The Twelve Months of DCIN - 2012

This has been a tremendous year for DCIN with so many lows and highs, it's hard to put it all into words. Most importantly, though, let me express how thankful we are for your support and friendship. Here is an abbreviated look back at this past year, month by month.

On first day of... oops, I mean in the first month of 2012, DCIN was proud to become an affiliate in the Amazon.com Associates Program which allows for donations to be sent to DCIN when people shop at Amazon through a link on our website. There were some low points in January, though. Sadly, the husband of a dear DCIN friend became ill and later passed, a loss we all still feel. While we were pleased to be able to take in some foster kitties (some of whom are still in foster care), one unfortunately was dealing with a different kind of ailment. Sam, a beloved foster, passed away. Another adopted DCIN kitty was diagnosed with a cancer called Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS) and though he is still with his family, it is unknown if after the VAS was removed, if it will come back.

During the second month of 2012, things were a little calmer. Chewy found his way to DCIN from a shelter in NC and was eventually adopted into a loving home months later, although he didn't have to go too far to find it, his foster mom fell in love. Even more kitties joined our rehoming program and financial assistance program. We also embarked on preparations to launch DCIN as a stand-alone 501(3)c.

The next few months saw more rehoming and assistance for diabetic cats. We also began some new fundraising ventures, now known as Naffles.

Sadly, though, a DCIN member lost a close friend, Rita. A beautiful memorial page was set up in Rita's honor.

Another very poignant loss was dealt the DCIN community. Our beloved spokescat Ennis left for Rainbow Bridge this past March. He was well known and loved by all of us in DCIN and will always be at the heart of organization. While no cat could fill Ennis' paws, we have proudly anointed a new spokescat. The torch has been passed from Ennis to Mikey. Mikey takes his new responsibilities very seriously and has done a wonderful job in his new capacity.

In June, DCIN truly began feeling the pressure of the recession and was forced to review some policies in order to ensure we could continue to help the many cats that rely on us. After much discussion, we implemented some changes to meet the demands of the financial assistance program and still help others who needed homes. Fortunately, these measures, along with your support, have helped us get back on track.

Over the next few months we had one rogue foster mom return a diabetic cat to the shelter that she told us was going to put him down in the first place. There was already a home and heart waiting for him through DCIN but all we can do is hope that he found a home and is being lovingly cared for. In September another dear kitty had passed, one who profoundly helped DCIN, there is no way to express how much he changed the program but to honor him we started the Kirby Kit program in his honor.

We also found a new old friend named Mark who owns ProJunk Removal in CT and Hairs Hugos Barber Shop. A dear friend to me personally who, when he learned about the diabetic kitties we helped, he did not hesitate to contribute not once, but twice, a large amount of supplies that we are constantly in need of.

A rough estimate of the number of kitties helped in just this one year is about 150 and this does not include many financial assistance kitties that were already in the program before 2012. You read 150 but what you don't see is what's behind that 150. The emails, the calls to clients, vets, other rescue contacts, the research, the sleepless nights, the others who we use as sounding boards and who help us continually grow. The hours spent by our transport team to find routes, drivers, flights and then monitor all of these things and sometimes change everything when weather becomes a factor.

While we have been able to help so many, there have been losses; we lost Charlie, Tigger, Joe, Kip and Simba who were all on our adoptable list. In rescue there are always going to be losses, but knowing that doesn't make it easier to cope with.  As always, it is the love and compassion of our DCIN friends and family that make the work easier and help me to cope with those losses.  I feel continually blessed to be able to help diabetic cats and their people and I know that while I can't help everyone, the ones that I can help, a difference is made and someone's world is a little easier.  But it is not me who is helping those cats and those people, it is you, our DCIN friends and supporters who give us the ability to do this and I hope that in 2013 you continue to support our work and you get to know us and if you ever feel like you'd like to get to know us better, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and simply ask.  We love to hear from our DCIN family and welcome your thoughts, comments and ideas.

Do unto others...

