Saving Cindy Lou
The temperatures in the fishing city of New Bedford were dropping rapidly. The weather stations were advising folks to stay inside, as they were predicting several days of sustained temperatures below zero. With forecasts like this, cat rescue groups mobilized to reinforce the feral cat shelters on the city's waterfront and to make sure there was adequate food for the cold days ahead. With a little help from people, the managed colonies of feral cats on the waterfront were prepared for the storm, but one little grey cat was not.
How she arrived in St. Mary's cemetery nobody really knows. Likely, she was one of the many unwanted cats that find themselves looking for a warm nook to snuggle up in and some kibble to eat. A concerned family saw the little cat and at first did not think too much about it. With so many stray cats in the area, this one was just passing through. But the little cat stayed on, not knowing where to go for help. The family brought food and water to the cat but were hesitant to bring the cat inside their home, possibly exposing their own pets to sickness. They made calls to Animal Control with no luck and contacted some rescue groups. Finally, frustrated and fearful, they took action and brought the little gray cat to Habitat for Cats, a local rescue, when they realized that she was getting thinner and thinner, sicker and sicker. Unlike feral cats, stray or homeless cats are not equipped to deal with cold weather and scavenging for food. They do not have the same survival instincts as feral cats that are born and raised in the wild.
You could hear the cat's heavy breathing through the carrier. When she stepped out, the volunteers were heartbroken to see a cat with ribs protruding from her sides. Her eyes were nearly glued shut from infection and she was breathing through her mouth because she was so congested. This was one sorry cat. The odds for her survival were slim given her present state, but without this family stepping forward, and pushing past their fears, she would have certainly died, all alone and cold.
The cat was put into the coziest section of the shelter, given a fleece blanket and offered a dish of warm food. The grateful little feline gobbled it up and purred happily.
The little cat settled happily into her new routine of sitting atop the dryer in the laundry room, breathing in the warm steamy air and enjoying dishes of food. It was then discovered, as the little cat stretched out contentedly, that this forlorn cat was also declawed. Someone had taken from this cat her ability to defend herself.
After a couple of days, it became apparent to volunteers that the little gray cat was not out of the woods. The skin on her nose had begun sloughing off and her tail was extremely brittle. A trip to the veterinarian confirmed what volunteers suspected: severe frostbite. The veterinarian informed volunteers that Cindy Lou Hoo (as she had become to be known) would lose her nose and ears and her tail would need to be removed due to the frostbite. The vet also stated that Cindy Lou was about 12 years old.
Cindy Lou Hoo is still healing. Her soft little ears became more brittle and the tips fell off. While she has gained weight, she still has medical issues. Her frostbitten nose did eventually fall off, giving Cindy Lou Hoo, a rather unusual yet endearing appearance. Being nose-less has not prevented Cindy Lou from being a huge fan of Fancy Feast tuna and shrimp canned food. Cindy loves to be stroked and petted and all you need to do is smile at her and she begins to purr. Cindy Lou may look very different than the other cats at the shelter, but what makes her special is not her physical appearance, but her amazing will to survive against tremendous odds: elderly, declawed, sickly and frozen, while still preserving her love and trust of humans.
She may not remember the special people that put her into a carrier one cold night and brought her to into care, but that fateful decision by the family has made all the difference to Cindy Lou.
—Stephanie at Habitat for Cats
The temperatures in the fishing city of New Bedford were dropping rapidly. The weather stations were advising folks to stay inside, as they were predicting several days of sustained temperatures below zero. With forecasts like this, cat rescue groups mobilized to reinforce the feral cat shelters on the city's waterfront and to make sure there was adequate food for the cold days ahead. With a little help from people, the managed colonies of feral cats on the waterfront were prepared for the storm, but one little grey cat was not.
How she arrived in St. Mary's cemetery nobody really knows. Likely, she was one of the many unwanted cats that find themselves looking for a warm nook to snuggle up in and some kibble to eat. A concerned family saw the little cat and at first did not think too much about it. With so many stray cats in the area, this one was just passing through. But the little cat stayed on, not knowing where to go for help. The family brought food and water to the cat but were hesitant to bring the cat inside their home, possibly exposing their own pets to sickness. They made calls to Animal Control with no luck and contacted some rescue groups. Finally, frustrated and fearful, they took action and brought the little gray cat to Habitat for Cats, a local rescue, when they realized that she was getting thinner and thinner, sicker and sicker. Unlike feral cats, stray or homeless cats are not equipped to deal with cold weather and scavenging for food. They do not have the same survival instincts as feral cats that are born and raised in the wild.
You could hear the cat's heavy breathing through the carrier. When she stepped out, the volunteers were heartbroken to see a cat with ribs protruding from her sides. Her eyes were nearly glued shut from infection and she was breathing through her mouth because she was so congested. This was one sorry cat. The odds for her survival were slim given her present state, but without this family stepping forward, and pushing past their fears, she would have certainly died, all alone and cold.
The cat was put into the coziest section of the shelter, given a fleece blanket and offered a dish of warm food. The grateful little feline gobbled it up and purred happily.
The little cat settled happily into her new routine of sitting atop the dryer in the laundry room, breathing in the warm steamy air and enjoying dishes of food. It was then discovered, as the little cat stretched out contentedly, that this forlorn cat was also declawed. Someone had taken from this cat her ability to defend herself.
After a couple of days, it became apparent to volunteers that the little gray cat was not out of the woods. The skin on her nose had begun sloughing off and her tail was extremely brittle. A trip to the veterinarian confirmed what volunteers suspected: severe frostbite. The veterinarian informed volunteers that Cindy Lou Hoo (as she had become to be known) would lose her nose and ears and her tail would need to be removed due to the frostbite. The vet also stated that Cindy Lou was about 12 years old.
Cindy Lou Hoo is still healing. Her soft little ears became more brittle and the tips fell off. While she has gained weight, she still has medical issues. Her frostbitten nose did eventually fall off, giving Cindy Lou Hoo, a rather unusual yet endearing appearance. Being nose-less has not prevented Cindy Lou from being a huge fan of Fancy Feast tuna and shrimp canned food. Cindy loves to be stroked and petted and all you need to do is smile at her and she begins to purr. Cindy Lou may look very different than the other cats at the shelter, but what makes her special is not her physical appearance, but her amazing will to survive against tremendous odds: elderly, declawed, sickly and frozen, while still preserving her love and trust of humans.
She may not remember the special people that put her into a carrier one cold night and brought her to into care, but that fateful decision by the family has made all the difference to Cindy Lou.
—Stephanie at Habitat for Cats
2 comments:
Interesting and touching story
Thank You!!!
Mr Ong!!! ^_^
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