Yesterday, we received a call from Sammie’s Friends asking if we could treat a small kitten who had been rescued from a burn pile! Of course, we said yes. And they brought him right in. He was small, maybe 10 -14 days old, his eyes were open, he was dirty, and his hair was singed. But he was alive, his body temp was normal, and his belly was full.
Smokey the kitten was rescued from an over wintered burn pile that was lit on fire.
We were curious about his story so we called Ruth at Sammie’s Friends. According to Ruth, a pile of wood had overwintered on a property that had a few stray cats. When the homeowner lit the burn pile he started hearing meowing and saw movement at the edge of the fire. Using a rake he was able to pull the kitten from the fire. He then called a neighbor, who also happens to be a Sammie’s Friends kitten foster. At her advice he brought us the kitten. The rescuers named the kitten Smokey.
Once Smokey arrived Dr. Janeway gave him a thorough exam,and determined he was healthy and that his lungs sounded good. While Smokey was awaiting pick up by his foster mom, Molly, our office manager, kept him warm and offered him a bottle. Little known fact about Molly- she has a thing for the itty bitty kittens, especially when they smell like camp fire and are as adorable as Smokey is. You literally have to pry the kittens out of her hands sometimes.
Molly loves little kittens.
After Smokey was given a clean bill of health, he went home with one of Sammie’s Friends kitten fosters. The people who foster kittens are a dedicated bunch because these little kittens need to be fed every two-three hours. Smokey settled right in to his feeding schedule and so far has been having an uneventful recovery.
Kittens like Smokey are the casualty of pet over population, and unwanted litters of kittens. If you need help getting your cat fixed, please call us or Sammie’s Friends (530-274-1955) and we can help connect you with the resources you need. We live in an amazing community with really great animal resources.
5/2/17 Update– Smokey is doing really well at his foster home. He had a stuffy nose for a few days following his harrowing rescue from the burn pile, but that has cleared up and he has adjusted well to his foster home. He is eating well, gaining weight and growing.
Smokey- 1 week after being rescued from a burn pile.
5/9/17 Update- Smokey’s littermates have been found!!!!
Smokey’s littermates were found a week after Smokey was rescued from the burn pile.
The property owner found 6 more kittens and brought them to Sammie’s Friends!! YAY!! We were all so relieved to hear the news!!
The kittens were thin and dirty, but otherwise healthy!! Kim, their foster mom, has her work cut out for her!!! Did you know that neonate kittens need to bed fed as often as every two hours. Caring for kittens is literally an around the clock job.
5/16/17 Update-
Smokey is approximately a month old. He is doing great!!
The kittens are doing great! According to Kim, “They are getting hand fed formula every 3 to 4 hours, and they have wet food. Smokey, and his sister Marilyn are almost weaned and LOVE to eat wet food. They are all potty trained. They play with each other a lot, and Smokey has fallen in love with my German Shepard”
Smokey and Marilyn chowing down. nomnomnomnom
6/2/17 Update-
At his last visit Smokey weighed 1.02 lbs and he got his first FVRCP vaccine. He is doing great, and in no time he will be ready to go to his forever home. What a miracle this little guy turned out to be. If you are interested in helping a kitten like Smokey out, please call Ruth or Alix at Sammie’s Friends! They are always in need of foster homes for these little ones.
The week of April 24-28 Sammie’s Friends sponsored a Pit Bull Spay/Neuter campaign. In an attempt to help curb the overpopulation of this breed, Sammie’s Friends teamed up with local veterinary hospitals and offered free spay and neuter surgeries for Pit bulls and Pit Bull type dogs.
WE SPAYED/NEUTERED SIX PITBULLS DURING THE CAMPAIGN!!!
Pit Bulls (and Chihuahua’s) are one of the most common breeds of dogs in shelters and they are the hardest to find homes for. This campaign is done with the intention to help curb their overpopulation in Nevada County. We were able to provide services for 6 dogs and their families that week!! If you have a Pit Bull or Pit Bull type dog that needs to be spayed or neutered, please call us and we can provide you with resources to get them fixed for low or no cost- again, thanks to the amazing animal rescue/welfare groups that we have in our community.
In animal health news–
Spring is here, and with it comes mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, rattlesnakes, and foxtails. Now is the time of year to be vigilant about giving heartworm prevention (Heartgard, TriHeart or Sentinel) and flea/tick prevention (we are in love with Bravecto right now). We also recommend boosting your dogs Leptospirosis vaccine and Rattlesnake vaccine now. 
If you have any questions about anything you’ve read in this blog, please call us at 530-477-6863 or shoot us an email at [email protected].
Thank you!