Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Rescue & Rehoming => Rescue & Rehoming General => Topic started by: Mark on November 27, 2008, 18:43:37 PM
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I do the phones on Thursdays. I stayed behind to do an extra chemistry class today - When I got out at 3.30pm, I checked the calls and there was a message from a woman living in a semi-rural area near Sharon saying she had a stray that needed medical attention. I phoned but there was no answer. I though it was silly for me to go home and assumed that she was on a school run so as I didn't have a carrier, drove to Sharon's to get one. I drove to the woman's house but the lights were out, waited a while and she arrived. I asked what was arong with the cat. She said it had a bad mouth and it was probably cancer. I told her we can only take emergencies etc. I saw the cat who did seem to have a bit of trouble swallowing. As I was there, I said I would take it to the vet etc. She said the cat had been around for 2 months, for one of those months she had fed it but it had commited a terrible sin and had done a poo in her conservatory (the real reason) - she said she wanted to make sure we weren't going to PTS - I assured her we wouldn't unless serious illness etc. She then said could we phone her with updates - I said no >:( - she wanted to know why, I said we are too busy. She asked if she could phone us (she was feeling guilty is all) - I said no as she will only get an answerphone and we are too busy with new cats all the time. She said she couldn't afford a second cat - I had to feel sorry for her as she only had a 6/7 bed house with huge garden in a village :tired:
Anyway, vet checked, she is OK, maybe a bit of a cold but in perfect health, waited for bloods - al clear - vacs done and took her to the cattery.
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I am surprised at you discouraging the woman to ring up - you never know when someone who you help will then help you, she might not have been asking due to guilt, she might have been genuinely asking.
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She was the type who got us in under false pretences to clear up an inconvenience. It was very inconvenient for me as I had been at Uni all day and had 15 miles driving + standing around in the cold - when I have urgent revision to do + I am way behind on domestic stuff and not 100% health wise. I was willing to go out of my way to help a cat if it needed urgent medical care. She had given the impression that the cat needed vet treatment immediately when it should have been a waiting list case. Not the type that would be likely to help us. We really don't have time to phone people up to ease their conscience. I told her to email if she wants an update.
Her justification really was that the cat had done a poo in her tiled conservatory.
I drove 7 miles to her house when the vet is less than a mile from her.
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But you never know - if she phones for updates, she might find she's more attached to the cat than she thought, and is willing to take on a second cat after all ;D
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Sorry but I was there and in a position to judge what her motives were - she wanted rid of her little problem is all. She had 2 months to get attached to it. She had only been feeding in the last month of that time. If she was that concerned about the cat's welfare, she would have taken it down the road to the vet! - she has a big house and a brand new car - no excuses.
This is another case of telling "white lies" to get people to bend over backwards to help. I won't bother posting about any cats in future.
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its always frustrating when you feel you've been 'taken a len of'
thats why nowadays we always wait to clarify details by phone when things are scetchy before diving out to deal as in a lot of cases it is people over exaggerating and as you found.... not the best use of your time!
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The problem is, until you find out, you can't rest. I have to admit, I had suspicions but thought what if I go home and phone later to find out the cat has been in an RTA and in agony - I couldn't forgive myself. At the same time, people like that get short shrift and I make it clear that I am not stupid. I have posted before about a case when I first started volunteering. Sharon phoned me as she received a call from a woman who said there was a stray who was running in the road and it was dangerous etc. Sharon asked her if she could put the cat in her shed or garage (she had both) until we could come by later. She insisted it was urgent and said she was allergic so couldn't go near it. At the time, I was running my B&B and up to my neck in it doing breakfast. As soon as everyone was served, I went flying off to rescue the cat. When I got there, she was really smug and said she wasn't allergic and that you "had to tell a few white lies to get things done" >:( - I ended up having to keep the cat in my kitchen - much to the annoyance of Willow as he nicked her bed. When I had cleared up breakfast things and sorted rooms out (lunchtime by then) I took the cat to the cattery and had to pass the house where I had collected the cat from. I do what I do for cats and have no patience with people trying it on.
He was a lovely cat though :Luv2:
(made himself at home on Willow's bed after eating 3 trays of Sheba :Luv2: )
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He got rehomed out side the area and is now called Freddie! Doing well i think...
