Camille and Cyclone
Member Since 2009
I started work on this video as an OTJ celebration and sadly finished it as a memorial when Sootie passed away unexpectedly.
From Sina - Sootie's story, a testimonial to the love and care Sina and Steve have given to Sootie, her littermates, and their entire fur family:
"How Sootie, her sisters and litter mates came into our lives.
In the late 1990's I began to work for a local veterinarian after a number of years of being in the small family insurance business that I entered when my father became ill. I had changed professional gears to support my parents during their time of difficulty. Some years after my father passed away, the industry was shifting in ways antithetical to small businesses such as ours and my mother's health began to decline. The decision was made to sell the business.
When I began my work at the local veterinary clinic my mother was ecstatic. "You are in the right place because you share real love for animals," she said knowingly and lovingly.
Integral in Dr. H's clinic was his ongoing orphanage for abandoned animals, the first and for many years the only true no-kill rescue in the area. Each of the staff took turns managing the orphanage. My turn to do so seemed be more frequent or for longer durations than for others! We often brought home sick and injured orphans to nurture back to health.
During Spring 2000 we took in far more orphans in a much shorter time span than in previous seasons. Many were pregnant cats and injured abandoned newborn or young kittens found in storm drains, in the woods, in lawn mowers, and so on.
Sootie and her sisters were among those born in the orphanage...the count being over 40 kittens born in or surrendered to the orphanage by mid-April.
Unfortunately a coccidia outbreak occurred, surmised to be caused by a breach in kennel hygiene protocol by new volunteer. All of the nursing moms and kittens, including the kittens who had been placed in with them, got sick....very sick...very fast.
Each of the staff brought home five or six kittens each to nurse to health and quarantine until the outbreak was eradicated. Dr H had just gone away for family business so the relief vet put the affected cats and kittens on a prescription med meant for dogs (if I am remembering correctly, it was the only veterinary pharmo at the time to treat coccidia).
I brought home Sootie, her sisters and others in her group. They were just barely a week old. And I had been in attendance with Dr H when they were born.
Although the rest of the staff kept their kittens on this med, I stopped it soon as I realized it was making them more sick. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a bottle feed 'formula' of basic baby foods, kitten milk, food and herb sourced supplements (including traces of SEB powder!) and colostrum that seemed to make sense to soothe and heal their digestive tracts, add much needed bulk and nutritional support and facilitate detox and to pass food and toxins out of their systems easily. Dr H had returned and he said "give it a try." Long story short and with many weeks of care: the kittens with me were the only ones who survived. By the time they had recovered and were of 'adoptable' age, guess who adopted them???!!! We were bonded from the get-go!
And that is the short story of how Sootie, her sisters Guernsey and Sweetie Pie and their litter mates first came into our lives, home and hearts!
Thank you all in LL for your gentle love, support, guidance and friendship in the joys and sorrows of this, the ever unfolding journeys of life."
-Sina
From Sina - Sootie's story, a testimonial to the love and care Sina and Steve have given to Sootie, her littermates, and their entire fur family:
"How Sootie, her sisters and litter mates came into our lives.
In the late 1990's I began to work for a local veterinarian after a number of years of being in the small family insurance business that I entered when my father became ill. I had changed professional gears to support my parents during their time of difficulty. Some years after my father passed away, the industry was shifting in ways antithetical to small businesses such as ours and my mother's health began to decline. The decision was made to sell the business.
When I began my work at the local veterinary clinic my mother was ecstatic. "You are in the right place because you share real love for animals," she said knowingly and lovingly.
Integral in Dr. H's clinic was his ongoing orphanage for abandoned animals, the first and for many years the only true no-kill rescue in the area. Each of the staff took turns managing the orphanage. My turn to do so seemed be more frequent or for longer durations than for others! We often brought home sick and injured orphans to nurture back to health.
During Spring 2000 we took in far more orphans in a much shorter time span than in previous seasons. Many were pregnant cats and injured abandoned newborn or young kittens found in storm drains, in the woods, in lawn mowers, and so on.
Sootie and her sisters were among those born in the orphanage...the count being over 40 kittens born in or surrendered to the orphanage by mid-April.
Unfortunately a coccidia outbreak occurred, surmised to be caused by a breach in kennel hygiene protocol by new volunteer. All of the nursing moms and kittens, including the kittens who had been placed in with them, got sick....very sick...very fast.
Each of the staff brought home five or six kittens each to nurse to health and quarantine until the outbreak was eradicated. Dr H had just gone away for family business so the relief vet put the affected cats and kittens on a prescription med meant for dogs (if I am remembering correctly, it was the only veterinary pharmo at the time to treat coccidia).
I brought home Sootie, her sisters and others in her group. They were just barely a week old. And I had been in attendance with Dr H when they were born.
Although the rest of the staff kept their kittens on this med, I stopped it soon as I realized it was making them more sick. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a bottle feed 'formula' of basic baby foods, kitten milk, food and herb sourced supplements (including traces of SEB powder!) and colostrum that seemed to make sense to soothe and heal their digestive tracts, add much needed bulk and nutritional support and facilitate detox and to pass food and toxins out of their systems easily. Dr H had returned and he said "give it a try." Long story short and with many weeks of care: the kittens with me were the only ones who survived. By the time they had recovered and were of 'adoptable' age, guess who adopted them???!!! We were bonded from the get-go!
And that is the short story of how Sootie, her sisters Guernsey and Sweetie Pie and their litter mates first came into our lives, home and hearts!
Thank you all in LL for your gentle love, support, guidance and friendship in the joys and sorrows of this, the ever unfolding journeys of life."
-Sina
( ok blues 
are good too!) and most importantly good health and happy memories all the way. 