Preparing for the Holidays: Gifts

For some reason a lot of people thing giving a pet as a Christmas gift is a good idea. In some cases it can be a good gift, but usually not. If the recipient wants the pet and a lot of thought and consideration has been put into it, it can be a good idea. However, if a puppy or kitten is given as a surprise, they usually end up being returned. 
Puppies and kittens are cute, but they are a lot of work. Giving a puppy or kitten as a gift is like saying "here, take this pooping machine that is going to requre a lot of care and a lot of extra money." Unforunately most of the time these animals find their way back the the shelter after Christmas. 

I have a couple ideas that can give the gift of a puppy or kitten, but without the year long commitment. 
1. Volunteer at the Shelter! If you know someone that would love nothing more than to get doggy kisses and play with kitties Chirstmas morning, go volunteer! It's a perfect way to get your animal fix and also give the animals a special gift of love! 
2. Foster of Course! Why not foster over the holidays! There's nothing like waking up doggy or kitty kisses Chirstmas morning! It's also nice to be able to give a homeless animal the gift of a home on Christmas! I'll be spending my Christmas with my fosters Tinsel, Noel, and Stevie-- they even have their own stockings!
3. Donate! I love the idea of making a donation in someones name for Christmas. Some places even let you pick a specific animal to sponser and they will send pictures and information about the animal. When I was younger I "got a koala" for my birthday and it's still one of my favorite presents I ever got. I did this last year for my sister with a donkey rescue (she loves donkeys). She absolutely loved it and the rescue really appreciated the support. 

So please think it through if you are considering adopting an animal for the holidays. If you do decide to do not make it a surprise. Everyone in the family needs to be on board and prepared for the life long commitment.

Noel is Dreaming of Santa Paws!

Preparing for the Holidays: Food

This week's post is about making your holidays pet friendly is about food. It's pretty similar to the Thanksgiving post, but it's a good reminder! Remember, if you aren't sure if a food is safe for your pet just don't feed it! The best thing for your pet to eat is food properly formulated for them. 

So here's a list (it's almost identical to the Thanksgiving one) of foods to avoid feeding your pets: 
1. Turkey skin, drippings, bones, etc. 

The skin and drippings can cause inflammation of the pancreas and intestines from all the fat in it. Also bones are commonly swallowed and the animal is uable to pass it. That requires foreign body surgery which is not cheap or a good time for your pet.

2. Onion and Garlic- these are toxic to your pets! Avoid giving anything containing these products.

3. Rasins and Grapes- again these are toxic to dogs, so just don't 

4. Anything high in fat- mashed potatoes, candied yams, etc. animals shouldn't have a diet high in fat and it can cause issues like pancreatitis. 

5. Chocolate- again, toxic. Baking chocolate is the most toxic type followed by dark chocolate. If you are baking with chocolate keep your pets away from it!

6. Alcohol- Alcohol will cause toxicity 

7. Bread Dough- ok bread dough does two things in the animals body that makes it bad. First of all when it mixes with the warm temperature of the animals body the dough begins to rise. This becomes a problem and causes bloating and possibly impaction requiring surgical removal. Also as it rises a chemical reaction is happening causing fermentation which results in alcohol toxicity 

stay tuned for more Holiday tips! And wish me luck on my week full of finals coming up!

Preparing for the Holidays: Decorations

I've been a little absent from the blog lately but trust me, I've been very busy with foster kitten related things! But now I am back and ready to talk about all things Holiday related!!!

So the holidays are a super exiciting time, but it can be a little overwhelming for pets! For the month of December I am going to talk about preparing for the holidays with kittens including topics like decorating, food, and family. 

Former Foster Kittens Lily and Olive Love the Christmas Decorations

After Thanksgiving everyone is getting ready for Christmas and decorating! Some decorations that are pretty to us can be dangerous to pets. 

Here is a breif list of common decoratons that may be dangerous for kittens.

