Fur Kid Fiasco

Some of you already have heard...for those who have not, we have had to return our foster dog Zoey to the rescue organization. I came home last Wednesday to 2 terrorized cats and cat urine and feces all over the house. Odette was fine, just very afraid and soaked in her own urine. She is back to her normal self. Cleo did not fare as well. I suspect she tried to defend her sister against Zoey, who may have been trying to play as she did with her previous cat friend.

Cleo suffered a broken mandible (lower jaw bone) and a couple of puncture wounds. The break was right in the middle of the bone and according to the vet is not all that uncommon in cats. I took her to the emergency vet and the next day she had surgery at her regular vet to wire her jaw. The vet was unsure if it would work due to her age and bad teeth but said it was worth trying. She was able to securely wire the jaw and Cleo was up and looking around shortly after surgery. She came home that same day. She is doing well, and is eating. She's resisting her meds which tells me she's feeling as well as can be expected. She's a tough kitty. She will have the wire sugically removed in 6 weeks (well, 5 now). When I returned from my weekend trip to Vancouver (more on that soon) Cleo cuddled up to me and was purring as loud as ever and as usual couldn't get anough petting.

Tuesday suffered a yellow stinky head. Apparently one of the cats peed on her while sitting on top of the crate Tuesday was in. She got a quick head shampoo and is fine. She's being extra gentle with the cats like she knows something major happened to them. Other than that she's her regular happy go lucky self.

As for Zoey - we chose Zoey based on her profile listed with the rescue organization and based on email verification that she met all of our criteria for fostering. The night before this tragedy I received the relinquishment form Zoey's former owner completed when she gave her up. To my surprise and anger I discovered that none of the criteria were true. To make a long story a little shorter, Zoey was not crate trained, was not housebroken, had severe separation anxiety, was fearful of strangers, and although she lived with a cat before, she played rough with him.

Had these things been revealed to us initially we would not have chosen Zoey to foster. We were responsible enough to limit our acceptance and the rescue made a huge mistake by not paying close enough attention to the relinquishment form - perhaps it was because Zoey isn't a bully breed someone assumed they could take a short cut, I don't know. What I do know is that the rescue is waiting for my full explanation and documentation so that they can use this experience to better train their volunteers and avoid something like this from happening again.

As for me, last Wendesday and Thursday were the most traumatic days I've had for a long time. I still feel bad for Zoey and think that had she been evaluated and placed in a correct foster home she could have succeeded - I hope she will have that opportunity soon. The heartache I experienced driving Zoey back to the boarding facility was horrible. The heartache and guilt I experienced taking Cleo to the ER vet was even worse. It took me several days to recover and while I still feel sad for Zoey and Cleo I find strength from my little six pound black cat with the powerful will to survive.

If you are considering fostering or adopting a rescue dog, please do not let this discourage you - there are many wonderful dogs and cats in need of a good home. I truly believe this was an isolated incidence of someone in a rush. Both of my cats are rescues and are wonderful. Tuesday is a rescued pit bull and is the most amazing dog on the planet.