Pawing it forward- Being in a Pickle

Well as part of Savvy’s I would like to tell a story of rescue that I was called in to do.

Nearly nine years ago I was a volunteer at a no kill shelter called Victorian Animal Aid..i used to foster kittens..mums and newborns and kittens who were orphaned..either by loss of a mother or being dumped as rubbish.
These sweet darlings I would bottle feed..wipe their bottoms to encourage them to toilet and wash and dry them to prevent scald from urine.
This involved waking every three or four hours to tiny little hungry mouths..
If mums were with the bubs it meant letting mum have a break every now and then,as often these poor mums were not in good health or only babes themselves.some mum’s could not cope and they went back to a different foster to fatten up and get healthy while I looked after the bubs..sounds mean, but often these mums walked away from the babies and were not actively feeding or cleaning them.
I also spent time at the shelter, cleaning cages,playing with senior cats, or in the isolation ward tending the sick cats and kittens (this is how I adopted Dinnermintz)
So I received a call from the shelters Cattery manager Lyn, she asked me if I would meet the police at an address not far from where I lived as a woman had been taken in to mental health care and the house was filled with cats and kittens…urghhhh I knew this was going to be hard!

Hoarding is a terrible illness..and one that has far ranging effects, not the least the poor animals involved.
So armed with food I went down,i was met by the police who handed me a key and stood outside..
The entire front yard was swept bare just dust..and the smell from even the car was evident..the police would not come inside..in I went.
Horror..the smell was pure sulphur..it was pitch black (this was in the height of summer)there was no power.
My eyes adjusted slowly and the sounds of scurrying animals everywhere..i could make out buckets of dirt everywhere which were being used as litter trays..they were full of stench.Eyes were peering out from under rubbish and on top of who knows what was in there.
So I set about trying to get some feed down..my heart was breaking…there were two cages with birds in the kitchen and several bbq’s in there crammed in..where to start..
So I left..i rang the shelter and said to Lyn we need to get traps and get these cats out now! so in a period of about a week..after pleading with a larger shelter for help and getting nowhere our (little shelter was at capacity) eventually we started trying to trap some..most were almost insane with feral behaviour climbing curtains throwing themselves at windows..it was so distressing…
By now I had already been feeding them regularly,bringing in water and trays of litter some would shyly approach now but then scatter..the windows were boarded up so I could not let any light in.I worried that they all got food as I could never see who was eating and who wasn’t.
This one day I went down with my son…as we set about feeding them we heard a sound..a faint meow..we tried to see where it was coming from as it sounded stressed..a large dining room table had been placed with the top against the wall, my son moved it and down in between the wall and the table was a wee kitten..
We pulled the kitten out..and when I popped it on the floor it’s back legs splayed out and it was paralysed, it’s little head was badly misshapen..that was it I finally lost my cool..
We grabbed it up and left..poor little mite was being held by my son and it could not see..the light was too bright it had been born and lived in darkness.
I went to the Police station informed them I had removed the kitten and was going to my vet.
My vet Dr Findlay saw the kitten straight away..Sub Q fluids and I took it home.
When I rang Phil he said the kitten stays! which I had already decided 😉
This kitten I called Pickles..she was in a Pickle..
She has never really grown very big but has had a heart bigger than the world.
And now ,most likey due to her situation and the condition of her mother we have been told she most likely has FIV..would I have taken her in if I had known this then..YES..why..because it was the right thing to do for her..you see whatever happens down the track..whatever outcomes we have to face..our lives have been better for having our sweet girl in them..every animal deserves to feel loved and safe,fed and content and I could not ever guarantee that anyone else would give to this poor little sweetheart the life I knew I could.
Pickles is asleep on top of the couch tonight, tummy full,friends next to her,warm and cosy..she has played all day she has laid in the sun and she knows she is safe isn’t that what we all need ?
Thanks Savannah for allowing us to join your paw it forward blog hop..let’s all be aware of those who need us..

PICKLES

• cats
• paw it forward
• Pickles
• rescues
• Savvy