3/13/2014

Good morning   40 and windy,  with wind chill it feels like 32  .... supposed to be warmer - 47   was in the 70's yesterday... the plants are so confused!
 

Please remember to vote :)

The cats hope you will please vote for the cats to win in the following contests 
1. http://www.shopforyourcause.com/voting-challenge 

DAILY (category LARGE RESCUE Shelter, Blind Cat ) 

2. http://www.shelterchallenge.com/ DAILY 

3. https://apps.facebook.com/my-contests/zoqds 

Thank you for helping the cats!! Please like & share 

Meet Nina!

by Seth (moocowguy) and Katherine (loveblindkitties)

Nina is BCR’s newest resident.  She arrived on February 7 of this year when we visited BCR.  Nina had quite a journey to get to this fur-ever home.

In January, Nina was rescued from a very bad hoarding situation in New York state.  A woman dedicated to rescuing cats had turned into a hoarder and, as a result, none of the 50 cats she had was in good shape.  A local rescue was trying to find homes for the many cats living there. They already knew Nina was blind.  Like Snicker and Pixie and many BCR cats, she doesn’t have eyes.  We don’t know when she had them removed but they were completely healed.  The local shelter did a health exam and the necessary tests.  In addition to having a very bad flea infestation with resulting skin problems and hair loss, Nina turned up FELV positive.  Not a good thing for getting Nina a permanent home.

This is where Alana comes in!  She heard about Nina and agreed that she should come to BCR.  Lucky Nina!  Doubly so because Alana believed her positive FELV test might be wrong since the test done on her was the quick FELV test that can yield false positives. 

Alana began working on getting Nina to BCR with help from BCR fan, friend, visitor and frequent chatter, Lisa Calligy.  Lisa’s sister, Amanda, and her daughter Isabella, were fostering Nina after she left the rescue.  Nina wasn’t eating or drinking very much yet but seemed to be resting and calm there.  Isabella really loved having Nina!

During chat/boxes one night, we mentioned we were planning to visit BCR for the February open house, which was around our birthdays.  Alana asked where we were coming from and we said Maryland.  Well, Maryland isn’t far from New Jersey, where Nina was and the light bulb went on over Alana’s head!  She asked if we’d work with Lisa on transporting Nina to BCR and we immediately said yes! 

Talking with Lisa, we made a plan.  Lisa, Amanda and Isabella would start Nina’s journey by bringing her from New Jersey to where we live (Edgewater, MD).  Once here,  Nina would bunk in with our vet, Dr. Catherine Gately-Dean at Greater South River Animal Hospital, for three days until we headed for BCR.  As you all probably know, we have several cats and none are FELV positive.  We thought having Nina stay at our vet was a good idea since she could keep an eye out for any medical problems that might arise. 

Nina arrived on a Saturday and we loved her immediately.  She has a very expressive face and is all black except for the white tips of her back feet.  We spent a long time with her at the vet so she could adjust and still be around people she knew.  It was hard for Isabella to say goodbye to Nina but Lisa says they are planning a BCR visit so they can catch up with Nina.  I bet it’s coming soon!

During her stay with Dr. Cate, Nina ate a little and responded very well when her staff spent time with her.  We ended up bringing her to our house the night before we left and she stayed in Seth’s office that night and he stayed with her.  She was curious about her surroundings but still scared – she would always sit somewhere that was like a corner, so she was protected on two sides.  She sometimes walked in a circle, which we attributed to her trying to hear all the sounds around her and figuring out where she was.

Escorting Nina to BCR with us was Marla, our blind cat many of you hear about on chat.  She and Nina rode together in the back seat of the car.  Nina traveled very well and slept most of the time.  When we travel with our cats, we never make long stops to minimize their car time and that’s what we did this time, too.  Nina arrived at BCR around 5:30 – just before chat! – on February 7.  Alana took her to a spacious crate in the isolation room and she started her adjustment.

The next day, we went with Alana to take Nina to the BCR vet to be tested again for FELV.  This test was negative, as you all know.  That’s great news for Nina.  After her isolation time, she went into the room with Boone, Bear and the others! 

We were so happy to help get Nina to BCR.  We love even more seeing that she now has a happy life with lots of love and attentions.  She is adjusting to being with her roommates and she’s responsive when someone pets her.  We can’t wait to get back so we can visit her again.  

From now on, anytime we can help transport a kitty to a good home, we’ll do it!  It was also our great pleasure to meet Lisa, who we talk to on chat all the time, and Amanda and Isabella.   That’s another great thing about BCR – the friends you make when you meet people who care about the same thing you do!

We watch Nina on Ustream on Friday's and are looking forward to checking in with her in person soon.  

Nina loves to play :)