The TREMENDOUS DISSERVICE we do WHEN taking "UNDERAGE KITTENS" from their mother

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Behavioral Problems with Underage kittens being adopted...

by Shanti Zinzi on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:12am

This may be hard to hear in the feline community-but underage kittens not properly weaned sometimes develop a propensity for behavioral issues later in their life. The owner often finds the issue too difficult to handle and can lead an owner to ultimately surrender them to a shelter. This animal often becomes a statistic for euthanasia.
An example of a behavioral issue found in these cats would be not using the litterbox. Proper weaning until at least 8 weeks with the queen also teaches psychological and behavioral skills.
This is not something a human can do. Yes, they learn from other kittens. But breaking the ATTACHMENT BOND before it is time has profound psychological impact -this has been studied extensively with humans and unfortunately not enough is known in the feline world. Abandonment anxiety is very often seen in these cats later-this often shows up with litterbox issues. For the ultimate well-being please keep kittens with the queen until 8 weeks, preferably 11 weeks. If the cat is ever to be a part of a multiple cat household, then remember socialization to other cats such as litter mates is vitally important during early weeks, & months throughout the first year. If you are adopting a kitten, consider adopting two!!

USDA POISONS MILLIONS OF BIRDS FOR GETTING INTO CATTLE FEED

http://www.naturalnews.com/031076_USDA_bird_deaths.html


USDA found to be poisoning bird populations, causing mass die-offs involving millions of birds 
Did anyone really think it was the ludicrous firework theory causing them to bump into things from fright?

SAN FRANCISCO'S CLOSED MINDED ANIMAL PEOPLE

I have presented the idea of putting birth control into feral cat populations to some key players including the animal welfare coalition and animal welfare commission. I am not a proponent of hormones generally BUT - the alternative is killing cats every day at Animal Care and Control. Noone wants this to happen but if impound numbers are brought down there will be less over-crowding and more resources to go around-which also means less animals will have to be put to death because they are undersocialized. Birth control will obviously cause less kittens to be born. This is presented as a temporary idea until these animals can be brought to spay/neuter.

This  was the response from one....
                                  birth control is "not good for health concerns of cat and we will not put a cat's health at risk!!! HYPOCRISY!!!!!!!!!!
HYPOCRISY of this statement is amazing when you look at what is used for shelter animals and what is "safe for a cat's health"
 Griseofulvin - a highly toxic liver damaging drug has been used for months on ringworm cats. It has been proven time and time again in vet world and human world that is potentially dangerous. Cats have died of hepatic failure from this drug. Ringworm is a fungus! Yet, we will risk a cat's life to use this drug to treat a simple fungus that is self-limiting!!!

I have 2 of the cats from a ringworm ward that were saved from imminent death by a local rescue and were  treated  with this drug for 3 to 5 months that is unheard of in medical communities due to its health risks!!
 It is incredibly health concerning, toxic and could be potentially lethal. Yet, it is widely used!
As well, as steroids which is also rampantly used.
Steroids is PROVEN to cause, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes yet is used rampantly in vet practices!!

I really believe that i presented my idea of birth control (which i have discussed for the last two decades trying to get someone to develop this) to people that they haven't thought of before and it's hard for people to accept things differently from what they are used to!
Yet we use everything from prosac to paxil on cats! Communities use birth control for pigeons and deer populations! Yet, not for breeding cats...yet, noone really wants to have to put animals to sleep for crowding.
To get euthanasia rates down we must get impound numbers down-it is a temporary solution until spay/neuter. Yet, for some reason it falls on deaf and resistant ears in San Francisco.
Why is that? Because people aren't ready for this and won't think outside of the box which I find shocking.

I don't have the resources to get this out or further develop this, but have presented this to many people hoping that a vet or scientist will take the idea and run with it. It amazes me how closed minded people are!

Now, in the past few years, some companies have developed a birth control and have made a 3month option but still san francisco won't give it credence and prefer to kill cats and argue with each other as opposed to get the impound numbers down!

 I promote this as a temporary idea UNTIL spay/neuter can be done.
I help out a NY times website and help people internationally that couldn't even afford to take one cat from their colony to get spayed or neutered and for me the solution is get them birth control for their breeding colony of ferals during mating season, monitor it-feed during the day so wildlife doesn't eat.
This is the EASY solution to the argument of how do we protect wildlife from eating the birth control laden food?? FEED DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS! MONITOR FEEDING!!!
Raccoons and skunk and wildlife are generally nocturnal. Easy solution!!

For aggressive males- traditional vet practices used female hormones-so it has been used! Anyway,  the reality is I am not one for hormones as my business is holistic-but when I weigh the odds-this is a fantastic temporary solution. This brings fighting in feral colonies among males down- which means less disease transmission...

"Shanti Zinzi- The Cat Whisperer" on Pirate Cat Radio 87.9FM 1/28/10 10 am

radio appearance interview- discussing holistic medicine for cats, cat handling, cat behavior, the cartesian paradigm of western veterinary medicine,   animal rights and shelter cats and their stress...10am-12pm

HSUS released info -one unspayed female and subsequent offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years!!!

shocking!! and even more shocking that some animal right advocates are against birth control as a temporary fix until animals can be spayed or neutered! It has even been reported that aggression among males in colonies have been decreased when they have eaten the hormone laden food..
If adding birth control to the food colonies should be fed during the day so wildlife can not get to it and animals should be monitored as best as possible while you are trying to trap for spay/neuter surgery.This should not be used as a permanent solution.
Yes, it has side effects and should not be used for long term but come on people open your minds!
How many women do you know that are using birth control? It is not a revolutionary topic!  How are people trying to solve the overpopulation problem?? Has there been a huge decline in population since trap/spay/neuter has been employed?? How effective is it? Are there other methods to employ?

