Daily Cat Rounds Saves Lives!
By Anna Kelton, DCHS veterinary student intern
Daily cat rounds are a vital part of an animal shelter’s operation. Briefly speaking, cat rounds are defined by the daily visual observation of each and every shelter cat by trained medical and behavioral personnel to ensure the efficient flow through the shelter system. They should be performed every day, including weekends if possible, throughout the year, regardless of how busy the shelter may be. Each day, trained medical and behavioral personnel should look at every cat to ensure he or she is on the right track to get out of the shelter as quickly as possible. Having an organized, designated group of people on the rounds team greatly speeds up animal flow through the shelter. The following are ways in which rounds can help to minimize length of stay:
Software Accuracy--If the shelter is using PetPoint, or similar shelter software, the rounds team (RT) can ensure that everyone’s name, location, and stage (Pending Assessment-Medical vs. Available vs. Stray) are accurate. Additionally, if resources are available, online/newspaper/poster biographies of the animals should be written to highlight better their individual adoptability and any special needs they may have.
Medical Follow-Up--If animals are being held back from the adoption ward because of medical hold-ups, RT can make sure that the medical staff prioritizes these issues. Better yet, if a veterinarian is available to attend rounds, these issues can be examined on the spot. RT can also check that each animal was fully admitted with all the vaccinations/tests, etc. required by that shelter. In the same vein, RT can communicate with the surgery staff as soon as possible when cats are ready to be spayed/neutered—again, making it easier to move the cats to an area visible by the public as quickly as possible.
Legal Follow-Up--Depending on the county and state, stray holding periods and protective custody/seizure periods will vary, but regardless, RT must check to see if sufficient attempts to contact the previous owners have occurred (sending stray letters, following up with microchips, etc.). Additionally, veterinarians must authorize lifting a bite-quarantine period after a state-indicated period of time has passed. RT can remind veterinarians to address these animals as close to the end of the bite quarantine as possible if the doctors are unable to attend rounds themselves.
Expedite Eventual Outcomes— Cats that are candidates for transfer to other shelters/rescues need to be brought to the attention of said shelters/rescues so that transport and preparation can be arranged quickly. If the cat is an adoption candidate, similar measures need to be taken so that he/she can be made visible to the public right away. Medical euthanasia candidates must be brought to authorized veterinarians immediately. Housing an animal for long periods of time once medical euthanasia has been approved is stressful for the cat, stressful for the staff members, and a poor use of shelter resources. Similarly, if cats become euthanasia candidates due to behavioral reasons, those cats’ charts need to be brought to the attention of the proper personnel as quickly as possible.
Also very important to non-profit organizations is the constant struggle with limited resources. If a daily rounds system is implemented, it will save the shelter’s overall budget/resources in the following ways:
Decrease Overall Care Days--If the period of time each animal is spending in the shelter can be decreased, there are several desirable consequences: quicker outcomes, reduced infectious disease, lower stress on shelter staff, lower stress on animals, and fewer resources are needed (food, medications, bedding, etc.). Trained RT members can also take the time to make sure proper feeding/care protocols are being employed by staff and volunteers in order to save on unnecessary costs.
Additionally, if a shelter has a designated RT, infectious diseases, mostly upper respiratory infections, can be addressed quickly. Following a written protocol created by a veterinarian, RT is responsible for assessing reports of URI symptoms noted by other staff members and volunteers, and to move that animal into an isolation ward when necessary. Once isolated, RT can also follow the protocol to review treatment plans to make sure each cat is making progress, and if not, RT can adjust the treatment plan. At the end of treatment, RT can make sure cats at the end of treatment in isolation wards get moved into the adoptable ward as quickly as possible.
Daily cat rounds can greatly improve intradepartmental communications. Bringing representatives from various departments together to discuss each cat is important so that the adoptions team can inform the medical team of any special situations; so that the medical team can inform the fundraising team of any high-cost procedures that may be holding animals back from the adoption ward; so that the admitting/reception team can inform the management team of any special legal investigations regarding certain cats; etc. Together, the supervisors and managers that form the RT help move cats through the system efficiently. Similarly, the staff members that form the RT will get to know the names and faces of valuable volunteers, thereby strengthening the most important foundation on which non-profit organizations rely.
