FAQs
OK, honestly, your name is weird. Are you a restaurant or a rescue?
We save kittens, we don’t bake them, we promise. But it’s easy to see the parallel between the babies we care for, and the baked goods we love so dearly. Young kittens “make biscuits” when they massage moms belly (or a blanket) when they nurse either for milk or for comfort. And a friend of ours coined the term “breadsticks” when referring to the way the leggies on paralyzed cats look. We should also note that newborn kittens are considered “freshly baked”, and if they’re preemie they’re “underbaked”, but we work hard to get them plump and ready to go home. In the mean time, we are glad to give them a place to rest their tired toe beans in dedicated foster homes.
Are you a 501c3 Registered Non-Profit?
Biscuits and Breadsticks, Inc. is a 501c3 Registered Non-Profit organization - EIN 85-3977674. Donations are tax deductible as permitted by law.
Why are you working so hard to save paralyzed and incontinent cats? Wouldn’t it be more humane to euthanize?
Honestly, two years ago, we might have said the same thing. But now that we’ve had the privilege to understand them better, it is very rare that we would feel that way now. Every animal is different, and depending on their condition, their quality of life can vary - and we assess every kitten we intake as an individual case. We believe that a kitten’s long term medical needs should not be detrimental to their human’s quality of life, and if they are, there’s likely an opportunity to adjust their routine to make it more manageable! Most of our incontinent babies take no more than 10-20 minutes a day to care for (aside from the normal cat stuff like feeding and play time).
The care plans we develop for our babies are meticulously built to meet their individual needs, and we constantly reassess to make sure that we choose treatment options that allow them to lead happy, full, and pain-free lives.
Are you “no-kill”?
The term “no-kill” usually applies to animal shelters that intake animals from the general public, in regards to the humane euthanasia of healthy or treatable animals. Because we are limited admission, meaning we are able to be selective about our intake to ensure we have the resources to support the animals in our care, we should never be in a position where we have to euthanize for any reason but poor quality of life.
Aren’t paralyzed cats crazy expensive to care for? I’ve heard they’re more prone to medical issues.
This is not necessarily true at all! How much a paralyzed cat costs to care for is entirely dependent on how you choose to manage their care, and of course their individual condition.
Basic care costs include:
wet cat food (kibble isn’t great for cats with lower motility)
disposable or reusable diapers (though not all paralyzed/incontinent cats need these)
baby wipes (you can use soft washcloths instead - I love grab-a-rags, you can get 75 for like $30 and they bleach and wash great)
potty pads (you can also potty them into the toilet or a litter box if you prefer)
optional supplements for happy guts (which honestly are recommended for ALL pets) - we love a probiotic like BeneBac, pumpkin puree for perfect poops, UroMaxx for crystal-free, easy to express bladders, and coconut oil or miralax for relieving mild to moderate constipation
some cats do require prescription medication like Prazosin to help make expressing bladders easier
Also, since you’re manually emptying their bladder and bowels, you’ll know immediately when something isn’t right. You can save a ton of money with diligent monitoring and early intervention. So many able-bodied cat parents end up in the ER with UTIs because they didn’t know their pet had a problem until they were lethargic or having accidents around the house.
What about wheels? Would having a wheelchair make it easier for them to get around?
Wheelchairs are great for dogs and cats that like to venture outside, but they can actually be super limiting for indoor felines. Cats thrive the best when they are able to run, hunt, climb, tumble and play - all of which would be hindered if they had heavy hardware stuck to their behinds. We protect our kitten’s legs with drag bags, pants and bummies to avoid getting carpet burn, but otherwise in most cases, they get around great without any adaptive equipment.
An exception to this that you might see is a cat that needs wheels for physical therapy. In cases where a cat has a good chance of regaining mobility in their hind legs, adaptive equipment can absolutely make a huge difference in the efficacy of their therapy, and we assess these needs alongside our veterinarian.
I’m thinking of adopting a paralyzed cat, what should I do to prepare?
The first thing you should do is contact your vet and tell them what you’re planning to do. Even the hippest coolest vet might have antiquated views on caring for paralyzed and incontinent pets. The last thing you want to do is go visit your family vet super excited about your freshly adopted baby, just to have them rain on your purr-ade and recommend euthanasia. If your vet is not on the same page you are, get a second opinion. It is super important to have a vet you trust with their care, especially in the beginning when you’re getting to know your baby’s body and figuring out what’s normal and what’s not.
I found a kitten outside, what should I do?
We’re definitely not about to recreate the wheel here. Kitten Lady has an amazing resource for determining what to do with a kitten you find outside. http://www.kittenlady.org/casa
Our rescue does our best to only take kittens from our local animal shelters, or cats that our volunteers have trapped through TNR personally.
If you need to surrender a kitten, please follow your city’s animal control protocols for getting them to safety.
OK I’m ready to adopt one of your kittens, what do I need to do?
Submit an adoption application and someone from our team will get back to you ASAP! Before you apply please please please do the following:
Contact your vet to make sure they know you’re looking to add a new furry family member, make sure they understand the details of the cats condition if you have a specific kitten in mind
Make sure everyone in your home is cool with you adopting (sorry, we don’t do surprise or gift adoptions, at least not for adults)
Please consider the financial aspects of adopting a new family member. You don’t need to be rich to adopt a breadstick baby, but these guys may have special needs in order to keep them healthy. While we support the use of community services for preventative care for able-bodied cats, our special needs babies will need to be under the care of a private veterinarian for regular checkups, medication refills and consistent monitoring of their condition.
Have at least two friends or family members who are willing to learn to care for your baby in case you get sick or need to go out of town
Know that even paralyzed cats can have a 15-20 year lifespan, make sure you have a backup plan if you need to move out of the country or to a different type of housing
We know that life happens and circumstances can change, but it is critically important to have multiple contingency plans for placement for your cat if for some reason you become unable to care for them.