Sunday, March 16, 2014

Calling All Angels

The desperate struggle to save or at least prolong the lives of five seriously sick Felix kitties has been carrying on for weeks now, but it already seems this agony has been lasting forever. And yes, I know we can’t save them all and I’m completely aware that when the
vet’s prognosis for the sick kitties is bad, their chances of recovery are slim to none, but watching them getting worse day by day and doing nothing is not and cannot ever be an option.

Out of those five sick kitties, Kus Kus and Marka, which are the
eldest, and Njanja with his mysterious problems, seem to have all managed to pull through and they are doing almost fine now – or more precisely, all three of them are in their regular state of ill health but their conditions aren't worsening. Sadly,
Kmeca and Frca are literally fighting for their lives and judging by their looks and behavior, the end is rapidly approaching.

Kmeca is just a shadow of her old self and I fear she is giving up. She doesn’t eat anything and I’ve been force-feeding
her for days now, but she is fading away right before my eyes and the drugs she is receiving are not doing her any good. Seeing her in such horrible shape, with brittle, dull fur and so painfully thin, from the outside she doesn’t even resemble a strong willed,
determined, sometimes grumpy but essentially sweet-natured and loving kitty girl she once was, but her heart of gold is the same. And no matter how heartbreaking the sight of her may be or how weak she has gotten, for as long as she is not in pain,
seeks my presence and purrs while cuddling with me, I refuse to believe her time has come this soon. It has not... not yet.

Her kidneys are failing and the buildup of toxic wastes produces the signs and symptoms of uremic
poisoning, which include loss of appetite and consequently loss of weight, general apathy and ulcers on the gums and tongue. Thankfully she is not struggling while I’m syringe feeding her, she is even trying to eat on her own and although she spits out
everything she takes into her mouth, she does swallow a certain amount of semi liquid food every day. At this point, it’s impossible to say how much time she has left…

Frca looks only slightly better, she eats willingly but is not gaining any weight –
the good news, I guess, is that she is not losing any either. She behaves normally, she is still a great cuddler and enjoys sitting at the window when the weather is nice, just looking into the yard, bathed in the radiant sunlight. Her cancer must be killing her slowly but
she is not suffering and she is obviously not yet ready to leave. Even if she has only a few days or a few weeks more, struggling to provide her with everything she needs and enabling her to live out her life the best she can is absolutely justified. Despite the
lack of funds, I simply can't leave these lovely kitties in the lurch; debts are piling up, and they both require veterinary care and are being given special, palatable soft food, vitamins and everything else the vet recommends.
What we really need is a miracle, two little miracles for two fragile kitty girls. And if miracles don’t happen, we badly need the help of all of our friends and supporters, all of those wonderful people out there who laugh and cry together with us, who
share our joys and our sorrows and who think that our two skinny sweeties are worth every try. Kmeca and Frca are not young and it’s extremely unlikely that they will bounce back, but if we can’t give them health and many more happy years they both so
much deserve, at least we can make the rest of their lives, however short they may be, as fulfilled, nice and happy as possible. Surrounded by all of the youngsters who are snuggling with them, showering them with affection no matter what and who will obviously
love and comfort them until the end, the burden they both carry must seem lighter. They are still happy when their little friends are around, they still love the sun, they still rub their faces against mine and they both know they are very much loved. That’s how
they lived and that’s how they should leave.

If you could by any chance help these two loving, frail and fragile kitty girls, please do so! Anything you might be able to give really means a lot and even the smallest amount can make a
big difference in the lives of our delicate but brave fighters. Please, get involved today if you possibly can, as tomorrow might be too late :( The debts for Kmeca’s and Frca’s treatments will still be here, but will they?

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Update on the Sick Kitties

Dear friends,

I don’t even know how to start yet another appeal for help for these five seriously ill Felix kitties. Many of you, to whom I remain immeasurably grateful, readily responded to my desperate plea for
financial support but despite our joint efforts, for at least some of these little fighters things have been going from bad to worse and time's running out. To my deep regret, Kmeca and Frca are not getting better, although they have both been under
treatment since their first symptoms showed. For one of them, the vet’s prognosis is guarded; for the other, it’s poor :(

Kmeca’s kidneys are in very bad shape and she might already be on the verge of uremia. She is being
given Epakitin, an intestinal phosphate binder which is recommended for cats with impaired kidney function and even though it can't cure her, it may increase the quality of her life as well as her life expectancy. She is also being given special medicinal food
but unfortunately, she hardly eats anything. She is as light as a feather and seems almost transparent, her energy level is severely decreased and she spends most of her time sleeping. She's looking like the epitome of misery, hopelessness and pure despair. All of
these years we've spent together have passed entirely too quickly, almost unnoticeably and I can still remember her as a tiny, minuscule kitten, just a few hours old and soaking wet as someone had thrown her, together with her two little sisters, into a manhole
right after their birth… I simply can’t imagine my life without her, a small cat with such a huge personality, long vampire fangs and a loud, distinctive voice that once heard can never be forgotten. I won’t give up on her for as long as she is not suffering, even if all of these drugs, special food and supportive therapy can't do anything else than buy her just some more time.

Frca is bone skinny and at the last visit to the vet, when a UV scan was made, it revealed that
she has an all-consuming cancer that has spread all through her abdomen and metastasized on her internal organs. She is not in pain, she eats nicely and enjoys sleeping on my bed, so putting her down is not an option, at least for now. Even as sick as she is, she is able
to find joy in her life for the time being and I don’t think I have the moral right to forcibly deprive her of whatever time she has left. She has been a true fighter since day one, a real survivor even when she was little. Although she was horribly injured when some low life
scum tried to pull her eye out, not only did she manage to recover, but she was also able to overcome her fear of humans and to live all of her life as a loving, cuddly and incredibly sweet kitty girl. The old saying “Leave no cat behind” must apply to her too and I keep
hoping that some sort of miracle will occur...

Kus Kus, Marka and Njanja are holding in there, but they are not out of the woods yet. They are still being given medicine, vitamins and special food and even though it can’t reasonably be expected that Kus Kus
and Marka, both very old, could live many more years, their time obviously has not come yet.

In such a horrible crisis, I'm well aware that I can’t help these amazingly brave furry beauties all on my own, I’m reaching out to all of you! Please,
help them if you possibly can, in any way you can and share their story far and wide! Even the smallest donations all add up and give the sick Felix kitties a chance to live! No one can do everything but everyone can do something and we can at least try and help
those little cuties, who can't win the most important fight they have ever fought, a fight for their lives, without you! Give them hope and be their strength!