Dorian Grunge

What are a grungy adult kitty's chances of getting adopted if he might have an incurable, eventually terminal illness? Does a bushy tail help? And the sweetest personality ever packaged into a tough little gangsta body with a rough piratey thug face? Surely there is someone out there that would love to care for this cat with his heart of pure melted chocolatey sweetness. Wouldn't you want to be the one to give him his happily ever after? Years of being a stray struggling in the streets and, upon rescue the discovery of horrendous blood test results pointing towards FIV or FELV. Some animals just can't get a break. How wonderful it would be if all rescues turned out perfectly.

My friend AC, fellow animal rescuer, fosterer, and welfare advocate, found Dorian Grunge by the roadside outside her home. He was going through the garbage looking for things to eat. He was painfully thin, filthy, and looked terribly ill. AC rushed back into her home for some cat food and her carrier. She placed the cat food inside the carrier and Dorian calmly walked in for his meal. AC brought him to the vet for treatment and boarding. Blood test results showed dismal platelet levels and elevated white blood cell count. Dorian seemed to be fighting some sort of infection and also appeared to have feline aids or leukemia. Booooooooo!!! The tests that specifically look for FIV and FELV are very expensive here.. Not something that we can afford at this point.. So Dorian is on a course of antibiotics to fight whatever infection it is he has and then the plan was to test his blood again a week later.

AC had to go out of town for a while so I agreed to take over Dorian's care for a while. He has been with me for about 10 days now and he is the sweetest, most affectionate cat i have EVER met in my life. He reminds me of Holly Golightly's cat in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Since Dorian is ill and possibly FIV or FELV positive I have been keeping him in my guest bathroom. The poor guy is pretty bored and lonely though because I can't spend all my time in there with him. Whenever I check on him he is thrilled to see me and immediately flops over on my feet, stretching and rubbing his face on me affectionately. He rubs so hard that sometimes he flips over or falls down but that doesn't stop him from purring like mad and continuing where he left off. Dorian is such a sweetheart. He also uses the litter box like a champ and hasn't messed up a single thing in the bathroom. Nothing is ever out of place when I go in there. While he keeps his environment neat, his personal hygiene leaves much to be desired. He's had baths before but he is so so so dirty. I don't think he ever grooms himself. Everytime i see him he is smudged and sticky and grey. He always has streaks of dirt on his face and body. All four paws are always dark with grime. I don't know how he gets that way though... There is nothing for him to get so messed up on in the bathroom. I am always wiping him with damp towels but within hours he is always filthy again. Very mysterious how this happens..

The first night I had Dorian, I tried to give him his antibiotics by stuffing it down his throat, which is what I do with my own cats and other fosters with no problem. But Dorian wasn't having that with me, he was pissed off and I failed several times to get him to swallow that yucky pill. When I finally did succeed, he had bitten me soooooo hard my right index finger was punctured and dripping blood. Yikes. By the way folks, NO you can't get FIV from a cat and FIV does not turn into HIV and kill you. If that were the case, rescuers and fosterers would be dropping like flies. Anyways I didn't want to get bitten anymore so after that I made wet foot meat balls and stuffed the pills into them. Soooo much better for both of us. I brought Dorian for his follow-up blood test a few days ago and while his white blood cells level is still very elevated, indicating he still has some sort of infection, his platelet level has improved. Honestly we weren't expecting that. Could AC and I be the goddesses of doom of gloom? Hahahaa just kidding AC.

So, what's going to happen to Dorian Grunge? I don't know... Can we find him a home with a loving owner that already has another FIV or FELV positive kitty? Or perhaps he could be adopted by a cat lover that has no cats right now.. but seriously what are the odds of that? People who love cats would normally already have a few of them. AC and I both have kitties of our own so we can't permanently adopt Dorian. If he lived with either of us he'd have to be isolated from all the rest all the time. Poor guy can't just spend the rest of his life alone in my guest bathroom. That would be cruel and drive him mad. This cat needs to be loved. Another option is, dare i say it, euthanasia.. but Dorian is so happy and affectionate right now and his appetite still rocks. Dorian's rescuer AC will be back in town soon and then I think it will be time to make some decisions about Dorian's future.

Any advice from fellow rescuers and fosterers? What would you do?

Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better highlights shocking abuse case.

WARNING: This is an extremely disturbing post with graphic photos.

I am sickened, saddened, horrified. That humans can be so callous, so cruel, have no regard for the suffering of another living being. My god. I don't know what to say. I hope this poor dog's owners suffer terrible misfortune. I hope they suffer physically as well. I hope a shit storm of horrors rains down upon them. Bastards. Go fuck yourselves in the ass with a sharp stick. I don't know you but I despise you. You are nothing. You repulse me. You don't deserve to live. Waste of oxygen. I hope you are locked in a windowless room until you starve to death. See how you like it motherfuckers.

Who are they? I want to know. I think lots of people would like to know. I want them identified. Animal abusers should not be protected. They don't deserve any compassion or respect from us. We should be able to protest outside their home.

Share this post on your own blogs!! Share share share!!


