Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals

That subject line above comes from an AP report today. I shouldn't have read it because it was so upsetting, but I did. And now I feel compelled the misery with you, my loyal reader(s). I wish to point out how scummy humankind is. Though against the death penalty, I will make exceptions for anyone leaving a domesticated animal to die alone.

This article is contraindicated for those who have a strong sense of empathy.

What's in brown is excerpted from the article. What's in regular colour has been added by me.

The house was ravaged - its floors ripped, walls busted, and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull. The dog found by workers was too far gone to save. Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

In one such colony in Modesto, two obviously tame cats watched alone from a distance as a group of feral cats devoured a pile of dry food Jennings offered. "These are obviously abandoned cats," Jennings said. "They're not afraid of people, and they stay away from the feral cats because they're ostracized by them." The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters, drawing fury as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits, and lizards in children's bedrooms. What kind of person does this? You love an animal and then abandon it. Better to abandon your teenager who can fend for him/herself than a poor little critter. Absolute scum these people are. Savages who deserve to be put down in a cruel, inhumane way.

The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter. The San Joaquin Animal Shelter is fielding more desperate calls from animal owners about to be evicted. Many call as a last resort after being turned down by various rescue groups with no room for more animals. "They're usually breaking down on the phone," said Kathy Potter, a shelter dispatcher. "I'm quite direct with them that there's a 50-50 chance the animals might be put down."

Great, I mean you were stupid enough to buy a house that was $500,000 and think the payments are $500 a month forever and the rate won't change. And now you're going to kill a creature that loved you because of your stupidty. Most people losing their homes in this fiasco are doing so because they're idiots. My sympathy level is low for them because they forgot the simple saying: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Who's suffering? The critter. Don't say the homeowner because most of them deserve what they're getting.

Some critics say the pet owners have already proved they are irresponsible by buying houses they could not afford or mortgages they did not bother to understand. "They see a pet as property, no different than a worn sofa tossed into the alley when the springs pop," says a posting about foreclosure pets. Yep. That sums it up nicely.

"Their best shot is for the owners to plan ahead some," Jennings said. "But they didn't plan when they bought their house. I don't see that happening anytime soon." Right. In short, it's still their fault for being idiots. Suffer eternal damnation you assholes.

First, a Scooter Update

Scooter is home. I picked her up from the vet earlier today. I'd love to tell you she's feeling fine, but she isn't. However, she is thrilled to be home. I spent some time with her, then left her alone for a short time to do a few errands. She cannot walk all that well, but she can walk. She made it to her litter box (and used it), she made it to her food bowl (and ate barely any), and she managed to jump into my chair where she was fast asleep when I came home. She doesn't smell too good, but I think that's because they weren't expecting her to come home today. She's also got a shaved leg where the IV was located. (See previous post if interested).

It still hurts me to watch her try and walk. On the one hand she is walking, on the other hand I use the term walking very loosely. It's more like staggering you'd see on a drunkard. But she seems happy, and is grooming herself. I brushed her repeatedly because she's shedding like mad. She sat in my lap for hours.

I spoke with Dr. Child who informed me that she was eating and has regained an entire pound. However I suspect it's mostly fluid from the IV. I will continue to monitor her carefully. She's also going to be on a wet food diet for a little while so she'll eat more and I'm going to increase her rations. I have the pills which I have to give her twice a day for the next month before they decide what the future dosage will be. I also got pill pockets to try to see if she'll eat them without a fight that way. My regular vet would like to examine her, but I will wait a few days rather than traumatize her with another vet's visit -- she also has to go back to the ER vet in 3 weeks for a follow up there.

I spent most of the day at home with her reading Harry Potter, and a review will be coming shortly.

Even More Scooter News :(

First, see previous post from yesterday. I had an appointment today at 4pm to pick up Scooter and take her home. This appointment was made yesterday because Dr. Child was confident Scooter would be in better shape and able to go home. Friday afternoon is not the time to go to a vet's office.

After a 15 minute wait, the vet came out to answer all my questions. It was Dr. Child's day off so it was one of the other two vets. She was a bit frazzled having finished some surgery on another critter of some sort. She patiently answered all my questions though not what I wanted to hear. They hadn't notified my regular vet Dr. Diaz who has many years of Scooter's medical history. They hadn't made sure she was able to walk. They were just going to send her home and have me bring her in every day for a week for a hydration. Fortunately, I have far more sense than they do, apparently.