1. Christmas Tree: As you can imagine, a Christmas tree can be seen as a fun toy for kittens! If you have a kitten that likes to climb and scratch it may be smart to keep your tree out of reach of kittens or teather it to the wall. After you first put up the tree keep an eye on your kittens and see how they react. 

Olive Had to Check Out the Tree!

2. Tinsel: Avoid using tinsel for decorating if you have pets. Kitties LOVE to play with anything shiny, so tinsel is gold for them. Unfortunately ingested tinsel can be very dangerous for kittens and require emergency surgery. 

3. Ornaments: Be mindful of what ornaments you hang on your tree. Anything breakable should be placed closer to the top out of reach of curious kittens. I also recommend using ribbon instead of metal hooks for hanging them. 

4. Lights!: Again, it depends on the cat, some cats love to chew on wires, so cats don't care. If yours chews a lot them keep wiring out of reach!

5. Holiday Plants: There is a lot of confusion when it comes to what holiday plants are poisonous; here is the scoop. 

     Amaryllis: Toxic

     Christmas Cactus: Not Toxic 

     Poinsettia: Not Toxic (I know a lot of people think so but no they are not) 

     Holly: Berries- Not Toxic, Leaves- Toxic 

     Mistletoe: Toxic 

Although some plants are not toxic they can still cause some GI upset, so you should still keep all plants out of reach, but don't panic if they happen to nibble on a non-toxic plant. 

If you have any questions or tips on kitty proofing for the Holidays leave a comment! 

Olive Thought the Christmas Town was Missing Something!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

In honor of the holiday known for eating lots of food I'm going to go through so foods you should not feed your pets today. I know it can be difficult to say no to their adorable face, but many of these foods can be very dangerous. 

1. Turkey skin, drippings, bones, etc. 

The skin and drippings can cause inflammation of the pancreas and intestines from all the fat in it. Also bones are commonly swallowed and the animal is uable to pass it. That requires foreign body surgery which is not cheap or a good time for your pet.

2. Onion and Garlic- these are toxic to your pets! Avoid giving anything containing these products like stuffing

3. Rasins and Grapes- again these are toxic to dogs, so just don't 

4. Anything high in fat- mashed potatoes, candied yams, etc. animals shouldn't have a diet high in fat and it can cause issues like pancreatitis. 

5. Chocolate- again, toxic. Baking chocolate is the most toxic type followed by dark chocolate. 

6. Alcohol- Alcohol will cause toxicity 

7. Bread Dough- ok bread dough does two things in the animals body that makes it bad. First of all when it mixes with the warm temperature of the animals body the dough begins to rise. This becomes a problem and causes bloating and possibly impaction requiring surgical removal. Also as it rises a chemical reaction is happening causing fermentation which results in alcohol toxicity 

So those are the main food you may be serving today that you need to keep away from your pets. Also If there are other foods you aren't sure about the best thing to do is assume it's not safe. Just keep some dog/cat treats on hand so they can enjoy a thanksgiving day treat. 

Throughout December I am going to write educational posts about how to get through the holidays with your pets. This will include more toxic substances to keep the away from, decorating with pets in mind, and keeping your pets stress free with guests. So get pumped! 

Cat Toy Tuesday 11

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is an exiciting one! Santa Paws came early this year for foster kittens and delivered their present-- a brand new kennel!

The kennel is awesome! It is just as wide as the old kennel but it's super tall! There are 3 shelves and ramps. And also an adorable hammock. 

Killian has been the only kitten to try out the new kennel so far (being blind I have decided to house Stevie separately- I don't want him falling and hurting himself--but he and Killian still get play time together!) and he seems to really love it. It's awesome how it allows different levels for litter box, food, and bedding. And lots of room to run and jump. 

Even Momma Merlin has gotten some use out of it!

I did a ton of research and price shopping to pick out the perfect tall kennel. I am very happy with my choice and think this is the perfect upgrade for my kitten crew! 

