5. 9. 2021
Two new faces for you to meet 😻
Welcome Autumn and Marmalade to Cool Critters 💖
This brother and sister pair were rescued from Mlada Boleslav cemetery, where we have been helping to get them neutered/spayed and find them loving homes 🥰
They have diarrhea, which we are treating and we hope to get them 100% healthy soon 🙏 We currently have a lot of critters in special diets, which are super expensive 😞
Please help us to take care of these sweethearts and all the other animals in our care.
27. 9. 2021
Rescue comes with its ups and downs, and unfortunately last week was a week of downs. 💔 Early in the week, Marmalade and Autumn suddenly became lethargic. They were rushed to the vet where they were hospitalised due to high fevers. They were tested again for panleukopenia (originally ruled out as they had tested negative previously) which came back positive. 💔 After a few days in hospital, Marmalade unfortunately passed away. 💔 Autumn remains in hospital but is stable and showing signs of improvement.
Panleukopenia is a horrible disease. The test for it is not always reliable as it only shows up positive when the virus is active, not necessarily during the incubation period. Once the virus is present there is no cure – just supportive care, and hopes and prayers. Luckily, panleukopenia is entirely preventable through vaccines. Unfortunately, because of the feral cat overpopulation here, it is rampant. Some people with outdoor cats fail to spay/neuter and vaccinate, leading to out of control population growth and the rapid spread of disease within the youth of cat colonies. Kittens under the age of vaccination are most vulnerable due to their developing immune systems and lack of antibodies against the disease. Whenever we take in kittens and unvaccinated cats we have 14 days of fear of the virus developing – a fear that was unfortunately realized in little Marmalade and Autumn. What makes this disease even worse is that once it has contaminated an environment it can live there for up to a year, contaminating other unvaccinated cats that unknowingly enter the environment. There are only a few animal-safe disinfectants that can be used to kill panleukopenia, and they are quite expensive as they are medical grade. So, with each outbreak comes the fear of spread, and a very expensive and extensive round of disinfection. This is the unfortunate and scary reality of rescue – but it is also a learning opportunity for pet-owners and animal-enthusiasts. Here’s how you can keep your pets safe and help stop the spread of panleukopenia:
1. Castrate and vaccinate! Make sure your pets, especially outdoor pets, are vaccinated and castrated to help stop the overpopulation of stray cats, to help stop the spread of preventable contagious diseases, and of course to protect your pet.
2. If you decide to adopt, be safe and informed about it. Cats that come from shelters are generally kept isolated for the incubation period, then tested for contagious diseases such as panleuk, FIV and FeLV before then being vaccinated against them. Be sure to ask whoever you adopt from about your new friend’s test and vaccination status. If you yourself rescue a stray, be sure to keep them separate from your pets for at least 14 days and consult your vet for advice on keeping everyone safe and healthy.
3. Support your local shelters and TNR programs! Whether this is by sharing informational posts like this one, donating, or volunteering – every share, donation, or hour of time spent helping makes a big difference. Simply educating people about the prevalence of this disease and the importance of vaccinations and castration can help significantly. Education is the catalyst to positive change!
If you got this far, thank you for sticking with us. ❤ This is a very heart-wrenching topic, but a very important one to discuss. Marmalade was a very special kitten, and we are completely heartbroken that this awful disease reared its ugly head yet again. 💔 As a community we can enact change and save kittens like Marmalade by keeping ourselves informed and ensuring as many kitties as possible are vaccinated and castrated to keep stray cat colonies healthy and at a controlled population level.
❤ Rest In Peace Marmalade, we will never forget you and we will continue to fight so that no other kittens need to suffer from this awful disease. ❤
HAPPY TAILS: 4. 9. 2022
Happy Tails to Autumn who found her home with Carlos 🐾💖🐾
Autumn came to us as a very small kitten with her brother Marmalade. Both kittens were very sick when we got them, because they had Panleukopenia. Sadly her brother Marmalade died, but Autumn was an incredible fighter and survived.
She went to foster with Carlos in Prague and recently there had been an accident, she fell out of the window. Miraculously, she wasn’t hurt at all. Autumn was temporarily put into foster care with Natalia, our foster coordinator, and after long conversations with Carlos we realized it wasn´t his fault… he never ever had his windows open and one night his friend was cooking and burnt something and opened the window and Autumn was inquisitive and fell out of the window.
Carlos really did love her and it was a terrible accident and not his fault. He says he can´t imagine a life without her and adopted Autumn😺
Have a wonderful life sweet girl 💖
