So I've had two revelations this week. One is that I have been designated as the "head of the interns," meaning I coordinate our efforts every day. The second revelation is that I am now the "Second-in-command of the cat shelter." This was news to me! I've just been doing my job.
Here's the events of the week:
I've been helping make marketing materials for the cats at the shelter, as well as putting pictures and information about the cats on Petfinder. We are going to be holding a shelter open house on 7/23 and 8/6 so people can meet cats 1-on-1 when the vet clinic is not open. Hoping we get a lot of visitors!
I got to assist with three cat adoptions and to do one completely on my own since the shelter operator had to leave. Dolly, Cookie and her daughter Patches, Shadow, and kitten siblings Jupiter and Flynn all went home this week. I was surprised by how much I missed all of them after they left. Some are going to come to us as their permanent vet, so I'll get to see them a few more times.
I went to help rescue a grounded crow who was having difficulty moving. He was in bad shape, so he was very easy to catch. Unfortunately, the crow died before it could receive treatment, and the cause of death was revealed to be a fungal infection.
The rehab center received a baby Pied-billed Grebe who has a broken wing and was found on the road. We filled up the sink so it could swim around and catch feeder fish the vet bought for it. One of the interns was send up to PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood, WA, since they are the only wildlife rehabilitation center in the area that can take birds. Puget Sound WildCare (PSWC) can legally hold birds for 24 hours, but no longer since the center doesn't have their federal bird permit back yet. PSWC got six birds in around the same time, so the owner decided to have someone make the 1.5 hour long trip to PAWS. Luckily, it wasn't me :)
I've been helping one of my coworkers by watching her kitten while she's on vacation. The kitten was raised from a week old by my coworker after he was orphaned. The kitten's name is Raven, and he is a sweet terror. Raven absolutely loves to play (as any good kitten should), but he also loves to play with (i.e. bite) my feet, hands, and ankles. This is a common problem with solo bottle baby kittens, since they never learn from siblings that biting hard means you get bit back hard! Raven is living in my kitchen and bathroom since Gracie doesn't like other cats. It's a bit awkward, but my coworker will be back in about a week.
I'm in Pullman, WA while writing this, and I'll be doing an admissions visit and hospital tour at Washington State University's vet school. Hopefully it goes well!
