Cats Are Us: Emergency Medical Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Alice was found underneath a dumpster and rescued through the work of volunteers. Alice was taken to a local veterinarian in Clarksville, Tennessee, where it was determined that both eyes were infected and she was blind in one eye. Alice was given eye medications in hope of clearing the infection and saving her vision in the other eye. She was referred to an ophthalmology specialist in Nashville, where she was seen on May 23. The specialist concluded that Alice cannot see out of either eye and the diagnosis is ocular lesions with infection in both eyes. The specialist recommended surgery to remove both eyes immediately. The overriding concerns were pain and the possibility of infection spreading to the brain. The cost of the surgery was $1,861. This Petfinder Foundation Emergency Medical Grant was used toward the cost of Alice's medical care, including her enucleation surgery to remove both eyes.
This grant helped Cats Are Us save the life of this remarkable kitten. Our organization was helped tremendously by the amount of this grant given the amount of medical expense incurred to save Alice's life. Your grant allowed Alice to receive the care she needed and allowed Cats Are Us to continue to rescue and adopt other cats using our normal operating funds. We are so grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for awarding this grant to our rescue and to this special kitten.
How many pets did this grant help?
The grant helped one cat with a signficant emergency medical issue.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Alice is now about 5 months old and in good health. She continues to live with amazing foster parents who are also dedicated Cats Are Us volunteers. Not only does Alice have two human beings to watch over her, she also has several foster-cat siblings. Despite losing both eyes to infection, Alice lives a life much like a sighted cat. She eats, sleeps, plays, jumps and interacts with her human and feline friends. Since she doesn’t have vision, Alice uses her other senses to understand her world and communicate with people and other cats. She listens carefully, she tests unfamiliar territory with her paws, and she uses her sense of smell to find food and her cat companions. It is a fascinating and beautiful thing to watch this young cat navigate life without vision. We plan for Alice to remain with her foster family for the foreseeable future. This family loves her and is thrilled to have her in their home.
