Even though my introduction to ferals came with Emmett & Spoticus, my passion for helping the feral community came with Oscar the Orange. When Oscar first started showing up at my feeding station, I noticed his eye looked runny, nothing too serious, but definitely something to watch. I started reaching out to the rescue community, looking for help. That's when I discovered that there isn't a lot o
f help out there for ferals beyond TNR. Sick ferals don't matter much even in the cat community. It took me 3 weeks to find someone to help me help him, and by the time a group took pity on him, he'd disappeared. Finally after a week of absence, he came back to the warm tote I'd created for him in my garage. I managed to get the kitty door into the garage shut so he couldn't leave, and sadly, I saw his left eye was a black mess (turned out to be dried blood). I contacted the organization to let them know he'd returned, and they immediately got him a vet appointment near my house for the next day. I spent the evening with Oscar, assuring him that his life was going to be better & he'd never hurt again. Unfortunately, the next morning, Oscar's eye was a bloodied mess. I got him to the vet, he needed his left eye removed, his left eye socket was shattered. There was no saving it. Then even worse news hit - Oscar tested positive for both FIV & FeLV. His chances of surviving an invasive eye surgery along with a neuter were slim, and if he did manage to survive, it'd take him several months to heal & he'd be in pain the whole time. The vet recommended we help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. It was a difficult decision to make. I had spent the last several hours promising Oscar the brightest, happiest future. A loving home, without hunger and fear. No more cold nights or blazing summer days. I had failed him by not being able to help him when his eye was just starting to look bad. I spent the last 20 minutes of his life apologizing for my failure, telling him how great "life" on the other side will be, while he made biscuits in his wool blanket, purring. I promised him I would help all the ferals who cross my path & not let them be the ones who always fall between the cracks because they are ownerless.
