09/02/2024
THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME
Friday, Aug 31, 7 pm I get a text from one of my amazing foster homes asking me to intervene in a situation where a cat needed medical attention. I was sent a link to a post by a caring individual in west-central Winnipeg who had found a cat, curled up on their porch, in bad condition. The individual was not sure if the cat had something contagious, something zoonotic or was feral. They provided food and water and the cat ate immediately - this was a good sign.
Upon seeing the photos (one of which is shown here), I thought this cat was very ill, possibly a senior, and needed to be at a clinic in short order. I turned the stove off, drained my pasta and left it in the sink, grabbed a carrier, my bite gloves, nitrile gloves, a sheet and a towel and was on my way.
This sad-looking sweetie hadn't moved from underneath a shelf in the porch. I stuffed a comforter under the shelf beside her so she couldn't move further ahead and I placed the carrier beside her with the door open. As I didn't know if she was friendly or feral and injured, I gingerly tried nudging her toward the carrier, but she resisted. Then, I concluded she was not feral and wrapped her in the sheet, placed her in the carrier and covered her with the towel.
Because of the very real possibility of panleukopenia (parvo), I had prepared my car by lining the seat with plastic and ensured she was not able to contaminate the car's interior with any bodily fluids. I transported her to Winnipeg Animal Emergency Hospital where they accept sick and injured cats on behalf of WHS. Sadly, I was asked to get the cat out of the carrier so she could be swabbed for a quick panleuk test. I declined. We were on Pembina Highway and I didn't know the strength of this cat should she be frightened. She could have broken free and run into traffic and gotten killed. I also didn't want my car contaminated should she have had panleuk.
What I did wind up doing was checking for a tattoo through the carrier door and she had one - done just last year. As I was checking for the tattoo, she would turn her head toward the scratching noise I was making on the carrier but I couldn't get the whole tattoo. In between my attempts, she would just put her head down and make a noise that sounded like a sigh, and then a cough. I told her things will only get better from then on.
I transported her to Bridgwater, who does not normally take strays as WHS does not pick up from there. I explained the situation and was prepared to pay for her care. There was no problem with accepting her without swabbing her outdoors. I was relieved.
There HAS to be a better way to allow for swabbing without contaminating a personal vehicle or a clinic. In the US, many clinics have a shed they do such things in. Seeing how Pembina is the busiest street in Winnipeg, it would be great if something like that could be constructed rather than taking chances with cats that could possibly spook and take off.
Bridgwater bathed her, as she had been hit by some kind of noxious substance - this could have been a skunk, pepper spray or another oily product of some kind. Many thanks to Bridgwater and their caring staff.
The clinic where she was spayed was called and owner information was obtained by Bridgwater. I spoke with the clinic to verify she was up to date on vaccinations, which she was. Her owners were contacted who told them she was no longer their cat. They had rehomed her to someone who they no longer had contact with and could not get in touch with them.
Two years old, homeless and in very rough shape, she was driven by a Bridgwater staff person (thank you so very much for doing that) to Pembina and subsequently transferred to WHS where she continues to get the care she needs.
She has blepharospasm in both eyes and is being medicated with eye drops to see if her condition will improve. Some blepharospasm can render a cat, and people, functionally blind. We hope this will not be the case for her. She will need a detailed workup (bloodwork, possibly x-rays, virus testing, etc.) She will also need a long stint in foster care as her body score is a 2/9 and we don't know how long it will take for her eyes to heal, if ever. If someone didn't tell me this little one was a cat, I could have mistaken her for a ferrett - a sad commentary on her condition.
WHS has made a file notation that WLCA would like to take over her care, so long as they think she is well enough to be transferred to the care of a private vet in an outpatient setting.
We have no idea how many days, weeks or months this sad little girl has been in this condition. How many others are out there in the same, or worse state? Thank goodness for amazing, caring people like the person who found her that day. Thank goodness for: emergency clinics, WHS weekend vets and that everything fell into place for her.
What's her name? She has a name, but it's dead to me, along with the life she had. We will call her Beverley for now and keep you posted on her progress.
