Cathy >><snipped> Quick update on Millie the cat - I'm pretty sure she's in heat, rolling aroung and smashing her face against everything in sight. I've kept her in the bathroom although I let her out a couple of times, she seems so miserable. I phoned the only vet I could find that was open on Sunday and they told me I'd have to wait until she's out of heat to get the spay completed and that it was going to be $400 for the procedure which was much more than I was expecting. They also said there was nothing I could do for her to make her feel better. I've googled the group's archives - I thought it was possible to spay when a cat's in heat? I'm going to try a couple of other vets tomorrow to see if they'll do the surgery while she's in heat and to see if I can get a cheaper price. Thanks again for all of your advice, DC > >>>My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have > > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Thanks again for all of your advice, Yes, call another vet or two tomorrow. Though preferable to do the spay when a cat's not in heat, it can be done. Also, $400 is way too much, IMO. Otoh, different locations & different vets determine the cost. But I'd say about half the quoted price would be a more in-line, reasonable cost. Cathy >I phoned the only vet I could find that was open on Sunday and they told >me I'd have to wait until she's out of heat to get the spay completed >and that it was going to be $400 for the procedure which was much more >than I was expecting. You can spay when at cat's in heat. Sometimes it costs a little more and some vets don't like to do it, but of the many cats we've done at the shelter, we've never had complications. and $400! ! ! ! That's astronomical. If it cost that much here, we'd never have anybody spay a cat. Is there another vet you can call for an estimate? Sherry In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", Aug 2004: > You can spay when at cat's in heat. Sometimes it costs a little > more and some vets don't like to do it, but of the many cats > we've done at the shelter, we've never had complications. and > $400! ! ! ! That's astronomical. If it cost that much here, > we'd never have anybody spay a cat. Is there another vet you can > call for an estimate? I agree Sherry!! Whoa! If all vets charged that much no one would spay their cats. Yeesh. I've never heard of such a thing!!  SignatureCheryl "Darkchild" <darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com> wrote > I phoned the only vet I could find that was open on Sunday and they told > me I'd have to wait until she's out of heat to get the spay completed > and that it was going to be $400 for the procedure which was much more > than I was expecting. They also said there was nothing I could do for > her to make her feel better. Call another vet, $400 is outrageous!! > >>>My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have > > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > DC As the others have said, call another vet on Monday. A cat can be spayed while it is in heat. That would be somewhat more expensive, but the cost should not be anywhere near $400.00. That is an outrageous price! MaryL >>>> My first cat did this prior to being spayed. I waited too long to have >> [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > DC It is. and you should certainly be able to find it for less than that!!!! Good lord, what an exhoribitant price for spaying. Keep calling around. "> I phoned the only vet I could find that was open on Sunday and they told > me I'd have to wait until she's out of heat to get the spay completed > and that it was going to be $400 for the procedure which was much more [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > DC Sounds like you contacted an emergency vet who has emergency after hours pricing on every service. There are low cost spay/neuter alternatives in much of the country. Contact www.spayusa.org/ to find a vet near you who is much more reasonable. Area humane groups ought to also know of vets who offer low cost alternatives. The vet I work with at our low cost mobile clinic charges $30 for the spay, with no extra charge for being in heat, only an extra charge of $5-10 for a fairly far along pregnancy. With the high demand for budget alternatives, we are usually booked 3 weeks in advance, so there might be that type of scheduling issue, but the heat certainly doesn't create a $400 issue! > Dark Child: Bless you for rescuing her! I know she will bring you great joy. > Everyone is right about just getting her spayed and then dealing with the > shelter people. I would let the top people know how they failed you both. Oh puhleeezzzz. Get a grip will ya? Would ya have everything this rescue has tried to accomplish devalued because something didn't go as it was supposed to. If the rescue DarkChild dealt with is typical, they have a lot to do and not enough people to accomplish things. Something obviously fell through the cracks when it shouldn't have so the obvious solution is for the pet owner to follow up within a reasonable time and find out what went wrong, correct the problem, and move on. Agreed the typical sequence of events and the ideal one would be for the spay surgery to take place before the animal is released to the new owner. It doesn't always happen that way so the owner needs to take the initiative to follow up. >> Dark Child: Bless you for rescuing her! I know she will bring you great >joy. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >released to the new owner. It doesn't always happen that way so the owner >needs to take the initiative to follow up. Yeah, well, the top people still need to know. The hole in the cracks where this unspayed cat "slipped through" needs to be mended so it doesn't happen again. The only way they can fix the problem is if they know about it. If that cat had gone to a less conscientious owner than Darkchild, it could produce a lot of kittens in its lifetime. Sherry > >> Dark Child: Bless you for rescuing her! I know she will bring you great > >joy. