The insanity began last June, before I had the best luck ever and found you all!
If it wasn't for you all the past year I don't know if all the kitties would have survived, or that I would have made it through in one piece either.
Saying thank you is such an understatement. The love and support here has been beyond amazing and I am truly in a state of aw and gratitude for everything.
These are the stories for those interested - or you can just look at the pretty pictures and know this site had a had in getting us all through the year. :-) They are hear, n a large part - because of all of you.
The first Emergency - Mia:
A week before I was to leave across the country to my nieces Wedding and just after I started to rip apart the house in prep for a full renovation, including wiring, badness stuck. One of my girls from a feral colony I care take had an emergency.
Mia's anus was massive, there was puss and blood coming out, she could barely lift herself up. I took her into ER. Her sedated her and manually looked at her. She was in such pain that she woke up and had to be fully put under. X-rays were taken and it appeared she had something small trying to come out that wasn't. The vet tried to manually move it out, but it was a no go. She was septic too. Lots of meds were given.
Eventually I was sent home with her with much medication and food and instructions to wait and watch.
She stopped eating. She was so lethargic. I was so scared.
I thought I was going to have cancel the trip - I thought I was going to lose her- which I was fine with - but some kind people who normally don't board feral took her in gave her round the clock care. (Vet techs to whom I am grateful for.) They talked to me daily on how she was.
When I came home - she still had not passed what ever it was and barely eating - but she was at least somewhat stable.
She became worse and many ER and normal vet visits later we had a plan. Getting her to poop and keep her strength up was exhausting.
By this time I had found this site and read and read and read and the help was so invaluable. I finally joined and the help was amazing.
Mia finally started to eat and eventually pooped out a very small skull that had torn her insides pretty bad. She has to stay inside forever now but she is alive and a nearly a year later is slowly adjusting. She's on a diet atm as now she's a little chucky. opps.
This is her today:
Emergency Number 2 - White Label:
Just as I began to catch my breath with Mia and slowly introduce her to the resident kitty (Charlie) which was going quite badly since he's a dominate fellow - White Label was accidentally poisoned by the neighbors.
They had been trying to deter a skunk family and place a cocktail of disaster down... mothballs, apple cidar vinegar, bleach and ammonia to name but a few.
White Label was in big trouble - she couldn't breath. I finally was able to get her when she was too weak to run and brought her to the ER vet. X-rays, shots, meds - her lungs had filled up with fluid. Much medication later and home we went.
She also stopped eating.
I rush her more than once to the ER. There was one point I thought she was going to die in my arms.
Many a moon later with support, love and advice from here, and good medical care - her she is:
The third wasn't an emergency - thankfully - but I could leave their sister BH (BraveHeart) out all alone and she was so unhappy without them ...that in she came around the end of August / September:
BraveHeart:
Here are the three together:
So there I am trying to mange all these issues, introductions, house renovations, lack of sleep etc and then the third Emergency came - Resident Kitty Charlie:
Charlie already had a heart condition, Asthma, a food allergy he would never let me help him with and some behavior issues.
Needless to say the introductions were very, very, very slow and steady. Charlie is a high stress, high energy, high maintenance cat with issues. So I was always worried this would give him crystals. So every step I took with the new kitties and him was very, very slow.
Then one day he attacked someone like a rabid dog - for no obvious reason.
It was suggested here that I take him to the vet - even though there were no other symptoms. I did - reluctantly and in full honesty thinking it was a waste of time and money and as you can image with all the other vet bills it was hard financially as well. by now though - I had learned to trust the experience here. So I took him.
Turns out his urine was full of blood and her had e-coli. Shocked the helk out of me since his home conditions are so clean! Bad luck the vet said. In my head I'm thinking - bad luck - yup understatement of the year.
In the process of getting him fixed, his stress level hit the ceiling and by his second test - he had crystals. ^%$#& My worst fear.
2 months of antibiotics, lots of care and love ....and finally this week he is clear!
If that's not enough good news - after 3 years of trying to get him to do a food trial - thanks to the help and support here - we did it! He's successfully completed a three month trial and he is on the mend! His fur is great. Tummy is doing great. No e-coli or Crystals either!
Here he is in his most favorite lounging spot:
While we have a long ways to go still with behavior, health and getting everyone to get along - we've come a long way in a nearly a year. We have miles to go but we are here in a large part because of all of you. Yes, great, great vet care too but the advice and support here did more than I can say.
So if you ever think you're advice, all the time spend with us, your help, encouragement, virtual hugs or love falls on deaf ears , or isn't helpful - please re-read this long thread (Yeah I tend to write long threads - sorry) and know there is a girl and four cats that will forever be thankful for you for everything you've done for us and I am sure - for others.
You saved my sanity - and I have no doubt a few lives too. This place is invaluable and the people here are the best in the world that I have ever had the privilege of being in a community with.
With more love and gratitude than we can express...
Feral Hearts and Family.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOX
PS - I feel so much more competent taking care of the wee ones now thanks to you all and the last few days is the first time in nearly a year I've slept through the night. I feel like I can start to breath again and relax - a little. :-)
If it wasn't for you all the past year I don't know if all the kitties would have survived, or that I would have made it through in one piece either.
