Galaxy - A Tiny Kitten With A Big Heart

I woke up early morning last October 3, a usual work day and I saw there was a text message on my phone. It was from my brother saying "Please text me when you're awake". I must admit I was a little alarmed because it's not the usual message I receive from him. I told him I was awake and he came to my room, talking very slowly. "I saw a kitten last night, he was in distress." It was raining hard the night before. "What did you do?" I asked him. "He was so tiny and it was raining so hard, I placed an umbrella to protect him from the rain." I knew he wasn't finished so I waited for him to continue. "He was in one of the flower pots outside, I could feel something was wrong, so I went back. Some sick a*****e took the umbrella from where I placed it" said my brother. At this point we were taking care of 38 cats plus the stray cats regularly fed outside. I could feel number 39 was just coming, and he said "he's in my room, I made sure to keep him dry and gave him some of your soy milk since we don't have any kitten formula, are you mad?"

How could I get mad at him, when he always sees me bringing home injured and helpless cats and kittens, sometimes even having him as my accomplice. I was proud of him! It's going to be an addition to our budget but the good Lord provides, always. So the first order of things was to get lactose free milk (which he did) and visit the vet. When I got home, we bundled the kitten and went to the doctor. My brother told me that her (we figured she was a girl) butt had a wound and they took maggots from her back the night before. We thought,maybe, there were maggots in the pot. We didn't put two and two together until the doctor saw her. The maggots were coming from her behind and she was confined right away. It was a terrible thing to happen to such a young kitten, she was estimated at only 2 weeks old.

Galaxy in an incubator

If the maggots were not all removed, they would eat her intestines and it would be a painful death. But tiny Galaxy wanted to live, so when I came back the next day, she was all curled up inside the incubator and the nurses told me she would always finish her milk and even ask for more. After 2 more nights, the maggots were gone and her wound had begun healing. She stays with my brother and he and his friends take turns bottle feeding her, giving and applying her medicine and cleaning up after her. She has gained weight and is a fluffy little darling. She just loves to drink her milk, play with us and sleep on the bed. She has her own toy ball and it just makes us laugh watching her play.

It would be a joy to watch her grow into the kitty that she was meant to be.

Picking Up the Pieces

We were on our way to get a late lunch in early July when we saw a white and orange cat laying on his blood surrounded by people by the road. My brother and I stopped a few feet away and asked them if he was still alive. They said that surely he was going to die already. He was run over by a car. We were quite scared that we would see his insides scattered on the ground. But there was no other choice but to get him and hope for the best. He turned his head to us and made a very weak meow. On the way to the hospital we could hear him gurgling blood, we called ahead so that the doctor would be ready for us when we came in.

He had a broken palate and one of his eye suffered trauma. He had to be stabilized before they could do any x-rays or any more tests and was put on pain killers.

We named him Cheesecake. He was hiding the lower part of his face when we were able to see him. This was late Friday afternoon. My friend Marvie rushed to the hospital to see Cheesecake so he would feel people were rooting for him.

On Saturday I went to see him and his face was so swollen that I couldn't help but cry for him. The nurses assured me that they were doing everything to keep him comfortable. The swelling was to be expected after that much trauma. I spoke with the doctor and she said she will try to insert a tube in his trachea on Tuesday so they can feed him. We had to wait for him stabilize.

On Sunday morning, my brother and I visited him and he was just laying there. We talked to him and he would meow quietly. We returned in the evening when the nurse told us that he was unresponsive. He did try to move his head and meow when we called out to him. Close to midnight, we received another call that he was in a lot of pain. I called Marvie and together with my brother, met in the hospital to see him. We were utterly shocked to see that he had deteriorated in such short amount of time. He was barely recognizable, there was blood in every orifice. His other eye was popping out and had glossed over, staring vacantly. We talked to the doctor on duty and he said that the pain medication were no longer working, they were already giving him the high calibre pain killers. We knew what needed to be done, even if it was breaking our hearts. We went with him when it was time so he wouldn't be alone when he was released from his suffering. We shed tears for the loss of his precious life.

I will never forget the heart wrenching pain I felt for this cat that I barely knew. Some people do not realize the pain and suffering they inflict on another life, but this I saw with my own eyes. They never knew the life they changed, the misery they caused. The rest of us are left to pick up the pieces - the broken bodies and the loss of will to live. I hope that Cheesecake left this world feeling that he was not alone and that he was not worthless. He made an impact in our lives and he will never be forgotten, rest in peace Cheesecake.

