SASSY – 18648
Gone - 1-23-2018 Manhattan
*** GONE 01/23/18 ***SWEET AND SASSY…SENIOR GAL NEEDS LOVING RETIREMENT HOME! Poor 16 year old SASSY was dumped by her owner. She is only 3.5 lbs and has some matted fur. She is already spayed and needs a nice retirement home to live out her golden years. Sassy is only 3 and a half pounds of love and may be hyperthyroid. BE HER HERO BY OPENING YOUR HEART AND HOME. MUST BE RESERVED BY NOON TOMORROW.
MANHATTAN CENTER
Hello, my name is Sassy. My animal id is #18648. I am a desexed female calico cat at the Manhattan Animal Care Center. The shelter thinks I am about 16 years old. – P
I came into the shelter as a owner surrender on 19-Jan-2018, with the surrender reason stated as animal behaviour – aggressive towards people.
Original Location: 10458
Sassy is at risk for medical reasons. Sassy is a geriatric lady who is hyperthyroid, and has underlying associated issues. Sassy is uncomfortable with touch, possibly due to not feeling well, and due to these medical and behavioral issues, we suggest she is best suited to a cat experienced, adult only home.
20/01/2018
[DVM Intake] DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 16 Microchip noted on Intake? 402c240830 Microchip Number (If Applicable): History : OS Subjective: QAR, lethargic, 5% dehydrated Observed Behavior – Could not conduct PE. Responded negatively to artificial hand. Put in net. Conducted partial PE. Evidence of Cruelty seen – n Evidence of Trauma seen – n Objective T = – P = 196 R = WNL BCS = 2/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted Oral Exam: NP PLN: NP H/L: NSR, NMA ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated U/G: NP – spayed MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, dull hair coat CNS: Np Rectal: np Assessment: Poor body condition score, lethargic 1) Geriatric Prognosis: Fair Plan: Conduct CBC/Chem Already spayed SURGERY:
20/01/2018
CBC (Chemistry sent out to IDEXX machine not working in house) Mild Lymphocytosis (22) Mild Neutrophilipa (20)
22/01/2018
S/O -QAR, growls and hisses when approached; does not allow handling -good appetite -no nasal discharge or sneezing -OU: open and clear, geriatric changes to iris/lens -appears eupnic -severe muscle wasting -ambulatory x 4 with no obvious lameness but difficult to assess gait due to behavior A 1. Hyperthyroid 2. Muscle wasting-r/o secondary to uncontrolled hyperthyroidism vs other 3. Geriatric P -methimazole 2.5 mg PO BID -recommend rechecking T4 and renal values in 2 weeks
22/01/2018
CBC-mild neutrophilia Chemistry-mildly elevated ALT/ALP, severely elevated T4 (17) A 1. Hyperthyroid 2. Elevated liver values, suspect secondary to hyperthyroidism
My medical notes are…
Weight: 3.5 lbs
20/01/2018
[LVT Intake Exam] Microchip Scan: positive 402c240830 Evidence of Cruelty: no Observed Behavior: allowed handling at first but hissing and swatting and attempting to flee, exam via den Sex: spayed female Estimated Age: reported 18y Subjective: unkempt coat with mats, underweight older animal Eyes: clear Ears: waxy d/c, easily cleaned Oral Exam: moderate to heavy staining Heart: WNL Lungs: WNL Abdomen: WNL Musculoskeletal: underweight, 3/9 BCS, muscle wasted Mentation: BARH Preliminary Assessment: older animal with possible underlying issue Plan: DVM intake
Details on my behavior are…
Behavior Condition: 4. Orange
Initially Sassy allowed me to pick her up and pet her. After petting her once I offered her food and she ate right away. As soon as she ate she growled while eating and hissed when I approached. She hissed during photos and hissed and struggled when I picked her up. When I gave her food again when she was in her kennel she headbutted the kennel door once I closed it.
Is this cat having litter box issues?: Yes
Basic Information:: Sassy is an 18 year old spayed female calico, DSH cat. She was adopted from another shelter 18 years ago when she was a kitten. She was surrendered because she has been defecating outside of the litter box and has been aggressive towards people.
If yes, Please elaborate:: Sassy has been defecating outside of her litter box 2-2 times a month for the past four years. When she does this she is usually doing it on a bed. Sassy has not been to a vet for this issue but her previous owner suspects it is happening because there was recently a new addition to the home. Four years ago her grandchildren were born and they spend 3 days a week in the home.
Previously lived with:: 2 children, 2 adults, 1 cat, 1 dog
How is this cat around strangers?: Around strangers, when there is only one person, Sassy is said to be calm. Around groups she tends to pace back and forth and becomes bothered and doesn’t like to interact. When she plays with adults she is initially gentle but after a few minutes, she becomes very rough and will hiss, swat and run away.
How is this cat around children?: Three days out of the week, Sassy lived with Two 4 year old children. Around them, Sassy paced back and forth, hissed swatted and hid when they attempted to interact or came too close. She doesn’t play with children.
How is this cat around other cats?: Sassy lived with a cat for the past four years since it was a kitten. With the other spayed female in the home, Sassy is said to be aggressive. She hisses, swats and growls when they kitten comes too close. The have gotten into scuffles but they have never badly hurt each other. She doesn’t play with cats
How is this cat around dogs?: Sassy lived with a 4 year old dog since it was a puppy. With him she was relaxed. They did not play.