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > cat had gone to a less conscientious owner than Darkchild, it could produce a > lot of kittens in its lifetime. And a lesser person than Dark Child might certainly have just let her out to get her howling and writhing etc. out of the house. That seems to be the first impulse with a cat in heat for a lot of people. > > Dark Child: Bless you for rescuing her! I know she will bring you great > joy. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > released to the new owner. It doesn't always happen that way so the owner > needs to take the initiative to follow up. This sounds like more than "slipping through the cracks." This might account for the rescue group's original failure to follow up, but the OP mentioned in his second message that he attempted to contact them and still received no response. MaryL >From: Darkchild darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com >This is my first cat so I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. Since you are living in an appt and subject to a security deposit, etc., I would confine the kitty until you have her looked at by a vet and have her spayed. One thing I did want to mention since this is your first cat, some vets will try to ask you if you want a spay/declaw "package." I don't know if you are aware, but declawing is actually amputation of the last digit of each toe, extremely painful for the cat and can have side effects (one being inappropriate peeing). I know you're probably aware, but just in case I thought I'd mention it. Good luck and congrats on your new kitty. Please let us know how things go. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm >>From: Darkchild darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html > Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm Well I finally got in contact with the group yesterday. They apologized for all the confustion but they are a new rescue group and they explained they don't spay before finding homes for their cats because they don't have the funds to do so. I took little Millie in today - she is being spayed tomorrow. I opted for all bloodwork, painkillers and add'l vaccines (she was only going to get rabies) which were in addition to the spay. That came to around $132 including taxes. I also found another vet who was going to perform the surgery for $160 so you were all right that $400 was exorbitant. Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back tomorrow? I miss her! Thanks, DC > Well I finally got in contact with the group yesterday. They apologized > for all the confustion but they are a new rescue group and they > explained they don't spay before finding homes for their cats because > they don't have the funds to do so. Here's hoping some good vets volunteer or some funding comes in. > I took little Millie in today - she is being spayed tomorrow. I opted > for all bloodwork, painkillers and add'l vaccines (she was only going to > get rabies) which were in addition to the spay. That came to around $132 > including taxes. Aww, Millie is a great name! What does she look like? She's a lucky girl to have found you. > Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back > tomorrow? I miss her! She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) Did she get the shots today or will she get them tomorrow? Either way, my cats always feel bad for a few days after receiving more than one shot at a time. Sleepy, grumpy looking, complains if I touch them, warm nose, little appetite. With the added spay she will feel worse. Just be really gentle with her and talk to her soothingly and make sure her bed is down on the floor so she won't be jumping up and down or so active she bothers her incision. It might be a good time to confine her to the bathroom again, or to a crate. She just needs to be kept kind of quite for a few days. > Aww, Millie is a great name! What does she look like? She's a lucky girl to > have found you. Thanks! She's a real sweetie. When she's not in heat that is - heh. She's grey but she has a swath of white that starts at her chin and goes underneath her belly. And she has little white gloves and white stockings on her hind paws. On my way to the vet many people commented on how cute she is! <snip> > She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) > Did she get the shots today or will she get them tomorrow? She got the shots today I think, surgery is tomorrow morning. I pick her up tomorrow night. > Either way, my cats always feel bad for a few days after > receiving more than one shot at a time. Sleepy, grumpy [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > bathroom again, or to a crate. She just needs to be kept > kind of quite for a few days. Ok - I will keep her in the bathroom. She's not usually a 'jumping' cat though so I'll sit with her for a bit and see how she is. DC > > Aww, Millie is a great name! What does she look like? She's a lucky girl to > > have found you. > > Thanks! She's a real sweetie. When she's not in heat that is - heh. She's grey but she has a swath of white that starts at her chin and goes underneath her belly. And she has little white gloves and white stockings on her hind paws. On my way to the vet many people commented > on how cute she is! Ooo. Would you happen to have a digital camera? :0) Maybe after she recuperates we might see a pic or two? > She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) I had no idea "puny" was a Southern thing! I said that to someone around here (MA/NH border region) and they had no clue what I was talking about. Then again, I never thought of Maryland (where I'm from) as being the South. Never knew I had an accent, either. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net www.kelltek.com Check out www.snittens.com > > She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) > > I had no idea "puny" was a Southern thing! I said that to someone around > here (MA/NH border region) and they had no clue what I was talking about. > Then again, I never thought of Maryland (where I'm from) as being the South. > Never knew I had an accent, either. I grew up in Maryland and yet never heard "puny" used for "sickly" until I moved to North Carolina--but I lived mostly in the city-- I think the rural places in MD might be more southern. I believe Cheryl is also from Maryland. >>> She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > also > from Maryland. None of my family is from the south, but we have used the term "puny". We read a lot though. Maybe we picked it up from books. > >>> She'll be feeling what we call "puny" here in the south. :0) > >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > None of my family is from the south, but we have used the term "puny". We > read a lot though. Maybe we picked it up from books. I could be wrong! It could be one of those ASSumptions, you know? ;) In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", Darkchild <darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com> artfully composed this message within <news:2pkjldFm661uU1@uni-berlin.de> on 31 Aug 2004: > Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back > tomorrow? I miss her! Bleh... I would have waited to do vax's until after she recovers from the spay, but she is a very much loved little girl and is lucky to have you. :) I can understand the lack of funds for neutering, but it really bothers me that they do that. What is the name of the rescue group because I think they need some education and I'd be happy to contact them. SignatureCheryl >> Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back >> tomorrow? I miss her! [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >rescue group because I think they need some education and I'd be >happy to contact them. Totally agree. The vet gave Biskit all her shots when she was spayed. She wasn't in extremely good condition to begin with, and all that really wiped her out. I will *never* again fail to communicate to the vet that I don't want 1) Shots given at the same time of the spay and 2) All the shots given at once. We space them 3 weeks. Sherry >>>Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back >>>tomorrow? I miss her! [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Sherry Funny you say that - the vet that I booked the appt. with (and who will be my chosen vet in the future) said the same thing. They wouldn't give the shots and the spay at the same time. This clinic didn't mention anything. DC > In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", Darkchild > <darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com> artfully composed this message within > <news:2pkjldFm661uU1@uni-berlin.de> on 31 Aug 2004: <snipped> > . What is the name of the > rescue group because I think they need some education and I'd be > happy to contact them. I'll make sure to point them in the direction of this group for more infromation! I feel bad - they are clearly overwhelmed and are just trying to place kitties so you can't fault them for trying to good I guess. DC > > In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", Darkchild > > <darkchild@REMOVEcanada.com> artfully composed this message within [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I feel bad - they are clearly overwhelmed and are just trying to place > kitties so you can't fault them for trying to good I guess. Wise decision. There's a learning curve to everything. > Well I finally got in contact with the group yesterday. They apologized > for all the confustion but they are a new rescue group and they [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I also found another vet who was going to perform the surgery for $160 > so you were all right that $400 was exorbitant. Yes, these prices seem *much* more normal! > Thanks for all the advice - what should I expect when she's back > tomorrow? I miss her! She may be a bit 'off' for a day or two - esp. since she's getting vaccinations. She may act achy (cry if you pick her up or pet her) & may want to sleep a lot - sort of like a (human) baby's reaction to shots. Otoh, sometimes this doesn't happen (a reaction) w/ a first shot - only boosters/follow-ups. As for the spay recuperation - no telling. The vet will probably tell you to keep her quiet for a few days, but if she feels fine, this may prove difficult to do. ;-) Check on the incision now & again; it'll probably heal just fine, but you'd wasn't to know if it doesn't, in order to get her back to the vet's. Cathy <snipped> > She may be a bit 'off' for a day or two - esp. since she's getting > vaccinations. She may act achy (cry if you pick her up or pet her) & may [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Cathy Millie's back and she's lying quietly a few steps away from me as I try and type quitely. She's very groggy - scared the daylights out of me when she got out of the carrier (it appeared she'd been sitting in it for awhile which concerned me a little). She staggered around and appeared to not be able to use her hind legs. She managed to stand up about 20mins later and tried to use the litter box but couldn't get over the lip, bless her little heart. Apparently she raised hell at the vet's - she was marked with a triple caution sign and was hissing at everything. Once she was with me though she was quiet. Once again, thanks for all the advice and hand-holding through this. I have some pics of her that I'll try to post to the pics ng later. Take care, DC and Millie > <snipped> >> She may be a bit 'off' for a day or two - esp. since she's getting [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > DC and Millie I'm glad she is doing well. Don't post pics to the ng though. Do you have access to alt.binaries.pictures.animals? that would be a good place and let us know. Or start a free photo album like yahoo. I have one and it is easy. photos.yahoo.com/kchuplis |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.