GLP - 2016-11-11 11:34 AM My sister rescued a kitten while leaving a college rodeo during a snow storm. That cat hauled to the rodeos with her stretched out on the dashboard for years. Many years later she saved my sister's life twice. My sister has juvenile diabetes. Late one night her blood sugar dropped so low she couldn't let anyone in the house know. The cat ran up snd down the stairs yowelling until my parents woke up and ran up stairs to check on her. The EMS people told my parents if the cat hadn't awoken them right then, she would have died. That cat did that another time, too. Oh, by the way she was a black cat!

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-11 9:36 AM Oh my goodness what a wonderful story!! Way to go Kitty!!!  

Griz - 2016-11-11 12:20 PM WAY TO GO!!! God bless you for helping this kitty!

Yes...bless you!!!!

We have been doing feral cat duty. We have recused/saved/spayed/put into a barn cat program...17 cats in less than a year. It is a huge problem and/or task if you are an animal lover. They keep getting dropped off! It is just nuts! We have three that are indoor at night and two that are outdoor. One of the outdoor ones is coal black and he is the most loving. He was a mess... His back left leg/hip has been broken and he has tons of scars under his fur that you can feel. He showed up sick and we kept him, cuz we knew no one would want him. We thought he would be put down automatically as he was a big health mess and completely black. Plus, he is not trusting at all with just anyone...he's very particular. But, after a few months he is fine (somewhat of a limp), but very fat and healthy... Even kind of friendly to other people now. 

It is very hard...but bless you for going back. :)

Gator Bug - 2016-11-11 12:44 PM  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-11 12:49 PM Vet said ther is a man who lives behind the daycare that has two Feral cats that continue to get bred. She has tried multiple times to catch them to spay them for free but can't catch them. She said she had two others come in about a week ago that were also 10 weeks. She thinks they were related. Said the other two didn't make it. 



SO wasn't very upset when I told him we had a cat and didn't have $60 just now lol. Said he knows I couldn't just leave it there but he wishes it was a dog or a bunny or anything other than a cat. LOL

He's a teddy bear with a grizzly bear appearance. 

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-11 12:49 PM


Vet said ther is a man who lives behind the daycare that has two Feral cats that continue to get bred. She has tried multiple times to catch them to spay them for free but can't catch them. She said she had two others come in about a week ago that were also 10 weeks. She thinks they were related. Said the other two didn't make it. 

SO wasn't very upset when I told him we had a cat and didn't have $60 just now lol. Said he knows I couldn't just leave it there but he wishes it was a dog or a bunny or anything other than a cat. LOL
He's a teddy bear with a grizzly bear appearance. 

rodeoveteran - 2016-11-11 2:42 PM I was going to quote your original post with.... I am now in love with you a little. Now I am also a little in love with your SO. It's an easy thing to do when you like cats. And now you have looked into getting shots just to keep it around. I stick to my original reaction.

MS2011 - 2016-11-11 3:44 PM  Awe.... I'm a sucker for kittens.  Bless you for taking her in - hope she's getting stronger.  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-11 11:19 AM

 And My SO doesn't know just yet that I'm $60 less in my account... 

So I walked my daughter into daycare this morning and there was a kitten laying on the steps. (I'm already late and multiple people have walked by already.) Same kitten I saw by the dumpster and thought about catching and taking to the shelter yesterday. Long story short I thought the kitten was dead. Got my daughter inside and went back out to move the kitten and it hissed at me... I'm deathly allergic to cats but my heart couldn't just leave it there. Picked it up and took it to our vet. (After a double dose of allergy medicine.)
 $60 later kitty has a 50% chance of making it through the night. She's a 1 on the body condition scale. Gave her an antibiotic shot and cleaned a puncture wound on her neck. She was purring the whole hour I had to wait to get her in to see our vet. Our vet was overloaded with walk ins bless her heart. 

So now kitty is in my office,,, in a box... under a heat lamp. Belly full and purring. Did I mention she's all black? Creeps me out. But again, I couldn't just leave her there... 

My daughter wanted to pet the "baby" this morning when we walked past her. Guess she'll get to pet her after all. I really don't like cats but I'm warming up to her. I even scheduled her for shots if she makes it...Oh boy...
 Doc said she was 10 weeks. 

Anyone else have a story they'd like to tell. Darn our big hearts... 
 

