A little eight-year-old, black and white Maltese, Django arrived at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home in a state of neglect. He had alopecia resulting in extensive hair loss on his tail, hind legs and back, probably as a result of flea allergy dermatitis. His nails were severely overgrown and he had grade 4 dental disease resulting in pain, severe tartar build-up and periodontal disease.

Although he was desexed Tango was not microchipped and no one came forward to claim this old soul.

His teeth were in such poor condition (image right) that the team immediately provided pain relief and organised for Django to have an emergency dental surgery resulting in the extraction of multiple teeth.

He also enjoyed a much-needed groom and was given Simparica to protect him from future flea infestation.  The team also ran bloodwork to rule out any underlying illnesses.  Thankfully Django was healthy and given the all clear.

Thanks to the support of the community and generous individuals who donate to the Senior Pet Project, we can provide the older residents like Django with the essential veterinarian care they require.

A staff favourite Django spent his days behind the reception desk until he was adopted. Thankfully just the right person came along, so Django only stayed with us for 11 days.

Our goal is to raise $150,000 by 30 June in order to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months.  Donate now to support the Senior Pet Project and give a senior like Django a new leash on life.

ABOUT SENIOR PET PROJECT

Our Senior Pet Project, entering its second year, was started as an initiative not only to put a spotlight on these golden oldies to help with their rehoming, but also to raise the funds required for their much needed veterinary care and often prolonged stay at the Home.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to give the seniors entering our care a new leash on life.

Support the Senior Pet Project. Donate today.

Beautiful Buddha, our slightly portly ginger senior, arrived at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home in February after being found wandering the streets as a stray.  Given her girth and the fact that she was desexed, we assumed she was owned.  However, Buddha wasn’t wearing a collar with identification, nor was she microchipped, and sadly, no one came forward to reclaim this gentle old soul.

Aside from her sweet nature, Buddha’s most distinguishing attribute was her cherry eye, a little pink mass protruding from her left eyelid.  Cherry eye occurs when the gland of the third eyelid prolapses.

With Buddha’s hold period elapsing and no owner found to reclaim her, our vet team immediately organised a corrective surgery for Buddha’s eye.

Thanks to the generous support of the community who donate to our Senior Pet Project initiative, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home can provide our senior pets like Buddha with the additional vet treatment they require.

If left unattended and continuously exposed, cherry eyes can become painful, inflamed and irritated.  Also, if Buddha rubbed her eye, it could bleed and even become infected.

We are pleased to report that Buddha’s surgery was a complete success and she’s made a rapid recovery.  Now in our care for four months, Buddha is patiently waiting for a forever home.   This sweet girl who wants nothing more than to curl up in the sun or on your lap to get lots of pats.  For information on adopting Buddha, please drop into the shelter or email info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org

ABOUT SENIOR PET PROJECT

Our Senior Pet Project, entering its second year, was started as an initiative not only to put a spotlight on these golden oldies to help with their rehoming, but also to raise the funds required for their much needed veterinary care and often prolonged stay at the Home.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to give the seniors entering our care a new leash on life.

Support the Senior Pet Project. Donate today.

At Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, we can never be sure who the ranger will bring through our door. This month we welcomed two turkeys, Brad and Chad, who were found roaming in the Bayside Council area.

With no one coming forward to reclaim Brad and Chad, the team reached out to several rescue groups before finding one that could provide Brad and Chad with a suitable home. And thanks to our fantastic network of supporters, we were able to find a volunteer ready to make the three-hour drive to transfer the dynamic duo.

We are pleased to report that Brad and Chad are happily enjoying the green pastures of the Sunny Corner Farm Sanctuary and handing out with their new friends, pictured below.

Cats, like us, can lose their hearing with age, but some kittens are born deaf. Hereditary deafness is more common in white-coated cats, and at the moment we have two such kitties in our care – Hunter and Nicky.

Three-year-old Hunter came into the shelter as a stray more than a month ago. Sadly we were not able to find Hunter’s humans, and no one came to reclaim him. Hunter is now waiting to land himself a forever home.

We also have little Nicky (pictured left) who arrived just days ago and is currently in foster care where she can put on some weight before becoming available for adoption.

Deaf cats make lovely, loving companions, but they do have some special needs in terms of their care. As they can not hear a barking or growling dog or vehicle approaching, deaf cats need to be indoor only cats. Also, because of their pale pink noses, they are more susceptible to skin cancer, another good reason to keep them as inside.

Deaf cats have a reputation of being more vocal and having a louder meow then their hearing counterparts. However, Hunter has been roaming and playing in the cattery, and he is not at all vocal. He’s very outgoing and animated but definitely not loud or particularly chatty.  Although he does love to purr.

As deaf cats have lost one sense, their reliance on visual cues is heightened. A deaf cat or kitten can be trained using visual cues. Cats like Hunter can be taught to come to you by simply crouch down and luring him with tasty treats. Hunter loves his pats however, so you probably won’t have to do this to gain his attention and affection.

