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Keeping a Sanctuary’s ‘Fragile’ Cats Healthy and Clean

Ten-year-old Hannah is up for adoption at Shadow Cats.
Ten-year-old Hannah is up for adoption at Shadow Cats.

Our grant of John Paul Pet Ear & Eye Wipes to Shadow Cats is making a huge difference for the elderly and FLV+ cats being cared for by the Round Rock, Tex., sanctuary.

President Sheila Smith sends us this report of how the Ear & Eye Wipes have helped decrease the incidence of illness for the organization’s most vulnerable cats:

“Since we are a sanctuary environment and focus more on long-term and hospice care, we don’t do as many adoptions as other groups. We focus on long-term care for those cats who are perceived to be less-adoptable — feral, scared, seniors, feline leukemia-positive, etc. — although almost all of our cats are available for adoption.

“We currently have 86 cats at the sanctuary, and we primarily used the Eye & Ear Wipes with our 24 feline leukemia-positive cats. We most definitely saw an increase in overall health and cleanliness of the cats. We did not have an instance of upper-respiratory infection in this area, and I believe much of that was related to product usage and the ability to keep the cats cleaner and to clean off facial/eye/nose drainage as soon as it was observed.

Ashley is a feline leukemia-positive cat being helped by our grant.
Born as a stray in San Antonio, Ashley is a feline leukemia-positive cat being helped by our John Paul Pet grant.

“We love this product. It is handy and we are able to grab it quickly when we need it. It’s soft and we are able to wipe the cat’s eyes and face quickly without distressing the cat.

“We have one cat, Polly, who was rescued during Best Friends’ Great Kitty Rescue in 2007. She is feline leukemia-positive and has a blocked tear duct. Her eye often has drainage. She is now very used to us cleaning her eyes! I’ve attached a pic of her getting one of her frequent ‘eye baths’ from one of our volunteers, Susan VandeVoorde!

Volunteer Susan VandeVoorde gives Polly an eye bath.
Volunteer Susan VandeVoorde gives Polly an eye bath.

“It also makes a difference in some of the cats who are elderly and have less-than-stellar grooming habits. We are able to keep them clean. This really is a great product, and I feel safe using it with the cats. I have also asked my husband, Dr. Roy Smith, the 2013 president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, his thoughts, and he feels this is a great product in helping us help the cats to live healthier lives.

“Thank you for choosing Shadow Cats and our community of fragile sanctuary cats to help — we sincerely appreciate it!”

Polly Relaxes
Polly looks looks clean and happy, thanks to our John Paul Pet Ear & Eye Wipes grant.

Donate to help us keep more homeless pets healthy, and Orvis will match your gift!

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