Heather, I would like to introduce myself...I joined a couple of week back. I
have been fostering/rescuing kittehs for the past 11 years in the
Sanford/Orlando area. My first and only experience with Felv was not too long
ago...and frankly, I knew next to nothing about the dise...ase...imagine my
horror in finding out that an adult cat can throw the virus!! Mr. Thomas, a
gorgeous cat who wandered into my life, turned out to be +...after they did his
neuter....myvet at the time told me he could NOT be outdoors anymore....and
that he was putting all of my other 13 rescues at risk if I kept him inside...I
find myself wondering if this darling young fellow might have survived...had I
just researched a little more...I found may sanctuaries and shelters that would
take FIV cats, but not one that would help with Felv.....my heart still aches
for Mr. Thomas.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am close by if you should ever
need anything.Debbie (COL)"You gotta bloom where you're planted!"
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:42:56 -0400From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL
PROTECTED]: Sissy has joined Hobbs, 6/27/08
With much sadness, I wanted to share with everyone that Hobbs' sister, Sissy,
has now joined him. The loss of her dear brother affected Sissy very much,
which was to be expected as they were quite bonded, and she began to take a
similar road as Hobbs did in his final days. Their people-Mom Jann had wanted
to avoid Sissy suffering as she felt Hobbs did, and had planned for her to
cross this morning, though unfortunately they had a very bad night, and stayed
the night in the garage together, where Sissy had actually been spending a lot
of time lately.
I apologize that I haven't been active since the outpouring of support from you
all regarding the loss of Hobbs, unfortunately the following week we lost
another FELV+ rescue, Shennanigans (whom a friend in another city had given a
home to for these last 3 months), and also a dear Torti rescue named Freckles
who we found living in a woman's yard, very ill and with an old & very
uncomfortable injury. She was such a sweet, beautiful kitty and her spirit
really touched us all very much, a rescue was assisting with her medical care
but force feeding with her injury was very stressful for Freckles, and her
caregiver, and given the severity of her illness (which prevented her from
being a candidate for surgery for her long-healed injury, unless she made a
remarkable recovery), they felt it was best to release her from her pain. I
found out after the fact and have struggled with it ever since as I feel I
didn't do enough for her, soon enough, and wonder if things could have been
different.
Shennanigans was a beautiful little charcoal grey long haired kitty whom we
found outside at my vets, likely dumped around Febuary. She appeared to be
only 4 - 5 months old, though we aren't really sure. The woman who she went
to live with said her vet thought she might be older than we initially thought,
she wasn't spayed when we found her and I still think she was a pretty young
kitty. Her initial FELV test was a "weak"+.
I really should have posted about Shennanigans here but was fairly numb with
all of the loss. I was not the direct caregiver, but the rescuer, for these
kitties so can only imagine what my friends have been going through as they
loved them all dearly. Even if it was only for 3 months, I know Shennanigans
spent those last 3 months sleeping in a bed with someone, though she was afraid
of the other cats.
What Jann did for Hobbs and Sissy, giving two little FELV+ kittens a home which
is so hard to find, I will be eternally grateful for. I hate the pain it's
caused her, yet she is such a giving soul and does nothing but thank me for
entrusting her with their care and for the precious time she had with them over
this last year. While I am always full of doubts as to how I handle things, I
am so confident in the wonderful, loving happy lives they had with Jann, no
matter how short. I just hate how painful the "end" has been. She still has
their Mother, a double+ kitty I found at my "new" job with an eye & ear injury,
she has outlived all of her kittens--I found them all last April under a
trailer behind my new office. I had moved accross campus after almost 20
years in the same building, and kept looking for a "sign from God" as to
whether I should make the move...when I found Mom & her babies, and their
testing status, I knew had anyone else found them they'd most likely have
immediately been put down, and that they were the "sign" I was looking for.
We also have a new Leuk+ rescue, this poor kitty had scabies so bad his eyes
were crusted shut (and still are quite infected), a friend made a heroic rescue
standing on a truck and plucking this kitty out of a tree, and it hit hard when
we found out he was leuk+. We are still looking for a home for him, and he is
still boarding at the vets being treated (3 weeks now), but we are glad we've
had the chance to give him the chance he deserves to feel good love and care.
Well I am sorry as this must be a very sad update...but I know you all will
keep Sissy, Hobbs, Shennangans, and Jann & Kate the loving humans they've left
behind, in your close thoughts and prayers. Please add them to the candle
light memorial service.
Thank you all for giving kitties with leukemia a chance, no one should have to
lose the chance to know love just because of what is in their blood.
Heather
Tampa, FL
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