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11/04
Francis and Chelsea
While we do receive many special needs animals throughout the year, one week in early July was a special week indeed. It started with Francis, a stray tortoiseshell who obviously had some problems. Francis' rear leg was severely twisted into a position that made walking on it impossible, and she was forced to carry it while walking. The leg, rather than helping this girl to get around, was making her life more difficult. We could not tell whether this was a deformity from birth or some kind of injury, so an appointment was scheduled to find out what was going on. After examining her and running x-rays on the leg, the vet determined that the leg had been injured some time in the past, and had completely healed in this position. Unfortunately, the vet felt that there was no way to repair the leg at this point in time, so removal of the leg was the best option for her. Surgery was scheduled for Francis the next week.
 Francis |
 Chelsea |
In the meantime, yet another stray cat came in with an injured leg. Chelsea was a stray who may have been hit by a car, and was taken to a local veterinary clinic by her finder because she also had an obviously injured rear leg. The clinic contacted us to find out what we would do about this stray who would soon become one of our residents if not claimed. Chelsea's leg was also determined too damaged to save, and surgery was also scheduled for her, when it became evident that her owners would not turn up to claim her. Ironically, Chelsea, like Francis, was a tortoiseshell, and the same leg , her left rear, had suffered the damage! Her leg was amputated, she was spayed, and brought to the shelter after her surgery.
At the same time, a third cat came in with an injured leg, and the now-too-familiar outcome--another amputation. In this case, however, though we were prepared to take her in and provide the surgery she needed if necessary, we did find the kitty's owner, and her owners were able to see to it that she got the medical attention she needed and take her home.
So that left us with Francis and Chelsea. Although in an ideal situation, after a surgery such as this, the cats would spend a few weeks in a foster home to recover and adjust to their three legs, with kitten season in full swing, the foster homes simply weren't available. The two girls came back to us to recover while we continued to seek a foster home for them. For Francis, the opportunity came a little sooner, when a new potential foster met her a week or two after her surgery and fell in love. She decided to foster Francis, and it turned out to be a great match, because within a few days, Francis had worked her way into the heart of her foster mom and had found a permanent home.
A few weeks later, a foster home opened that would be available for a few weeks, and Chelsea went into foster care, where she could recover better from her surgery and become better adjusted to life on three legs. Chelsea did very well in her foster home, and her foster mom, who was leaving the country for the season, was sad to part with her when it was time to leave. Chelsea has adjusted wonderfully, and is a sweet, friendly girl. Although we originally could not place her in a cage with another cat due to her attitude, we have now found that Chelsea does adjust to other cats, and she is now doing well with a companion cat. Chelsea is now waiting for that special person to come along and offer her a home.
Chelsea's ending: Although it took several months, Chelsea found a new family, and is now living in her adoptive home!
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11/04
Zipper
When Zipper came to us in September of this year, she was in poor shape and at high risk in a kennel environment. It was obvious that this girl needed immediate treatment and she was taken to the vet, where a large abscess on her neck was drained and cleaned. We do not know what caused the abscess--whether it was a bite from another animal or an accidental or intentionally inflicted wound. However, the abscess would make her more susceptible to infection in the kennel environment, and she needed regular wound cleaning and special antibiotics. One of our staff had a soft spot with this girl, who patiently tolerated all that was done to her while draining and cleaning her wound, so she took her home to foster. Zipper's wound was treated for several weeks, and she looks like a different cat now! She has turned out to be a mellow, adaptable girl, and when brought in to the shelter for the day for her spay surgery, she made herself at home in the front office, laying around on desks and counters, accepting all of the noise and chaos around her without any problem. Zipper is now almost ready to go to a new home, and is waiting for that second chance.
Zipper's outcome: After a long journey to recovery, Zipper's foster family decided to give her a permanent home with them, and she has been happy and healthy since then!
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11/04
Nomiro
Nomiro was left in front of the shelter door on a Saturday morning by a woman who found him as a stray. One of our volunteers, who was on her way to a shelter activity, found the kennel cab in the front and discovered there was a cat inside. After bringing him inside, we discovered that this was definitely a kitty in need. Whether it was due to infection, or injury, or a genetic problem, this kitty is missing both of his eyes! Though some tissue is visible, it is unlikely that either eye can be saved, and surgery will likely be required to remove the remaining tissue and prevent future problems. In the meantime, however, Nomiro has a severe upper respiratory infection, and we will not be able to treat the eyes unless we can get him healthy. Luckily, as of Thanksgiving week, a foster home has agreed to take this boy out of the shelter where he can be better treated for his respiratory infection, and if he fully recovers from his illness, with the help of those supporters who care enough to give these special animals a chance, we plan to take the next steps required for his eyes.
