Fred
Fred now a happy old man!
It was February 2014 and I was called to trap a feral cat to euthanize him and end his suffering. The caller thought he had been hit by a car and could not close his mouth because of a broken jaw. He was starving and freezing to death because he could not eat. The nights were bitterly cold. The woman who called also thought he had mange since he was missing the hair on his legs. He was in terrible pain but was not friendly so she could not catch him to help.
I was not able to get to the location but I didn't want this poor cat to suffer any longer so I called a friend who went and trapped him. She kept him in a cage over night and was going to drop him off at the vet in the morning to be euthanized. After she got a good look at him she let me know that while he was in terrible shape and definitely suffering he didn't really seem feral, just afraid and hungry. She thought the missing hair was due to frostbite and was not sure what happened to his mouth.
I was not able to get to the location but I didn't want this poor cat to suffer any longer so I called a friend who went and trapped him. She kept him in a cage over night and was going to drop him off at the vet in the morning to be euthanized. After she got a good look at him she let me know that while he was in terrible shape and definitely suffering he didn't really seem feral, just afraid and hungry. She thought the missing hair was due to frostbite and was not sure what happened to his mouth.
Fred at the vet
We named him Fred and my friend dropped him off at the vet. I spoke with the vet and asked her to evaluate him before putting him to sleep. I wanted to know what was wrong and if he could be saved. To my surprise the vet called and said that it did not appear that he had been hit by a car. She said he was about 9 years old, but it was a hard 9 years. Fred had suffered with a broken foot that had healed already, he had a terrible upper respiratory infection and he also had FIV. When they examined his mouth they noticed that he had several rotted teeth that had moved and that is why he couldn't close his mouth keeping him from eating and drinking and causing a lot of pain. His missing hair was from anxiety. He had suffered in pain for a very long time and how he even made it through an extremely cold winter we will never know. But the good news was that he could recover. Other than the FIV everything was fixable. Fred was going to get another chance and this time he was going to be treated with kindness and he would no longer be sick or in pain.
Fred went into foster care and although he was terrified at first he coped. He slowly recovered from his mouth surgery and his cold. His hair grew back and he started to look like a handsome old man! He loved to be petted, he loved to be loved. In time he came out of his shell and he is now enjoying time in life of leisure. I wish we could undo the cruelty and hardship he had for 9+ years but the rest of his years will be lived in comfort with an endless food bowl, a warm bed and all the pets he can take!
Fred went into foster care and although he was terrified at first he coped. He slowly recovered from his mouth surgery and his cold. His hair grew back and he started to look like a handsome old man! He loved to be petted, he loved to be loved. In time he came out of his shell and he is now enjoying time in life of leisure. I wish we could undo the cruelty and hardship he had for 9+ years but the rest of his years will be lived in comfort with an endless food bowl, a warm bed and all the pets he can take!
Fred when he first arrived in foster care
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Fred still shy but coming around
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