Scooter was brought to me and she wasn't struggling with the assistant which was a bad sign. They put her down and she didn't make it two steps. I picked her up and held her. I explained to the vet how unsuitable it would be for Scooter to come home (two stories is bad if you can't walk -- too much risk of falling and getting seriously hurt trying to move around). She agreed and said they would hook Scooter up to an IV and try to rehydrate her and give her more food.

I told them I want time alone with Scooter before she went back to her cage. So I spent a half-hour with Scooter petting her and talking to her and trying to keep her happy -- all while trying not to cry. It was so pitiful I couldn't stand it. When it was time for her to go back to the holding pens, I took her myself and wouldn't turn her over. I am going to visit her again Sunday when Dr. Child is on duty -- and I might go Saturday afternoon as well.

Things just aren't looking too good right now. This vet has a totally different demeanour and outlook than the first vet. I left and went to my regular vet and demanded an immediate audience, and he graciously spoke to me. I explained what had happened and he agreed moving her to his office (or home) right now would just be a Really Bad idea. He also promised to check up with the doctor there. He feels much of this is due to Scooter's age and not the thyroid issue because the symptoms are still not fully matching. Cats with thyroid problems eat a lot and Scooter does not eat a lot any more. I won't likely hear from him again until Monday.

So I am going to have a bad weekend. I didn't sleep last night because Scooter wasn't beside me. I woke up, saw her bed, her dish, her toys and was reminded of her. Then I came home today and saw the same things. A few minutes ago, I caught myself checking her litter box even though she wasn't even home to use it.

Scooter News :(

Scooter has been losing a little bit of weight -- mostly eating a bit less. But otherwise she has been behaving normally. Just this morning she jumped up on the table and had a try at my breakfast -- something she normally does. She still jumps all over, and is generally active and cantankerous. Her only unusual behaviour change was about three months ago, she decided she wouldn't drink water from her bowl -- only the guest bathroom toilet. I have no idea about that, don't ask.

I came home today a little early, at around 515pm and I was not greeted at the door. I called for Scooter and got a meow in reply. This is unusual because she always greets me at the door and demands fresh food. She was laying next to her bed (not in it) and looked at me plaintively. I said hello and went over to pet her. She stood up, and fell back over. She tried to walk, but listed heavily to one side and fell over again. She tried to run and didn't get two feet before collapsing. I picked her up, grabbed the phone and called the vet's office immediately. My dumb luck that his day off is Thursday and Sunday. I swear violently and stuff Scooter into her carrier and she doesn't resist -- a bad sign to be sure.

I drive like a maniac to the 24hour emergency vet in my neighbourhood. I get there in under 3 minutes, narrowly missing several cars and bicyclists and using the sidewalk as a passing lane. I park illegally and run into the emergency vet's office. I notice Scooter had pissed in her cage, something she's never, ever done before -- meaning she really has no control over her muscles. (I talked to her the whole time so she wouldn't be afraid.)

The Vet's name is Doctor Jill Child, and she sees Scooter (but not me) almost immediately after I answer a few basic questions of the "what's wrong" variety for the receptionist. They put me in the holding cell for distraught parents, which describes me perfectly.

Scooter's been to the vet. She's even been to the emergency vet when she had blood in her pee. But I've never been in fear for her life until today. After about fifteen minutes the Vet comes and talks to me and says there's nothing obviously wrong and she doesn't feel her life is in immediate danger. She said she'll run blood tests and such and call me later and I should go home. She asks me lots of questions and observes that Scooter is a quirky but intelligent cat.

I come home and notice a few things (a) she ate about half her breakfast, (b) there's a relatively fresh log in her litter box, and (c) her toys are strewn about upstairs and downstairs. So clearly this is a recent development. A matter of hours, at most. I prepare to call the Vet to give her more details and just as I do, my phone rings. It's the Vet. She says all of her tests indicate Scooter's organs are in good shape but her weight is critically low and she's got an absurd amount of crud in her ear (an ongoing problem for nearly 7 years). Her cell counts are all very good. She believes it's a thyroid problem even though she has passed several previous tests. She will consult with Doctor Diaz tomorrow.

Scooter must spend the night at the clinic and be force feed via syringe. They are also going to medicate her with Thyroid pills twice a day -- good luck to them with that -- which she will have to take twice per day for the rest of her life. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that since I have to travel and such, and she's a very bad patient, too. Feeding her antibiotics for an occasional urinary tract infection has always been a challenge.

I will have more news tomorrow and update then.

I am sad, upset, and terribly anxious.