GLP - 2016-11-11 11:34 AM

My sister rescued a kitten while leaving a college rodeo during a snow storm. That cat hauled to the rodeos with her stretched out on the dashboard for years. Many years later she saved my sister's life twice. My sister has juvenile diabetes. Late one night her blood sugar dropped so low she couldn't let anyone in the house know. The cat ran up snd down the stairs yowelling until my parents woke up and ran up stairs to check on her. The EMS people told my parents if the cat hadn't awoken them right then, she would have died. That cat did that another time, too. Oh, by the way she was a black cat!

Tilt The Kilt - 2016-11-12 6:12 PM

  My daughter and I rescued a kitten who was thrown from a vehicle at the end of August.  Everyone was standing around on the side of the road trying to decide who was going to dispatch it.  It was storming hard so she was soaking wet and laying in blood and diarrhea, couldn't stand at all or sit fully upright at first.   It looked pretty bad but not sure it needed it's neck wrung right that minute as was being suggested.  I contacted the local shelter which was still open and they put me in touch with the vet. Shelter said they'd give me $50 if I agreed to foster it for them.  I called the vet, but after he said it would be $150 to walk in the door, I decided to wait until morning when he said he'd make room first thing.  It was having a hard time getting a breath, strained rapid breathing, but I couldn't justify $150 before they even examined her. The next morning it was found that she had a very large tear in her diaphragm.  Needed a $500 + surgery to repair it.  All of her lower abdominal organs were up in her chest cavity, which is why her lungs couldn't fully inflate. I deferred to the shelter for what to do since I couldn't float that entire cost...they said to have the vet go ahead and do it.  

Home a few days later and she was then having GI issues from the major surgery. Back to the vet for 3 days. Got her home, all's well.  A month goes by the shelter wants her spayed.  Take her back...they never return her, I never hear a word.  I called repeatedly to ask about her because she'd always come to back us to recover.  They finally returned my call and said they were keeping her to adopt her out. 

I told the kids she wasn't coming back, but we'd go see her at the shelter in a couple days to say goodbye if she was still there.  We got there and an employee pulled me aside and said someone in the community had offered to pay her adoption fees ($125) only if she is adopted to our family.

So here is Portia.  She also caught some cold at the vet or the shelter the last time she was there.  A $60 shot from another vet and all's well hopefully for a long while.  Most expensive cat in the history of our little county I'm sure of it.

Her miserable no good very bad night:  



Portia two months after her surgery:



And she plays video games.  She can even level up the Friskies game on her own.  

 

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-11 4:21 PM She is curled up in a ball in her box under her heat lamp. I keep putting my hand on her to make sure she's still breathing... So far so good. No sleep tonight I'm sure. Between my little girl wanting to hold/love/hug which she can't do right now and me having anxiety that the kitten is going to stop breathing I am sure glad tomorrow is Saturday! 

GLP - 2016-11-14 10:20 AM My sister who has saved a couple of kittens said to wet a cloth and when you feed her, wipe her little bottom gently with it. It simulates the momma cat cleaning up the kitten, or something like that. I can't remember how old your kitten is, but I know she had to do this with the kittens she had to bottle feed. I am go glad she is still with you.

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-14 10:24 AM Thank you for the idea!
She is 10 weeks old.
I will try this tonight and see if it helps her any. 
I'm not sure when cats are "weaned" or when they are ready to be on their own or anything like that so I'm not sure if at 10 weeks they should still be nursing with mom? 

The things I am doing for this cat... LOL  

MS2011 - 2016-11-14 10:33 AM If you can swing it, I'd take her back to the vet.  Maybe they can give her something to help her get stronger more quickly (YAY - she made it thru the wknd!!)

Cats can be weaned 6-8 weeks, so she wouldn't still be with her mama.  She's probably just super weak.  :-/ 

ETA - is she eating & drinking some?  what are you feeding her?

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-14 12:11 PM

I bought some wet cat food from the vet. I'm not sure what brand but the can is white with red lettering that reads "Recovery" under the brand.  

Since she made it and is improving I think I'll take her back Tuesday morning and get the fluid IV for her. Doc said it would perk her up and give her strength but she didn't want to give it to her unless she made it. (That way we didn't spend $100+ on her for her to just die.. I know that sounds terrible and it is terrible to say and do, but I honestly didn't have $100 on me to spend on her without dipping into the SOs savings. And that is a no no.
 But now that she's made it I believe a second trip to see what else we can do for her is in order.

ETA she is eating and drinking normally, just isn't having bowel movements. I'm afraid she is going to get backed up... 

rodeoveteran - 2016-11-14 1:59 PM You are an AWESOME cat hater, lol. Glad to hear that she is making progress. Don't feel judged for not doing the IV right away. We must be careful with our money and put it where it will do the most good.

