Poor kitty - give her a big hug for me!

It reminds me of a kitty that showed up at my house about a year ago.  She was a beautiful grey kitty and she would just come up and snuggle every chance she got.  Upon closer look, she was missing her left eye - there as just a hole where her eye used to be.  So, I put her up in my garage until I could get her into the vet.  I wanted to bring her in the house, but I have 2 cats already and I didn't want to run the risk just in case she was sick.  The vet told us she was about 2 or 3 years old and she was already fixed.  She was very healthy except for her eye.  They did surgery to clean up her eye and stitch it closed.  The name Patch just seemed fitting for her.  :)  After her surgery, she took up residence in my bedroom, but we had to keep the door closed because my other kitties didn't seem to get along very well ... and neither did she.  We tried for a month, but it just wasn't going to happen.  She didn't get along with the dogs either and they are not afraid of cats at all.  Well, my rottie is, but he's a big chicken anyway!  I ended up having to find a home for her.  I wish I could have kept her - she was very sweet, but I felt bad keeping her isolated all the time.  She is now in a home where she has a lap all to herself.

I cannot stand to see an animal that has been dumped - my husband grew up in the country in IL.  That is where they got all their dogs when he was growing up.  People are always dumping dogs out there ... drives me crazy!!

I just read through this whole post  :'(

Storm--

You are an amazing, wonderful, kind, generous, person! Giving this poor kitty a new chance at life is one of the kindest things I have ever heard--your stoy broght tears to my eyes. That you are taking the time to save this tiny life proves that there is still some good in the world--thank you so much for being so kind!

You are my hero!

Yup, Storm has earned heroine status for this lovely gal!

Now regarding her abandonment, I dont want to upset anyone so stop reading if you dont want to cry.  Someone in my family gave my daughter a book titled "Jasmine" published by the Humane Society.  It is a wonderfully illustrated book for kids, but it made me cry every time I read it.  Let me read it all to you.

"Jasmine" by Randy Hook from the Humane Society of the United States

Jasmine was a city cat - She stayed in, and that was that.
She had water, she had kibble, she could sip at will or nibble.
She'd no need for kitty-sitters - she'd just use her kitty litter.
She had learned to wait all day - while her owners worked, she'd play.

So when they packed up and left, Jasmine didn't feel bereft.
Often she was left alone - any minute they'd be home.
But the day came shortly when several burly moving men took the tables and suitcases,
took the books, and beds, and vases.
Took the rugs and took the drapes, saucers, glasses, cups and plates,

Carried off the last, large box, closed the door and locked the locks.

Jasmine sat and watched the door, sat and watched and watched some more.
When her folks did not appear she began to feel some fear.
But she had a bit more food - eating that restored her mood.
And she thought, with her last water, "They'll come soon.  At least, they ougth'ter."
She began to prowl about.
Surely there was some way out?
Since the door was thick hard wood, scratching didn't do much good.
Though she looked around some more, she could find no other door.

Jasmine tried the window lasted, pressed her nose against the glass.
No one heard her shrill 'meow,' not that first night, anyhow.
So she curled into a ball, feeling sad and feeling small.
Then she sighed, and after yawning, fell asleep and slept till morning.
When she woke, she noticed first, pangs of hunger, pangs of thirst.
She had used up all her water, all the food her owners bought her.
She looked all around the place, stopping once to clean her face.
There was not a single bite, not a morsel, not a mite.

And the only thing she found, as she wandered all around,
was a single bag of seed, for the birds her folks would feed.
Jasmine thought about the seed. She was no bird - oh no, indeed!
But in these dire circumstances, she thought she ought to take her chances.
Of choices she had not a lot, so she made do with what she'd got.
She ripped the bad, and tipped the seed, and ate a bit, and filled her need.