I'm Back!

I have emerged from my cave of studying!! First of all I passed by VTNE *wootwoot*. So once it's all offical I will be an RVT! 

But to more exciting news and why you are here in the first place, I have a new foster kitten! If you follow me on Instagram you have already seen my adorable new baby! His name is Stevie (previouslyHammy). He is a sweet little ball of fur and just happens to be blind. One eye is completely ruptured and the other has severe scarring over it making him unable to see anything but light through it. Once is big and strong he will have surgery to have both eyes removed. This may seem extreme but not only are the eyes not functional, keeping them can serve as a risk for furture infections and problems. Plus I'm sure it's not very comfortable for him. When I first got him he was a terrifed little thing (can't blame him) but he's now a typical crazy kitten! You wouldn't even know he was blind when watching him play!

Meet Stevie!

Merlin is such a good momma!

Don't panic! I still have Mr. Killian. He isn't quite ready for a forever home with his bad attitude! The little man was definitely feral in his past life. But he is improving! He is great with me, Merlin, and his new little brother Stevie! He is still hesitiant and scared around new people but that is improving with time.

Here's Killian and a Sneak Peak of my new kennel! It will be featured on the next Cat Toy Tuesday!

On Tuesday my kitten crew and I are heading home for Thanksgiving. So stay tuned for some special posts about keeping your pets/fosters safe over the holidays! 

Cat Toy Tuesday 10

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is the fish! (or the one-eyed fish in my case)

My mom actually got the fish for her kitten's from Drs Foster and Smith. When it came it was missing an eye so she called the company and they sent her another one for free and let her keep the one-eyed one. So of course I had to rescue the poor one-eyed fish!

The fish is super cute and has a soft pad on the inside. Killian likes to lay in it but he also like to play climbing all over it! 

The Humane Society of Indianapolis

Today I am going to talk about the lovely organization I foster for, The Humane Society of Indianapolis. 

So I first started working with HSI this past summer for my vet tech externship, but I first discovered them my sophomore year. I was already researching potential externship oppurtunities my sophomore year (the externship takes place the summer before senior year). I always had interest in shelter medicine so I did research on various shelters. I came across a lot, but HSI really stuck out for me. They became my first choice and I got it! 

The Shelter is so Welcoming!

What really drew me to HSI in the first place is their mission. I really liked that they focused on all the aspects necessary to provide good welfare and increase quality of life to all animals including medical treatment, behavior training, and of course fostering. 

"OUR VISION: 
All central Indiana animals are treated with dignity and respect and live free from cruelty, harm and neglect.

OUR MISSION:
The Humane Society of Indianapolis is the leading voice for the welfare of animals and improving their quality of life. IndyHumane is the first choice in providing direct services for shelter cats and dogs, including adoption, foster home placement, behavior training, appropriate medical care, and affordable spay/neuter services. As the voice for the animals, IndyHumane brings together like-minded, animal-focused individuals and groups to educate the public about animal welfare issues and concerns. For over 100 years, it’s all about the animals."
-From the IndyHumane Website http://indyhumane.org/index.php/about_us/vision

Once I met the people at HSI I loved it even more.  They absolultely live by their mission. Everyone there is truly passionate about the work they do. They always give 110% to every animal. To them it doesn't matter where they came from, it's about their potential and giving them the best life possible. I have seen them take some animals that would be considered "unadoptable" or "a hopeless case" and get them completely turned around and adopted into lovely forever homes. They strive to give all animals a fighting chance. 

HSI also works to help the community through community outreach and education. They offer a low cost vaccine clinic and low cost spay/neuter surgeries. There is even a special program for community cats and TNR. 

IndyHumane has 2 Locations; One is the Main Shelter Campus and the Other is the Animal Welfare Center. The Animal Welfare Center Offers Services Such as Low Cost Spay/Neuter, Community Cat Packages, Low Cost Vaccine/Wellness, and Community Outreach. 