In spite of his blindness, Nomiro is a happy, sweet, loving boy. When you pick him up, he will snuggle in your arms and purr. Though it will take him a little time to adjust in a larger home, this boy is young and adaptable, and if all of his health issues turn out to be treatable, he should be able to live a long, happy life with a family who is willing to take on a blind kitty.
Nomi's outcome: When Nomiro (Nomi) was almost ready to join a new family, we contacted a family that had previously adopted a blind kitty from our shelter. Nomiro's surgery was performed, and shortly after, he joined his new family, where he has been happy and healthy ever since!
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11/04
Bobby
When a local police department called us after hours one Saturday in November to let us know a stray kitten was being brought in, they did not tell us there was anything out of the ordinary, and we didn't expect that there would be anything unusual. When we saw the kitten, however, he turned out to be anything but ordinary. Though at first look, he might appear to be a typical kitten with brown and black tiger markings, one look at his front paws tells a different story. This little boy has significant deformities, with only two toes on one front foot and three on the other. While one back foot appears to be normal, the other is missing a toe. He was a very hungry kitten when he came to us and was very slightly dehydrated, but otherwise appeared to be basically healthy, so we tested and found him negative for feline leukemia and FIV. We don't know why he has the deformities--he may have been inbred, or mom may have been sick while carrying him, but he requires observation to determine whether he has other issues that need attention. We contacted a foster home with other kittens his age to see if there was room for one more. The foster home came to see him, and immediately decided they wanted to give this guy a chance. Bobby, as his foster home named him, is now in his foster home, getting plenty of food and a chance to grow healthy and strong. He is doing well, though he sometimes has a harder time eating and seems to have a little difficulty with his front paws. He will curl up on his foster mom's lap and purr. We do not know what the future holds for this boy, but he is currently happy and seems to be comfortable, so we will wait a little longer and allow his immune system to further develop (he was vaccinated when he came to us, and will be receiving his booster vaccination in late November) before taking the next step. Bobby will require further evaluation to assess whether he will be able to live a normal, active life, and to determine whether he will require surgery or other special care.
Bobby's outcome: Surgery was not required for Bobby, but his foster parents learned that Bobby had some other special needs, and had serious difficulty in adjusting to new people and changes to his routine. After all of the time spent caring for him, Bobby's foster family grew quite attached, and decided to adopt him and make him a permanent member of their household!
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Tyler
Tyler was turned in to us by his owner on March 4th of this year. It was obvious from his condition that something was definitely awry. The staff immediately noticed that Tyler was missing large amounts of hair all over his body. Misty, who was turned in with Tyler, also had inflamed, draining eyes. Although the initial thought was that Tyler had a severe case of ringworm, closer examination suggests that this is probably not the case with this boy, as his skin is severely inflamed where the hair is missing. On March 5th, the day after he came in, Tyler was taken to the vet to be examined. Though ringworm has not been ruled out as a possibility and a culture has been started to test for ringworm, the most likely cause of the inflammation is an allergic reaction, possibly to fleas, or chemical exposure. All we can do right now is treat Tyler's symptoms and make him more comfortable. It will likely be weeks of treatment before we can learn the true impact the infection, and Tyler will no doubt shortly begin to show the upper respiratory that his sister has showed since they came in, so we will be as proactive as we can with treatment. Tyler still has a long road ahead of him, but he is a sweet, loving boy who deserves a second chance, and we will try to provide that chance to him.
The photos below were taken on March 5th, only a day after Tyler was turned in to us. Please be aware that clicking on these photos will yield an enlarged version that clearly shows Tyler's wounds, and these photos are quite graphic.
April 26th update: Tyler still has several open wounds, but he is showing some slow but real improvement. Based on the fact that we have seen some progress, we will continue to treat Tyler and hope we are able to identify a permanent solution.
Update 11/20/04: Although Tyler was showing improvement in April, he never completely recovered, and in fact he began to regress, scratching his face to the point of causing a cyst to form. Several visits to the vet later, Tyler is still with us at the shelter, and we are still fighting his issues. We hope to move Tyler into a foster home in the next week or two because we believe that he has made as much improvement as possible in the cage setting. Tyler frequently lies in his litter box, and we believe that the irritation from the box may be preventing him from improving any further. We hope that in a foster home, we will be able to determine whether Tyler will ever be able to live a normal, healthy life. Although we have a shortage of foster homes, one of our staff members, who has gotten to know and love this guy, will take him home to foster herself. We hope that in the foster home, Tyler will clear up, but we need to find out either way whether he will have a chance.
Tyler's outcome: Unfortunately, after several months of treatment, including special diets, and a wide range of treatments and medications, the veterinarians working with Tyler were unable to identify any other possible solutions to his problems, and we had to face the realization that Tyler's problems were too severe to allow him to live a healthy, pain-free life. Although the staff grew to love Tyler and he loved the extra attention from the staff, the recurring skin issues were painful for Tyler, and in addition to current inflammation, we were beginning to see permanent damage from the rounds of inflammation. After over a year of treatment, the difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize Tyler to prevent further suffering. Tyler will never be forgotten--he has a permanent place in the heart of every one of us who worked with him for over a year.
