3/6/21 – Pumpkin and Pounce are both members of the same cat community. They are pretty lucky in that their caretaker provides them with a protected gazebo with cameras where she can keep an eye on them and their health. First Pumpkin showed up with his eyes in very bad shape, obviously the effect of a severe upper respiratory infection. His caretaker, Rena, noticed he hadn’t been eating (typical when a cat can’t smell his food) and he would show up intermittently. She was finally able to get him eye drops and gave them but he didn’t get better. Finally, we were able to get him into a vet where he was treated and, thankfully, is now doing well and his eyes have cleared up. – diana

3/5/21 – And for an uplifting update–Ziggy who I posted about yesterday is doing much better. As you know, we were concerned that Ziggy may have contracted FIP. Fortunately, we were able to get Ziggy into one of our partner vets yesterday afternoon and just before going to the doctor, his rescuer, Dawn, noticed a huge wound under his arm, hidden by his fur. Ziggy got to the doctor’s office where he confirmed that Ziggy had a severe infection from a bite would which was causing his frightening symptoms. The little guy is definitely a fighter in that, the vet tech had to muzzle him and later on, when he got home, he bit his savior through her sweater. But all is well. He is taking his meds including ear drops. Last night he was much feistier, he crawled out of his box and went into the kitchen when he heard Dawn feeding the other cats. She could tell that the wound was causing him to hurt when he walked but we now know it will get better. He ate almost all of his food and we feel strongly that Ziggy is on the mend. Here is the wound. – diana

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3/5/21 – And so it continues. RIP Very Sweet Nala. Last night I received a call from the emergency hospital who works with us. A very kind person had found a cat earlier in the day, lying on the side of I-69 in Capac, MI. The kitty who he named, Nala, was very emaciated and was having issues with her back legs. We authorized Nala to be seen and treated and she quickly started receiving fluids. The doctor estimated her to be 5-6 years old. X-Rays were taken because it appeared she had feeling in one back leg but was having difficulty moving her legs–if at all. The doctor saw what appeared to be a foreign object which may had been causing problems with her eating but she was still unsure until more tests could be done. Because she weighed just a little over 2 lbs. it was very difficult to draw blood but later in the night I received a call from the doctor. The doctor was still unsure of whether there was something foreign in her or if she had ingested something toxic, or was just so emaciated she couldn’t move. Her white blood cell count was very high indicating an infection and there was concern over her kidney levels. We agreed to continue supportive care to see how she made it through the night. This morning the doctor called to report that trauma to the spinal cord appeared to be the issue with Nala’s legs. Her kidney levels continued to be high and the fluids didn’t seem to be helping. The doctor felt that Nala was suffering and if and when she could have surgery, the likelihood of her surviving was very low. I spoke with the rescuer and he spoke with the doctor and it was agreed by all to let Nala cross the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts break thinking about the many animals suffering on the streets in this bitter cold weather. And anyone who knows the area, Capac, which is in the Thumb, can get much nastier than in the areas around the ‘big city’. The area she was found was wide open with snow and ice still on the ground. We are grateful for the many amazing people like her rescuer, Daniel, who saved this ‘snuggler’ from suffering and dying on the streets. – diana

3/4/21 – Asking for all of our Prayer Warriors to say a prayer for Ziggy. Just after Christmas Ziggy showed up at Dawn’s house and just after 3 days, started wandering into her home. He’s probably less than a year and other than being very thin, he was healthy, eating well, etc. Then, yesterday morning he went into the home around 9 a.m., ate, got in a box, and then never came out. I received a call from Dawn last night. Ziggy’s temperature had risen to 107.6 degrees and he was listless. Dawn gave him antibiotics and fluids while we checked in with some experts. Thankfully, Ziggy made it through the night and he has an appointment to have blood work and x rays in a little while.

With everything that has been going on lately, we are concerned that Ziggy might be another victim of FIP. Here is Ziggy 1/2/21 and now. Honestly, we are getting tapped out if this is the case. My heart breaks for these stray animals who have no one but us to care. I’ll update as I get information. – diana

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3/2/21 – The story of Puzzler. Awhile back, our rescue friend, Bonnie, trapped a female who was pregnant and had been responsible for a few litters prior. Unfortunately, she was unable to trap, at the time, a 3-4 month old kitten the female had in a different litter. Bonnie felt so bad that they had to be separated but then later she saw that a male cat she had been feeding, Puzzler, had taken the untrappable kitten under his paw. They became fast friends and Bonnie continued to care for them outside. Then one day she was able to trap April, the kitten, and we took care of her medical. Shortly after, Puzzler showed up with a very swollen face. This time she was able to trap him and we were able to get him quickly into a vet. He had two abscesses on his face, one was still and open wound which was healing. Another abscess was found on his face. His fur was shaved around the wounds for proper cleaning and he was given antibiotics. He will be vaccinated and neutered once recovered. The good news is that Puzzler was reunited with “his baby buddy”, April. They are both in a foster home together. Both are very sweet and they will be looking for their furever home. The last photo is Puzzler and April taken earlier when they were still both outside. We continue to be so very thankful for the rescuers, the fosters, our vets, and our donors. – diana

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