UPDATE: I just spoke with the vet (it's about five hours since I dropped Big Guy off). Upon closer examination of his wounds, the vet decided to go ahead and keep him overnight to make certain that no further infection developed. Some of the wounds had developed necrotic flesh, and there were several un-ruptured abscesses (including the one in his back foot that he wouldn't let me touch this morning). He has numerous sutures around the area where the dead flesh was excised, and he had a drain installed in one of the worst wounds. Plus, he won't be allowed into a litter box (at least not one with cat litter in it) until the injury in his back foot heals! And did I mention that they went ahead and neutered him, too? Poor guy is not going to be happy! We should be able to pick him up tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Misadventure of Big Guy
Big Guy is a semi-feral cat who found his way out to our land all on his own several months ago. At the time, he was completely feral, and it took several months before he would come near us, and even more before we had even the slightest chance of petting him. Recently, though, he’d become quite brave, allowing me and my mother to pet him, and even to pick him up! (Well, he really did not enjoy being picked up, but at least he let me do it.)
Every day when I go out to the land and call, the kitties all come running from every direction. They watch as I feed the horses, then follow me eagerly over to “their” part of the land – the buildings where they’re fed. Friendly and feral cat alike do this every day. Sunday, I noticed that Big Guy wasn’t around. Now, these critters have plenty of land in which to roam, so if one doesn’t show up for dinner one night, it’s not usually an issue. However, when Big Guy wasn’t there on Monday, I began to worry.
The last thing I do every day before leaving the land is to pump water into the horses’ trough. The trough is near the north fence, and beyond that is a tangled wilderness of pine trees, palmetto, and blackberry bushes. As I approached the pump, I noticed what looked to be a cat, lying in the brush. I walked to the fence for a closer look, and sure enough – it was Big Guy. My immediate thought was that he was dead. I called to him and he didn’t respond. So, I went out the front gate and traipsed through a rather extensive bit of brush and blackberry bushes (which, for those who don’t know, are riddled with thorns) to where I’d seen Big Guy.
As I drew closer, he lifted his head and struggled into a sitting position; I could see that one of his front legs was swollen and bleeding. Feral cat or no, I wasn’t going to leave him out there. I scooped him up and carried him back out, through the tangle of thorny blackberries, to my car. I did not have a cat-crate with me. What I did have, was a pit bull. Now, Brin loves kitties, and Big Guy and Brin had met before on numerous occasions, but it was clear that the kitty did not want to get into the car or be anywhere near the dog… much less get into the car with the dog! Nonetheless, I managed to get all of us inside, at which point Big Guy urinated a copious amount all over me and the driver’s seat of my car. Then we drove to my house.
Once I got Big Guy inside, he was amazingly well-behaved – especially for an injured semi-feral! I placed him in my bathroom sink and examined his wounds. Something – probably a dog, though possibly another cat – had managed to sink its teeth into both his front legs, creating three nasty punctures in each, all of which had abscessed. I did my best to drain and clean each injury, and he was very patient with me. When I was finished, he downed a bowl of canned catfood, and snuggled into a laundry basket for the evening
Every day when I go out to the land and call, the kitties all come running from every direction. They watch as I feed the horses, then follow me eagerly over to “their” part of the land – the buildings where they’re fed. Friendly and feral cat alike do this every day. Sunday, I noticed that Big Guy wasn’t around. Now, these critters have plenty of land in which to roam, so if one doesn’t show up for dinner one night, it’s not usually an issue. However, when Big Guy wasn’t there on Monday, I began to worry.
The last thing I do every day before leaving the land is to pump water into the horses’ trough. The trough is near the north fence, and beyond that is a tangled wilderness of pine trees, palmetto, and blackberry bushes. As I approached the pump, I noticed what looked to be a cat, lying in the brush. I walked to the fence for a closer look, and sure enough – it was Big Guy. My immediate thought was that he was dead. I called to him and he didn’t respond. So, I went out the front gate and traipsed through a rather extensive bit of brush and blackberry bushes (which, for those who don’t know, are riddled with thorns) to where I’d seen Big Guy.
As I drew closer, he lifted his head and struggled into a sitting position; I could see that one of his front legs was swollen and bleeding. Feral cat or no, I wasn’t going to leave him out there. I scooped him up and carried him back out, through the tangle of thorny blackberries, to my car. I did not have a cat-crate with me. What I did have, was a pit bull. Now, Brin loves kitties, and Big Guy and Brin had met before on numerous occasions, but it was clear that the kitty did not want to get into the car or be anywhere near the dog… much less get into the car with the dog! Nonetheless, I managed to get all of us inside, at which point Big Guy urinated a copious amount all over me and the driver’s seat of my car. Then we drove to my house.