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Miles
Miles came to us as a stray in early November of this year. A beautiful, sweet black longhair, he was found by a shelter supporter, apparently severely injured. Though we originally believed he may have been hit by a car, examination by the vet revealed significant wounds on his back end that were likely inflicted by another cat in a fight. Due to the severity and the location of the wounds, Miles was unable to stand on his hind legs or walk when he was brought in. In order the treat the wounds, Miles had to be shaved and the wounds opened and cleaned. Though this procedure was extremely painful, Miles showed his sweet disposition well, being calm, friendly and accepting throughout the whole treatment.
Miles quickly showed improvement, and only a couple of days after coming to us, Miles was attempting to stand and use his hind legs. He was moved into a foster home, where he could recover in a quiet setting and the wounds could continue to be treated. After only a week, Miles was walking again, and a couple of weeks later, he is almost completely healed. He is still a wonderful, affectionate boy, and will soon be ready to go to a home of his own.
Miles' injuries...
Miles now...
Update 12/13/04: Good news! Miles is back at the shelter, and this week he will be picked up and will go to his new forever home! We hope that Miles will have a lifetime of happiness with his new family.
Toes
When Toes, a very sweet black shorthair, was found running stray and brought to the shelter, the first thing the staff noticed about him was his feet. All four of his feet were bloody and appeared to be severely injured. The first thought of our staff was that the damage to the paws was that the damage was the result of a declawing surgery with serious complications. Due to the obvious severity of his wounds, Toes was immediately taken to a veterinarian for examination and treatment.
When the vet started cleaning Toes' feet, the story became more clear. Toes had not recently been declawed--in fact, his claws were fully intact. After cleaning and examination, the vet's conclusion was that the injuries to this poor boy's feet were most likely the result of dragging, probably from a slower moving object like a bicycle. The sad reality is that it is very possible that these injuries were deliberately inflicted by a cruel human being.
Toes' wounds were cleaned, and all four paws were bandaged. He is currently in our infirmary where his wounds can be cared for and his bandages changed daily. We do not know, and will likely never know, who caused Toes' injuries, and whether this was a deliberate act of cruelty. What we do know, however, is that in spite of all he has been through, he is a sweet, loving boy who deserves a second chance. It is only through the generosity of those who help us to go above and beyond the basics that Toes is able to get that chance
Toes after his bandages were removed, before he was adopted:
Hemingway
Hemingway (named because he is polydactyl), came to us as a stray kitten last summer. Stress and a weak immune system quickly resulted in a severe and life-threatening infection, with his eyes most affected. Hemingway was taken into a foster home where he could receive extra care. He remained in the foster home for a few months. being treated for his infection. Unfortunately, in spite of aggressive treatment, one eye could not be saved. Hemingway's eye has now been removed, and Hemingway's infection is now cleared up. His missing eye has not slowed him down one bit, though, and he is an incredibly outgoing, active, playful kitten. Hemingway was taken to our adoption enter in the East Madison PetSmart, and within a day his wonderful personality attracted the attention of a family who wanted to make him a part of their home. Hemingway is now in his new home with a family who loves him.
Tilly
Tilly came in to the shelter as a stray with her mom and siblings this summer. Tilly was the smallest and weakest kitten of the litter, but from the start, she showed an incredibly strong spirit and sweet personality. Tilly's whole family was taken into a foster home along with another young cat who had been abandoned by her owners. Shortly after entering the foster home, it became obvious that the abandoned young cat was carrying an infection, which had immediately spread to some of the kittens in Tilly's litter. The infection became most severe in Tilly, rapidly attacking both of her eyes, and the cat who brought the infection in. Lab testing showed the infection was a strep bacteria, and the infection was treated accordingly.
Due to Tilly's weak immune system, despite treatment the infection became severe in Tilly and caused one of her eyes to rupture. She also developed a systemic infection and failed to gain weight. Tilly's siblings, already larger than her, continued to grow, and by 4 months, she was only about half the size of her littermates. Yet through the ordeal of her infection she maintained her sweet, loving personality, seeking attention and purring constantly when held.
Photo of Tilly during her eye infection--warning--graphic!
Gradually with lots of care and medication, Tilly did manage to fight off the infection. Tilly started to grow again, and became a healthy, happy kitten. Once healthy, Tilly was scheduled for another vet appointment to determine if more needs to be done to save the ruptured eye. Now that she is healthy, Tilly's eye can be closed and she can be spayed.
Tilly's appointment with the veterinarian was today, and it looks like it will be a happy ending for this little sweetie! Her incredible personality did not go unnoticed at the veterinarian's office, and she has been adopted by a veterinarian at the clinic! Tilly is now happy in her forever home!