Finally, and undoubtedly most importantly, the behavioral/emotional/medical wellbeing of the animal is directly related to observations that can be made during rounds each morning. For example, individuals can be enrolled in enrichment and behavior modification programs if they’re struggling to adjust to the shelter environment. Some great programs include behavior-modification protocols to treat overstimulation and shyness/fearfulness. RT can provide or delegate the provision of in-cage enrichment, such as in-cage scratching systems and food-releasing toys. In a sense, RT will manage the shelter’s population while also doing crosschecks on the duties of other departments.
Below is an example of a system put in place at Dane County Humane Society to guide the cat rounds team in their day-to-day activities. It is not meant to be used verbatim by other shelters, only as a guide and illustration of the complexities of daily cat rounds.
Daily cat rounds are a vital part of an animal shelter’s operation. Briefly speaking, cat rounds are defined by the daily visual observation of each and every shelter cat by trained medical and behavioral personnel to ensure the efficient flow through the shelter system. They should be performed every day, including weekends if possible, throughout the year, regardless of how busy the shelter may be. Each day, trained medical and behavioral personnel should look at every cat to ensure he or she is on the right track to get out of the shelter as quickly as possible. Having an organized, designated group of people on the rounds team greatly speeds up animal flow through the shelter. The following are ways in which rounds can help to minimize length of stay:
Software Accuracy--If the shelter is using PetPoint, or similar shelter software, the rounds team (RT) can ensure that everyone’s name, location, and stage (Pending Assessment-Medical vs. Available vs. Stray) are accurate. Additionally, if resources are available, online/newspaper/poster biographies of the animals should be written to highlight better their individual adoptability and any special needs they may have.
Medical Follow-Up--If animals are being held back from the adoption ward because of medical hold-ups, RT can make sure that the medical staff prioritizes these issues. Better yet, if a veterinarian is available to attend rounds, these issues can be examined on the spot. RT can also check that each animal was fully admitted with all the vaccinations/tests, etc. required by that shelter. In the same vein, RT can communicate with the surgery staff as soon as possible when cats are ready to be spayed/neutered—again, making it easier to move the cats to an area visible by the public as quickly as possible.
Legal Follow-Up--Depending on the county and state, stray holding periods and protective custody/seizure periods will vary, but regardless, RT must check to see if sufficient attempts to contact the previous owners have occurred (sending stray letters, following up with microchips, etc.). Additionally, veterinarians must authorize lifting a bite-quarantine period after a state-indicated period of time has passed. RT can remind veterinarians to address these animals as close to the end of the bite quarantine as possible if the doctors are unable to attend rounds themselves.
Expedite Eventual Outcomes— Cats that are candidates for transfer to other shelters/rescues need to be brought to the attention of said shelters/rescues so that transport and preparation can be arranged quickly. If the cat is an adoption candidate, similar measures need to be taken so that he/she can be made visible to the public right away. Medical euthanasia candidates must be brought to authorized veterinarians immediately. Housing an animal for long periods of time once medical euthanasia has been approved is stressful for the cat, stressful for the staff members, and a poor use of shelter resources. Similarly, if cats become euthanasia candidates due to behavioral reasons, those cats’ charts need to be brought to the attention of the proper personnel as quickly as possible.
Also very important to non-profit organizations is the constant struggle with limited resources. If a daily rounds system is implemented, it will save the shelter’s overall budget/resources in the following ways:
Decrease Overall Care Days--If the period of time each animal is spending in the shelter can be decreased, there are several desirable consequences: quicker outcomes, reduced infectious disease, lower stress on shelter staff, lower stress on animals, and fewer resources are needed (food, medications, bedding, etc.). Trained RT members can also take the time to make sure proper feeding/care protocols are being employed by staff and volunteers in order to save on unnecessary costs.