Blueberry

I wrote about Blueberry last May, as he was still settling in. It wasn't hard to fall in love with this little guy. He even made our trips to the vet pass by pleasantly as he would weave himself around my neck and hang on like a furry scarf. He was  best friends with one of my grouchy cats. Everybody got along with him and it felt that he had been in our home forever.

He got colds and even after giving him medication and going back for check-ups he still didn't get better. Last July 24, we were heartbroken to find out that he had FIP. For cat parents, this is one of the diseases we fear the most. It has no cure and and eventually fatal. 

Blueberry left us quietly early afternoon yesterday. Last Friday, as I carried him in one of our bonding moments, he held on tightly to my neck. He wouldn't let go and I laid him on my chest as we laid down. I got scared because it was like he was saying goodbye. The next day, he didn't want to be carried anymore as he may be feeling too uncomfortable due to the fluids in his belly.

I think of the good times we had, the laughter and smiles he gave us. I remember him as the little kitty who wouldn't take no for an answer. And I try to console myself thinking that he did get the one thing he wanted - a home.

Love you Blue

Pancake

It was like any other day that my brother and I had a snack and were walking home when he said he wanted to buy something in a small store on the way. I decided to wait outside and noticed this small, dirty kitten sitting beside the tire of one of the cars parked. It was a busy road with a lot of jeepneys passing by. At first, the kitten didn't want to come out of her hiding place but after a few coaxing she shyly came forward and seemed like she was asking for food. We picked her up and walked home, with her meowing loudly all the way.

Her eyes looked infected but other than that she was fine and was soon given a clean bill of health by her doctor. We named her Pancake and she quickly answered to her name. After her quarantine period in my brother's room, we introduced her to the rest of the kitty family. She didn't let the others boss her around and it was quite an easy transition for her.

Cats have different personalities, I soon found out that Pancake was the sweet and very sociable people loving kitty. She always jumps on my lap and likes to be carried around like a little child. She would always come to me when I call her. On days that I am very tired I look forward to going home and sure enough Pancake would be there to give me that much needed hug and purrs.

Will You Take Me?

This little kitten wandered into our garage one day and never left. I saw him  the evening I got back from a trip out of town. My brother told me that he would just sleep by his doorstep and eat with the other street cats during meal times. He had an infection in one eye and the next day we noticed that the bulge had erupted and there was pus all over his face. We were going to have him checked at the hospital but at that time he was nowhere to be found. We kept looking for him in the streets, but with no results. It turned out he was hiding in my brother's room all this time. I guess he decided that he wanted to be adopted whether we wanted to or not. So on that day, Blueberry found a home. How can we turn away such a determined ball of fluff?

He was a very well behaved cat during his check up. He is still segregated from the others, staying at my brother's room/nursery for orphaned kitties. He's affectionate but can entertain himself while we're doing something else. He 's also quiet, his meows are seldom and very soft. He has grown a lot in the month that he's been with us. His colors are bright and he's put on weight. His eye is getting better, but it looks like it was too late to save it.

Sometimes, I can't help but think that Blue is still proving that he's a good kitty. In time, he will be secure enough to know that he will never go back to the streets.

Been Away For Awhile

Right now at 12:30 in the morning with several of my cats beside me, I have been thinking of the things that have happened since the start of the year. A number of my kitties have been sick, from different ailments. I also lost a little puppy we were trying to save due to distemper. But I also am very thankful that Potato is able to walk now, though he is still limping. He has been neutered and his vaccination shots are complete. Now, I am thinking of how to slowly introduce him to the rest of the clan.

Lychee has made a full recovery from her surgery to address her pyometra problem and her skin condition has improved tremendously. She is a diva with an attitude and we love her dearly.

My precious Tangerine is fighting for his life. He has been diagnosed with FIP. Every day that he is eating and doing his normal litter activity is a miracle. My dear friends, please include him in your prayers. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to have fluids removed from his abdomen. I am so glad that my boy is a fighter. 

Tangerine when he was a kitten 

I Wish I Could Have Known You More

How sad it is to see homeless animals everywhere. It is even worse to see them dying right before your eyes. Lychee, my very own puss in boots look alike is home and doing well now. But just yesterday, there was another casualty at the side of the road. As I was going home, there was a cat lying on the side of the road, and it looked lifeless. But from past experience that is not always the case. The animal could be hurt but still alive. I watched for some sign of life and it looked like it was breathing. And upon closer inspection I could see it was, although it was so shallow you'd barely notice. His location was very dangerous, he could get run over at any time. He was near our house, so I asked my Mom to look after him while I got some gloves and a carrier. He had scabies from head to tail. He even had red ants crawling on his body. He looked like he could go any time but how can one just leave him there? I was thinking, if there was nothing more that can be done, at least he will not die a slow and painful death on the street.