Just like all rescues/shelters, IndyHumane cannot do all of this alone. They rely on donations, volunteers, and foster parents to help them succeed. So, if you are looking for somewhere to volunteer, donate, foster, or adopt I highly recommend Indy Humane. I cannot say enough good things about the organization and the people that work there. 

Here is a link to their website 
http://indyhumane.org/index.php

I'd love to hear from others what organizaitons they foster/volunteer/work for. It's important to remember that all shelters/rescues are working toward the same goals, so we must work together in order to accomplish them!

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween! 

Not gonna lie, my favorite thing about Halloween is all the black cat decorations. Is that weird? Probably...

Well, black cats are awesome. However because of silly stories about being bad luck and their association with Halloween black cats don't get a lot of love. In fact they are less likely to be adopted, which is ridiculous.

So if you are looking to adopt don't overlook these sweet kitties. You never know, you may be lucky enough to be loved by a black cat!

My former foster Olive is showing her Halloween spirit! And a bonus: When you have a black cat you can save money on decorations! 

Halloween can be lots of fun but it can also be dangerous for pets. So, here are a couple tips for keeping your furry friends safe this Halloween

1. If you plan to take your pups out for trick or treating be sure to keep them on a secure leash and if your pup doesn't do well around kids and crowds leave them at home to celebrate.

2. If you're staying home to pass out candy be sure your pets are safe. With the constant opening of the door they are more likely to get out.

3. And don't forget the candy! Chocolate and other ingredients in candies like artificial sweeteners are very toxic to cats and dogs, not to mention the wrappers are commonly eaten and require surgical removal. Keep all candy out of reach!

So have a happy and safe Halloween!

My friends and I dressed up at black cats (queens!) for the vet tech Halloween party at school! 

Merlin's not a black cat, but he thinks they're pretty cool! 

Cat Toy Toy Tuesday 9

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is a classic favorite of all my foster kittens...

MOMMA MERLIN'S TAIL!

All the kitties love the play with momma Merlin and his super fluffy tail! 

You can get your very own at your local animal shelter! 

Killian Update

As promised I am going to give an update on Killian! 

Killian has become a very different cat! After lots of good food and extra love, a checkup from the vet, and a medication change, Killian is now a healthy spunky kitty! He's still a little nervous but he is now coming out of his kennel and playing all over Kitten Playground! He and Merlin are also becoming friends! His foot is looking much better and he is no longer congested and blowing snot bubbles! 

Here is Killian the first time he ventured out of his kennel on his own!

Killian and Merlin are buddies!

I've really enjoyed having Killian and I can't wait to see him continue to improve. I'm not going to lie, "foster failing" is definitely in the back of my mind. He is a very special kitty and fits the description of "special needs." The challenge is that with where I am living right now I cannot adopt another cat and continue to foster. As much as a love this little man and as special as he is, it's a difficult decision. There are always more kittens that need my help. I just hope that despite his struggles he will be able to find a good home as soon as he gets all better. 

Cat Toy Tuesday 8

Today's Cat Toy Tuesday is the super cool Petstages criss-cross scratcher!

Minnie used it to get on Merlin's level!

Arthur preferred playing with it on it's side

I got this scratcher at Petco!

Killian the Kitten

If you follow me on Instagram you have probably already seen my new foster kitten Killian.
Killian is named after the character of Captain Hook on the TV show Once Upon a Time. I think it fit him perfectly because although he is missing a limb he is still a tough little pirate cat!

Kilian came in to the shelter a hot mess. He required a leg amputation immediately. Not only is he getting used to only having 3 legs, his back leg on the same side is also injured. On top of that the little man has a pretty bad kitty cold. But he is quite the trooper! He is doing really well learning how to walk around with just his 3 legs. 

His back foot is sometimes a little bloody and full of puss, so he wears a little baby mitten to keep it covered but it's loose enough that the wound can still breath!

