Finally!

It has been a long time since we promised a video of Portia “on all fours”. As you remember her first surgery was in mid-October 2012 and unfortunately her leg broke again in November 2012; she had a rod inserted to further stabilize it. On January 3rd 2013 this rod was removed along with some of the screws and other hardware that had to be inserted in November. After two weeks of cage rest, she is beginning to explore. A fourth surgery is on the horizon but not until the summer when x-rays will determine if additional hardware can be removed. She obviously can’t go through airport screening metal detectors, but she is having a very good time just walking (no jumping allowed yet). All of you have been with her since the beginning. Your positive thoughts and energy have helped her heal. We hope that you enjoy seeing her in this video.

Our Thanksgiving Miracle

The first week in September, Garfield (temporarily named Sweet Potato in honor of the holiday) arrived at our Sanctuary. He was one of a number of cats we accepted when Angel’s Gate Animal Hospice was forced to close. He was one of several feline leukemia positive cats. In accordance with our admission protocol, Garfield was again tested for FIV/FeLV. When he tested negative we were surprised and further inquired into his status. We were assured that he was indeed FeLV positive and had been living in a FeLV environment for several years. We waited for about six weeks and then re-tested him utilizing the IFA test (Indirect immunofluorescent antibody). As this test must be sent to a laboratory, we waited several days for the results. We were astonished when the results came back negative. The final step was to again snap test (ELISA test) Garfield after he had been here for over 60 days. We did this on Thursday and, yes, it’s true, Garfield is negative. We assume that a long time ago he tested positive but was never re-tested until he came to us. He obviously fought off this dreadful virus and must have the world’s strongest immune system as he did not contract the virus in subsequent years. This Sweet Potato is a fabulous and super friendly feline. Although he is about eight years old, he acts like a kitten and we hope someone will give him a very special forever home. Miracles like Garfield do not come along everyday, and this is one very special reason for us to be thankful this Thanksgiving Day.

Our Heroine Continues Her Valiant Journey!

 

Her name is Portia. The elegant and compassionate heroine of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” perfectly reflects the qualities of our heroine. Last week we were able to remove her from her babies for a couple of hours so we could have her rear leg X-rayed. The X-ray showed that her leg was broken by the raccoon that attacked her. It is our understanding that it is a severe break. She continues to periodically run a fever which appears now to be under control using antibiotics that do not negatively affect her babies. We have begun weaning her brood and as you can see they are moving around on their own. They are eating well and we hope by next week Portia can begin more aggressive treatment. At this time we do not know if the leg can be repaired or if it will need to be amputated. Throughout this entire time she has continued to care for, nurse and love her babies. We will always love and care for her.

Meet Our Heroine!

While she has not yet told us her name, she is our hero. She was brought to the Sanctuary a week ago with five week old kittens. She gave birth to the kittens while being attacked by a raccoon. Her back legs had been chewed and bitten. She managed to get onto a back porch and the woman who lived there was able to chase away the raccoon. After she finished giving birth, it was obvious that her back legs were severely injured. When she was brought to the Sanctuary her temperature was over 104, but she was cuddling with her nursing babies. Her back legs were covered in pus filled sores. Our Vet immediately started her on antibiotics and we soak her back legs daily. While her temperature has gone down and her legs are no longer oozing pus, she still needs daily treatment. Despite her discomfort, she nurses her kittens with great love. We will continue to care for her and give her the support she needs to nurture her little ones. She has shown herself to be a fearless and devoted Mom and is certainly our Heroine.

Hooligans!

We have grownup with you watching us and now we are about seven weeks old. We have entered our hooligan phase. Check us out!

Check Us Out!

See how we have grown in ONLY 12 days! We now also eat on our own!

We Are Growing!

The Two Mommies and their brood of nine arrived less than two weeks ago. They are thriving and becoming more adorably rambunctious everyday.

YEAH!!! Our Catio’s are Ready!

As you all can see, we are outside enjoying the Catskill breezes. Now that all the Catio’s have been readied for the summer, we can sun ourselves and go in and out all day long. We are not allowed to stay out at night, but we are ready to run out again as soon as the door opens in the morning. 

Welcome Facebook Friends

First, we would like to welcome the many of you who have joined our Facebook page since our last blog. We truly appreciate you interest in our Sanctuary and the work that we do. This is our first blog since I returned from India (a story that I hope to tell you in our next newsletter in a couple of weeks). Our blogs try to keep you informed as to the goings on at the Sanctuary and hopefully, you can share in our joy and sometimes our sorrow in caring for our wonderful creatures.

Ronnie Update!

Ronnie was first introduced to you in September 2011, having arrived at the Sanctuary on July 24th. As we told you, he was very ill at the time (as were his siblings) and all three required constant care. On January 13th we shared with you that Ronnie had had two cryogenic eye surgeries to freeze away all his upper eye lashes that were growing into his eyes and causing him difficulty. On March 13th he had a third surgery on his right eye to reconstruct his third eyelid. He is now recuperating and receiving a lot of TLC. In approximately three weeks he will have have the same surgery on his left eye. We hope that when these procedures are completed and Ronnie no longer has serious eye problems, this wonderful friendly boy will find a forever home. Because of your donations and continued support Ronnie has been able to have the surgeries that he needed. We can’t wait to send you a picture of him when he is fully recovered.

Back to India

My friend Suresh with a cat he rescued from the streets

I am again leaving for India in a few days, to work with my friend whose mission in life is to bring help and relief from suffering to the street animals of Mumbai. He and his small group of dedicated volunteers do so much for these animals with very little resources. As I will be gone for over a month, the only member of the Love and Hope family who can type will not be able to update you on Sanctuary activities. I will not return until March. However, I want to tell you a story while I am away and have scheduled a Newsletter to be published on February 1st. It is a story about my very special “Jewel of India” and I hope that you will enjoy her tale. If you receive our blogs through Facebook or our website and wish to subscribe to our Newsletter then Click Here to sign up. If you receive our Newsletters and would like to ensure that you receive our blog updates, you can do so by checking our website or by joining us on Facebook.