We brought him to the hospital and the doctors said they will try to do everything to try and save him. We named him Meatball. I have been playing around with this name in my mind and we needed to give him a name right away. He was severely dehydrated, had respiratory infection, his eyes were shut, had scabies and was skin and bones. At some point in his life, he may have been run over or hit as his jaw was askew. But I was starting to feel hope for the little guy. I was giving updates to my good friend, Marvie. I knew she understood how I felt. She told me that when Meatball gets better, we would look for a good family for him. So he was cleaned up a bit and first thing was to have him hydrated.

Very early this morning, the hospital called us to let us know that Meatball had passed away. I really didn't know him but it hurt just the same. And as I looked as his photo today, I shed tears for this little guy, who tried to hang on but was too weak to make it. So to you Meatball, I want to say, I wish I could have known you more...

Update on Lychee

It has been a hectic couple of weeks. I have been bringing my cats and dog, Honey, to the vets for their annual check ups. Two weeks after finding Lychee, I brought her to the doctor for her follow up check up. She seemed fine and had her shot of ivermectin for her scabies. She had really good progress in such a short period of time. 

After a few days, she lost her appetite and this got us worried as she really enjoys her meal times. She was taken to the doctor right away and her white blood count showed very high infection. Her doctor said it could be the deadly FIP or pyometra. I felt my heart sink at the mention of FIP, this virus took the lives of several beloved cats. She was confined and was under medication. The doctors would give me updates on how she responded to the antibiotics. Her WBC would go down and after a few days would increase again but not to the initial high levels. With the tests and x rays done on her, it was confirmed she had pyometra, which for me was the lesser of the evils. She had surgery, and being the fighter that she is, she was up about after a few days.

Lychee made a lot of friends in the hospital, from the doctors, the nurses and staff to the visitors of the other furballs there, just by being her lively, adorable self. The nurses would tell me that during mealtimes, nothing can distract her concentration. Yes, sounded like she's doing alright! And her doctor mentioned that she seemed to be enjoying her stay. She's only known the streets, so maybe being in a cage while being served food regularly was heaven for her, poor thing.

Aside from healing from her surgery, we still had her scabies to think of. She seemed better but we wanted to be sure as she will be coming home to a household of cats. So after she was given a clean bill of health 24 days later, Lychee finally came home.

As expected, she was greeted by all her new brothers and sisters, which unfortunately and also expectedly she did not take too well.  She's still adjusting right now but we are patiently waiting and excited for her to enjoy her new life. 

That Special Girl By The Side Of The Road

The day started out as usual, with so many plans for what was going to be a busy day ahead. A lot of things were on my mind. When I left home, I thought to myself, darn I left the carrier again. On my route, as I turned left, lo and behold, a very familiar figure was sitting on the side of the road looking so miserable. Its eyes were shut and my first thought was it was blind, how was it going to survive in the streets. I knew the vet office and pets supplies store in the area. On the way back, with my new carrier, I looked for the white and orange cat. It moved a little nearer the street and was laying down. As I approached I saw that it was a female (she was tricolored) and one of her ears was missing, her eyes were shut and she had scabies. She also had ants walking all over her fur. As I said hello, she looked at my direction and meowed. One lady vendor approached me and asked if I was going to take the cat. I asked if she was the owner. She said no and helped me put her in the carrier. She started to cry and I talked to her as we went along. I noticed that her cries were getting louder. I was so shocked to find her hanging at the back of my head rest, the girl had escaped her carrier! But she seemed frozen on the spot. After a few minutes of maneuvering, scattering my things in the front so she can stay beside me while in the carrier and putting her in the carrier (which was the tricky part), we were on our way. When I woke up this morning, I didn't imagine that I'd be having this adventure. Then she started scratching and all the dander flew all over, thank goodness for my inhaler!

She is now confined at the hospital. She's positive for scabies, ear mites and her blood test showed she has an infection. Good news is that she's not blind. Her blood glucose will also be monitored as results were very high.

She now goes by the name Lychee, she is so sweet and starved for affection. I wanted to hug her but couldn't the way I wanted to at this time as her skin condition is contagious, I have Honey and the cats at home to consider.

She let the doctors examine, poke, clean and extract blood from her without any complaint.

With TLC, she will be a beautiful girl someday (although to me, she is already beautiful and precious). I want her to have a good life and have all the love she wants and needs.

Lychee resting in between tests

Gratitude

Today wasn't such a great day, I was feeling physically ill and tired which led to being emotionally drained and moody. I had meetings from morning until evening and I just wanted to crawl in my bed or maybe just go to the moon.