Behavior Notes: In car rides, Sassy is relaxed. She struggles an hisses if her nails are trimmed or if her coat is brushed. She isn’t bothered if she is picked up but after about one minute she struggles and hisses. She isn’t bothered if she is placed in a carrier or disturbed while sleeping.
Bite history:: Sassy has bitten an animal and scratched a person before but has never drawn blood.
Energy level/descriptors:: Medium
Has this cat ever had any medical issues?: Yes
Medical Notes: Sassy has been underweight since she was young but she has never been to the vet for this issue. The last time she went to the vet was 3 years ago to receive vaccines.
For a New Family to Know: Sassy is said to be friendly with her previous owner at times and independent. When her previous owner was home she wold tend to be in her favorite spot. She likes catnip toys and was kept indoors. At night she either slept on a sofa or on a radiator. She ate dry cat food. She is litter box trained and used a hooded litter box with clumping litter. She had a cat tree with a scratching post at the bottom made of carpet but she mainly scratched on the suede sofa.
KNOWN HISTORY:: Lived Indoors Previously lived with: 2 children, 2 adults, 1 cat, 1 dog Behavior toward strangers: Around 1 stranger, she is usually calm. Around groups, she tends to pace back and forth and doesn’t like to interact. Behavior toward children: Paced back and forth. Hissed, swatted, and hid whenever they attempted to interact or came close to her. Behavior toward cats: Hisses, swats, and growls at the other resident cat since it was a kitten. Behavior toward dogs: Relaxed, but did not play Bite or Scratch history: Sassy has bitten an animal and scratched a person before but has never drawn blood. Litter box training: Has been defecating outside her litter box 1-2 times a month for the past four years. She shared a hooded litter box with the resident cat in the home, which she does not get along with. Energy level/descriptors: Sassy is said to be friendly with her previous owner at times and independent with a medium activity level. Other notes: Sassy has been underweight since she was young but she has never been to the vet for this issue.
MEDICAL BEHAVIOR:: 01/20/18 Observed Behavior- Allowed handling at first but hissing and swatting and attempting to flee
Cage Condition:: Cage is neat
Reaction to assessor:: Sassy was lying down by the back, calm and relaxed.
Reaction when softly spoken to:: Sassy makes eye contact and starts to breathe rapidly, but she looks at the assessor with soft eyes.
Reaction to cage door opening:: Sassy becomes stiff and alert.
Reaction to touch:: Sassy sniffs the assessor’s hand, but shifts away and starts to growl. She hisses when gently touched, and then shifts her position and wraps her tail around her body. She allows gentle touch with a very slow approach, but hisses again and appears uncomfortable.
ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Mellow
VOCAL:: Quiet
CHARACTER TYPE: : Shy ,Calm,Independent
POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Inappropriate elimination,Fearful
Potential challenges comments:: Sassy’s previous owner reports that she was defecating outside the litter box, usually on the bed for the past 4 years. We are unaware if any modification steps were taken to try and address this behavior. Please note as well that her previous living situation may have contributed to the behavior seen (the owner only provided one hooded litter box to be shared with Sassy and the other resident cat, which she doesn’t get along with). We cannot be sure whether this behavior will continue in a different home environment, but we recommend that potential adopters be comfortable with management and modification techniques for elimination outside the litter box should this behavior continue in a home environment. We also recommend that she be provided with numerous litter boxes throughout the house as she adjusts to her new living space. The extra boxes can be removed as she learns the space and successfully defecates in her main litter box(es). Sassy has displayed fearful behavior during their stay in the care center and has displayed distance-increasing behavior with extended handling. Fear aggression can occur when a cat perceives a threat and may escalate if they cannot escape. A fearful cat will feel more relaxed when given options, so provide her with the chance to move closer, investigate, or interact with you. Be sure to offer incentive such as treats or play time whenever the cat makes a small positive step. Please speak to an adoption counselor for additional information on methods to desensitize your cat to their fear stimulus.
BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : Experienced, adult only
Behavior Asilomar: TM – Treatable-Manageable
BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: Sassy tolerates attention and petting but may be fearful or stressed in the shelter, and may be intimidated by small children. She will most likely need time to warm up to her new home and family. Due to the behaviors seen in the care center, we feel that this cat will do best in an experienced, adult only home.
For more information on adopting from the NYC AC&C, or to find a rescue to assist, please read the following: http://urgentpodr.org/adoption-info-and-list-of-rescues. If you are local to the Tri-State, New England, and the general Northeast United States area, and you are SERIOUS about adopting or fostering one of the animals at NYC ACC, please read our MUST READ section for instructions, or email [email protected]. Our experienced volunteers will do their best to guide you through the process. * We highly discourage everyone from trusting strangers that send them Facebook messages, offering help, for it has ended in truly tragic events.* For more info on behavior codes and ratings, please click here: http://information.urgentpodr.org/acc-placement-status-descriptions. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please see: http://information.urgentpodr.org/category/frequently-asked-questions/. You can call (212) 788-4000 for automated instructions.
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