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The name suits him - he was a lovely, soppy, laid back bundle of fluff :Luv2:
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The other way to look at it of course is that you might have been her first dealing with CP, and by being a bit short with her, she might get a negative opinion of the charity, which is never good - you never know, one of her friends might want a cat, and that experience might put her off recommending you. While we are in this for the cats, a charity can't run without people, politeness doesn't cost anything and can get you quite a bit, it can be incredibly frustrating listening to peoples excuses, but you never know when someone will repay you for helping, and sometimes it comes from the most unlikely sources. You can tell I am an ex civil servant where you had to be nice to people regardless of how they treated/spoke to you!!
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What a handsome cat, Mark. :Luv:
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Mark, please forgive me for putting forward this point of view, but do you think you allow your personal circumstances to interfere with the cat rescue. Maybe you are taking on too much at the moment?
I can only put the opposite point of view. It can be very frustrating dealing with the CP. I'm endlessly fobbed off when I try to get their support for the small amount of feral rescue I do. I kept ringing for traps. I wasn't told they didn't have them in (which WellCat said) but to "call next week, maybe they could help me then sometime". When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used. I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......
In my opinion, you were a little harsh with the woman. Okay, pooing in the conservatory is a minor offence for a cat :rofl: but maybe she was trying to justify to her own conscience why she couldn't take the cat in......did you meet her OH? Maybe he was the real problem. It sounds like she cared what happened to the cat and with all that money and some friendly contact with the CP, she may have donated or bequeathed some money......you catch more flies with honey. :Luv2:
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When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used.
I can understand this if the branch is anything like ours, we have about 12 traps and all are usually in constant use, often we do have people waiting for them although in an emergence we have borrowed one back from somewhere for a few days and sometimes ordered a couple more, but they cost between £70 and £80 each so can't keep doing that and when not so many are in use storage is a problem if you have a lot.
I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......
If you have problems getting vouchers from your local branch I suggest that you contact CP HQ direct. vouchers@cats.org.uk
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When I phoned the following week, exactly the same words were used.
I can understand this if the branch is anything like ours, we have about 12 traps and all are usually in constant use, often we do have people waiting for them although in an emergence we have borrowed one back from somewhere for a few days and sometimes ordered a couple more, but they cost between £70 and £80 each so can't keep doing that and when not so many are in use storage is a problem if you have a lot.
I'm still waiting for feral neutering vouchers from them. Maybe if I'd lied a little......
If you have problems getting vouchers from your local branch I suggest that you contact CP HQ direct. vouchers@cats.org.uk
I don't know how many our branch have but I think I always have to wait for a trap and keep ringing until I get one. Also as soon as I have finished with it they are waiting it. The last time I borrowed one they were wanted it straight back as they had just over 40 cats to trap!
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The last time I borrowed one they were wanted it straight back as they had just over 40 cats to trap!
Sadly that is not uncommon and of course in these situations people need more than one trap and they often keep them for ages until all cats have been trapped as there is no point in leaving even one unneutered/unspayed.
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A Purrs member donated enough money to enable me to purchase a metacote trap. I trapped the mother and kittens just in time too...all the kittens had started developing cat flu. They are now on antibios and in a warm room.
I'm glad I didn't wait for CP to come up with a trap.....I hate to think what would have happened to the kittens in this horrid weather.
My experience with the CP has been fairly negative. I'm constantly told to get them behind me to make the rescue easier. Chance would be a fine thing. Maybe it's just a local problem and this particular branch is poorly motivated.
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A Purrs member donated enough money to enable me to purchase a metacote trap. I trapped the mother and kittens just in time too...all the kittens had started developing cat flu. They are now on antibios and in a warm room.
I'm glad I didn't wait for CP to come up with a trap.....I hate to think what would have happened to the kittens in this horrid weather.
My experience with the CP has been fairly negative. I'm constantly told to get them behind me to make the rescue easier. Chance would be a fine thing. Maybe it's just a local problem and this particular branch is poorly motivated.
Can't say I've had negative experience with CP they have been really good with me tbh as we have had a problem with ferals round here. I live quite near the lady who runs our local branch and although traps are always out if I'd urgently needed one they will get me one asap, but they have to prioritise I suppose as they only have so many. It is then arranged with the vet for me to take the cats to be spayed or neutered, wormed etc. The downside is lack of fosterers and unfortunately the majority of ferals have had to be released here, although we don't mind they are vey well looked after.
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Sounds like you have gold star treatment in your area. The South Birmingham branch are pathetic. Sorry, but I really don't have any respect for them. I'm sure other branches are much better. I'll have to use the contact Ela has given to get a voucher for the mum, otherwise I'll get one through the RSPCA. If I'm going to do regular TNR, I'll need a reliable supply of vouchers, otherwise it just isn't worth doing. I'd be holding on to the next set of cats for weeks, just waiting for vouchers. Meanwhile, I'm having to feed them when they could have been neutered and released.