Saying thank you is such an understatement. The love and support here has been beyond amazing and I am truly in a state of aw and gratitude for everything.
These are the stories for those interested - or you can just look at the pretty pictures and know this site had a had in getting us all through the year. :-) They are hear, n a large part - because of all of you.
The first Emergency - Mia:
A week before I was to leave across the country to my nieces Wedding and just after I started to rip apart the house in prep for a full renovation, including wiring, badness stuck. One of my girls from a feral colony I care take had an emergency.
Mia's anus was massive, there was puss and blood coming out, she could barely lift herself up. I took her into ER. Her sedated her and manually looked at her. She was in such pain that she woke up and had to be fully put under. X-rays were taken and it appeared she had something small trying to come out that wasn't. The vet tried to manually move it out, but it was a no go. She was septic too. Lots of meds were given.
Eventually I was sent home with her with much medication and food and instructions to wait and watch.
She stopped eating. She was so lethargic. I was so scared.
I thought I was going to have cancel the trip - I thought I was going to lose her- which I was fine with - but some kind people who normally don't board feral took her in gave her round the clock care. (Vet techs to whom I am grateful for.) They talked to me daily on how she was.
When I came home - she still had not passed what ever it was and barely eating - but she was at least somewhat stable.
She became worse and many ER and normal vet visits later we had a plan. Getting her to poop and keep her strength up was exhausting.
By this time I had found this site and read and read and read and the help was so invaluable. I finally joined and the help was amazing.
Mia finally started to eat and eventually pooped out a very small skull that had torn her insides pretty bad. She has to stay inside forever now but she is alive and a nearly a year later is slowly adjusting. She's on a diet atm as now she's a little chucky. opps.
This is her today:
Emergency Number 2 - White Label:
Just as I began to catch my breath with Mia and slowly introduce her to the resident kitty (Charlie) which was going quite badly since he's a dominate fellow - White Label was accidentally poisoned by the neighbors.
They had been trying to deter a skunk family and place a cocktail of disaster down... mothballs, apple cidar vinegar, bleach and ammonia to name but a few.
White Label was in big trouble - she couldn't breath. I finally was able to get her when she was too weak to run and brought her to the ER vet. X-rays, shots, meds - her lungs had filled up with fluid. Much medication later and home we went.
She also stopped eating.
I rush her more than once to the ER. There was one point I thought she was going to die in my arms.
Many a moon later with support, love and advice from here, and good medical care - her she is:
The third wasn't an emergency - thankfully - but I could leave their sister BH (BraveHeart) out all alone and she was so unhappy without them ...that in she came around the end of August / September:
BraveHeart:
Here are the three together:
So there I am trying to mange all these issues, introductions, house renovations, lack of sleep etc and then the third Emergency came - Resident Kitty Charlie:
Charlie already had a heart condition, Asthma, a food allergy he would never let me help him with and some behavior issues.
Needless to say the introductions were very, very, very slow and steady. Charlie is a high stress, high energy, high maintenance cat with issues. So I was always worried this would give him crystals. So every step I took with the new kitties and him was very, very slow.
Then one day he attacked someone like a rabid dog - for no obvious reason.
It was suggested here that I take him to the vet - even though there were no other symptoms. I did - reluctantly and in full honesty thinking it was a waste of time and money and as you can image with all the other vet bills it was hard financially as well. by now though - I had learned to trust the experience here. So I took him.
Turns out his urine was full of blood and her had e-coli. Shocked the helk out of me since his home conditions are so clean! Bad luck the vet said. In my head I'm thinking - bad luck - yup understatement of the year.
In the process of getting him fixed, his stress level hit the ceiling and by his second test - he had crystals. ^%$#& My worst fear.
2 months of antibiotics, lots of care and love ....and finally this week he is clear!
If that's not enough good news - after 3 years of trying to get him to do a food trial - thanks to the help and support here - we did it! He's successfully completed a three month trial and he is on the mend! His fur is great. Tummy is doing great. No e-coli or Crystals either!
Here he is in his most favorite lounging spot:
While we have a long ways to go still with behavior, health and getting everyone to get along - we've come a long way in a nearly a year. We have miles to go but we are here in a large part because of all of you. Yes, great, great vet care too but the advice and support here did more than I can say.
So if you ever think you're advice, all the time spend with us, your help, encouragement, virtual hugs or love falls on deaf ears , or isn't helpful - please re-read this long thread (Yeah I tend to write long threads - sorry) and know there is a girl and four cats that will forever be thankful for you for everything you've done for us and I am sure - for others.
You saved my sanity - and I have no doubt a few lives too. This place is invaluable and the people here are the best in the world that I have ever had the privilege of being in a community with.
With more love and gratitude than we can express...
Feral Hearts and Family.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOX
PS - I feel so much more competent taking care of the wee ones now thanks to you all and the last few days is the first time in nearly a year I've slept through the night. I feel like I can start to breath again and relax - a little. :-)
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