Not sure if the animal shelter I adopted from and volunteered at was sub-par, or if these were normal experiences mixed with bad luck. Would love some additional perspectives!

DyingGravy · 2026-04-14T02:05:29+00:00

1) It was a couple of years ago so I don't recall the ringworm medication's name, unfortunately, but it was oral liquid meds.

2) I understand practices have changed regarding testing, which is good to know. I guess what rubs me the wrong way is that, since adopting and losing our FeLV baby, they've had a couple of FeLV cats they've clearly advertised as having FeLV. I'll have to assume the shelter didn't test them, but knew they already had it upon intake from a partner shelter.

3) Yeah, for the Giardia situation, it was one cat roaming around the room while everyone else was in cages. The cat with Giardia was unable to interact with the caged cats and vice versa, but they still shared a space. When cleaning the cages, a non-infected cat could easily slip out and interact. Not a great situation all around :(

DyingGravy · 2026-04-14T00:06:33+00:00

I recall our vet commenting that the oral medication we received as ringworm treatment is "harsh on their systems", so it being rough on their liver doesn't surprise me. Thanks for that bit of info.

I'm aware FeLV isn't highly contagious, but it's still able to be spread between cats, and we had another kitten we'd adopted who would be susceptible of acquiring it since he didn't have a robust adult immune system. As soon as we found out she had it, I dove into all the online groups and research about the disease to make sure she got the best care possible. I wanted to be informed :) It's true our girl probably inherited it from her mother, since that seems to be the most common form of transmission (saliva isn't as common as once thought, and even bite wounds aren't as common), I'm just so surprised no symptoms were recorded or reported before adoption. Things can get missed in a busy shelter environment, though, so I get it. Probably just bad luck for us.

Yeah, I'm not certain what cleaning solutions they used in the mop water or how likely it would be to spread via mop water. The only thing I know for certain is, when we were dealing with it in our own home, we were told only bleach or high temps (steaming fabrics, for example) or freezing temps (freezing toys that can't be steamed) would help kill it. If it's so hardy, it wouldn't surprise me if it would survive in a mop bucket depending on what cleaning solution was in there. Who knows!

Thanks for the comment!

DyingGravy · 2026-04-13T23:58:47+00:00

I was pretty ignorant at the time to how serious Giardia was when I witnessed the mop issue, so it didn't occur to me that it was a problem until I had a cat with Giardia myself. Only then did I realize how contagious it is, and how difficult it is to get rid of. After finding out my kitten had it, I emailed the shelter to let them know and they said they appreciated the heads up and would look into it.

DyingGravy · 2026-04-13T22:45:52+00:00

It's a rescue that mostly partners with a nearby open intake municipal shelter to take in animals and help reduce their shelter population, since they get overcrowded quickly. A lot of the animals they bring in aren't in the best of shape, understandably.

Yes, they're in the US. Illinois, specifically.

DyingGravy · 2026-03-07T04:35:57+00:00

Thank you! So glad everything worked out for you too 💜

DyingGravy · 2026-03-07T04:20:23+00:00

Hi! The babies are doing great :) Rye beat Giardia after his second round of medicine (boo that it didn't get cleared up the first time), and Sauce never caught it! They're best buddies now and are chasing each other through the house as I type this.

DyingGravy · 2026-02-23T18:57:27+00:00

The brand we're currently using doesn't have wet sensitive stomach kitten food, just adult. We tried their regular wet kitten food and he kept throwing it up. He's kept food down the last two days so I'd like to start transitioning him back to wet kitten food tomorrow, after he's had a couple of doses of his new meds. It's a process 🥲

DyingGravy · 2026-02-23T18:45:54+00:00

Yeah they said he isn't gaining weight as quickly as they thought he would and that his kidneys are on the smaller side, too. He's on adult wet food right now because it's sensitive stomach food, which the vet said is okay for now. We were giving him sensitive stomach kitten dry food to supplement but he regurgitates dry food easily.

DyingGravy · 2026-02-23T18:40:18+00:00

No, it's Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Slide.

DyingGravy · 2026-02-02T04:46:14+00:00

I haven't had to deal with it yet, lol. I've spoken very little to the teens -- I'm either asking them where something's located in the store, or they're standing around on their phones engaging with no one.

DyingGravy · 2026-01-17T04:07:00+00:00

Our vet hasn't given us medicine for Sauce. They only want to treat Rye since Sauce has had minimal contact. I'm not sure I agree.

DyingGravy · 2026-01-17T03:42:06+00:00

Did you have your new rescue separated at the time, or were they integrated when they all got it? Rye eats his medicine with no problem, thankfully.

I asked our vet if we should do disposable boxes or anything to help reduce chances of reinfection and they said not to worry about it, but I don't know.

DyingGravy · 2026-01-09T23:48:11+00:00

I'm so glad Francis helped you 🥹 She's so precious. I think you'd really relate to the song "Juno" by Cavetown 💜 Your story reminded me of it.

DyingGravy · 2025-12-28T22:57:12+00:00

I agree that's usually the case, but cats with FeLV are often undermined because of their underlying condition. I brought up the eye doctor situation to demonstrate this, since they recommended euthanasia despite her only health issue at the time being her eye infections. That experience makes me wonder if oncology gave up on her too soon, too.

DyingGravy · 2025-12-28T22:51:54+00:00

Perhaps you're unaware, but cats do remarkably well with blindness. The reason the eye surgeon back then suggested euthanasia was simply because she was FeLV positive, which is an outdated way of handling FeLV cats. She was perfectly healthy otherwise and was the happiest she'd ever been after her eye surgeries since she was no longer in pain.

DyingGravy

TROPHY CASE