It's Time For This Behaviour To Be Called Out

 So, the world is upside down for a lot of people right now, and there are a lot of things happening all over the world. In our own worlds here, we are seeing huge changes both in the rescue and in the private lives of our Board members. Of course, what rescue wouldn't be complete without someone going entirely off the rails at least annually, right? 

Well, this time we will share the entirety of the exchange we had with our periodic rail greaser. This time it is one Sandy Schedlosky, who, meaning well, took a kitten who needs medical care to the emergency vet. This is a wonderful act of care, and we love when people reach out to help as much as they can. Yesterday, 2 of our Board members spent the day dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, and when the message came that there was an injured kitten, one of them had a bit of a cry over the rescue's current financial position because it meant we couldn't help out financially. Here's how the conversation played out.

Now, these screen shots are trimmed so that they go in proper order and, with the exception of the last one, reduce the amount of reading the same thing over again for the reader. 

And here's the thing. We wouldn't be posting this today but Sandy decided that rather than simmering down and rereading the parts where she was told; 

• we are in the middle of a reset
• we cannot do any intakes right now
• if we said yes, it would be irresponsible on our part (verbatim was "whether we would be able to properly support him and that isn't fair at all")
• We would be happy to set her up with supplies in the meantime (this is not just a "can of food" as Ms. Shedlosky so wonderfully put it in her attempt to minimise us offering the help that we are capable of at this time. The gratitude was palpable, I tell you.)
• funds are non-existent (what we did not tell her because quite frankly she has no reason to know is that we are handling 3 spays, a mastectomy, and a few other projects we are trying to get off the ground. And right now the rescue has just a little over $100 in the account.)
• we have to move our current adoptables before we can do anything at all. 
• it was offered to her that we would reach out to other rescues to see if they could help.

As you can see, Sandy was ever so gracious in her response, telling us that she understood and that it was unfortunate that we were unable to assist. She even offered to lend help to us or another rescue so that it wasn't such a struggle! She kindly thanked us for our offer of food, litter, litter box, toys, etc... that come with having a cat in the house but declined, saying she didn't want to burden our already taxed organisation.

Just kidding. She posted a scathing review on google, thinking we wouldn't respond! And you know, a lot of rescues won't, because a lot of rescues don't want to upset people or rock the boat. We are a little different here though. You see, we value human beings just as much as we value animals. We will go to the mat for either one, and sometimes that means we show much more compassion for situations which would enrage others, but sometimes it means calling people out when they are acting like assholes. In this case, going to the mat for the kitten meant saying that we are unable to help with his emergency care bill, but offering what we could for the care he needed for the time he was in her care. And this post isn't about going to the mat for the person Sandy talked to, she has a pretty thick skin. It's about going to the mat for the rescue community as a whole.

Rescue workers are stretched. It's what we do. Very few of us get paid (in fact, none of the ones in our rescue take a salary at all.) so what we do, we do out of passion, and out of compassion. Yet the general public seems to believe that we are invincible and have bottomless pockets. That we don't feel those little darts thrown at us every time we express grief for losing a hard case (why didn't you do x? Well, you can't save them all.), or when we have to say no to an intake or when we have to explain to a person why their husbandry is making their companion sick. It's like being pecked to death by a lazy duck. And you know, we grin and bear it most of the time.

There is not a single person who got into animal rescue because they wanted to do nothing. There is not a single person who does rescue who feels good about having to say "I'm so sorry, we are at capacity. Not even one more." And very few of us can do so and go to bed without crying a little bit because we don't know what the fate of that little one would be. Because we all wish we had infinite funds and infinite space and infinite time to help every single struggling soul out there. And I am not complaining. No, this is not a complaint at all because another thing about rescuers is that rescuing them is what keeps us going. It's what makes the world a little better.

So I'm not posting this because Sandy is a meanie. I make no judgments as to the overall character of Sandy, despite her behaviour being entitled, childish, and petty. Who knows, maybe this is a one-off (although given that she had already been hung up on by another rescue prior to contacting us...) I'm posting this because there are thousands of Sandys out there, who would attempt to browbeat a rescue into taking in more than they can, and then strut about, bleating about how they saved that poor little kitten as though she had done anything more than a quick drive to a vet and some snotty messages. And there are thousands of rescuers who will get these messages from the Sandys of the world and say nothing. They would take the character assasinations, the pettiness, the snarling, and the holier-than-thou declarations of the Sandys and they would put it in their already heavy rucksack of shitty comments from ignorant people, and say nothing, and just add it to the load. 