At the end of the day I passed by a drugstore and got more underpads for Potato. As I carried my bundle, I could picture his sweet face in my mind. He was at home waiting for me and depending on us to take care of him. I could only imagine what he was going through as his life was suddenly disrupted the day he was run over. From running around and doing what he pleased to becoming paralyzed and dependent on humans. He can't even stand up to use a litter box and now he has to wear an e-collar so he wouldn't be able to lick his wounds. And all this time, he was still a very gentle soul, not attempting to scratch or bite us even if we force him to eat (at the start) or give him his long list of medication. He would growl when we clean his wounds and change his underpads but other than that there are no signs of aggression.

Potato's stock of underpads

So, thank you Potato for being such a great example of patience, gentleness and forberance.  We learn a lot from you.

A Long Battle Ahead for Potato

Last Sunday, October 30, my Mom informed me that a cat outside had been run over and he was still alive. When I went out to check, there was an orange and white cat laying on the side of the road.  I could see a part of his thigh was very dirty. We brought him to the hospital and his x-ray showed several bones were broken in his hip area. The vet asked me what my plans were, because the cat was a stray. He said that if organs were damaged, he would have no more quality of life and if that would happen I would have to think of putting him down. I discussed with him that we will see first how he will respond to medication and go on from there.

I could understand his concern. I know he wanted me to be ready in case Potato doesn't pull through. But in our experience, strays have very strong fighting spirits and wills to survive. My brother Anton was with me and he was worried about the cat after he heard our conversation. We talked while the cat, who we named Potato, was being cleaned and placed with IV. Out cat, Popoy was beaten and also had hip fractures but is thriving now and has surpassed Pacquito in terms of being the house heavy weight. But the greatest example we have of a cat's will to live was our late Wild Cat. He was a tough cat when he first showed up and looked like a meanie. He came around during meal times until eventually we were able to pet him. His face was run over by one of the neighbors and his chin was cracked in the middle. His tongue was turning black and hanging. He already reeked of rotting flesh when he came to us one morning. But he recovered and lived for several more years, succumbing to kidney failure in his old age. This battle scarred tough guy let me hold him in my arms and even let me kiss him on the head during his last days.

Potato was discharged yesterday and is now recovering at home. He has to take a lot of medication and since he didn't want to eat this morning, had to be force fed. He still cannot stand up. We are waiting for  advice from the hospital's orthopedic surgeon if he needs to undergo surgery. In the meantime, we have to build up his strength.

Potato's doggy bag of medicine

His first night at home

It's still a long battle for Potato, but as long as he's not giving up, we're not giving up on him either.

A Brave Dog Named Jabbar

I first learned about Jabbar through the FB post of CARA Welfare Philippines and and his progress through the correspondence between CARA volunteers. As with others, I felt so bad for the poor boy, having to suffer 3 years in his condition. He was attacked by drunkards who wanted to make him their meal. He was fortunate to escape but the damage had been done. His caregivers did the best that they could, with having no extra income for his treatment.

It is so touching to see people respond and help for his treatment, even people from other parts of the world who would probably never see or meet him. Folks would visit him in the hospital to give comfort and lift his spirit.

Biopsy results came out and Jabbar has cancer. I went to see him tonight. My heart felt like it was being twisted when I saw him in person. He was so quiet. The doctor said he had chemotherapy and this was one of the effects. As I sat there, I quietly talked to him, hoping that he will remember me, and that he knows that he is loved by many.

Jabbar, like many others, is a victim of cruelty. I hear so many horror stories and see the gruesome pictures. I hate it when I see that some poor soul has to be put down because he was unfortunate enough to be unwanted. And yet, it is important to have our eyes open to know what is happening around us.  And more importantly, to do something about it.

Jabbar was supposed to be released tomorrow to be cared for by a CARA volunteer. He will need to stay in the hospital to regain his strength after his chemotherapy. His will to live is strong and he is happy when people visit and spend time with him.

If you would like to help or know more about CARA Welfare Phils., please visit their website

http://www.caraphil.org.

Gone But Never Forgotten

A friend of mine recently lost her beloved cat. Although I didn't know her cat, Piki, personally their bond could be felt from her stories and their pictures. She is in pain and I can't help but share it with her.

Through the years, we have lost precious cats who are not just pets but members of the family. We have been with them as they were growing up and they were like our children.

The length of time they were with us does not matter, the impact of their lives in ours is still strong.

I can still vividly recall the first time I saw each and every one of them. I carry them in my heart always.