Spangles
Spangles came to us as a stray in the spring of 2003. It was obvious when she came in that something was wrong with this poor sweet girl's back. A few hours and a visit to the vet later, we had our answer -- after the vet shaved and cleaned the area, we could see very clear bite wounds on her back. From the size of the wounds, it appears as if a large dog or a coyote had this girl by the back. She was a petite girl, underweight, only about a year old, but somehow she survived the attack to be found and brought to us. The wounds were already infected, so several weeks on antibiotics, daily cleaning, and multiple vet visits were required, but she did pull through her ordeal.
Then in July, Spangles surprised us all when she gave birth to a single kitten. She had apparently only been a few days pregnant when she came in to the shelter, but somehow this kitten, also a survivor, had hung on to be born a normal-sized, healthy kitten. Spangles and her kitten, Star, were taken into foster home where Spangles could raise her kitten. In January of this year, a healthy and happy Spangles was transferred to another organization and adopted. Star also has a new home to call her own.
Photo of Spangles' injury--warning--graphic!!
Spangles During Recovery
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Mittens
Mittens is a sweet, outgoing cat who was turned in to us by her owners because she was pregnant and they did not want to take responsibility for her or her kittens. When Mittens came in, all of our foster homes were full, so Mittens had to have her kittens in the shelter. The stress of giving birth, caring for her kittens, and living in a cage took its toll, and when her kittens were 7 weeks old, Mittens became seriously ill. Since her previous owners had not provided the vaccinations she needed, Mittens did not have the antibodies needed to fight off infection. Mittens was taken home by a staff member, where she was treated for her illness, including a severe eye infection. With lots of medical care and attention, Mittens recovered from her infection, but the damage to her eyes was irreparable. One of Mittens’ eyes had to be removed, while the other was left with permanent scar tissue. When Mittens recovered from her surgery, she was placed in our adoptable cat room, curling up on the lap of any person who would take the time to visit with her. Her affectionate nature did not go unnoticed, and Mittens was adopted by a new family who quickly fell in love with her. Mittens has now adjusted to her new home and is happy with her new family.
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Snuggles
When Snuggles was brought into the shelter in the summer of 2003, part of her story was obvious. She had been hit by a car, and her hind leg was injured. A visit to the vet to determine the extent of the damage confirmed the worst—the leg was too severely damaged to save. The injuries were limited to the leg, and Snuggles was a sweet and healthy girl, so the decision was easy—surgery to amputate the leg. Snuggles’ leg was amputated, and she returned to the shelter to recuperate while we located a foster home for her to fully recover in. Just a few short days later, Snuggles was transferred to her new home with a friend of a shelter volunteer. Though he originally took her home as a foster, Snuggles’ person has since adopted her and she is now snug and happy in her lifelong home.
Chippewa
Chippewa, like Mittens, was a victim of the all-too-common feline illnesses we see on a daily basis. Chippewa also suffered from a severe eye infection, and spent several weeks in our infirmary being treated. Chippewa was luckier—while at one time it appeared that she was in danger of losing both of her eyes, the time and money spent in treating her paid off when both eyes were saved. Some permanent scarring in one eye is the only lasting sign of her illness. Chippewa has been adopted and is now happy in her new home.
Humphrey 
My Meowsers Angel is:
Barb Whitstone - Waukesha, WI
2/3/04
The "eyelid" kittens
These three kittens, Cody, Cupcake, and Zack, all from the same litter, came to us as strays. All three appear to be inbred, and share the same genetic defect--they were born missing eyelids. This particular congenital defect is not very common, and the effects can be devastating. If the condition is left untreated, the kittens' eyelashes can rub against the corneas of their eyes, causing permanent scarring and eventually leading to chronic pain and blindness.
The only way to prevent this happening is through surgeries to raise the eyelashes so that this rubbing cannot occur. With the help of these surgeries, these kittens have the potential to lead a normal life with minimal maintenance required for their eyes. The kittens have already had two surgeries. After the second surgery, due to compromised immune systems (brought on by the surgeries), the kittens developed a ringworm infection. They spent several weeks in our infirmary being treated for the ringworm, and are now ringworm-free. They will soon have their follow-up appointments with the veterinarian to determine whether the surgeries have been successful. It is possible that a third surgery will be required for these guys.
Update 2/24/04:
Good news from the vet! The surgeries have been successful! The veterinarian will remove the small amount of hair that could still potentially be a problem, and a third surgery will not be required for any of the kitties. One of the three kitties, Cody, has been adopted and will soon be going home. Zack and cupcake, however, are still waiting for a home to call their own.
11/04
All of these kitties are adopted and doing well in their homes, thanks the many people who support the shelter and have allowed us to give them a second chance!
