Rescued Seven-year-old Eddie Says, “No More Kittens!”
Yes, this beautiful tabby girl is at least seven years old and was kept by a hoarder along with far too many other cats without any veterinary care at all including spaying and neutering, producing litter after litter of kittens. But she’s really happy now because she was rescued from that situation and that part of her life is over.
In October I wrote about a group of volunteers who heard about a hoarding situation in a community east of Pittsburgh where over 20 cats, many young and even kittens, were taken or trapped as their socialization permitted to veterinary care and foster homes. Eddie was one of the cats who lived in that home.
The home had been foreclosed and the owner put the cats outside and left. Unspayed, unneutered, unvaccinated doesn’t mean they are tough outdoor cats. Many of the cats had never lived outdoors at all and at least one kitten was killed by an animal at night, likely an owl. By the time rescuers arrived many of them were developing upper respiratory infections and all of them were hungry because the owner hadn’t been able to afford to feed them even before she left. They had never been vaccinated and had been kept indoors in crowded conditions with little food and many had health issues aside from hunger and respiratory infections.
The charge was led by Amy Tadija, and she fell for gentle, quiet Eddie the moment she met her.
“The owner said she hoped I had put her down, but there was no way,” Amy said, and noted that Eddie had been found positive for FIV. “First I never put down cats just because of FIV or FeLv status,” she stated. “But that aside, this girl is so special. The owner had her for seven years, never got her vet care. She just had litter after litter,” Amy said. “She is so appreciative to have a warm soft, safe place to sleep and food in her belly. She’s beyond sweet. I think once her nutrition is up (she is already gaining weight), she will be just fine and will live many more years despite the FIV. ”
Eddie was in very poor health when rescued. She was dehydrated, malnourished and anemic, and her lymphocyte count was dangerously low, a condition brought on by a number of diseases as well as stress to the body, so she was at risk from many types of infections. She had stomatitis and needed a full dental before the infections in her mouth spread. From all of the breeding and the FIV, she also suffered from arthritis in her back and hips. She was also pregnant again and in her condition that could be life-threatening. While Amy had been finding foster homes for the other cats she took in from this situation, Eddie needed extra special care and would stay with her.
Amy had a Western Blot test done to confirm Eddie’s FIV status, and unfortunately she did test a definite positive. She began Eddie on Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator, or LTCI to bring up her lymphocytes; Amy has another FIV kitty she rescued 14 years ago who began LTCI when his lymphocytes dropped steadily over three years and saw them return to normal.
“Despite all of this, she is super sweet, loves affection, and gives the cutest little tiny meow for attention, which I gladly give her. She likes to cuddle up next to me and will just purr and purr,” Amy said. “She gets along great with other cats, and has ZERO desire to go back outside. She wants to be an indoor kitty and she deserves a wonderful life.
“I would prefer her to go to a home where she will get more attention and affection. She deserves that. She just needs a home where she will be cared for and loved, and treated like the special girl that she is.”
As with most of the cats Amy rescues, care was provided by Fix Ur Cat. If you’d like to help cover Eddie’s cost of care along with the ongoing costs from this hoarding rescue, please donate to Fix Ur Cat, a non-profit 501c3 so your donation is tax-deductible. If you donate please select the option to leave a comment and write “Tadija fosters” so the money goes for these cats’ vet care.
If you think you might like to adopt Eddie when she’s ready, message Amy Tadija on Facebook or call 412-296-9233.
And even while cleaning up this hoarding case, another multi-cat rescue has arisen. Stay tuned.
Amazon Wish Lists
Many rescuers pay out of pocket for veterinary care and food but the costs of raising even the average litter of four healthy kittens is more than many people have, and many rescues have greater needs. Pittsburgh CAT has a number of wish lists that include foods for feeding neo-natal kittens like KMR, and other lists that include the best kitten foods, adult cat foods, food and materials for feral cats, and preferred toys and litter.
Pittsburgh CAT Wish List: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2IUQ0FQOL2I51
2015 Foster Cat/Kitten Wish List: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1A1HUNQ7J3DL/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?
Winter Kitten Wish List! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3CZ6IYCKS2A7N/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?
Fall Wishlist for Fosters/Ferals! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2TD3TQBOEMT1E/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?
Food For Foster Kittens: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/OJQIYGC91289/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?
Our Groups Foster Kittens! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1D226142CCGZX/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_v?
Can’t adopt? Foster! Can’t foster? Donate or volunteer.
There are so many ways you can help cats who need homes and care. You may not have room to adopt another cat, but can foster a cat or kitten for a few weeks. If not that, you can volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue, or donate. You do this because you love your cat, and by doing so you help all cats. No matter which of these actions you take, you help to save a life, and make life better for all cats.
- Adopt one of the cats I’ve posted here, or from any shelter or rescue near you, or from Petfinder, to open up a space for another cat to be rescued and fostered.
- Offer to foster cats or kittens for a shelter or rescue near you.
- Volunteer at a shelter or rescue.
- Find a group of volunteers who work with homeless cats and help them with their efforts.
- Donate to a shelter or rescue near you.
If you can foster kittens or adults cats to help prepare them for a forever home, please run to your nearest shelter and find a cat who needs you! Anyone can help with this effort at any level, even if all you do is donate to a shelter or rescue so they can help to pay for the food or medications needed for their foster, or the spay/neuter/veterinary care during a clinic.
Need to know more? Read Fostering for Your Shelter and Fostering Saves Lives
Browse some rescued cats and kittens—browse here or visit PittsburghCAT!
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all de best two ewe eddie….we troo lee hopes ya finds that for everz home by months end ~~~ ♥♥♥