That's not how we work here. And maybe it isn't as nice as the image of rescue is supposed to be. Most rescues have a face of cute, and smiles, and happiness. We don't. We do the shit that needs doing because it needs doing. We are, in contrast to most other rescues out there, pretty unfiltered about the truth of it all, the including how the same people who consider themselves saviours to animals will just as quickly (and gleefully) abuse another human being. That doesn't make us better and hell, maybe it is part of why we aren't seen as easily as others. But it's who we are.

So next time you decide you want to be a Sandy, I want you to remember the motto of our rescue. Well. The whole motto of the rescue. It's isn't just "do all things with kindness..."

Do you know that the ellipsis is there for?

Diabetes in Cats

This is a guest post, written by one of our wonderful volunteers, Ronnie V. (click on her name to be taken to her true crimes podcast site!) It details her experience with diabetes in her kitty Romulus.

Romulus

At the beginning of January 2022, I began noticing my 13 year old cat Romulus was losing some weight. He is a longer haired fluffy tabby, and always had a couple extra pounds, so it didn’t seem too concerning right away. 

However, in a short amount of time I noticed he began drinking lots of water, having big pees in the litter box, and was losing quite a bit of weight around his haunches. He seemed uncomfortable, not really wanting pets nor having the same energy as before.

I was heartbroken. I wasn’t ready to face a difficult decision. 

I scraped whatever money I had together to bring him to the vet to get bloodwork. I spoke with the vet about his history, which included having bladder blockage (struvite urolithiasis) when he was 5, but ever since he has been doing well. 

I waited for a call back once the vet had the results, and I was surprised when he said, “Romulus has diabetes.”

I then asked what the treatment options were, and he explained how he would require insulin twice a day, and that I should look for food that has lower calories. 

I received papers with information, and was shown how to give him his shot. I was a bit overwhelmed, and worried about messing up somehow. But when the vet had asked what I wanted to do, of course I said I will do whatever is in my power to help Romulus, especially if it is something that is treatable. 

I had many questions though, and over time I began to learn what food seemed to work well for Rom (and what food didn’t), as well as developing more of an understanding of how diabetes presents in cats. I want to share information in case anyone out there has any concerns about their own cats, or wants to have an easy place where there is some basic, digestible information. 

What is Diabetes

Feline diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a condition wherein the body can not produce insulin on its own. Insulin is a hormone that is necessary in the process of releasing glucose from the blood, and allowing the glucose to be absorbed for energy.  

Though humans and cats have different digestive systems, this is a basic process that we share, and in that we share similarities with diabetes. 

It is interesting because cats also have type I and II diabetes. Here is an excerpt from https://bondvet.com/b/diabetes-in-cats : 

“There are two types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1 and Type 2. 

Type 1 means the body has a shortage of insulin, a blood sugar regulating hormone produced by the pancreas. 

Type 2 diabetes means insulin resistance., where the body’s cells become less and less responsive to the hormone. Insulin can’t be effectively used by the body, even if enough insulin is produced. This type of diabetes most commonly develops in overweight or obese cats as they get older. “

Signs and Symptoms

Here is a basic list of signs and symptoms to look out for:

• Increased thirst.

• Increased urination.

• Increased appetite. 

• Noticeable weight loss.

• Lethargy.

Treatment

In order to treat diabetes, it is necessary to give the feline insulin. This can be done in the following ways:

Insulin: I use the Lantus SoloStar pen in order to give Rom his doses each morning and each evening. It is simple to use-I click to the unit amount required on the bottom, and then I screw on a fresh needle on top each time. I find its easiest when I grab the scruff of his neck and inject it into him that way, and I do it as he is eating his breakfast/supper. He usually doesn’t put up a struggle, and I’m sure any struggle is because I hesitated or came at him the wrong way. It may seem worrisome at first, but before you know it the process will be barely a thought in your everyday routine. 

There are other options and ways to administer the insulin, and this is something that you can determine with your vet. I imagine each clinic has their own preferences or brands, as at one point I ran out of needle tips, my clinic had none until the next day, and every other clinic I went to didn’t have the same type of needle tips. 