MDDB's post follows below. Taken from http://malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/2011/01/another-abuse-case.html





Another abuse case

A rescuer friend alerted us about this dog after she herself was tipped off by a concerned neighbour. We spoke to the neighbour and he said the owners had not been feeding their dog enough and this was not their first case of dog abuse. The dogs is skin and bones and we shudder to think of the suffering it must have gone through. The family lives in Puchong Intan and here's her narration:I got a call regarding this dog from a man last Sunday morning. He explained to me then that the owners were nowhere in sight initially, and that this dog was 'about to die'. He'd tried to call out and feed the dog but it was too weak to move.I couldn't go to get the dog myself, and so made arrangements with a veterinary clinic to pick it up . Thirty minutes later, the man called again and told me that the owners WERE in fact home, and he put them on the phone with me. When I questioned them, they told me that the dog had 'been lying that way for a week' and refused to explain what had led to it's condition.Then they questioned my intentions, and after my explanation, told me that whatever i was going to do, 'kita tak akan bayar apa-apa untuk anjing ini'. I assured them otherwise and they agreed to hand over the dog.More than THREE hours later, the drivers from the veterinary clinic arrived to pick the dog up. The rather inconsiderate receptionists kept calling to ask if the deposits they needed had been made, and quoted that they could just cancel the house-call if otherwise. No one really cared that the dog was dying.Merely minutes after arriving at the clinic, just as i'd placed a call to another vet to pick the dog up from the first clinic, I got a call from one of the vets saying that the dog had passed away. A burial arrangement was going to cost Rm150, and so I told them to bring the dog over to my grandfather's farm instead.I took this picture on Tuesday. I hadn't had the chance to visit the dog during the rescue attempt, and so this was very disturbing. My grandparents kept repeating how 'very big and beautiful' this dog was. The vets say it's a Great Dane, middle aged.I hope that something can be done to have this dog's voice heard.
We at MDDB are greatly disturbed and will also forward this to the DVS and follow-up. Why do these people keep dogs if they don't want to care for them? What kind of values do they subscribe to - don't they understand that dogs are living beings that can suffer pain and anguish just like us? Given this sad situation, MDDB will also prioritise the bringing dog abuse cases to book this year. Please support us to teach the real animals about love and compassion.
Posted by Sharmini Popiko Sasha at 6:46 AM
Labels: Abuse and neglect Read more: http://malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/2011/01/another-abuse-case.html#ixzz1Be3a864W

and they all fall down..

horrible horrible week in my animal kingdom. my dog tony montana was terribly ill with tick fever. he had to have a blood transfusion, he was that sick. Dr L was not sure of his chances of survival. his dad and i were worried sick. good news is the transfusion helped lots and he has started eating a little and wagging his tail. please pray for his full and quick recovery. the last time i posted, miney had passed away and meanie was on his way out. well, meanie was gone the next day. eenie followed a few days later at his fosterer's home and moe passed away yesterday afternoon. that's the entire litter gone and for no reason that we can figure out. they just faded off one by one. strong one minute, weak the next, then gone. i don't have much to say except that we tried our hardest, did everything in our power to do. i don't know what else we could have done for them. i suppose we could've looked for a nursing mother cat but its not like nursing cats show up on my fucking doorstep during times of need. i just hope i am never asked to hand-rear kittens so fucking young ever again. if their eyes are not open yet, if there are little bits of umbilical cord attached, i am NOT going to be able to save them. they are going to die. fuck fuck fuck shit bloody hell goddammit crap and fuck. that's how i feel right now. i am angry, discouraged, disheartened, disappointed, and sad.

rest in peace eenie, meanie, miney, and moe. i hope you're having a great time together in cat heaven. eyes open, legs not wobbly, teeth grown, enjoying the smelliest, fishiest wet food ever. so sorry i failed all of you. i wish you could've seen the world. i was so looking forward to seeing your eyes and feeding you real food. you would've loved it.

Eenie, Meanie, Miney & Moe - Update

i couldn't handle taking care of all four of the little screamers at once. i'm a lightweight.. i was freaking out. every feeding session was so chaotic. my hands would shake as i handled each tiny fragile body and tried to get formula into them. they were all so fussy in the beginning, squirming constantly in my hands, turning their faces away from the syringe, rejecting the formula, and screaming bloody murder the whole time. i was overwhelmed and so scared that i was not giving each one enough care. as i struggled to feed one kitten, the other hungry three would be crying their hearts out. i only have two hands..

i asked my dear friend NT to help me take on two of them and luckily for me she said yes. NT works with the animal shelter. She loves animals and also has some experience with handrearing so last thursday night i handed over eenie and miney to her. i kept meanie and moe. i thought that we would have a better chance of success with two babies each because we then we could give each one more individual attention. i know that they can just fade away sometimes no matter how hard we try and even when we seem to be doing all the right things. its so disheartening and i always try not to get my hopes up but i do anyway and then i end up disappointed and totally bummed out.

