It was a year of excitement and victories. It was a year of sadness and disappointment. We’ve cheered and cried. We’ve grown and learned.
In all our opportunities and challenges, we’ve always found that the best way forward is to depend on each other to be able to be successful. So thank you everyone for all that you do: –
- Thank you to our adopters who have given the kitties a new life and another chance.
- Thank you to our foster families and volunteers who work tirelessly for each and every cat in our care.
- Thank you to our donors and supporters. Without you this would be impossible.
- Thank you to our partners – our Pet Valu stores and our Veterinary Clinics – who have been by our side every step of the way.
Our challenges this year have been many. We took in a large group of cats that had ringworm, a mom and four babies with Feline Leukemia (FeLV), and cats with neurological issues, eye issues, mycoplasma, heart issues, dental issues, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and pyometra. Additionally, we do not “pick and choose” the most adoptable kittens for our rescue, and so we rescued many black and tuxedo kittens which seem to take longer to adopt out. All of these circumstances greatly inflated our monthly food, litter and vet expenses, caused us to keep our cats with the rescue longer than usual, and filled our available foster homes to bursting.
We’ve chosen four short stories of our 2017 adventures to share with you. Experience them, and join us in hoping for a successful 2018.
Pan Pan
Pan Pan was one of four beautiful kittens born in a foster home. What set her apart from her siblings was her clumsiness and wobbling. Initially, it was determined to be cerebellar hypoplasia which affects balance. Since the symptoms of CH don’t get worse and can even improve over time, we thought little Pan Pan would still find a wonderful home. However, over the next few weeks, Pan Pan’s balance and tremors became worse and she started to have seizures. Shortly after, Pan Pan had a major seizure and was taken to a specialist at Toronto Veterinary Emergency Hospital (TVEH), who confirmed that nothing more could be done for Pan Pan. We lost this beautiful young soul at the age of 9 weeks. RIP little Pan Pan. We will always remember you.
The Sandwich Family – Sandy, Reuben & Dagwood
On Thanksgiving Day, we received a frantic call that a pregnant cat had been left to deliver her kittens in front of a restaurant on a freezing rain-soaked pavement in Scarborough. In the picture sent to us, we saw the mom and a few newborns with a sandwich and bottle of water beside them. We rushed over and found the mother and four minutes-old babies. Sadly, the two smallest did not survive this heartbreaking birth in the freezing cold. Named the Sandwich Cats, Sandy and her remaining two babies, Dagwood and Reuben, began to thrive with lots of good food, play, snuggles and loving.
With this horrible beginning, who would have expected a storybook ending! Finalized on Boxing Day, Sandy and her two babies were adopted TOGETHER by a fantastic family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the Sandwiches!.
Sage
The Spirit Kittens – Sage, Zen, Yogi, and Numi – touched many hearts. While 3 of them did well, sweet, innocent Sage fought a very brave battle against severe upper respiratory illness, including conjunctivitis, diarrhea, fur loss, sneezing, and runny nose. After recovering from this fight, her immune system was seriously weakened and a much more severe and fatal disease developed. In less than a week, she started to show signs of lethargy, decreased appetite, and swollen belly. Three vet visits in four days revealed severe anemia, non-responsive bone marrow, and fever. Her diagnosis: wet Feline Infectious Peritonitis with a 100% fatality rate. Our hearts were broken to lose Sage. This Spirit Kittens’ spirit is still here with us.
Sadie
Sadie was found staggering down the eastbound lane of Hwy #3, emaciated and dehydrated. She was rushed to the vet in critical condition. Sadie was found to be about 19 years old, and diagnosed with severe thyroid and kidney disease. She had obviously been thrown out to die like a piece of garbage. We wanted to provide her with a comfortable palliative care home where she would experience love and attention in her final time with us. However, before she could finish her stabilizing treatment at the veterinary clinic, she started to experience severe seizures. Before we knew it, Sadie was gone! We are so sorry that we found you too late to give you comfort and spoil you before your departure. Sweet, sweet Sadie. Your suffering is over.
(Your help is needed for us to continue with our mission to rescue cats. Please make a donation via etransfer or click here to access PayPal)