TYLER, Texas (KETK) — A Tyler veterinarian is warning people planning to adopt a cat in East Texas of an increase in owners thinking they’re adopting a healthy cat, but they are actually sick. Now, she’s encouraging new cat owners to bring their pets in for a check-up.
Adopting a new pet is always exciting, but when one Tyler pet owner met her new cat Blaze, it was truly love at first sight.
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“We were like, this is our cat. We’re going to take him home. So we did fall in love with him as soon as we met him,” said one Tyler cat owner, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Just days after taking Blaze home excitement quickly turned into concern. “He was sneezing really bad. So we took him to the vet, and the vet informed us that he was sick,” the owner said.
Not only was Blaze treated for a respiratory infection, but another discovery was made at that vet visit.
“They also informed us that he hadn’t had any of his combo tests,” the owner said. “But it says that he was tested on [the paperwork] for it. When we took him to the vet, they told us otherwise.”
According to veterinarian, Dr. Joy Neely, who took care of Blaze, this pet owner is not alone. “So even today, I had a couple of cats come in from a certain organization that we keep seeing sick cats from,” Dr. Neely said.
Even though Blaze was adopted through PetSmart in Tyler, the pet owner gave us paperwork, showing the cat originally came from Kaufman County Cats Inc.
“We were told that Kaufman County sends out a lot of sick cats,” the pet owner confirmed.
Blaze is just one of several cases coming into Dr. Neely’s office in Tyler for treatment. “This is something we see, I would say, almost on a weekly, if not daily sometime basis,” said Dr. Neely.
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Another issue Dr. Neely says they are seeing in these animals is vaccines given too early. She said even if the paperwork shows a vaccination, no actual records prove they were given.
“I look at the paperwork on every animal,” Dr. Neely explained. “They bring in their prior medical records, and there’s no consistency. There’s no consistency in the vaccines given, the testing given.”
KETK reached out to the non-profit Kaufman County Cats, and the owner said each one of their cats is evaluated and put on a care regimen, including vaccinations.
Her full statement can be found below:
“Kaufman County Cats (KCC) receives cats from individuals in the community; often referred by local veterinarians, spay/neuter clinics, PetSmart, or through word of mouth. These cats may be surrendered due to the owner’s life changes, found homeless, or come from situations where litters have been born on a property.
Each cat is evaluated and started on a care regimen that includes a health evaluation, vaccinations, deworming, and flea prevention. Depending on their health and background, cats may be placed within our foster network or at our adoption center in Kaufman. They are only placed at PetSmart after being spayed or neutered.
While we strive to adopt out healthy cats, as stated in our adoption contract, rescue cats may have been exposed to common illnesses with incubation periods of several weeks. Should a cat show signs of illness at PetSmart, it is promptly removed for treatment.
It is our hope that if an adopted cat becomes ill or the adopter has concerns about the cat’s health, that the adopter will contact us. Our contact information is listed at the top of the adoption contract, the included medical record, and also available from PetSmart. We are committed to supporting our adopters and, in rare cases of post-adoption illness, we work with adopters who contact us to offer treatment, return of the cat with refund, or reimbursement of medications.
We have recently added a notice to our adoption paperwork encouraging adopters to reach out to us with any questions during the transition period (from adoption to cat settled in the home- generally 2-3 weeks). We have initiated a follow-up process to check in with adopters shortly after adoption to ensure a smooth transition for both the cats and their new families and to provide assistance if any issues arise.
KCC has successfully placed an average of 400 cats annually through our 10-year partnership with PetSmart. We remain dedicated to responsible rescue and adoption practices, with a focus on finding loving, lifelong homes for the area’s homeless cats.”
Kaufman County Cats
KETK also reached out to PetSmart, who told us the pets available for adoption in their stores receive medical care from their adoption partners, and they make sure all medical history is properly documented.
Their full statement can be found below:
“At PetSmart, the safety and well-being of all pets, including those associated with our adoption partners, is our top priority. We have never sold dogs or cats in our stores and for the past 30 years we’ve partnered with local animal welfare organizations to host cats and adoptions inside our stores. The pets available for adoption receive medical care from our adoption partners including vaccinations, spay/neuter procedures and any other necessary care. We ensure all medical history is properly documented and in alignment with our policies. If those policies are not being followed, we investigate further.
We have been in touch with Kaufman County Cats and confirmed the cats currently housed in our store have current veterinary records and vaccinations. They are not aware of any recent adopters reaching out with health issues. If you’re in contact with a pet parent that is experiencing a medical issue with a cat adopted through Kaufman County Cats, we can help to connect them with the organization to discuss care plans.”
PetSmart
The biggest takeaway from this situation, at least to Dr. Neely, is making sure adopters take their new pets to the vet for a check-up.
“Then let them tell you what it’s due for and make sure that it’s truly up to date, and it’s had the vaccines it needs,” Dr. Neely said.
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