i have some bad news. miney started fading yesterday morning and passed away in the afternoon. we don't know why. he was totally fine the night before. i don't understand how they go from being robust and noisy and energetic for days and then suddenly they go cold and limp and won't swallow their milk. once this happens they rapidly deteriorate and its over. why why why why???? despite all the feedings, making them go potty after every meal, keeping them warm with hot water bottles wrapped in towels, emergency glucose in case of hypoglycemia.. none of the kittens had or have diarrhea. we're very careful with preparing the formula. its not too rich or thick. all water used is pre-boiled. what's the problem? i think we kinda know what we're doing. we've done our research..

i have some more bad news. meanie, my little belter, the super strong noisy one that tortured me started fading away this morning. last night he was just peachy. today his tiny body feels cold and clammy. he is barely moving. his meows are soft and weak. i managed to get him to swallow some formula and water with glucose. it was an excruciatingly slow process today. one tiny mouthful at a time. i was hoping he would perk up but he hasn't. i don't know what else to do now. there's a fresh hot water bottle but meanie still feels cold. i have a horrible feeling that he will not get better and then moe will start to fade as well. my heart hurts. these little guys are so helpless. they haven't even opened their eyes yet.

rest in peace sweet baby miney, the grey tabby with the stump tail..
please please please hang in there meanie, my little noisemaker. go ahead, yell at me like you did yesterday!
please please please let eenie and moe continue to thrive with NT and i. we are trying so hard.


i still haven't taken any photos of them.. below are the photos taken by their rescuers on the day they were found.

Eenie, Meanie, Miney, & Moe

No time to recover from the weekend's loss of Smidge, Smudge, and Bob although I must admit I did spend pretty much all of Monday night crying over them. Yesterday I started my latest adventure in fostering with Eenie, Meanie, Miney, & Moe. These four little felines are tiny. Their eyes aren't open yet and a couple of them still have a little dried-up umbilical cord attached. They seem to be in better shape than Smidge and Smudge were when they came to me, but I'm afraid to be too hopeful and optimistic. I'm trying very hard to be objective and care for them without investing too much of my own heart in them. I don't want to end up a miserable sobbing heap of snot and tears again. I haven't even taken any photos of them although they look ADORABLE all curled up together in a pile of warm kitteny cuteness. I don't want to jinx them by immortalizing them in film.. not taking any chances! no matter how silly i may seem.

I'm using two different brands of KMR for this litter because they don't all like the same one. Picky.. They are slowly getting used to syringe feeding although some seem more comfortable with this than others.. Eenie, Meanie, and Miney are all grey tabbies. They look almost exactly the same except for the tiniest distinguishing features. Eenie a.ka. Big Pink has a big pink patch on his/her front left paw. Meanie a.k.a. Small Pink is INSANELY noisy and fussy and has a tiny pink patch on his/her front left paw. Miney only has about half the length of a normal tail. Moe is the only marmalade tabby of the litter, and because of his coloring, I'm pretty sure he's male. I remember reading somewhere that marmalade kitties are usually male. I've decided to change the spelling of Meenie to Meanie because he/she is so mean to me :)

I'm exhausted from the constant feeding, crying, making them "go" number 1 and number 2. Meanie always cries shortly after falling asleep and this wakes up the entire litter again and again..... and again. I have to keep repeating the process of putting them to bed just to get an hour of peace and quiet... argh. My eyes are burning today from lack of sleep. I feel like sheeeeeeet...

3 deaths in a span of less than 24 hours

I want to wish all our readers and fellow rescuers/fosterers a happy new year! i hope this year is better for all of us. May all our rescues go smoothly, our adoptions permanent and LOVING. Animal volunteer work is a roller coaster ride of emotions. We all ride the waves of pain, joy, heartbreak, sadness, and happiness. I want to be more effective this year and more vocal. Today is only the second day of 2011.. and guess what folks.. i have just lost three foster kittens. This does not bode well for the rest of the year. Oh please give me a sign that things will not carry on this way. Last year was awful. Give me some hope for this new one.

Rest in peace Bob, Smidge, and Smudge..
Smidge - tiny and helpless at a couple of days old, umbilical cord still attached, passed away on new years eve sometime between 10 and 11 pm.
Smudge - Smidge's equally tiny sibling, followed a few hours later.
Bob - about 3 weeks old, with eyes that had recently opened to take in the world, went into hypoglycemic shock yesterday, new years day, at around 1 pm, and none of my attempts to get him to swallow some glucose water worked. The little tyke could not swallow anymore. I was with him till he took his last breath.

Smidge & Smudge were under my care for only half a day before they crossed the rainbow bridge. They were found in a drain outside a car workshop. Honestly, I didn't have much hope they would make it. Little guys were just too far gone.
Bob was found in the store room of a house under some bags by a nice guy that adopted a kitten from me in 2009. I only had Bob for three days. He was doing amazingly well the night before he passed on. His death is a huge shock to me. I finally start fostering again and this is what happens. I hate hand-rearing.. I know that the very young ones are fragile, but losing 3 out of 3 is just fucking horrible. I don't know how to tell the rescuer that they have all died.