There are many feeders around here, just no one bothered enough to do the neutering. Not even CP.
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If you have a problem with a particular branch then you need to contact the RDM (Regional Development Manager) for your area at CP HQ and advise them. If they are not aware of a problem they can’t do anything about it.
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HK, I'm sorry you had a rough deal from your local CP. Any organisation is only as good as the folks who run it. I won't bore you with my opinion of Barclaycard. :mad2: The moral is always if you want to change something, do it from the inside. Or try the opposition. ;)
But on the other end of the system, traps - or lack of them - is a major headache for many branches. We find we loan them out and folks sit on them, or scarper with them. Heaven knows why! Despite what we say about the cost of replacing them and the fact we have other cats to trap, folks don't take it on board and you then face the situation where there's a waiting list. First priority will always be for sick or injured cats so that can mean a long wait I'm afraid. :(
I do also have to point out that CP traps aren't public property but some people do treat them as such. They come back damaged, uncleaned or missing bits sometimes and the waiting list gets longer. Depressing. :tired:
Has anyone successfully borrowed a trap from the RSPCA? :shify:
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HK - going back to your earlier post. Maybe volunteers are under pressure at times but we are volunteers and do the best we can. I'm sorry but when I have had a long day at uni, have exams coming up, assigments to get in, a home to run including 4 cats of my own (OH is away all week on business at the moment), all this with health problems, maybe rather than risk getting annoyed by a timewaster, maybe I should just chill when I get a message about a cat needing medical attention and wait until I get home and just email a coordinator for it to be dealt with in due course rather than rushing off to try to help. Maybe I should just give up completely rather than offer a second rate service to the deserving public.
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Mark please don't give up!
I have had some rough dealings with the local branch in my area - I am an incommer and have to many cats yet they never came to see me and almost blank me when I go to their coffee mornings in fact I think that they only take my food donation cause I put it on the table! I also have my ownb traps and cruishers and all the pens needed at my expense and I lend them to folks and get a donation for my old CP branch!
However my old branch still let us help out and also provide the neutering vouchers for my outside gang not my local one so I think its swings and roundabouts on how folks are treated
We are in the unique position of being able to charity match any funds we raise so far this year £2500 and also get paid by the hour to foster so our old branch give us the odd feral and kittens and we pay them back and they like to think of us as easy money, they also know that after the set isolation period any fosters will mix with my indoor crew in fact I met a lady last weekend and she asked if we had any kittens as she wanted to add to her family and had one former feral who was in charge of her 4 alsations - our dogs know who is in charge its the cats! :shocked:
In fact my old branch misses us and I miss them to but had a great night out last weekend.
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The problem is Mark, you can't snap at people when they ask for help, however much we would like to - that is what Purrs and friends are for, to rant at later. I dont think you should give up, just smile sweetly while biting your lip and then rant later - yes, it can be very hard, but at least the cat is then safe and that is the important thing - and you never know when that smile will be remembered.
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Mark could no longer adandon CP than I could be elected the next pope. :rofl:
But there does come a time when a person needs a rest. That's the joy of having a great team behind you - you can just keep a low profile for a while. We are all feeling frazzled and strained with so many sad and serious cases chucked at us this past week, but somehow we always find a way through it. :hug:
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I don't think I would but really don't feel I need to justify being a bit frosty with someone who got me there under false pretences. I love cats but I'm not a fool and don't appreciate people treating me like an idiot. I am not an angel and not prepared to grin and bear it at any cost. Anyway, I am having my op next Friday and won't be able to so much as lift a cat carrier for 6 weeks so will have an enforced break.
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Has anyone successfully borrowed a trap from the RSPCA? :shify:
:innocent:
I am not an angel and not prepared to grin and bear idiots. Anyway, I am having my op next Friday and won't be able to so much as lift a cat carrier for 6 weeks so will have an enforced break.