When he came to the shelter they suspected that he was feral. He was definitely not used to humans. When I brought him home he never came out of his kennel and hissed at me every time I was near him. 

He was so scared his first day

Unfortunately he required medicine 2x a day as well as attention to his foot, so he'd continue to have some negative experiences with me. So I decided to use a technique I learned about at school. It's a pretty basic concept but makes all the difference. The idea is to provide at least 3 good experiences for every bad. So I would open the kennel and spend time petting him and loving on him or feeding him and do nothing else. I would do this a couple times over some time before it was time for me to administer medications or tend to his foot. This really seemed to help and he started warming up to me and really didn't mind when I did have to provide treatments to him. He is now a lap cat! He loves to snuggle with me! 

He loves being pet!

He loves to snuggle!

Killian still has a long way to go, but he seems determined to make it through. He's a special little guy!

I'll continue to document his progress and journey with me on Instagram. I will also make occasional blog updating his progress. 

National Vet Tech Week

This week has been National Veterinary Technician Week. 

As a vet tech student it's important to me that people truly understand what it is that vet  techs do and how incredible they are. I have worked with so many incredible vet techs and they deserve the recognition and appreciation. I hope to live up to that greatness once I graduate and become registered (fingers crossed my exam is next month!)

So to help educate people on the profession of veterinary technology, here are a couple questions I am commonly asked about vet techs-- and my answers to them:

So what does a vet tech do? Well I could probably write a whole book if I was to thoroughly explain it. Most of the time when people ask me this I tell them we are the equivalent to a nurse but for animals. This is actually a bit of an understatement, a vet tech does the job equivalent to several different people in the human world. The legal limitations for what a tech can do is that they cannot prescribe, diagnose, or perform surgery. 

Do you have to go to school for it? Yes! Being a veterinary technician/technologist requires an associate or bachelor degree. That is 2-4 years of schooling. There are several schools that offer an associate program, but only a handful with the bachelor program. The schooling is by no means easy. I am in the bachelor program at Purdue University. it is a very rigorous program with a full load of classes in addition to clinical hours in the teaching hospitals. Then in order to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) you must the VTNE (Vet Tech National Examination). There are Vet Assistants which do some of the same work as veterinary technicians but do not have the schooling. Vet Assistants are a wonderful part of the veterinary team, but there are limitations to what they can do as far as technical medical skills. 

So are you going to go to vet school? No. This is another time when I use the nurse analogy. A person does not go to nursing school to eventually become a doctor. That is the same situation here. You major in veterinary technology to become a vet tech and you do pre-vet and eventually vet school to become a vet. Being a vet tech is not "settling" because I don't want to go to school longer, or I am not smart enough. I chose to be a vet tech because it is my passion and my dream job. 

So you get to play with puppies and kittens all day?! Not so much. Being a vet tech is not easy and it's not all cute puppies and kittens. Its a lot of poop, blood, angry animals, bites and scratches, nasty wounds and masses, very sad times, very stressful times, very frustrating times, and the occasional adorable puppy or kitten that's healthy. But I'm not complaining. I love what I do. It's what I live for. But no one should go into veterinary technology because they think it's easy or they just get to play with puppies and kittens all day. You need to not just love animals but also love the medical side. You often don't work a regular 9-5 job, you hardly ever leave on time, and sometimes (especially if you work at a shelter) you literally take your work home with you!

Do you make a lot of money? Hahahaha. No. This isn't a profession that you go into for the money, but you do get paid highly in satisfaction and puppy dog kisses! Below is an image that really shows how terribly under paid veterinary technicians are. It compares the average salary of vet techs compared to the average salary of the other careers in the human world that techs also do.

So, next time you are at the vet, thank your veterinary technician!

It's Cat Toy Tuesday (On Wednesday)

With all the craziness of being home for fall break and then heading back to school I failed to post this yesterday!

This weeks Cat Toy Tuesday features the Kong Kickeroo! 

