Friday 15 July 2011

To Have Loved And Lost

Life has pretty much settled into its old routine of work, social and volunteer commitments after my much-needed 2-week break. I returned from the Conference in China with fresh ideas on streamlining processes and procedures at the SPCA, and campaigns and projects for the SPCA, Bentong Farm Sanctuary, Malaysian Nature Society and Project Second Chance.

I found time to reconnect with family and friends in the past month, following the completion of the MNS Open Day and several other projects and the conclusion of the Conference. Impromptu drinks and conversations with dear friends and unscheduled dinner dates provided comfort and companionship at a time when I needed it most.

The past month has also been a busy one for Project Second Chance. Upon my return from China, I learned that Nicole was fostering 6 sickly kittens found in a dustbin, and so I offered to foster 2 for her.

Despite numerous visits to the vet, my two fosters, Topsy and Turvy, succumbed to feline panleukopenia 2 weeks after I took them in. They never had an illness-free day in their short lives. I tried everything within my means but failed to save them. I think of them often and hope to do better by them in another lifetime.



The very least I could do for Topsy & Turvy in this lifetime: I donated blood again on 12th July and did the pattidana puja to transfer the merit of this act to them (as well as to Little One, Baby and Sneakers, the other 3 kittens from the batch fostered by Nicole, who didn't make it either) that they may be blessed with better karma in another lifetime.

I am told it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I am glad I had Topsy and Turvy to love and care for, if only for a week or two. I take some comfort too in the knowledge that they died in a safe place, surrounded by love, and not in the dustbin where their pain and suffering would have gone unnoticed.


Hopscotch, who was named after Louis Sellier, continues to live with me until I can find him a good home. Despite all the vitamins and supplements I feed him with daily, he remains painfully thin, although he is active and has a reasonable appetite.



Please help me spread the word to find Hopscotch a good home! He has been dewormed 4 times, vaccinated, given flea baths and housetrained. I plan to have him neutered in 3 months. He is playful, sociable, intelligent, affectionate, has a good memory and enjoys playing with other cats.

A more interesting Project Second Chance update comes in the form of an abandoned white spitz that Covert Twin discovered in a vacant house. After finding out from the neighbours that the poor dog has been left to fend for himself for more than a month and upon determining that the doggie needs medical treatment for his sores and eye infection, I managed to engage the assistance of the wonderful SPCA Inspectorate team to rescue the dog from the abandoned house.



Kelvin of the SPCA Inspectorate Team picks up the relieved but fearful spitz from the abandoned house on 1.7.2011



The spitz, estimated to be around 4 - 5 years old, has since been renamed Rembrandt and is currently under my care. He has since been dewormed, vaccinated, groomed, given anti-tick/flea treatment and neutered. I am rehabilitating him in my home and training him to get used to loud noises, strangers, and being on leash and collar. He is quite nervous but is responding to affection and is quite eager to please!
Please help me spread the word in order to find him a good home.


Every animal deserves a second chance. Please help me make a difference by letting your friends know about my lovely Hopscotch and Rembrandt, who are in need of good permanent homes. Thank you most kindly!

13 comments:

Pak Zawi said...

Ee Lynn,
I admire your love for these animals but unfortunately for me, I don't like to keep pets. Hopefully your effort to find homes for these homeless pets will meet with success.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Thank you very much for your support, Pak Zawi! So far I have been successful in finding good and loving homes for all my animals, and making new friends with their 'tuan baru' in the process. I would rather wait to meet good people who wish to adopt my animals than give my animals away in a hurry and find that they are not being properly cared for.

Unknown said...

Your bountiful love for the animals always conquers the obstacles you face in taking care of them. A heart of gold:))May God bless you for all your very kind deeds.

blueheron said...

You continue to inspire all of us with your unflagging devotion to the neglected and abused.

Last night, as I watched two ragged, fiesty tomcats scapping and howling across the street, I despaired of animal owners who do not neuter and control their animals.

Some of us are trying our best to be responsible and loving to our animal friends. My boy Riley is almost 15, now hard of hearing, but still going strong! Big hugs to you and yours.

Pat said...

What can I say, Ee Lynn? I think I've said it all in the few permutations and combinations I can think of!!! Hahahahah! 'You do good work' can only be said in so many ways before sounding silly!

Hopscotch is so beautiful.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

CO78,
Hopscotch looks mighty awesome to me. Maybe he's just small built, like me, so won't get fat despite all the eating and supplementing... Thanks for the treat today. *winks* har har har *evil laughs*

Ellen Whyte said...

Poor things. Will talk to you soon!

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Keats,
Thank you for your kind words. A lot of people are keen to help out financially even if they are unable to provide practical assistance, and many, many more are eagerly helping me spread the word about my little animals for adoption. We are blessed, indeed, to be surrounded by good people.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Joanne / Blueheron,
Thank you for dropping by and offering love and support. I can imagine how cold and hungry those yowling, fearful strays would be. Poor things! :(
Much love to Riley and all at home.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Pat,
Thank you so much for describing my tiny Hopscotch as beautiful. He is so painfully thin that I am at my wit's end. I am buying all the best stuff I can and he munches for all off 30 seconds and then goes off climbing the bookcases again. I already have a friend who is interested in taking him but I need him to grow sturdier and healthier. At least to the point where we won't be inadvertently counting his ribs each time he walks past.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Kitties-from-Sydney,
You are most welcome, and please tell your Mama that I enjoyed her company very much and am sorry I could not stay longer. I am so worried that Hopscotch is not gaining any weight that I am locking him in his room every night so he doesn't go furniture-scaling and burning off precious calories.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Ellen, Au and Target,
My babies are beautiful and I refuse to pity them. I shall love them and be proud of them instead, and hope there will be others to love them and be proud of them too!

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Friends,
Rembrandt has been adopted on Saturday! I received a few inquiries after I posted his profile on PetFinder.my. On Saturday, a kind engineer, Mr. Richard Foo, came with his family to meet Rembrandt. They are obvious animal lovers and are kind and patient and have lots of experience with dogs. Rembrandt couldn't have gone to a better home!