I must admit I'm probably a lot like you Mark, I get so :censored: with some people and I'm expected to listen to their lies on my time and money and yes it does get to me. When you are doing this 24/7 and no help, patience doesn't come easy plus you have the financial worries on top. I've had a guy mithering me for weeks about trapping some ferals and I've still not managed to do them, he expects me to use my money for fuel and at the moment I just haven't got it. He is not short and it wouldn't hurt for him to dip his hand in his pocket to finance me racing back and to catch them and getting them into the vets. With the traps I do loan mine out but traps are in short supply and sometimes for weeks on end I have to tell people they will have to wait, this isn't to be awkward, it's a fact of life, rescues can't work miracles and if the resources aren't there, we can only use what we can. I have 3 traps and all are usually in constant use one way or another.........one is a little knackered now so rarely catches anything but I live in hope ;)
Mark, I would use your time to have a rest, when I had my op on my hand it was a really struggle doing anything so trapping and vet visits were last on the agenda but it did allow me to get a little rest :hug:
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I do also have to point out that CP traps aren't public property but some people do treat them as such. They come back damaged, uncleaned or missing bits sometimes
Oh! yes, it is very rare for one to come back in the condition it was when loaned. I had two come back a couple of weeks ago absolutely covered in chicken poo and only this week one came back damaged and the person who borrowed it about 3 days before (fortunately he did trap the cat). I lent one to a farmer and he loaned it to someone to take home a feral kitten, he did not know them and the trap was never returned.
We also lend out portable pens, (nowadays it large dog crates), but at one time it was lovely pens that were about four foot high with shelves at different levels and lovely covering on the shelves. I bought about 4 out of my own money and they cost up to £100 each. If you saw the state that some were returned you would not believe it, absolutely filthy and sometimes a whole side or the base missing. I also loan a water pot to hang on the side, they cost me about £3-- £4 each, few are ever returned, when I ask they say Oh! I forgot I will bring t back later. Like tomorrow later never comes.
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I often give the trap a clean when I get it and always before I return it. The crusher cage is also wiped down and new clean towel inside and to cover if needed.
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I often give the trap a clean when I get it and always before I return it.
One of the few I assure you.
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I can imagine, I've had them straight after someone else and they've got dried on food and smell, I usually give it a good hose down it doesn't take much
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I consider myself a nice person and really do try to help those that help us.. But this week has been a corker!! On Monday i got 14 calls from people wishing to give up cats and for one reason or another rang us.. I do best to help, give advise and assist but i cannot save the world.. I will always try to direct rehome cats that we cannot take in but to do that i need certain info for our website, for my benefit and to match sure i get a match.. Out of all those people i rang (one was very urgent) i told the same thing.. As it happens i never had one of those people email me details and as it happened if they had we could of helped the most urgent one... But despite me telling her to get back tome she didnt..
Sooooooooooooo i get annoyed... I also get annoyed at the stupid cow who has 8 cats of which 4 where unspayed females that she cannot cope with due to her daughter living with her and baby.. She wanted us to rehome all 4, havnt no space to do that. So i suggested we get them all spayed to stop the problem increasing and then we do 1 at the time.... She refused!! saying she didnt have the time to get them spayed (we offered to pay) and she wanted them taken into a rescue now!! I gave her a lecture on cats like her cats are part of the problem of untold of litters of cats out their and if we spayed them we want be on a deadline of pregnancy etc.. She told me she didnt want a lecture and put the phone down on me!! Was i being unreasonable!!
Nope......i have had a "bad" week... and yes i do get so annoyed with people that fail to see we cannot save the world.. and pls do look at the bigger picture. Personally i am turning into a dragon.. but i still answer the phone... But could do with a rest.. as now i am getting the Christmas kitten calls... That drives me mad as well..
So we are all abit frazzled.. Smudge as it happens goes back to the vets next week as we still think something is amiss. The lady rang i think and we just told her that puss was okay...and left it at that.. If anyone wishes to know about cats that we have taken in i get them to ring me and if i can i will respond and ring them back or email them, but if they dont contact me i usually think they cannot be bothered!!
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go on let it out Sharon!
Just a thought but on the answerphone do you have a message saying 'we will not be rehoming from such and such to....date'?
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I can imagine, I've had them straight after someone else and they've got dried on food and smell,
I would never hand one out that was not thoroughly clean and disinfected.
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If people are told you dont get your deposit back if you return it dirty then its amazing how they can manage to find a hose and some disinfectant. Just an idea!
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If people are told you dont get your deposit back if you return it dirty then its amazing how they can manage to find a hose and some disinfectant.
What deposit? ;D Often the cats are only being dealt with after we have begged and pleaded, so we can hardly ask for a deposit when the people with the traps think they are doing us a favour.
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My CP branch ask for a cheque for £25 that is only cashed if you dont return the trap
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Our local CP ask for a deposit of £50, I had to loan one off them when I first started trapping, my cheque was ripped up once I returned the trap.
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Pinkbear, I bought the Metacote trap to catch the mum and kittens just in time to treat them for cat flu. They now live in my back room. If I'd managed to borrow a trap sooner, maybe they wouldn't have had flu. Luckily, they seem to be getting better.
