Working in a Post-Katrina Animal Shelter Quiz

Answer: people were separated from lost pets for longer than usual

Because people were left homeless themselves or were forced to move far away from their old homes, and because many pet owners thought they'd be right back to get the pets they left behind, animals and their human companions were separated for weeks or months. Most stranded pets were not reunited with human companions at all. The moral: Take your pets with you when you evacuate.
(plus, many government rescuers using helicopters, etc. did not allow pets to come along with their owners)

Answer: because they aren't licensed to practice in Louisiana

In the shelter where I worked, we had one hardworking Louisiana vet for about 1000 animals. He also took very sick animals back to his office with him where they could be more efficiently treated. However, we also had vet students from Tufts University (and probably other vet schools) and vet technicians from all over. Hooray for these hardworking volunteers! They saved many lives.

Answer: from a mosquito bite

I would estimate that 75 percent of the dogs at our shelter had this serious condition (but it is curable).

Answer: this makes it easier to spot diarrhea, vomit, and other indications of illness

Some cats, however, tend to shred their sheet of white paper and form it into a sort of nest. And kittens tend to snarl up white paper, newspaper, litter pan, and food/water dishes into a total shambles right after you clean their cages. Older cats who want attention or are simply stir crazy do so, too.

Answer: to cool the animals down during the hottest part of the day

I was working in what can best be described as a M.A.S.H. tent for cats--it was the cat ICU--and it got so hot in there that we had to hose down the outside of it a couple of times a day. We had fans in there, luckily. And really sick animals were placed in an air conditioned mobile vet unit. I took care of one cat who used to nap while embracing his frozen water bottle with his two front legs.

Answer: in the lowest tier of cages

You don't want a sick cat's sneezes to rain down on the cats below. However, the lowest tier of cages is not ideal for other reasons. Kittens don't get enough eye contact down there, and older volunteers have to get down on their tired old knees to clean the cages.

Answer: Katrina and Beausoleil

At least, that's what we named the two little charmers that we adopted. Beau's name (pronounced "Bo-so-lay") is French for "lovely sunshine." It's a Cajun name (or we think it is). Hurricane Katrina was the event which caused major disruption for all residents of Louisiana, human and animal, especially New Orleans. Report by jazzdog88: The name Beausoleil is indeed French for "lovely sunshine" The term Cajun is a mispronunciation of Les Acadiens.

The Acadians were a group of French speaking settlers that were deported from the East coast of Canada by the British authorities, circa 1753, to Louisiana (La Louisiane), which at the time was still under French control. People in that area couldn't get their tongues around les Acadiens so it morphed into Cajun.

Answer: to keep track of each animal, give it the proper meds, and find it if it is claimed

A few times, we mixed up animals because we forgot to check the numbers on their temporary collars when we moved them to other parts of the shelter. This may have caused grieving pet owners to be separated from their animals even longer than they already had been.

Answer: all of these are true

For me, this was a life-changing experience. On the first day after my return, I even vowed to stop spending so much time on funtrivia.com so I could put my time to more constructive use. I've been lured back, though, little by little.

Answer: soak it in lemon juice and see a doctor for antibiotics

A vet told me that I was in danger of getting "cat scratch fever." The lemon juice reduced the swelling and I assume that the antibiotics are killing the nasty little germs that got in there. The culprit was a gray male--not neutered--who absolutely HATED me. He scratched me twice on the same finger. Another cat (feral) bit me through a very thick suede glove.

Thanks for taking the quiz, cher! By the way, Cafe du Monde in New Orleans is open again. You can get the best chickory-flavored coffee and beignets in the world there (but I didn't have time to go--I was given a cold beignet by someone who did go, though).