Cinnamon

Sushi & Sake

Baba Ganush & Falafel

Mallows

Munchkin

Peppermint

And together with Mudpie, Pumpkin, Snickers, Fudgy, Wildcat, Nina and all the street kitties we took care of and have grown to love, we will always miss you. Thank you for being an important part of our lives <3.

"Losing a cat is no less painful than losing any other cherished friend. You miss their presence, their voice, their affection, the way they made you laugh. But as with any lost loved one, their presence will live on in the memories and love you carry with you". Louise Roberts

Ssshhhh, Kitties Sleeping

"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia. " ~Joseph Wood Krutch

These are a few of my favorite photos of my furry babies. It's quite difficult to catch them in action but when they are in deep slumber, they do manage to strike a pose.

Good Night Peppermint

Each night when I get home I am greeted by the front door by a horde of cats and as expected, in front of them will be this small black and white tuxedo kitten. Sometimes, he would be so impatient, that when I open the door he would go out and we will have this chase in the garage.

I have been with Peppermint from the moment he was born. He was the second of three kittens. At first he was a bit aloof. As time passed, he became confident and started showing his true personality.

How do I start describing this wonderful kitten, thinking about him brings a lump to my throat and at the same time, a smile on my face. Peppermint loved human contact, there was this time that I was grumpy because the cable guy arrived at a time I was resting from a long flight. Whenever he would bend down, Peppermint would jump on his back. I couldn't stop laughing. The cable guy told me I had such friendly cats but I could see in his face he was a bit apprehensive. There was no reason to be, but of course he would not have known that.

And no matter how many cats are sleeping on my lap, he would make a straight line for me and make a place for himself among the others until he would be the only one left. Then he would touch my face with his paw as if to say "thank you". He also likes to jump on us, we have to be quick to catch him or he would be left dangling on our clothes, ouch. Then he would slither up our shoulders and look like a kitty scarf before we can put him down.

Peppermint was so affectionate that when one morning he was just lying on the table, we became worried. He showed no symptoms and the night before we were taking pictures together. This was the time one of my cats, Godiva was confined in the hospital. He was brought to the hospital together with Maxx. They were both confined and they found that he had a fever.

To my shock, the hospital called the next night to tell us that my Peppermint had passed away. I was waiting for traffic to get better before going to visit him, so I was too late to see him and be with him in his last breath. As we hugged him at the clinic, I couldn't believe that my beautiful kitten was gone! The vet talked to us and told us what happened. Peppermint had pneumonia. I was asking her questions and she seemed to have read what was on my mind..."how could I have not known?!". She told us that cats are very secretive, they will not show their weakness. She even said that they don't want their humans to worry. This even made me cry more.

When I get home, I still expect to see Peppermint come running to greet me. I think of all the times he made me laugh and took away some of my worries just by being Peppermint. I miss him terribly and I will always be grateful that this beautiful cat was a part of my life.

Mommy will love you always Peppermint and will never forget you! Sleep tight my baby boy...

Street Cats No More - Coco and Butterscotch

It is a never ending cycle, people throwing away kittens because they don't want to deal with them. These are such helpless creatures, sometimes just a few days old, with no chance of surviving alone.

This is the case with 2 tiny kittens my Mom found in a large garbage can. Good thing she saw them in time, before they fell to the bottom of the garbage.

One was male and the other female and they still needed to be bottle fed. Sadly, the male kitten passed away. The female, who now answers to the name Coco is doing well. At first, it was touch and go, she didn't want to take anything.

Then one day, along came this orange and white kitten who kept on meowing in the street. We don't know if he got lost or if somebody intentionally placed him there. It seems he liked living on the wild side, he liked sleeping in the middle of the street. So in he goes, together with Coco. We call him Butterscotch. He has sad, droopy eyes and a very sweet disposition. Coco, the smaller one, likes to bully him and he just lets her. However, when she gets a little too rough, he stands his ground and Coco quiets down.

It's always a joy to watch kittens with all their antics. During playtime, Butterscotch would have fun exploring but Coco seems intent on just going after him, looking for attention. It's funny to watch him trying to get away from her. She's come a long way from that tiny, frightened and dirty kitten.

During their vet visit last week, we were expecting just a normal ride to the hospital. But Coco decided to poop on the way so the two were given a bath when we got there. Made us a little dizzy, too. When the staff was trying to get them dry I could see the bottles on the table flying everywhere, it was so funny.

When they are ready, we hope to have them adopted but as a pair. They have grown too attached to each other and it would be too stressful for them to be apart. This is the hard part, growing attached to them as well. But if a good home can be found for them, where they will be loved and cared for, then it would mean more space and resources for us to help other cats who are struggling out there. One thing is for sure, they will never be back in the streets again.