Ironically, I do not like hormones but i am thinking  long term solutions for suffering shelter animals and think about the millions that are slaughtered!! Millions because there are not enough homes for these animals.
Not everyone can afford to fix a colony of 20 cats let alone trap them successfully. And many people in different parts of the US can't afford a reduced rate that some vets will offer.
What is now called FERALSTAT has been on the market over 20years and guess what vets have used female hormones as a fix for aggression in males for a couple of decades as well! This is NOT a new product.
The monopoly of ACCD is causing trouble for FeralStat because they are now producing their own birth control! Can we see financial motive? and in the meantime they are subjecting hundreds of cats to animal testing which is an absolute, unforgivable hypocrisy in veterinary medicine.

And I must add-diabetes was found to  be a side effect in these animals tested- but what diet were they fed? Purina which is primarily corn-which has a huge glycemic index. How does a carnivore survive on sugar?-they don't- they develop diabetes. So I do not have the facts about how these animals were treated and fed. If we have SF SPCA with a fully staffed veterinarian dept  feed shelter cats a lousy diet of Purina which is high in sugar - do i trust the financially motivated scientists invested in ACCD that are claiming birth control causes diabetes?- NO i dont, because they did not mention what those cats were fed. We all need to think and think deeply about all of the variables and parts of the equation.
And we all need to follow animals on their stay at shelters and really watch behavioral and health changes day to day. It is absolutely dismal. Basic requirements and needs are not met. Even at those revamped shelters that have nice little condos- there are hundreds of animals on a waiting list in a dismal area waiting for a space to open at many revamped shelters across the US. Some of them wait months in that state.

Liberate All Animals from Suffering

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sgi3_buddhist-prayer-for-animal-liberati_animals

BIRTH CONTROL FOR CATS!

Why isn't more being done about this? Why isn't progesterone-laden foods being fed to strays and ferals?

Many animal advocates including myself, are exhausted and overwhelmed this time of year and constantly in crises mode with the infinite amount of felines (and all animals) surrendered or picked up as strays to face a very possible death sentence and the miseries of kenneling. Not to mention the very large canine and small animal population at municipal shelters being surrendered daily.
Trying to tend to socialization and health issues, save lives,  get adoptions,  fight for animal protection in the legal arena, it is never ending.  We are advocating 24/7....
If i was more of a fundraiser, I would try to raise funds to get this out info out there and really promote it. But, instead i have the internet, email and word of mouth....
One day in SF there were 36 felines (that number does not include dogs and small animals) impounded in early August, the next day 27. This is insane.
Shelters are euthanizing for space in many counties.
Trap-spay-neuter of ferals  is not enough .There is only so much that can be done in this area. If we could trap a 100 cats a day in SF that is one thing, but can we get them altered in a day in one city? And how about the next day?
Let's fight to get birth control into all commercial diets or add to food for feral colony keepers and really get the word out that this is an option. Perhaps, people aren't aware of this?

The people that are not altering their animals are feeding lousy junk diets. I personally think we should fight to get birth control added to brands like Fancy Feast, Whiskas, Purina, Friskies etc. Can we advocate for this?...
  I haven't heard as much about it as i would have hoped over the years. In fact, most cat advocates i know don't even realize this is an option.
Some cities do put birth control in the pigeon feed by the way! Why not for feral or outdoor cats?

I keep trying to discuss and plant the idea with someone that will really do something about it and/or use it  but I still don't hear that it is being used as much as it could.
Birth control has been on the market for animals for years by the way!
I am not one for hormones for animals BUT I am more against killing and more against extended kenneling and all the miseries created for animals at public and private shelters from overpopulation/overcrowding. Disease breaks out like wildfire when shelters are at capacity and animals are miserably confined. We don't have enough space or resources in any city to house all abandoned animals. Problems must be tended to at the root.
People want to see more no-kill shelters but what will we do when there is no space and more animals are impounded? Is there fair and adequate space to keep 600+ cats happy and healthy which is ACC's  and SFSPCA's numbers on 8/20/10. Where will the money come from to pay all of the employees required to house 600 cats + dogs + small animal when the numbers triple?
I am 100% against killing by the way.
What happens when disease breaks out?   An overpopulated community always becomes ravaged with disease. What about the ones that die because they have given up and just stop eating? What about the DREADFUL stress of long term kenneling? Are there enough volunteers to spend time with these animals daily? Is there enough space to exercise them?
I am always against killing but i dont think people are thoroughly thinking through the amount of animals and the amount of space at shelters and the amount of anxiety/suffering/loneliness and boredom animals at many shelters experience. (I am not talking sanctuaries).
  We need to think about all possible solutions.
The earth shines less brightly every time  a little sweet angel soul (picked up off the street or dumped by a callous owner) is killed.  It devastates many of us. I have known so many wonderful animals that haven't made it.

Please get this out to all feral cat keepers and advocates. Until the animals can be trapped get birth control into their food. Humane Society has discussed a three month hormone treatment at a convention several years ago....
This CAN BRING NUMBERS DOWN AND SOLVE THE MUCH OF THE PROBLEM OF OVERPOPULATION!
We can't save/place as many lives as being born without entire cities becoming filled with hoarders...something to think about and pass on...