They come in lots of sizes and colors and patterns! My foster kittens tend to like the smaller one and Merlin loves the huge one! It's full of cat nip and has a fluffy "tail"  that's irresistible to the kitties! 

You can find the Kong Kickeroo at just about about pet store that sells Kong products! 

DIY for Kittens #1!

There are some really cool cat toys and products out there, but they can be pretty pricey. So I've decided that once a month I am going to do a post about a DIY cat toy/product and I am even going to make it myself. 

If you know me you know I'm not the most handy person there is. I don't do well with scissors, knives, hammers, lighters, basically anything that could potentially cause harm. So, if I can complete these DIY projects you can too!

A couple weeks ago I did a Cat Toy Tuesday post about a cat puzzle. That toy is a huge hit and all cats (even Merlin) seem to enjoy it. So I found a DIY cat puzzle project that I decided to try!

Here is what you need:

Tupperware Container with a Lid 

Sharp Knife

Something to trace circles with (unless you're really good at making circles)

Marker

Lighter

1. Take the lid off the container and trace circles on it where you plan to cut holes out. You can do different sizes or all the same

2. Take your knife and cut out the holes 

3. Use the lighter to smooth out the edges of the circles (don't want to hurt kitty paws)

4. Put toys in the container, put the lid back on, and watch them play!

I'm on fall break this weekend and am home visiting my family and my former foster kittens Tiger Lily and Olive. They were very willing to be the first to test out my new puzzle toy....

They definitely seem to approve!

Next month I will do another DIY project. Depending on how many ideas I come up with and how much time I have I many switch to every other week. Feel free to share any DIY projects you've tried for your cats or think I should try!

It's Hip to Snip!

Today's post is over an incredibly important topic, but also probably the simplest concept there is. Spay and Neuter your pets! It's so easy (and can be done at low cost) and it makes a huge difference. 

Why spay and neuter?
Pet overpopulation is a huge problem. It seems like shelters are always crowded and yet there are still lines at the door of people surrendering pets. A lot of these are kittens and puppies. You may assume all kittens and puppies get adopted quickly but that's but the case. Some end up growing up in the shelter. While there are some pretty awesome shelters out there, it's not a place for an animal to spend a large part of their life. Not to mention many shelters are still required to put down animals due to overcrowding. When you spay/neuter one animal you prevent 1,000s of unwanted animals from being born and facing a life like that. Spaying and Neutering Saves Lives.

So if that's not enough to convince you, or you say well my pet isn't around other animals anyway so they won't reproduce, there are even more reasons to spay and neuter. 
Health Benefits- spaying and neutering reduces risks for various infections and cancers. If you can prevent it, why not! 
Behavior Benefits- There's nothing more annoying than a cat/dog in heat or a horny cat/dog. Intact males are more likely to be aggressive (all that testosterone), sneak out (lookin' for ladies), and mark territory (gross)! 

Another huge area where spaying/neutering is key in in community cats. If you are feeding a stray cat that is intact please do your research and find a local low-cost spay/neuter clinic. May of them have special community cat/TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programs. Sterilizing these cats is a huge component to controlling pet over population.
 Check out this chart to see how much of an impact it has 


That's a ton of kittens. And if you think about it, if these kittens grow up feral like their parents that means more cats on the streets to feed and potential for them to also have babies. That's not a good situation. 

So if you have a pet or are caring for ferals that are not yet spayed/neutered go do it! There are so many awesome low-cost clinics out there to help you. Shelters and rescues can only do so much to prevent over-population, this is a chance for you to help out. There are so many resources out there to help you out and make it as easy as possible. So do your research and schedule an appointment!

Cat Toy Tuesday 6

Today's cat toy Tuesday is this awesome scratcher

This scratcher is fantastic, It provides multiple textures for scratching and has a festher toy on the side. Plus the shape makes it fun for play. This is definitely a favorite of Merlin and the kittens