Monthly Archives: June 2010

This morning we picked up Eliza from the vet hospital! Her leg is healing well, there is no more swelling, and the prognosis looks very good.

Today she has a blue bandage on.  It stays on for one week, then she goes back to the vet for a bandage change and suture removal.  She can use her litter pan and walk a little bit using three legs and hopping the cast leg around a bit.  It’s awkward for sure, but she seems oblivious to it and pays it absolutely no attention.

Despite having a cast on her entire leg, all the way up to her hip – she is a non-stop purring, rubbing, and muffin-making machine.  We gave her a cushy cat bed and she could hardly contain her excitement, actually falling over into the bed from rubbing and kneading so much while being out of balance from the cast!

Eliza stays on crate rest for quite a while yet, but she seems absolutely overjoyed to be home, in a bed, next to a full bowl of chow.  She’s on antibiotics for a while yet, but she’s off the pain meds, is eating well, and is one brave little girl.  I do believe this is one kitty who is VERY happy to be alive today, and she is alive because of the kindness so many people around the world showed her.  We’ve rescued a few cats who were very wounded or sick, and sometimes we swear they know and remember being saved because they seem overly grateful, devoted, and loyal afterward.  After being home with her for just an hour, Eliza is definitely one of those cats.

We just spoke with the vet hospital and the surgeon took a good look at Eliza’s little foot.  The good news is that the surgeon does not think Eliza will lose her leg!  The plan is:

Tomorrow (6/18) – Eliza goes under for surgical debridement.  They will assess the damage once they’re “in”. If they can set the bones and if there is enough skin to close the wound, they will put a hard cast on Eliza and she will be home free!  If there is not enough skin to close, but they can still set the bones, she will get set and bandaged, we will need to change these bandages daily, and it will be a “very long” recovery process.  If everything goes wrong – if the damage is so severe that they cannot set the bones, she will need to be transferred to the nearest specialty hospital (VCA Aurora), where they will have to re-build the foot using pins and screws.

They warned that all of this is going to be very expensive, but we told them that Eliza has an army behind her and we are committed to saving her and her leg!  THANK YOU, donors, for making this possible.

UPDATE: Eliza is resting comfortably at the vet clinic; she is on pain medication, antibiotics, and is receiving hydrotherapy to get the infection under control.  The vet techs are amazed at how friendly she is despite her trauma.  Xrays show that only Eliza’s paw is crushed, not the whole leg!  This means we have a choice to make on her surgery and we are waiting to hear the advice of her surgeons.  Eliza will either need the entire leg amputated or she will need recontructive surgery to repair the paw.  We will know more after speaking with the orthopaedic surgeon who comes in tomorrow morning, but are told reconstructive surgery is a much longer recovery time and not always successful, especially on the delicate bones of a tiny cat paw.  We’ll listen to that advice very carefully and want Eliza to keep her leg if there is any possible, humane way.  But for now, she is safe and stable.

We are only able to offer Eliza this gift because of the kindness shown yesterday by compassionate people across the world who responded to our pleas for help.  To date, $1,375 has been raised to save Eliza!  Donations have come in from states all across the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, even Singapore.  Donations are still trickling in by people who are moved by this beautiful long-haired ginger cat.  On behalf of Eliza, we sincerely thank each and every one of you for your amazing generousity and concern for a stray cat in rural Illinois who needed a little help.

We would especially like to thank our rescue friends at Covered in Cat Hair for lending their voice to Eliza’s cause, and the world’s most famous cat, Sockington, for rallying the Socks Army to Eliza’s rescue.  You are all heroes and an inspriation.

This is Eliza, moments after we took her in.  Her right hind paw is crushed with multiple bones sticking out of an open, gangrenous wound.  We do not know how this happened to Eliza.  What we do know is that she is sweet, affectionate, and that she deserves to live.  Despite the incredible pain she must be in, Eliza limps to the front of her crate to rub on her caretakers, purr, and ask for a snack.  She is strong and dignified.

Eliza is scheduled for emergency surgery on 6/16 at the Amboy Veterinary Clinic.  We believe the larger leg bones have also been crushed – if so, odds are very good that Eliza will lose her entire leg.  Eliza’s surgery and recovery is going to be very expensive, regardless of the outcome.  IVCT is a no-kill organization, no animal that can be saved will ever be euthanized.  But we need your help to save Eliza; we cannot do it alone.  Kitten season has hit us hard and our funds are low.  Those who know us well know we very rarely ask for help, and when we do, it’s urgent.

Any donation is appreciated.  Every dollar you donate adds to another dollar someone else donates and it does add up.  Please send whatever you can spare.  Eliza deserves to live.

($135 has been donated already, before the Chip-In widget was added.)

IVCT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, your donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.  You may also call in a donation directly to the vet clinic if you prefer, at 815-857-2215.

In addition, all proceeds from this weekend’s IVCT yardsale (at 617 Main St in Mendota) will be used for Eliza’s care.  Please donate your used household items this week and/or come help us work the yardsale so that we can raise enough to cover Eliza’s expenses.  Thank you.

We are excited to be participating in this year’s Angels With Tails adoption event sponsored by PAWS Chicago.  Angels with Tails is Chicagoland’s premiere adoption event that brings together local businesses, people, shelters and pets in an effort to find families for many homeless pets.  Enjoy Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on June 13th with 38 shelters/rescues and 63 participating businesses!

On June 13th from 12-4pm, IV Cat Taxi will be at the Citibank at 1 East Oak (SE corner of State & Oak) in Chicago, with 12 of our wonderful, adoptable cats and kittens.  What better day to come enjoy Chicago, and join thousands of other animal lovers as we find homes for pets in need!  Please join us!

UPDATE – 7 of IVCT’s cats found homes on 6/13 at Angels With Tails.  Thank you to PAWS Chicago for putting this event on, and for Citibank for graciously opening up their facility to us.  Here are some photos of our cats going home with their new families!

Below, senior kitty, Mr. Bleu Mouse, gets his first kiss from his new mother.  Bleu Mouse is a 12 year old, FIV+, former street cat who miraculously survived on Chicago’s southside his entire life until he was rescued this year.  Bleu Mouse is proof that FIV+ cats live long, healthy, happy lives – and also that there is an adopter out there for every single cat.  We are so very honored to have known Bleu Mouse, the most charming cat we’ve ever known, and could not be any happier about his adoption.

Yoda meets her new family, and chooses them by falling asleep on mom’s lap.  Yoda came from a feral colony of cats in Seneca, she and her brothers emerged from the woods scared, unsocialized, and hissy.  Now she is a snuggling, healthy little kitten.

Damen and Diego get adopted together!  Damen and Diego came to us through the Seneca Police Department, who picked them up as strays and put out calls for help when their “time” was up and they were slotted for euthanasia.  IVCT took them in and these two rambuncitous, playful boys now have a wonderful home together!