A Life Saved, and Some Good Advice About Flea Collars

Picasso Veterinary Fund in Action! (April 2011)

My name is Marette, and I'm a 10-month-old domestic short-haired black beauty! I somehow was separated from my former owner, but it might have been for the best. You see, he or she put a flea collar around my neck when I was a small kitten, and apparently didn't notice as I grew larger that the collar had become embedded in my neck and was choking me!

Fortunately, I came into the care of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals. They took me to Dr. Dan Lauridia at Murray Hill Pet Hospital, one of their partner vets. Dr. Dan had to surgically remove the collar, and then closed the wound with rows of stitches. I've completely recovered from the surgery, but wow!...what an ordeal!

I like to think that my former owner was trying to do the right thing by protecting me from fleas, but didn't understand that you can't put a flea collar on a kitten and just leave it there. Kittens grow up quickly, and an unmonitored flea collar can be deadly! A safer approach is to use Frontline or another topical flea preventative product, as recommended by a veterinarian. (For information about how to safely use flea collars on kittens, check out the article, At What Age Can a Kitten Wear Flea Collars?)

The Picasso Veterinary Fund of the Mayor's Alliance paid for my surgery and aftercare, and I am really grateful for that. Who knows what would have become of me without that safety net? While I was in for my life-saving surgery, I got the full "spa" treatment: I was spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and tested (negative) for FIV and FeLV. Now, I'm eager to move on to a permanent home — one that will let me release my "inner clown"…to romp, chase toys, and even do some light wrestling with my feline housemates. I've been told I'm very sweet, and I love people and other cats. So if you have a place for me in your home, please contact the Mayor's Alliance at pvfadoption@AnimalAllianceNYC.org.

You can help save more cats like me — and dogs, too — by making a generous donation to the Picasso Veterinary Fund. It's a unique fund that gives sick and injured dogs and cats that come into Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) a second chance. Were it not for the Picasso Veterinary Fund, I probably wouldn't be here today waiting to be placed into the best home in the world — my own!

So please support the Picasso Veterinary Fund. Do it for me, or for someone you love, like your own companion cat or dog, and help make sure that the next cat or dog who needs a little extra help to get back in the game can get it!