Hi, everyone, I have been actively reading this list for a month or so now, so I figured it was time I join.
My cat, Kong, just turned 3 in October. I found him in a Wal-Mart parking lot when he was 12 weeks old. He was mostly feral, had been starved, most likely abused, and had a nasty case of lung worm. It was love at first sight. He had his initial kitten vaccinations, and was declared to be in good health once the lung worm cleared up. He has come such a long way in socialization--he is not a lap cat, and really doesn't even like to be petted for long periods of time, but I can tell he adores me in his special "Kong" way. He also has an incredibly intense bond with my 4 year old cat, Gonzo. I've never seen two unrelated cats take to each other they way they did. Around October 15, I noticed Kong wasn't acting like himself. I am a law student, and I am gone most of the day, so I kept an eye on him and told myself if he didn't perk up I'd take him to the vet (I was hoping he would perk up, because I am unemployed, live on a very limited student loan budget and live in an incredibly expensive area of Chicago--money is VERY tight). I noticed he wasn't eating or drinking much, and when I saw him wobble as he stood up, I knew he had to get to the vet right away. To make a long story shorter, he ended up at an Emergency treatment facility. He had many tests done, and 3 blood transfusions. He was diagnosed with FeLV, and non regenerative anemia. His ELISA was negative, but the IFV was positive. The emergency vet charged me over $5K and sent Kong home with me to die. A vet in my neighborhood is now treating him, and I have him on prednisolone and interferon. It's been over a month since his diagnosis, but he is hanging in there. He has a healthy appetite, and occasionally feels well enough to play with his favorite string. I call him my miracle cat, because according to every vet I've spoken to, he should be dead right now. He is my world, and I am going to continue to do every thing I possibly can for him. I've currently spent about $7K on his treatment, which is about the amount of loan money I will get for my spring semester starting in January (so I've got to find a paying job pronto, or I'm in big trouble) I'm terrified that he will require more transfusions or expensive treatments that I can't afford. So, that's Kong's story. I look forward to talking with you all and learning from your experience. --Ashley _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
