I posted this a couple days ago on the "Cats" section of this board. I had no idea there was a recue board. Anyway, here is the post: Please forgive me for venting but I need to get it out. Monday I stopped at a house with FREE yardsale items. While there around 10 kitties came bounding out to meet us. It bothered me that the house "looked" abandoned. However perhaps because it was so beat up that it appeared to be abandoned. Anyway, yesterday I drove by again and did'nt see any kittens. I went by twice today (8 miles one way from my house). I have 5 inside cats and a dog. My kitten was with me so I took her home, got my dog cage and went back. I got 8 kittens and two adult cats (one being the Momma). I know there are at least two other kittens as I could'nt find the white/black calico and the tiger with white. I also noticed a dog (Rottweiler mix?) inside the house. I stood with my face to the window and his/her face inside the glass. It NEVER barked once. It only rolled it's eyes. NEVER have I known a dog not to bark in that situation. Whether it was depressed or starving/dieing of thirst I do not know. I have no more room for cats although I'd dearly love them. But I have one pet chicken left so I cleaned up her pen the best I could. Although it's not sanitary, I did the best I know how. Then put clean straw in, a new huge litter box, a huge box of food, and a cleaned out litter pan full of water. I put some milk in although I don't want to over do it. I have photos if anyone is interested. I did go to the local Humane Society and they are full and can't take more cats. I also found out I'm the fourth one to complain about the abandoned kittens. So I went to the next door neighbor and she said they had moved out, and that she was feeding the kittens. She was lying. She also asured us that the dog was "doing great". I don't believe that ether. So I also traveled a few more miles to see the dog warden's wife. He is distant family. She said they can't go into someone's house to get a dog even if it is abandoned! She said she'd tell her husband. So after I left I traveled back to the house to see if by any chance the other two kittens were back... well a white station wagon was there and the dog outside. Evidently the neighbor called them and said four people had complained and perhaps they got scared when I mentioned turning them in to the dog warden or sheriff. Anyway, I've never in my life gone to someones house and taken their animals. I feel like a thief. But for four days I've agonized over those kittens and any adult cats that may have been there. When I found out I was the fourth to complain and no authorities gave a damn, then I just could'nt turn my back on them. I'm so pissed at anyone who could ever abondon any animals to die. I hope they someday suffer the same cruelty. Anyway, I now have eight kittens and two adult cats in my barn to try to find homes for. I will NOT advertise FREE KITTENS as I hear that sometimes people pick them up to sell for experiments. Also I worry as Momma cat is black, and so are six kittens! As you know, Halloween is coming up and I am not feeling very loving or trusting of my fellow "humans" right now. Well I hope my venting is ok. I just love critters so much and it breaks my heart that people can be so heartless. By the way, ALL of my four cats, one kitten are ALL spayed/neutered and I live on a small disability check! My puppy will be spayed next month too. So although my money situation is not good (spent over $1,000 on vet bills this last 9 months) I do the best I can for my babies. Yes I know I have to many, but if I had the finanaical means, I'd have more. Anyway, I'll quit "crabbing now". Good night all. PS. Anyone in Upstate NY looking for a kitten or cat that needs a good home (preferably an INSIDE home)? They are really warming up to me now and I always have five or six (and more) babies pushing their way into my arms for hugs. They rub their little faces all over my chin and a couple of them are even kissing me. I know living in a chicken coup is'nt the best but it rained like heck here yesterday. At least they were dry, have all the food they can ea****er, love and respect. I only feel bad I could'nt find the other two to bring home. I can't keep them, yet I could leave them to die. Guess I'm just a soft hearted sap.

My deepest sympathies on your loss. It's never easy to do the loving thing for our friends, but at least he is breathing easy now. I fully believe that when we get to heaven all of our pets are there waiting for us. And amazingly, they all get along. CJ

Hi, Peggy How is Jack? Any improvement? They are just like your babies. I hate when one of them gets sick. We lost an alpaca to a bizarre bacteria picked up from the soil that he wasn't supposed to get. We didn't even know he was sic****il it was too late. Do you have another vet around that may have more experience in this area? When things get really bad down here we take our critters to the vet school about 4 hours away. I hope by now he is frisky and dashing around again. Joanne

I'm hoping someone out there is a vetinarian and can give me some insight.... My dog starting breathing funny 3 weeks ago. I took him to the vet right away and the vet said he had swollen lymph nodes in the neck and back legs and there was a 50/50 chance he had cancer. They xrayed him, took blood, took an aspiration, gave him a bordatella shot and said bring him back tomorrow for a biopsy. At this time he had no fever. I brought my 5 year old Lhaso Apso named Jack, back the next day and they did the biopsy.... waited 3 long days for the results that came back negative for cancer. A week later I had to bring Jack back to the vet to get his stitches removed. By this time, Jack had started a small cough and I told them this and so they gave me some antibiotics (Clavamos & Baytril). A couple of days later I get in the mail the xray report from the lab they sent it to and it said possible pneumonia in the lower right lung. I IMMEDIATELY called the vet and asked them about this and the vet said he thinks the report was wrong. Last Friday, Jacks cough was getting worse and he was becoming lethargic.... I take him back to the vet and they took more blood and said his lungs sounded good and he wasn't running a fever, so maybe its an allergy cough and gave me an antishistamine antibiotic (Temaril-P). On Monday Jack is still hacking very bad I call the vet and he says sit with the dog in the bathroom with the shower running on HOT and let the dog breath in the steam, this should help loosen anything that might be in the lungs. I'm to do this every 2.5-3 hours. Th vet calls me on Tuesday and says the heartworm test came back negative... I tell him Jack seems to be getting worse. The vet says its probably an upper respiratory infection and if so the antibiotics that he's been on for 21 days is the strongest meds available and should help. I called the vet again yesterday as this can't be right, should I bring him in.... Vet says no, but I'll give you some cough medicine w/Codiene and it should help. Needless to say it didn't and Jack was hacking all night. This morning he could barely walk or stand without heaving and hacking. I finally said enough and picked up my puppy and brought him to the vet. Low and behold the dog now has a 106.7 fever.... the vet says Jack has to be hospitalized and they have NO CLUE what is going on with him. But they want to put an IV in him to keep up his fluids and to get him on some stronger antibiotics. They are going to take more blood and xrays and possibly an ultrasound to make sure thier is no fluid around the heart. I ask if he will come home today and they say probably not. I ask them who stays with the animals at night? No one they say. They are alone from 8:00pm to 6:30am..... I don't like this idea at all... I ask if thier is a chance that if they can get his fever down, can he come home tonight and I'll bring him back in the morning... they say we'll see..... Sooooo.. here I am (after crying for an hour) and just plain frustrated. The xrays taken today said the lungs look good, but they sent them off to be read by a radiolotist. The vet wanted to keep Jack over night, but they do not have anyone who comes in at night to monitor the animals. So I brought my baby home and I will stay up with him all night again if I have to. Are there any vets on this board who can give me some insight or words of encouragement???? Has anyone else had this with thier dog??? ALL of his labs have come out as normal, no tick diseases, no lyme disease, heart checks out fine (no fluid around it), no heartworm, no fleas, the kidneys are fine. He started with a fever for the first time today, despite seeing the vet 6 times in the past 3 weeks... his temp was always normal. The one thing that has been consistent is swollen lymphnodes.