I thought I write you a note about my new foster who’s name is now Fred. I picked him up the day after you posted about him & he didn’t make a sound the whole ride home. As you posted, his owner died and he wasn't found for a long time. I can’t imagine how terrible that must have been. While he is a little depressed because of his new surroundings & recent huge life changes, he does purr & rolls over for belly rubs every time I walk by. His mattes are gone & he’s left with a funky haircut but he also has fatty liver, URI & is anorexic.
He comes with some baggage:
A task like this might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I’m hoping that with sub Q fluids, force-feeding multiple times a day, eye meds & anti-biotics he’ll start eating on his own & then we can work on getting him on a diet.
For now his eating habits are a matter of life & death. It was clearly explained to me that he might have to be put down because his refusal to eat will lead to more liver issues & jaundice. All I can do is try & make him happy & hope I can stimulate his appetite. In an ideal world he’d just eat. Then he’d be adopted by a family who is looking for a handsome sweetheart just like him & he’d live a long healthy life.
I sat outside with him for an hour yesterday & brushed him out, he was loving every second of sunshine. I’ve got a good feeling about him. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body & he’s really just grateful for every second of attention he gets. Paws crossed the next few days go well for him.
Marcie is one of the candidates running for a seat on the board of directors for the Toronto Humane Society. She is on the Faces of Change slate.
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17 comments:
How wonderful that Marcie took him - I have been fretting about that poor old boy since I saw the story. I am rooting hard for him - and feel under Marcie's kind hands he may improve. What a tramautic time that poor kitten has been through! But out of the shelter environment, in a home, he may rally... here's hoping.
and if this doesn't tell you where FOC candidates stand, nothing will.
Wow, what an incredible woman to take on that responsibility. I love this world!
yay for Marcie and for Fred (and the other Fred, too)!
one of my cats went through a brief period of inappetance/anorexia that did lead to a mild case of fatty liver disease along with jaundice. not long after we started force-feeding her, her own appetite kicked back in and she began eating on her own: the condition reversed itself pretty quickly and she was good as new not long afterwards. i hope fred has just as fast a turnaround!
I had to do the force feeding when I first got my cat. He had a tube sticking out of stomach and I injected the wet food into it using a syringe. It was difficult but well worth the effort. He eventually began to eat on his own. 14 years later he is my very special, beloved boy. I am so glad I made the effort with him. I hope Fred comes through just as well. He is so very lucky to have a friend like you Marcie! Good luck, I will be praying for Fred. I bet just knowing he has your love is going to be the best medicine right now!!
Susan
Marcie, bless your heart. Fred sure did look as though he was covered in kittens. I cannot imagine what he has gone through. I hope that, with a little TLC, his appetite perks up. He sounds like a sweetheart.
Best of luck to you and the Faces of Change this weekend and of course the animals at the THS once it reopens in June.
Marcie, you officially rock. You're amazing. I imagine the poor fellow wouldn't eat because he was depressed (can you imagine losing your human and being alone for so long and then ending up in a cage? that'd depress any of us). Crossing fingers (and paws) that he WILL start eating now that he's in a home again and the rest will fall into place. YOU ARE A STAR AND HIS SAVIOUR. And nice tribute to Fred his namesake.
Thank you Marcie...I have been worried about this boy from the first time I saw him and went back and forth arguing in my mind the reasons to adopt him and the reasons not to adopt him. I don't deal well with the death of any of my little friends and I did not want to bring him into a home with other animals and increase his stress level and further aggravate his condition. Having had a cat that wouldn't eat before, I tried Temptations (kitty crack) that they seem unable to resist and it is better than nothing and great if it makes his appetite kick in. Also, some Fancy Feast (the McDonalds of cat food that stinks to high heaven) but they seem unable to resist it unless they are in dire, dire circumstances. My vet also gave me a cream to rub on the ears that does really increase their appetite. This is just my experiences and maybe they could be of some help. If THS had seen fit to cash my cheque and process my membership application, I would be putting a great big "X" right next to your name. Please keep us posted on how Fred does...fingers crossed.
Marcie, you're wonderful to take this fellow on and give him the TLC he so desperately needs. Here's hoping he feels loved again, and starts to eat and play.
Marcie, you are an amazing, amazing woman! We will also keep our paws crossed over here for Fred and only think of a positive outcome for him. He sounds like a sweetheart who deserves a break.
Thank you,Marcie. And thank you, Fred.
Force feeding will do it. Hopefully he will start eating. Don't give up on Little Fred. Glad there's people like the both of you around.
God Bless you Marcie. You are an angel. Be well Fred kitty.
And you to Fred.
Loving and caring for animals isn`t for the faint of heart that`s for sure.
I am thrilled to read that some nice, capable person took on this cat. I hope we hear more reports on his progress. Best of luck :)
Thank you Marcie! So glad that you took him on! I'm dying to hear an update on how he's progressing!
Is there any update on this little guy? I'd love to hear how he's doing.
Lisa
I just heard Fred is going to see the TAS vet today for a recheck and Marcie will provide an update on him afterward.
Yay! I've been thinking about him.
Very sad news for Fred. He was euthanized yesterday when his liver condition got suddenly worse. Here is the e-mail from Marcie:
Fred was put down today. I think his heart broke after his owner passed away & he never recovered.
He was happy, enjoyed the sunshine, his evening brush & being waited on. He rolled over for belly rubs & purred whenever I walked in the room. His body just couldn't fight off its ailments any longer. He spent the night at the clinic last night & things didn’t turn out so great. It's bitter sweet, I'm obviously sad because he was one of the kindest souls I've ever encountered but at the same time he got a chance, a chance that many animals are not so lucky to get.
Thanks for posting about him on your blog. I really enjoyed his company & I'm grateful I got to be apart of his life even if it was only for a short while.
-Marcie
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