Abby, is very special to us. She was rescued from a feral colony, and is blind in one eye due to an infection she contracted while in her mother’s womb. In spite of her handicap and being born into a feral colony, Abby has turned out to be extremely sweet and affectionate. Although she does not like to be picked up, she loves attention, and always comes up to volunteers to be petted.
On October 13, we saw her vomiting blood, and rushed her to the vet’s. The initial diagnosis was either FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) or intestinal cancer, so we were very worried. The veterinarian recommended exploratory surgery to make a final diagnosis and possibly treat her condition. Happily, the surgeon found that it was neither FIP nor cancer. Apparently, little Abby had eaten something she shouldn’t have (a “linear foreign object,” like string), and its passage through her bowels damaged the side of the intestine, created scar tissue, and caused a hernia. The surgeon repaired the damage, and sent her home with a feeding tube inserted in her neck, and a bag of medicine.
Because we could not return her to the foster house in her condition, Merry brought her home, turning the guest room into a convalescent hospital. The feeding tube was there in case she stopped eating, but Abby ate heartily. We did use the tube to give her her medicines, but were very happy when the Doctor finally removed it, along with all her stitches and bandages. Little Abby is now 100% pure, healthy cat! She is exploring her surroundings and winning hearts – just like our old Abby.
Little Abby’s story underscores the importance of proper veterinary care. Although the initial diagnosis was grave, and many people would have chosen euthenasia, we wanted to give her a chance, and are so happy we did. Because of cases like Abby’s, Fabulous Felines has a policy of doing whatever we can to return sick cats to health. Thanks to our wonderful veterinarians, we did get a large charity discount, but costs will still exceed $5,000, a large amount for a small charity.
If you could help with a donation, Abby and we would be so grateful!