MS2011 - 2016-11-14 3:19 PM You're doing an AWESOME job.  Lots of prayers for her. I'm with the previous poster - don't feel bad for not opting for IV the first time.  As much as I would've wanted to do it, we've got to watch our $$ and it just sucks some days.  That's not a terrible thing at all.    

Southtxponygirl - 2016-11-15 12:29 PM Hows Kitty today?  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-15 4:39 PM Kitty is good. Sadly I didn't get paid today (BOO!) so I rescheduled the vet appointment.



Still no bowel movements. Starting to think that her organs have already shut down from the malnutrition?



Other than that she's up and wobbling around and meowing very very loudly lol. Trying to walk around. Still can't hold herself up on the back end very well.



My little girl still is over the moon about Julie the Cat. She squeals when I let her hold the kitty. 



But she's trying!  

Gator Bug - 2016-11-15 5:02 PM Since I posted, I have been following this thread and checking it twice a day! LOL



I Googled 'malnutrition kitten bowel movement'. It came up with a lot about small kittens, but I didn't read all of them. It had a very detailed feeding/care schedule for kittens. It might have something you can do or feed to get a bowel movement in one of those articles. 

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-15 5:34 PM How sweet of you to check back so often.

I will channel my inner Googling skills and see if I can pull up the info.



I've been using the wet wash cloth and haven't had any lucky yet. But I'm still trying ! Can't hurt right?  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-16 4:48 PM

I don't think I have ever been this excited to come home to a mess before! We have movement! (And a check. Checks are helpful for Vet appointments LOL)   

P68 - 2016-11-17 5:57 PM

Little known fact. . .black cats are the luckiest!!!! (Maybe just say'n from experience but still. . .) Consider yourself blessed!!

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-20 9:23 AM You know, a lady at work told me the same thing! Julie is outhe of bed and RUNNING everywhere! She is still a little odd when she runs but she's getting the hang of her back legs!  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-20 8:23 AM


You know, a lady at work told me the same thing! Julie is outhe of bed and RUNNING everywhere! She is still a little odd when she runs but she's getting the hang of her back legs!  

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-20 8:23 AM You know, a lady at work told me the same thing! Julie is outhe of bed and RUNNING everywhere! She is still a little odd when she runs but she's getting the hang of her back legs!  

livexlovexrodeo - 2016-11-21 11:14 AM I love cats. I've bottle raised two litters of kittens, and there's nothing funnier than kittens. I currently got my first kitten in a really long time, and I just love her, she cracks me up. I hope your kitty keeps getting better, kittens can be tough if they get sick :(

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-21 9:38 AM


Wow! That's a lot of work!  

I think she's out of the woods. Vet said she's looking great! 

livexlovexrodeo - 2016-11-21 12:15 PM It really is, but it was worth it! we kept a kitten from each litter and they have been the best cats. My grandpa owned the feed store in town and we tried to catch and spay/relocate as many cats as we could but twice there were litters born and abandoned in the warehouse. Both my dad and grandpa pretend to be tough but they are suckers for baby animals lol

Southtxponygirl - 2016-11-22 10:54 AM Hey name Fairies I think "Awesome Cat Hating Owner" fits IRunOnFaith really good.    

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-22 9:18 AM


I worked for a vet back in Oklahoma who would catch the strays, spay them or neuter them, and then while they were still out he would freeze brand them with OSU on both sides. Their hair would come back white and each cat had white OSU letters on their sides.
 He had a mouse problem at the clinic and everyone around there kept taking the cats home after he would spay or neuter them. The cats would always end up running away. (The cats were pretty feral and well over the kitten stage.)
Since everyone around were OU fans the cats finally weren't taken home anymore. Our mouse problem quickly went away at the clinic. He kept an open stall every day for the cats to bed down in with food and water. Pretty smart man that vet was. LOL  


Update on Julie today: Julie likes to play with the squeeky ball my SO of all people bought her. She also enjoys hiding and attacking my feet when I walk by. I now remember why I am not a cat person. That HURTS when she bites my toes! 

IRunOnFaith - 2016-11-22 5:54 PM LOL Roxie! Of all the nicknames out there it would be my luck to be stuck with this one! Although rodeoveteran told me I was an Awesome Cat Hater too lol   

Chandler's Mom - 2017-03-10 8:21 PM I love when folks come back and tell us the good things that are happening. Especially when, like you said, some things in the world aren't looking up. . . . What a blessed kitty she is that a good old cat hater like yourself found her

Southtxponygirl - 2017-03-13 1:00 PM Dang girly, I cant believe that you have not gotton a name from this thread yet.. Your about the bestest cat hater non cat hater I have heard of...