Additionally, if a shelter has a designated RT, infectious diseases, mostly upper respiratory infections, can be addressed quickly. Following a written protocol created by a veterinarian, RT is responsible for assessing reports of URI symptoms noted by other staff members and volunteers, and to move that animal into an isolation ward when necessary. Once isolated, RT can also follow the protocol to review treatment plans to make sure each cat is making progress, and if not, RT can adjust the treatment plan. At the end of treatment, RT can make sure cats at the end of treatment in isolation wards get moved into the adoptable ward as quickly as possible.
Daily cat rounds can greatly improve intradepartmental communications. Bringing representatives from various departments together to discuss each cat is important so that the adoptions team can inform the medical team of any special situations; so that the medical team can inform the fundraising team of any high-cost procedures that may be holding animals back from the adoption ward; so that the admitting/reception team can inform the management team of any special legal investigations regarding certain cats; etc. Together, the supervisors and managers that form the RT help move cats through the system efficiently. Similarly, the staff members that form the RT will get to know the names and faces of valuable volunteers, thereby strengthening the most important foundation on which non-profit organizations rely.
Finally, and undoubtedly most importantly, the behavioral/emotional/medical wellbeing of the animal is directly related to observations that can be made during rounds each morning. For example, individuals can be enrolled in enrichment and behavior modification programs if they’re struggling to adjust to the shelter environment. Some great programs include behavior-modification protocols to treat overstimulation and shyness/fearfulness. RT can provide or delegate the provision of in-cage enrichment, such as in-cage scratching systems and food-releasing toys. In a sense, RT will manage the shelter’s population while also doing crosschecks on the duties of other departments.
Below is an example of a system put in place at Dane County Humane Society to guide the cat rounds team in their day-to-day activities. It is not meant to be used verbatim by other shelters, only as a guide and illustration of the complexities of daily cat rounds.
Rounds Follow-up Duties
General
Medical
Behavioral
Transfers/Adoptions
Group Duties
General
- Make PetPoint changes: stages, sexes, names, locations, check holds.
- Make test list but confirm that these cats have not already been tested. Make sure that adoptable cats whose cards say “not tested” are actually tested, and if not, add them to the test board.
- Investigate mysteries (e.g. stray cats with names, strange surrender reasons, PC/stray letters, etc.) and record on cage card as needed.
- Following DVM protocol, start cats on meds and ensure newly-discovered URI cats have a green tag and a tracking sheet entry.
- Send foster team e-mail with foster candidates.
Medical
- Check PetPoint and Med Board notes for medical hold-ups (e.g. senior checks). Ensure that all necessary Med Board entries are actually entered. If something is time-sensitive or has been overlooked, e-mail or talk to a veterinarian.
- Check fungal culture statuses. If cleared, make appropriate changes on Move Board, cross out “fungal” on cage card, and remove the red fungal tag from kennel.
- Do med checks according to schedule.
- Bring medical euthanasia candidates’ files to a vet; update PetPoint memo/asilomars; put in euthanasia file up front.
- Place spay/neuter holds with any special notes in the notes section (possibly pregnant, going to FOF, etc.).
- Check re-vax/dewormer/revolution report. Administer and add dewormers to floor meds binder.
Behavioral
- Bring behavioral euthanasia candidates’ files to Animal Operations Manager; update PetPoint memo/asilomars; put in euthanasia file up front.
- Review cats with history of litterbox problems and formulate plan.
- Handle/attempt to med check cats who are behaviorally questionable.
- Review Cats in Need (a behavior program that targets ornery felines) progress notebook and update, including entering web bios once submitted.
- Seasonally, send Camp Pawprint (a summer children’s day camp based at the shelter) candidates to CPP staff.
Transfers/Adoptions
- Bring newly adoptable cat files to Adoption Center and inform them of any ready finder’s hold and Breed Matching cats.
- Investigate long-standing adoption holds.
- Give Adoption Center list of available cats in isolation wards.
- Contact alternative adoption sites or other rescues/shelters.
Group Duties
- Inform appropriate staff which cats are ready to move to a different ward.
- Try out cats together in community rooms if available.
- Attempt to test cats who are behaviorally questionable.
