(Updated with photoes 092217) On Aug. 8, Maddy was carelessly left at our door in a cardboard box on a very hot day, with a message written on the top, duct-taped shut with only a few pencil holes poked in the sides. The message read:
“My name is Maddy. I am a 2-year-old kitty. My owner could not keep me. I am a loving kitty once I warm up to you. I get along with cats and dogs. I’m very shy at first. Please help me find a home. I’m a female, not fixed. Owner thinks I may be pregnant, but they could not tell.”
Trinity before
We quickly opened the box to find beautiful Maddy in distress, panting inside. Yes, Maddy was pregnant and close to delivery. The following Wednesday, Maddy’s water broke, and she went into labor. On Friday, after two days of labor and no signs of kittens, we rushed Maddy to the veterinarian for help. We were told Maddy had two dead kittens inside. The cause of death was most likely due to the stress Maddy endured trying to claw her way out of the cardboard box along with the heat of that day.
Trinity after
Maddy was given a shot to help her with the delivery. She was able to push out one of the dead kittens overnight. Sadly, Maddy still had one dead kitten inside her, and we were very concerned for her well-being, so she was taken back to the animal hospital on Saturday. Maddy received a second shot to help her deliver.
On Sunday morning Maddy was in a great deal of pain. We could tell she was having trouble, and realized she was trying to push out the second kitten. Not only was she now having a dry birth of a dead kitten that could not help itself out, it was coming out breach. Maddy was crying out in pain. She just could not get it out. We rushed her back to the animal hospital that Sunday, hoping to save her life.
The veterinarian sedated her, but Maddy was only able to push the kitten out halfway. With help from the veterinarian pulling, Maddy finally had her second kitten. She developed an infection, and was kept overnight on antibiotics. We were told if she did not respond to the medication, she would need to have a full hysterectomy.
Thankfully Maddy responded well, and was sent back to the shelter with antibiotics. We were told she would have to wait a month before she could be spayed. At the time we were not considering what her bills would add up to. We just knew she did not deserve to die because of some careless person.
Maddy has recovered from her infection and is doing well. We operate on very limited funding, and Maddy incurred large medical bills that will put a strain on the shelter’s finances. After everything Maddy has gone through, she also tested positive for FIV. We are all heartbroken by the news that we cannot place Maddy on our adoption floor. We are currently working on placing her into a rescue for FIV positive cats.
We chose to save Maddy, and we are not ready to give up on her. For her to be left in such a manner is not only illegal, but it is immoral, too. If anyone knows who she belonged to, please contact us. We will make sure any information received is anonymous as this is an ongoing issue with dogs and cats abandoned at Wanderers’ Rest when no one is around.
Exactly two weeks after Maddy was left at our door, another female cat was abandoned in a carrier, soaked in her own urine, stressed and dehydrated from the heat. She was a nursing mom behaving frantically because she wanted to find her kittens, who were nowhere to be seen. We believe the people who abandoned her may have kept the kittens. We named her Trinity, and she is currently available for adoption.
We are here to help the animals, but we do not always have the space available to take in every call we get. We are willing to give you food, litter, litter box and even a kennel to help you while waiting for a scheduled appointment to surrender a pet or a stray.
Even after everything these two cats were put through, they are both very affectionate and loving. With hearts like theirs, they definitely deserve forever homes.
If you would like to help with Maddy’s vet bills, call Wanderers’ Rest at (315) 697-2796, and ask to speak to Vicky or Delaine. Thank you for your support!
