The KTAJ rescuers arrived with the cat. I was already there waiting for our vet, who was coming all the way from Kajang. It so happened our vet also had to attend to some dogs at the clinic, so we were lucky.
This cat did not look so bad, but according to the rescuers, he looked really sick while at the boarding house. Yes, it is always best not to take chances with animals.
His bottom half is filthy - he must have been sitting in pee and poo for a week, and had been without food and water. Can you imagine what that must be like for a cat. Cats are terribly clean creatures.
But he looks okay. When contacted earlier, I've told the rescuer to give him glucose water, so they continued giving him small amounts. He licked it off a small spoon.
The vet says the cat's curiosity and alertness are good.
His circulation is also healthy, so nothing needs to be done except to offer him food and water.
If these cats have been without food and water for more than a week, the appropriate thing to do now, the vet says, is to just offer food and water to them. Boiled chicken would be a good choice of food. Not too much, and do not force-feed. This is because too much food and water suddenly would cause more harm than good. There is a condition where the brain can suddenly swell up due to excessive intake of water and this in turn causes neurological damage.
If the cat is still alert and able, the cat would know how much food and water to take.
Take it slow and steady.
If the cat is extremely weak, then medical attention is needed and the vet would know what to do, perhaps put the cat on drips.
The KTAJ rescuers say the death toll is now 16.
Sixteen pets have died, mostly kittens and younger cats.
It is confirmed that the two culprits have been arrested by the police, but we do not know what they would be charged with.
One of the KTAJ rescuers said she had been watching this place for over a year now. Despite reports to the relevant authorities, nothing had been done to shut down the place. Apparently, they operate from a private premises, and hence, nothing could be done. She said from what she has observed, they normally only feed the animals once a week.
Our vet said food deprivation, though not good, would probably not kill the cat, even if it is as long as one week, but water deprivation is the killer. All these cats have been deprived of water for 8-9 days now. This would have taken a toll on their kidneys.
Owners, please be very wary and careful with boarding houses.
Latest updates from Mas: Less than 30 cats left now. Others have been taken by fosterers and a petshop is willing to take in 10 cats tomorrow for temporary fostering.
If you are able to help foster, please contact KTAJ directly through their facebook page. They need fosterers.
The real heroes of this whole rescue operation are the KTAJ rescuers and volunteers who had been on site since this morning.
May heaven's blessings be upon them and may their kindness inspire others to do the same.
Updates at 10.30pm - This cat is Panda, and his owner, Izrul, has contacted me. Izrul is currently in Sabah and will be returning tomorrow night to collect Panda. I've linked up Izrul with Bella, one of the KTAJ rescuers who brought Panda to our vet just now. But Bella says someone else has already collected Panda. Izrul confirmed that it's his friend. So, all is well.
More Articles By AnimalCare
|
|