With their heightened visual sense, it can be beneficial for the deaf cat to have another feline in the home.  The deaf kitty can take visual cues or mimic behaviours it sees in the other cat.

Cats also feel vibrations, so if you are walking towards a deaf kitty, it may detect the vibration of the floor and come running to greet you. Similarly opening a door may also create a disturbance in the air which your feline could feel like a slight breeze on their fur, alerting him or her that you are home.  Based on Hunter’s personality he’ll definitely be looking to greet you when you get home; he’s always looking for a cuddle.

If you would like to give either Hunter or Nicky a home, please contact the team at info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org

This beautiful girl is Lilly. She’s was adopted from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home earlier this year.

Lilly settled into home life perfectly, sleeping for hours and exhibiting no destructive behaviour at all. But on walks she was struggling, particularly when she saw other dogs.

This is why Lilly’s new family decided to enlist the help of one of our recommended behaviourists Ian Shivers from Bondi Behaviourist.  Below Ian explains his approach to helping Lilly and her humans:

Like with many rescues, nobody is 100% sure what happened in her life before she got re-homed but with this sort of situation it’s not usually about any trauma or negative experiences that are causing these reactions, it’s often down to what hasn’t happened.

It’s likely that Lilly wasn’t exposed to much, and simply doesn’t have the coping skills for the vast amounts of information out there in the big wide world.

So that’s our job, to take her out and expose her to the world at a pace that she can manage.

During the session we went through body language to look out for, how to handle the leash, when to, how to and why use food rewards, how to reduce stress when it sets in and how to respond in different scenarios. Over time, we can build her confidence, her relationship with the family and her trust in other dogs.

Ian’s description of Lilly is true of many of the residents who come through the Home, many who we believe didn’t get exposed to much more than their back yards.

Ian finds working with rescues very rewarding and offers 50% off initial consultations when dogs are referred to Bondi Behaviourist by Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.  If you’ve adopted your dog from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home and would like to take Ian up on this offer please contact the team at info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org

When we welcomed Monster, a 13-year-old Maltese/Chihuahua Cross, into our Home in October we knew that this little chap would be a beneficiary of our Senior Pet Project.  Monster, a sweet old gentleman was brought in as a stray.  His fur was dirty and matted, his nails overgrown and his breath putrid.

Our vet team performed a health assessment and it was clear by Monster’s neglected state that this dear boy hadn’t been to a vet or a groomer in a very long time.

Monster was suffering and in pain. The team immediately provided him with pain relief.  Emergency dental surgery was quickly scheduled and performed.  All of Monster’s teeth, bar one healthy tooth, had to be removed.  Monster also received a much-needed bath and clip from our volunteer groomer.   And the team organised for Monster to go into foster care with Fiona, enabling him to recover in a quiet home setting postoperatively.

Moster quickly recovered from his operation and a spritely, happy gentleman emerged.  He fit in so well with his foster family which included beautiful 15-year-old Missy that when the time came for Monster to be rehomed Fiona asked to adopt him.

Renamed Max, our Monster, now spends the days with his best friend Missy and being spoilt by his humans Fiona and Jeff.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to provide the seniors with the essential care required to set them up for success in their twilight years.  Donate now to support the Senior Pet Project.

ABOUT SENIOR PET PROJECT

Our Senior Pet Project, entering its second year, was started as an initiative not only to put a spotlight on these golden oldies to help with their rehoming, but also to raise the funds required for their much needed veterinary care and often prolonged stay at the Home.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to give the seniors entering our care a new leash on life.

Support the Senior Pet Project. Donate today.

Since the beginning of the year Sydney Dogs and Cats Home has welcomed more than 400 cats and kittens through our doors. Several of these purr machines, like Neptune, have tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) during our routine health check.

FIV is a viral disease that affects the immune system of cats. It makes them more susceptible to illness, but with proper care FIV cats can lead long, healthy, loving lives.

FIV is commonly spread through deep bite wounds, which would typically occur during aggressive fights between cats over territorial disputes. FIV is not transferable to humans or other species (e.g. dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc).

As the virus only lives within the infected feline it is unlikely to spread to a non-FIV cat. However our team recommends that FIV cats be rehomed as an ‘only cat’ or with other FIV positive felines; even household cats can have spats resulting in bites which could transmit the disease.

We also recommend that FIV cats be indoor-only cats. With a compromised immune system keeping them indoors reduces the risk of them contracting a disease or infection from other cats, parasites, fleas or ticks.

Currently there is no cure for the disease, but it is easily managed. Cats with FIV are living happy and healthy lives, bringing much joy to their owners.

Neptune arrived at the Home four days ago and we hope his owner will still come forward for him.  However if Neptune’s human can’t be found he will be one of several FIV residents waiting to find their forever home. If you think you could offer one of our lovely FIV friends a home please call the team on 9587 9611 or email info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org