Once I got Big Guy inside, he was amazingly well-behaved – especially for an injured semi-feral! I placed him in my bathroom sink and examined his wounds. Something – probably a dog, though possibly another cat – had managed to sink its teeth into both his front legs, creating three nasty punctures in each, all of which had abscessed. I did my best to drain and clean each injury, and he was very patient with me. When I was finished, he downed a bowl of canned catfood, and snuggled into a laundry basket for the evening
This morning, I noticed that one of his back feet looked large and deformed. At first I thought that perhaps he did indeed have a deformed foot… but when I touched it, it was hot… and he reacted rather violently to my attempts to inspect it. So, after that I took him to the vet. I had to drop him off to go to work/school, but the vet called a couple of hours later to update me.
He said the wounds had been inflicted by another cat, and that in order to treat all of his various injuries, they would need to sedate him. He also suggested that while he was under sedation he go ahead and neuter him - in order to curb his enthusiasm for future catfights. Unfortunately, the local vet is not cheap; however, given that he was already going to be under anaesthetic and given that I'd like him to be traumatized as little as possible, I agreed. I suspect Big Guy is going to be VERY cranky when all of this is over!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Help support Brierpatch Cats!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Do you use flickr?
Because I do! I know I haven't been much of a blogger of late... and I know not everyone wants to sign up for facebook. I've been trying to make sure that I upload the same photos to both facebook and flickr, since you don't have to sign up for anything to view my photos over there. Enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/janekeeler
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Okefenokee Humane Society News Update:
WAYCROSS - The Okefenokee Humane Society board wants the Ware County sheriff to investigate former shelter director Lori Hartmann's use of shelter funds.
Since firing Hartmann three weeks ago, the board has discovered past due bills totaling $8,500, treasurer Sirena Cady said Thursday at a specially called meeting. Cady said it appears Hartmann also made personal purchases on the shelter's Lowe's account and wrote herself and family members checks that the board had not authorized.
Board members voted unanimously to ask the county sheriff to conduct a criminal investigation.
During a telephone interview Friday, Hartmann called the assertions ridiculous. She said she has not hidden purchases or paychecks and had already informed the board that shelter finances were falling behind.
She said she believed she was fired for personal reasons and was being discredited.
In an Oct. 10 termination notice, Hartmann was told she was being discharged for failing to perform her duties in a manner acceptable to the board.
Cady said over the last three weeks she has uncovered multiple unpaid bills, which were unknown to the board.
She also detailed the following financial issues:
- Internet services were discontinued for non-payment.
- Hartmann had purchased a more expensive cell phone service a few months ago.
- Late payments to the IRS and Georgia Department of Labor for payroll taxes had incurred penalties.
- The county paid an overdue fuel bill for Humane Society vehicles and docked its monthly check to the shelter.
- A worker's compensation insurance payment of $754 is past due.
- Hartmann had opened a Lowe's account for the corporation in December that the board, which was seated in January, knew nothing about. Monthly bills were being sent to Hartmann's home address. The account balance is $3,194.
"There are purchases here that don't appear to be items that were used at the Humane Society," Cady said.
That includes two charges for carpet installation, which were made in December at a total cost of around $2,000.
"There is no carpet at the shelter," Cady said.
Numerous payments had been made to Hartmann's husband and daughter, Cady said. Hartmann also wrote herself checks for bookkeeping services and paid herself overtime, even though she was a salaried employee, Cady said.
Hartmann admitted she made some personal purchases on the Humane Society's account but said she paid for them when she did so. She admitted part of the outstanding balance was hers and said she would pay it.
Hartmann said the first time she made a personal purchase on the Lowe's account, it was a mistake and former board president Millie Hopkins had told her to "just work it out."
Hopkins couldn't be reached for comment.
As for overdue bills, Hartmann said she had kept the board informed. She said she had told the board about the overdue second- and third-quarter payroll taxes and submitted regular financial reports to the board.
"I didn't do anything wrong. They knew about everything," she said. "They've been in financial despair. I've been telling them that for months," Hartmann said the board knew both her husband and daughter had worked there and said she paid them as contractors when they did.
She said over a year ago Hopkins suggested she hire her daughter.
Her husband performed maintenance work for the shelter on an as-needed basis.
"Millie knew he was there. And [board member] Jim Morton talked to him last June about building decks for the dogs and fixing fences," said Hartmann. "He was doing it in front of them and they knew he was getting paid to do it."
Hartmann agreed she had written herself checks for bookkeeping services but said former shelter director Kaye Thompson had also done so.
Rather than paying a more expensive accountant, the Humane Society paid the director to prepare the agency's tax documents, Hartmann said.
Hartmann acknowledged charging the Humane Society overtime, but only as an accounting technique to increase her tax withholding. Her take-home pay, including both regular and overtime hours, totaled her agreed-upon salary.
The Humane Society board voted to reaffirm Hartmann's dismissal Thursday.
The organization has been working to negotiate terms of payment with its creditors.
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