PAWS TO PONDER

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by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. 

Did you know last week’s story about the rescue of the paralyzed cat and her kitten didn’t end there.  As a recap, ACO Caitlyn responded to a night call by the Warwick Police about a paralyzed cat on a village property.  The cat had crawled into a small pipe requiring her to reach in without the safety of thick gloves thus sustaining several bites from the frightened, injured cat. Her kitten had scampered away out of sight.  Upon veterinary examination, the cat’s injuries were beyond medical intervention and she had to be humanely euthanized.  Because there was no way of determining how she sustained the injuries, it presented as possible rabies. And the exposure through the bites required her brain to be tested in Albany through the Orange County Health Department.  Once the rabies virus is detected in the brain, which is within the last ten days of the animal’s life, it is then in the saliva of the animal and can be transmitted to other animals and humans through bites and other exposure to the saliva. 

This is why it is critically important that all dogs, cats (even inside only cats) and ferrets are kept up to date on their rabies vaccinations.  A six-month quarantine for an exposed pet without this vaccination means the pet must be kept confined in a cage and only one person handling it for a very long six months.   

Fortunately, the next day, her little kitten was safely caught who we affectionately named Piper, as she was rescued among the pipes on the property.

Onto the next chapter, when the day after Piper’s capture, we received a call that there were more kittens!  Four more to be exact who were all only about 5 weeks old.  Animal Control and the neighbor friend, Elmo, once again responded. Kitten traps were set and baited.  They were observed playing on top of the traps and around the traps until finally they ventured inside! Voila!  All except one, of course.  But perseverance is our strength, and we prevailed later that day with kitten #5, the feistiest of the bunch.   Feral kittens under the age of 8 weeks can be difficult to handle because they can and will bite.  However, with patience and persistence, they are young enough to adapt to being pets.  Unsocialized kittens over 8 weeks old can take months and may never become cuddly pets unless they are in a one-to-one situation which is not the shelter environment. 

It then became a waiting game, as we were told by the Health Department that if the mom cat tested positive for rabies, the kittens either had to be euthanized or held for a 6-month quarantine to guarantee that they did not have rabies which would put the staff at risk during that time.   

Piper and her siblings received the all clear from the Health Department with their mom testing negative and have begun their transition from outside ferals to inside pampered pets who will be ready for adoption by the end of July! 

Pet of the Week