I understand that traps are in demand and don't mind being told that organisations don't have any to loan. But the local CP didn't say this, just "call back next week". I would have known where I stood if they'd said, "sorry, we can't help, we have no traps available."
Having my own trap is a great help, now getting neutering vouchers is proving a problem. I called the CP about this some time ago. I'm still waiting.
Mark, I wasn't suggesting that you give up rescue work, just that you have a lot going on right now and may be under extraordinary stress. You deserve a break. If you don't look after yourself, you won't be able to look after the puddies.
Sharon, there's a difference between feeling like you're banging your head against a brick wall when people just won't listen or can't be bothered when you try to persuade them to neuter, and being brusk with someone who wants to know what will happen to a cat they're concerned about, but can't keep, as seems to be the case with the woman who called Mark out.
Anyway, as I'm so new to rescue and do it on such a small scale, I don't claim to understand the difficulties faced by those of you who face it day in day out. Keep up the good work, but maybe chill sometimes. :yawn:
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Sharon called me this morning. Smudge has been poorly. She was at the vets all over xmas after having a tooth out. She went to Paula's (Fosterer) yesterday morning but by this morning, she hadn't eaten, had a drink or used the tray. She had also been hiding whereas previously, she had been very affectionate. I took her back to the vet and they are keeping her over the new year. She was very purry with me and rubbing her face against my hand the whole time we were in the vets.
Poor baby :(
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Poor Smudge fingers crossed she soon picks up :hug:
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There has been talk of gingivitis or possibly c :( - they are waiting for the biopsy - fingers crossed for her. She is a lovely girl. I was going to take the camera but thought it wasn't fair on her.
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Gosh i am confused (yes hard to believe lol)
Who is the tabby and white cat ?
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It said in the post - he was one I picked up when I first started volunteering. I was talking about people telling lies to jump the queue :Crazy:
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It said in the post - he was one I picked up when I first started volunteering. I was talking about people telling lies to jump the queue :Crazy:
Ohhhhhh sorry :shy:
anyway he is :Luv2: (and i'll go back to sleep now lol)
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Sharon said he got a really nice home and they have been in touch :Luv2:
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Fingers crossed for Smudge
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Test came back okay just ginvitis (sorry bad spelling) had long acting antibotic, etc... and will go back to Carolines tomorrow.. and see how we go from there...
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aww bless her, I do hope she picks up now :Luv:
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Glad it is something that can be treated :)
I have some cans of Trovet senior/renal pate that she might find easier to eat. I can drop them off at Caroline's early next week
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She's adorable. Hope all goes well.
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That would be very good Mark.. i am sure she isnt on any meds but had a long acting steriod as well... Caroline is takng her in her spare room so we an keep an eye on her... The vets put her at 7ish...
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Fingers crossed - but I would be very wary of what the vet has given her, steroids shouldnt be used for gingivitis, they make the condition worse (Dr Addie has a good bit about it, and that is in caps), and the long lasting AB does nothing (if it is Convenia) - I am in the same situation with Sam, his mouth is awful, he had the same treatment, and he had to wait till they had worn off to be given Antirobe, which worked within 2 days, and I had the same with Rolo. As far as I know, dental issues isn't one of Convenia's strengths, and after two cats with bad mouths being given that and steroids, and then having to go on Antirobe to actually deal with it, I would say it isn't.
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In humans with mild gingivitis, corsodyl works really well (I have used it for bleeding gums in the past) I know Desley posted about some breath freshening water for cats to drink. I would like the idea of catsd having it all the time but maybe it would help in the short-term. I can't remember what it was called. It contains something called chlorhexidine digluconate.
edit - found it. Not sure if it contains enough of the active ingredient but it may help. http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1349
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I can't actually see the bottle from here, and Molly is on my arm so I cant move, but when I posted about it, MM and Gillian were strongly against it due to the ingredients, so I haven't actually used it since.
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I remember I said I wasn't happy with it being used long term but I'm sure it would be safe to use for a short period.
Here is some medical info on the ingredient http://www.ophsource.org/periodicals/ophtha/medline/record/MDLN.7583874
This is probably better as it is applied topically and not intended as a drink http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1425
One of the reasons I didn't like aquadent is because it must kill of friendly bacteria in the gut as well as bad bacteria?
Sharon - I need to put a VetUK order in today or tomorrow so let me know and I will add this to it if you think it would help. I'm sure Caroline would be OK applying it.
They also sell cat toothbrushes.
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Sharon told me that Smudge is much better and may have a home lined up :)
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Fingers crossed for Smudge :hug: :hug: