More Tales from Cat Rescue

Cat lover and proud owner of Lola, the pampered feline, Dr. DAVID CLIFF, continues his regular series on stories from the amazing cat rescue Yorkshire Cat Rescue (YCR) where he is a volunteer. Here, David tells us about rescue cat ‘Scallop’.

Our columnist DR DAVID CLIFF relates another intervention by Yorkshire Cat Rescue into the life of a kitten that did not have the best start.

This is Scallop. Whilst the name Scallop is often refers to a mollusc, Scallop is a living breathing, furry four-legged moggy. The spiritual meaning of Scallop is a symbol of good luck, protection and abundance. Perhaps, the moral of this story.

Scallop was taken into the care of Yorkshire Cat Rescue (YCR) in June 2022, coming from a multi cat household where the owner had fifty plus cats living in their home.

Originally the owner had three, but when you don’t neuter cats, you get only one outcome, more cats, and then more…… This is often the problem of well-meaning owners that love their animals, but the love, the insight and the finance are not always in kilter and after a while the sheer numbers result in things getting completely out of control.

YCR were quick to leap into action knowing these cats needed urgent care and attention, as the cat’s welfare was a consideration as well as the well-being of the owners. In some cases, where this happens more than one cat charity needs to be involved. YCR took in a number of adult cats plus a number of litters, including Scallop and his four siblings. Every kitten had cat flu, fleas, worms, giardia, feline coronavirus and ringworm.

Little Scallop came off the worst of the litter for these conditions and was really struggling, then came another blow when the entire litter was diagnosed with Parvo virus which can be very severe. So severe in fact that one of Scallop’s siblings succumbed.

Scallop has visited vets on a revolving door basis as they fought the virus and everything else that was going on. In short order little Scallop took a turn for the worse, as the combination of Parvo and the coronavirus can weaken and inflame the intestines of kittens causing even worse diarrhoea than poor Scallop had already struggled with through his life. The net result was, as Scallops siblings rallied, he remained very small for his age and extremely underweight. philosophical issues of our care of animals brought up in an environment we have created for them and the potential for an animal to have a good life, with the unique bonds it can experience with a good human carer, who also benefits.

As his siblings thrived, Scallop didn’t seem to be getting any better.

Scallop is now undergoing multiple investigations, injections to get vitamins into his body that he can’t absorb through his gut as well as probiotic supplementation of his food and a new faecal transplant to try and repopulate his gut with beneficial flora.

YCR is still working with the vets to ensure Scallop’s intestines become less inflamed permitting his intestines to repair. Progress is slow but getting there and there is no reason why Scallop cannot significantly improve to the point where he can be rehomed.

YCR has a no kill policy. This is an embedded value in the organisation. It is a value that ensures that an animal’s worth will not be subordinate to cost where that animal can have a good life.

Rather than using euthanasia, an expediency often used by other organisations when the economic cost of care is a challenge, YCR instead rally and call upon their supporters and the wider public to meet the challenge. That call for support is almost always responded to and an animal condemned to possibly a short and painful existence is given a chance of a full life. It is a philosophy I resonate with; the need is there.

Charles Darwin asserted how we treat our animals is the

Rescue:

Yorkshire Cat Rescue exists to save the lives of abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens in Yorkshire and beyond.

Sure, there are other needs in our community, there is, for example a cost of living crisis, people are struggling but that does not remove the moral and measure of any society.

There is every hope that Scallop will return to good health and YCR will continue with their attentiveness to ensure he gets the best start in life he can. Good luck little lad!

The charity provides all cats with food, love, shelter and the necessary veterinary care until they find a forever loving home. They are cared for by YCR's many fosterers across Yorkshire or at their centre in Keighley.

All the cats are neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and given any other medical and behavioural treatment required before rehoming.

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