A big takeaway is to be open and communicative with your vet so you can give and receive the most information possible in order to manage your fur babies needs as best as possible. 

Diet is a big component to help your cat buddy to thrive and potentially reduce the amount of insulin necessary each day, even remission. 

I like to try to compare the nutritional value to the canned Purina DM (Diabetic Management) formula cat food when looking at alternative foods that are more accessible/affordable. Romulus wasn’t a fan of the DM wet food because it was more chunks in gravy, and he just drinks the gravy and leaves the rest! Pate, or some kind of more mushy type of food is good for knowing Romulus is not just drinking the liquid, but is also getting food into his tummy. 

Here are some pictures of the nutritional values for the Purina DM wet food, and the food itself:

Romulus gets bad poopy bum with kibble, so I keep the boys main diet as wet food, however the best kibble that I have found that doesn’t affect him too harshly is the Purina DM formula kibble. 

Again, this is something you will have to analyze and look for in regards to what is accessible to you, affordable, and jives with your own kitties body and preference.

I find that Tiki Cat and B.F.F. have the correct values I look for, and my boys love them. They are a bit pricier though, so sometimes I do have to see what are more affordable options are out there. 

(Note from ALWAYS Director; we are primarily a Royal Canin feeding rescue, and stand behind their foods as one of the highest in quality available. To obtain Royal Canin for diabetic kitties, please contact your veterinarian's office. As with all higher end foods, they are somewhat pricy, but what you spend in extra food cost you will save in vet bills and heartache. Always, always ALWAYS follow the advice of your veterinarian with regard to your companion's health needs.)

Hypoglycemia 

Now, this may be off putting-it was for me when I read about it. But it is something to be aware of, and something that knowing how to treat is important. 

There can be a risk of the insulin negatively affecting the kitty, mainly if too much is administered. This happened to Romulus suddenly, as if his body began responding differently to the medication and change in diet, and he was not needing as much insulin. I gave him his regular dose, but he became ill and vomited his food. I wasn’t sure if he was in contact with something that made him sick or what, but he didn’t eat more after. He then began wobbling around when walking, and basically fell into his litter box at some point. I took him to the emergency, where he got to sit like a king in some kind of oxygen bed that was like a baby insulator, and I got a nice big bill. Again, I didn’t mind because I felt awful. I wanted to make sure he was all good. However, I could have avoided that emergency visit if I had corn syrup on hand (I had maple syrup, but it is NOT sugary enough to counter balance the insulin). Here is a quote from https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/endocrine/c_ct_diabetes_mellitus:

“Hypoglycemia is a serious and potentially life-threatening state that should be treated as an emergency.

Signs of hypoglycemia in cats might include:

• Dull mentation or disorientation

• Profound weakness or lethargy

• Gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhea, not eating)

• Trembling

• Seizures

• Coma

If you see any of these signs, give your cat a sugary product (corn syrup, maple syrup, honey) and immediately go to an emergency pet hospital.

If your pet is having seizures, try rubbing syrup on their gums, but be cautious of your cat biting you.”

Outlook

You can make your cat nice and comfortable and happy if you keep up with a good food routine, give them enrichment so they are exercising and having fun, and give them all the love in the world as usual. It is important to make sure we do all we can for our animal friends, because we love them. 

Romulus is laying next to me as I write this, having a nice sleep after spending the day clawing at my face for snacks, chasing his younger brother Kato around, and randomly running from one room to another from spontaneous zoomies. I couldn’t’ be happier seeing him thriving, and though I wish I could give him an even better life, it is amazing to see how far he has come since his initial diagnoses.

I have links to many sources below, use them to read through and get an understanding if you are suddenly thrust into the world of having a diabetic cat. There is lots of information out there, and always reach out and talk to others to see what information they may have. Also, be kind to yourself. 

-Veronica Vetter 

Sources

• https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health/diabetes#:~:text=Some%20cats%20are%20more%20at%20risk%20than%20others,inflammation%20of%20the%20pancreas%20or%20urinary%20tract%20infections.