We've all heard the expression - do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Both in rescue and in my day-to-day work life, I try to live by that phrase, as I'm sure many of us aspire to, but sometimes there are those that we come across who don't necessarily share that philosophy.

At my office, one coworker is happily awaiting the birth of his first child, a daughter. He came in today with an adorable jogging outfit he had bought after a client meeting, excitedly showing it off. Meanwhile, another coworker who has been caring for his ailing father is now facing the imminent end, his father's death only days, possibly hours away. One filled with excitement for the future, one preparing to mourn his past.

An interview with a former shelter diabetic kitty

This has been one of the strangest months for DCIN.  We have been inundated with shelter 911 diabetic kitties.  We call the emergency cases 911 kitties.  The ones that need out immediately or risk the possibility of euthanasia.

From DCIN's home page, missing from this is a beautiful grey kitty that will be added from RI.

I decided to have a talk with a very special former shelter kitty, his name is Sweet Potato and here's a transcript of our interview.

The Joy of Se.... no not that... Senior kitty adoptions!

I've been an advocate of adopting senior kitties for a long time. I learned that joy from my sister and from my soul mate kitty Tucker. My little man was about 13 when I adopted him.  After Tucker, we were lucky enough to adopt 16-year-old Henry, and later 13-year-old Mr. Darcy, and so many more.

Of course it's not all glitz and glamour. There's the ever-present knowledge that I don't have a long time with these sweet kitties, but one thing I do have is the chance to give happiness. No matter how brief, these loving souls can revel in the love and security of a home, not disappear behind some cold cage somewhere alone and frightened.

Mikey says...

A very special letter from DCIN's FUNraising Spokescat Mikey.

Six months ago I was traveling in a car away from the one person I ever knew and called "Mom" and my future with her that included traveling back and forth between apartments in her car. We had many good times and some not so good times as you would expect in the nine years you are with someone. When my diabetes fell upon me, my future seemed to be bleak with time running short. I pretty much accepted this was it for me until a kind stranger came upon a posting on Facebook about a cat in need of an immediate loving home. The response was quick and before I knew it I was put into a temporary foster home. The transition was scary at first and not just for me but for my new foster family also. This new family which included fifteen other furry family members from all paws of life. I wasn't thrilled with the new digs but I gave it a chance to grow on my fur.

Threats from the Outside--One Reason to Keep Vaccinations Current

Special thank you to Beth Pasek for writing this guest post. It's an important topic that sadly we are learning about because of sweet Atlas, her beautiful kitty. ~Jennifer Jasensky

Beth Pasek
Owner The Finicky Feline and Fido, LLC
Cat Rescue Foster Home Volunteer

Oh...a while back I was starting to write a Cat On My Sleeve post about being in rescue and was going to use the story of an owner-surrendered Siamese cat. I started that story and never got to finish it. As the days passed since that cat was euthanized, life took an odd twist for this cat foster person. You see, that little Siamese cat was surrendered for boarding at a local clinic. As he was to be boarded, he needed to be vaccinated. The owner’s health failed to improve and the Siamese cat was surrendered to the shelter. Shortly after that, he got sick while being sheltered and then went to be treated at a leading clinic in our area where he stayed for 2 weeks of hospitalization. After several weeks of treatment for a bloody nose, sneezing, and not eating, they thought him well enough to go to foster care to finish his recovery. Unfortunately within a few days he died of unknown causes.

This Week Sucked

A very heartfelt post from Director and Founder of DCIN, Venita Wood.  I share with you, our DCIN friends, fans and supporters and hope that she knows how deeply and truly we do care about DCIN but more importantly about her.  ~Jennifer J.


It is 7:30 am and I have been working on DCIN since 4am. I haven't made a dent in today's "to do" list. DCIN's accounting is only updated through mid-December. I have 940 emails in my inbox, 296 of them are unread.

I have a burr under my saddle from a DCIN client who emailed me that I was not showing enough concern for her cat's health condition. I agree that I likely wasn't, but I received that email the day I made an appointment with my vet to come to the house to euthanize Ennis. So I never responded to it.

I spent the past weekend holding and helping Ennis physically move from Point A to Point B. Ennis could not walk without falling. Most of the time, Point A was the seat of my recliner, where I was holding and petting him. Sometimes Point B was the litter box. Sometimes, Point B was my bed where Ennis was accustomed to having his food. Going up to and down off the bed, Ennis had steps at the end--steps that I built from a footstool and two different heights of Rubbermaid containers. I put child rails on the sides of the bed so that Ennis could not jump down from the sides. The past couple weeks, when Ennis had tried to jump from the sides of the bed he would "thump" to the floor and look at me as though I had betrayed him.

On Monday, I held Ennis gently on my lap while his vet caringly sent him to the Rainbow Bridge. I had a padded box ready for his body, and Dr. R took Ennis away in that.

On Wednesday when I returned to DCIN work, there were two cats with emergent medical conditions that I took on as cases. They both died--Kale from plural effusion and Puma from DKA. There was another communication from the burr-under-the-saddle client. DCIN friends Ann, Gayle, and Steve lost Gustav, Shadoe, and Rorschach. This week has been a major train wreck for me.

There have been times that I have asked myself and asked others whether I should shut DCIN down. DCIN has awesome case managers and significant support from its friends. But this week I received criticism from someone saying that DCIN is not appropriately managing its mission and wasting its precious resources in various ways (with details given). When critical commentary comes from those who help DCIN with projects or money, I respond with reasoning or corrective action. But when it comes from a person who stands at the border and casts stones, I wonder why her ego and the ego of her friends who stand behind her and shout "YES!" are so threatened by DCIN's work.

It has been a suck-ass week. My life would have been so much better off if I hadn't experienced the past seven days. I would gladly give them back to the universe as a mulligan. Just strike the third week of March, 2012, off my life calendar.

~Venita, the sometimes reluctant Founder and Director of DCIN.

In sickness and in health???

Fluffy

There should be a clause on all adoption contracts, as well as for those animals purchased through stores or from breeders. It should be similar to a marriage clause. Do you promise to love and cherish ... even in sickness? Many adoption contracts I've seen ask how much would you be willing to spend if your pet got sick. The best answer - "whatever it takes."

But a sick cat is more than just a price tag. Maybe the question should be "would you be willing to treat your pet if they get sick even if that means administering medication daily and devoting more time to ensure your pet's well being?" I wonder if there would be so many surrendered diabetic kitties if people knew in advance that yes, some cats do get sick and not the type of sick where you can drop Fluffy off at the vet and pick him up when he's all better. Here's a lollipop, a bandage and a bill for my time.

Not all heroes get the glory

Last night, very quietly and without a lot of fanfare, a hero in my life passed away. She was someone whom I'd always hoped I could be more like. She was the nicest person I've known, a woman who always saw only the good in people, never the bad. She was smart as a whip, a world traveler, a photographer, a quilter, a lover of tennis, an avid reader who worked in publishing long before it was the norm to have women in roles like that. She was a loyal and devoted wife, even after her soul mate passed away. No one in her family or her large circle of friends ever found fault in her. Neighbors weren't neighbors, they were family and they were loved. She looked upon strangers as friends she hadn't made yet. She was also a conversationalist, if someone can actually be called that. Anyone could sit and talk with her for hours and never be bored. The stories she had to share and the way she listened to everything that was spoken, you could get wrapped up in that for hours.

Me, my Aunt and Topsy - one of many kitty parties

Who Came First?

This post is written by DCIN's fantastic transport coordinator, Claudia Keating and I can't thank her enough for such an honest piece about something that is heart breaking in rescue.

I have an amazing job.  It doesn't pay the bills, or put food on the table (aside from the fact that I am the one cooking it), but it is a job that nourishes my heart.  I am a mama.  I am raising empathic, compassionate, loving children.  My cats are helping me do that.