"And now," she thought, "I'd like a drink."
She jumped up to the kitchen sink, but found the faucets were bone-dry.
Not a drop of water could she spy.
Next she tried the powder room, with a growing sense of gloom.
Sure enough, the toilet lid stayed down no matter what she did.
Wait. What's that? Is that a drip?
Being careful not to slip, Jasmine jumped up to the tub, found a leak, and licked it up.
It took time to quench her thirst, but no leak would have been worse.
As it was, she'd lick and stop, waiting for another drop.

One week went by, then another, one week much like any other.
She ate seed, and she kept going. Luckily the leak kept flowing.

After two weeks, she grew thinner. After six, her eyes grew dimmer.
After ten, she slept a lot,feeling feverish and hot.

It was Easter time before someone opened up the door.
Then the landlord of the place turned the key, poked in his face.
"Oh my gosh," he said. "A cat. Who would do a thing like that?
You've been here for months, I'd think. What did you eat? What did you drink?"
Jasmine rubbed against his leg. She didn't cry.  She didn't beg.
He saw that she was awfully thing. Her eyes were dull. She'd patchy skin.

"We've got to get you help," he said. "You need a vet. Just come with me."
He tucked her right into his arm.  She knew he didn't mean her harm.
To a shelter he then drove her, where a doctor looked her over.

The veg said. "This is one sick cat.  What kind of people act like that?
This cats only three pounds weight - Exactly three, and she should weigh eight."

"I was sick," the landlord said. "I spent three months in a hospital bed.
I lost three full months of rent because of the hospital time I spent.
When I got well, what did I find but this sick cat, just left behind.

Jasmine looked pretty bad at that - but purred and purred like a healthy cat,
"Can you fix her, Doc?," the landlord asked, "We'll try," said the vet. "It'll be a task."
She got a bath and she got a pill, she got some water and drank her fill.
They cooked for her a special diet. Jasmine looked, and got very quiet.
She would not touch a single bit. Not that day and not that night.
They tried canned food.  They tried dry.  Not a mouthful would she try.
They cooked fish and they cooked meat. Not a morsel would she eat.

Then the vet recalled the seed.  He mixed some in with Jasmine's feed.
Up she bounced, and with a pounce, she gulped the birdseed - every ounce.

Jasmine blossomed with every week.  Her fur grew shiny, soft and sleek.
She was extra friendly when anyone came to her pen.
Visitors came every day, chose a cat, and drove away.
Jasmine didn;t seem to mind.  She just waited, sure she'd find
Someone special, someone rare, someone who would really care,
Someone who would simply never leave her home alone - not EVER!

And one day, as she was snoozing, seven children, who were choosing,
Wanting a special, friendly cat, wanting a cat - well - just like that,
Scratched her ears right through the bars, and drove her home in the family car.
Jasmine likes the number seven. Seven children are pure heaven.
Seven children stroke and pat her. She grows stronger. She grows fatter.
She is rarely left alone - someone's almost always home.

Over time, she's learned to eat normal food. But for a treat,
She jumps up to the feeder shelf and eats a bit of seed herself.
For if you're a cat, and it's all you've got, you can learn to like birdseed a lot.
If you should want a dog or kitten, come to a shelter.  You'll be smitten.
A shelter pet makes a loving friend, I promise you. And that's the end.

(Yes, I cried all through typing that.)

oh that story was so sad. But I guess it did end happy. I wish it wasnt a very common thing. i wish it was fiction...but its not. It really happens. Poor kitty! :'(

Thanks for typing that story, Cali.  :'( :)>>>

How's Bella doing, Storm?

She is doing much better.  She's had two baths now (not flea baths) and several flea combings and I think we've got the fleas under control.  Her poo is finally solid....YAY....it was pretty disgusting for a while there.  My daddy built her a mini-stair case so she can get up and down from the sofa without hurting her arthritic joints.  She's eating and drinking and peeing and pooing regularly and strong enough to swipe at the other cats when they come after her food! 

That's great Storm!!! I'm so happy Bella is doing so well! Have you taken her to her other vet apt yet? Was it confirmed she really did have any organ faliure? Poor kitty--I'm glad she is happy and healthier now!!! You are so amaizing for helping her!