• https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/endocrinology/managing-feline-diabetes-mellitus/

• https://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/feline-diabetes-symptoms-treatments-prevention-diet#1

• https://bondvet.com/b/diabetes-in-cats

• https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/endocrine/c_ct_diabetes_mellitus

• https://www.catsanddiabetes.com/

• https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.ca/consumer/products/dm-dietetic-management-canned-feline-formula

Valentine's Day 2022

 It's been a year. It's been a few years. There are a lot of names on your List.

Well. Have I got the thing for you!

Click here and we can hook you up.

Bunny Kit Care

This summer, 10 bunnies were dumped at Fort Normandeau, one of whom has a wicked hernia. We suspected them to be around 2 months old, but without knowing their breed we have no solid metric against which to determine their age.

Anyway. They were being fostered by a young woman who has a rabbit farm which includes some adorable angoras. One of the mamas had 2 runts in her litter, and when it was revealed that they would likely die, we offered to try bottle feeding. She said yes, and we took the little ones home. That's when we hit the internet and all of the bunny blogs, recommended resources we've heard of since we opened the rescue, etc... 

Bunny kits are not the same as kittens. Neonatal kittens get fed fairly often. Bunny kits get fed twice a day (thrice if you're careful and they desperately need it, but we will get there.) Their heat requirements are different, and unlike kittens, they don't appreciate being handled much. On every bunny blog we encountered, we found the feeding directions; 

and

We followed these directions, and in very short order, one of the kits began to fade. I called around to bunny rescuers and was finally able to contact one who lives in New York, and she walked me through getting the little one back on track. Satisfied that I had succeeded in figuring out how to help these little dudes, I plodded on. Unlike kittens, kits don't need feeding every hour, which made it so, so much easier.

That night though, I lost the first kit. She faded quickly and there was simply nothing I could do. I got back on the phone with Kim, the New York rescuer. She and I discussed how to avoid this with the other one, and she sent me a recipe for a formula by a woman named Dana Kremple, who is a renowned Floridian biologist with an evidently wild knowledge base about rabbits.

Okay, I thought to myself, I got this.

I mixed up the formula and fed according to what I had found on multiple sites for these 3 day old kits. But still, the remaining guy was not thriving. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. He was getting hydrated through subcutaneous fluids, and I was feeding him the formula. He was in our incubator, so his heat was controlled and regular at 75°f as per everything I had found. His feedings were quick, all the conditions were right, so what was wrong?

I'll tell you what was wrong. All of those sites I had visited had given incomplete information. What it should have said was;

That 10% body weight note would have saved those little kits
 had it been present everywhere else.

Do you see those first three sentences? At three days old, they had weighed 73 grams. They needed 7 mLs daily, NOT 2. This is why knowing the full story and passing on complete information is of vital importance.

I finally found a protocol from a rescue, the name of which now escapes me and somehow my ability to google effectively today is not present. The PDF I downloaded can be downloaded right here, and I do hope that people will use it rather than relying on the partial information so easily found elsewhere.

I was devastated to have lost the little ones, but now that I'm more well armed with knowledge and connections to resources should I ever find myself in the position to care for little ones like these again.

With great thanks to the helpful folks at Henry's Healthy Pets. Their fantastic formulas, knowledge, and advice have been priceless through this.

Let's Talk About How They Rescue Us

 If you've ever talked to our Director & Founder, you know that she feels passionately that animals can be our salvation. For many people, there comes a darkness which can seem crushing and overwhelming, and the only reason some people stay put is because they have an animal companion who has taught them that there is such a thing as unconditional, pure, untainted love that comes with no expectations or fine print. The trust and love of a companion animal is entirely unmatched by any other relationship for many. 

If you read the page "Audrey's Story" (CW; ideation, talk of unaliving oneself), you'll see a story of a cat whose circumstances were less ideal than our Founder thought and whose life was changed by arriving at her doorstep. What our Founder didn't expect was how significantly Audrey would affect her own life and will to live. 

Right now, we have 2 sets of bonded cats who seem to have been placed on this Earth for the same reason Audrey came to our Founder. They are Topaz & Jewel, and Jonjamin & Bethicca. 

Topaz is the most amazing, snuggly, chatty little girl who runs right up to her people and tells them all about how she loves them and what her day was like. She lets you know it's time to go to bed, and when it's time to settle down. Her insistent affection is a bright spot in any day. Her sister, Jewel, is more aloof but when she decides it's time for love, it's time for love. They've been in care for so long together that they are bonded and they have to go together to a home with no dogs. 