Charlie and Lorelei 

I have 2 beautiful babies and 2 wonderful cats.  The cats came first.  My husband adopted Charlie when we started dating 11 years ago.  Darla came along the following year.  For 9 years it was just us and the cats, and then we began adding humans to the brood.  While I was pregnant with my daughter I worried about how the transition would be for the cats.  They already disliked each other, how would they feel about a baby?  Many mainstream parenting books touch on the topic of bringing babies into a home with pets, and boy was I shocked to learn that apparently people still believe the old wives’ tale that “cats steal the breath from babies”!  People actually think that a cat will want to sleep on top of a baby for their warmth….never mind the fact that babies cry, snort, flail, and fuss!  I’ve met very few loyal dogs who were tolerant enough to willingly spend time close to a newborn, much less cats!  

Is This Microphone On?

Sam

Seriously, can anyone hear me?  That's what I feel like sometimes.  I'm on stage, I'm talking away and I hear nothing from the audience except for some crickets chirping, maybe someone's cell phone just rang, a few throats being cleared and that's it, a silence that is louder than my voice.  Of course I'm not really on stage, I'm not giving a lecture or telling some fascinating story to an audience. I'm just here; working to try to make a difference for diabetic cats and their people.

Am I making a difference?   Any difference?

Getting Past the Inhumanity

Lilly Grace, CH Kitty

Getting Past the Inhumanity, What One Special Cat Taught Me. That's the title of a note I published on my Facebook page after my sweet diabetic kitty Tucker left this world. The amazing folks who run the CH Kitty Club site published it in the monthly newsletter also (you can read it by clicking on the link to the newsletter). I love the CH Kitty Club folks and what they stand for. I have written for their newsletter several times. Mostly I write about things I've learned being owned by a severe CH kitty, but that time the article was about how I would honor Tucker by living the way he did; choosing to move past the bad and enjoy the good.

Give me - give me - give me!!!!

It may seem like a no brainer, there’s a kitty in need and a person who wants the cat so why doesn't DCIN simply send the kitty?  If you've been owned by a diabetic kitty or a specially-abled kitty you already know the answer to that question.  When an adopter or foster application comes to me I look at everything and we all know what first impressions can do.  But my first impression is only part of it; I then go further and check references.  I listen to what the reference told me and I listen to how they said it.  A long pregnant pause can be interpreted in different ways; what was said after the pause?  It’s not a scientific approach, it’s an instinct and I am human, sometimes I could be wrong.  But the deal is, if I’m wrong, that could be very harmful to the kitty.

All animals are precious and deserve the best possible home.  Just because a DCIN kitty has diabetes and is much harder to place does not mean they can be shuffled from spot to spot and sent to any house that has a corner available.  A DCIN kitty needs so much more than just an open spot.  They need a home that is willing to alter their lifestyle a little to accommodate the needs of a diabetic kitty.  Do they have to give up their season tickets to the local sports arena? Heck no, but they do need to have the ability to give their new kitty shots on a good schedule and feed appropriate food.  They also need to have a home that is appropriate to the kitty in question.  If the current caretaker says this kitty cannot live with dogs, or is terrified of children we need to take that into consideration when looking at the prospective home.

Fundraising in the Dark

All aspects of rescue are hard, but for me, fundraising is one of the most difficult parts. Our DCIN friends are always so amazingly supportive, but I still feel guilty every time I have to ask for money. It seems like we've always got our hands out, yet it's the only way to save so many kitties and help with those in need of financial assistance.

Most cats that come into our program do not require financial assistance for life. Many just need a boost to get started. There are those who have a particular medical issue that requires a one-time grant, others have run into some hard times whether it be economic- or health-related. And there are those who may be here for life because they weren't expecting a diabetic kitty; they have the love and patience to care for the cat, but not the funds. 

Holding it Together When You're Ready to Let Go

This week DCIN was saddened by the loss of a valued member of our team.  In rescue these things happen.  I left a rescue myself recently.  You get burned out, overwhelmed and you have to prioritize.  As I write this another special friend is starting to burn out and she is taking a break from rescue.  I hope a short break and when she's ready I hope even more that she takes time for herself each day.  Maybe some yoga or some tapping exercises a friend of mine in alternative healing has been teaching me.  Search "tapping exercise for stress" to see the tapping.