Jonjamin and Bethicca are also meant to be someone's heart cats. Between Jonjamin's enthusiastic biscuit making snuggle sessions and Bethicca's animated chatting, it's impossible to be angry or even particularly sad around them.

If you would like to meet either of our dynamic duos, drop us a message or an email and we can set up a meet and greet.

Why Does Your Rescue Insist on Indoor Only for Your Adopted Cats?

This is a question we face regularly. Many people feel that cats should be allowed to roam freely. Ultimately, that would be nice wouldn't it? Unfortunately, it just isn't safe. I won't even go in depth with regard to the damage they can do to bird populations and peoples' gardens, or the spraying of doors and windows that happens. You see, what our biggest concern is what can happen to your kitty. As a rescue, we see what happens to cats who are permitted to wander around. 

Sometimes, we are mending them after they've been hit by a car. Sometimes that car was intentionally aimed at them. Sometimes we are mending them after a human being with malicious intent gets hold of them. The lengths to which some people will go to harm a defenseless creature for their own amusement would make most people lose their appetite.

This is Audrey, after whom our rescue is named. She came to
us with a broken hip and needing extensive surgeries. She also
needed to be spayed before she got pregnant and had a severe 
parasite load. It took months for her to recover.

Sometimes, they will get into fights with other animals. This almost never goes well for either animal, and the injuries can become infected. 

This cat was in a fight with another, and his guardian
let him back out before the antibiotics were finished.

While this is terrible, if the wounds are cared for and healed, the cat will be okay. PROVIDED your kitty is properly vaccinated, they might even escape catching FeLV (feline leukemia virus) or FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Of course, your cat doesn't need to get into a fight to catch panleukopenia or chlamydophila. Maybe a touch of feline rhinotracheitis? I mean, yeah most cats are prone to it, but why increase your baby's chances of catching it? Then there is the all-too-common feline calicivirus.

What we are trying to do by having the indoors-only clause is not be controlling doody-heads. We are trying to protect your new family member from the many dangers out there. We don't let dogs, birds, bunnies, guinea pigs, reptiles, hamsters, or toddlers (and let's consider for a moment how similar cats and toddlers are) wander free, so why are we doing it to cats? 

So, now I've written out a whole bunch of reasons for you to not let your kitty wander free. So what are the solutions? 

Before you do any of the following, make sure your companions are fully up to date on all vaccines!

We love taking our little goobers out for walks if they're willing. A good harness, ability to provide shade & water, and some waste bags and you're set! Don't forget, you're walking with a cat so really the cat will be walking you. Be prepared to see a lot of slinking low in the grass, statue imitations, and once the kitty becomes more comfortable with it, rolling around and playing. You can tether the kitty outside in the back yard on a harness as well if you like, but don't leave them unattended. This has resulted in tragedy when the leash or tether becomes hung up on something or the cat tries to jump over something that there isn't enough slack left on the lead for too many times. 

Our absolute favourite method is the catio. This is an enclosed area outside which can be either a box with chicken wire attached to a window, or something more elaborate and fancy. What you have room and permission for are the only limitations with this solution. If you're in an apartment, you can always enclose your balcony, or if you don't have one you can build a window box which doesn't need to be affixed to the building. Googling "removable apartment catio" brings up scores of ideas for this. We have 2 window catios on our home, and have decided this year to undertake converting our gazebo to a catio extension. Once we get that completed, we will post photos!

We will be offering some fantastic leash and harness sets soon, so stay tuned!

Panleuk Protocol

 To our fosters or anyone using this protocol, please read:

This is the protocol I used when we had kittens fall ill with panleuk. While we had a tremendous amount of support and advice from our vet, I am not personally a veterinarian nor am I am a RVT or VTA. This is not guaranteed to work, but if you follow it to the t, your kitten will have a much better chance than if you are lackadaisical with it or worse, ignore the condition entirely. It is imperative that you contact me if you are fostering for us and you aren't sure if the kitten is suffering and should be humanely euthanized. The chances of that being the case are unlikely if you follow the instructions closely, but we do need to consider that this is a possibility. If you need advice, call me. 

BE SURE TO ISOLATE ANY SICK KITTENS FROM OTHER CATS, ESPECIALLY IF THE OTHER CATS ARE NOT VACCINATED. THE ONLY REASON A CAT SHOULD BE UNVACCINATED IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT YET REACHED 6 WEEKS OF AGE. IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THIS, CONTACT ME.

This is a terrifying disease. It is manageable though. You can do this, and don't be afraid to ask us for support. Any of us would much rather come help than lose a foster, or a kitten, or have a foster feel overwhelmed by the enormity of this undertaking.

-J

Medications used:

Clavamox at 12.5mg/kg (formula for ml dosing is kg•12.5/62.5 

Veraflox at 7.5 mg/kg (kg•7.5/25)

Vitamin B¹² 1000mcg/ml  DIN 00521515 injectable - available at Walmart pharmacy without a scrip

Cerenia injectable - dose unknown at this time, appeared to be 1ml/kg but was diluted in order to ensure full delivery

Other supplies:

• NaCl or lactated ringers solution injectable

• 20 g sharps for pulling up fluids

• 25 or 26 g ⅝" sharps for administration of fluids and B¹²

• 25 or 26 g butterfly injection sets for administration of sub-q fluids

• 1 ml oral syringes

• 1 or 3 ml luer lock or similar syringes

• 5 ml oral syringes

• 10 ml luer lock or similar syringes

• Electrolyte solution or powder (Fox Valley makes a wonderful electrolyte powder called Day One Electrostat which is available to Canadian buyers through www.henryspets.com. choose regular shipping as DHL & UPS love to play customs agent and charge you through the wazoo. While you're ordering, try out the Miracle Nipples. Expensive but AWESOME.)

• Corn syrup

• Heating pad (either a cheap one or one you can fully sterilize because if you can't you'll need to throw it out)

• Old towels. LOTS of old towels.

• Calorie paste such as Cat-Cal or Nutri-Cal

• Royal Canin Recovery or Science Diet Urgent Care wet food

• Containment kennel

• Cheap/disposable litter pan (I use a dollar store foil roasting pan)

• Timer (I use my phone)

• Probiotic powder

Optional items I found helpful

• Fox Valley Day One Dia Stat Stool Consistency Normalizer

• Heated blanket to put over containment kennel for added warmth

• Disposable plastic dishes

• Notebook & pen for taking notes of weights, symptoms, extra actions taken

• Parker Protocol info

Schedule of administration

Subcutaneous fluids - 5 to 10 ml depending on severity of dehydration every 6 hours, more frequently if necessary. Check hydration every hour, but do not administer a full 10 ml every hour. In their most vulnerable, dehydrated states, I administered 10 ml at regular time, and if the kitten became dehydrated again prior to the next scheduled infusion I gave 5 ml of electrolyte solution orally and 5 ml sub-q no less than 3 hours after scheduled infusion. If the kitten is tenting, ignore the clock and give 5 ml sub-q. 

Clavamox - 1 dose every 12 hours

Veraflox - dose between every other Clavamox dose (so if you're giving Clavamox at 12 am and 12 pm, give the Veraflox at 6 pm but NOT at 6 am, or vice versa, whichever works easiest.)

Calorie push - I made a slurry of 1 tbsp Recovery food, a dusting of probiotic powder, and 1 ml calorie gel, added some water for ease of administration, and syringe fed it every hour. Yes, it will come right out their little bum like a cartoon skeleton drinking a martini, but it is still necessary.

My personal schedule was as follows:

5:00 am - sub-q administration

9:00 am - Clavamox

11:00 am - sub-q administration

3:00 pm - Veraflox

5:00 pm - sub-q administration with 0.1ml vitamin B¹²

9:00 - Clavamox

11:00 pm sub-q administration

Hourly: calorie push with either food, slurry, or simply the calorie paste. Check hydration, administer 1 ml of electrolyte solution if necessary. If kitten is not drinking water, 1 ml electrolyte solution, 4 ml water syringe fed

Keep kittens warm at all times

Have water and food available at all times

Change litter often (1-2× daily), they will smell like a gym bag forgotten in a hot car for a week. 

Get rest between treatments. You will be no good to the kitten or yourself if you can't function.

Meet Ruby, one of our little survivors of this protocol. All of the kittens we cared for during this time did survive.