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Choco News!

THIS JUST IN FROM MARIA. NEWS ABOUT HER CAT, CHOCO:

I have really good news! He had no signs of keytones when they checked him at 3:00. He was very happy to see me and was all over me. Potassium is back to normal and I brought him some food to eat. Boy o boy was he hungry. We only gave him a half a can to start and he was definitely wanting the whole can. I also brought his insulin and gave him a shot after he ate. He still needs to go to my regular vet in the morning but it looks like he will be coming home tomorrow!!!

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©2011 Maria S. Choco with food on his face! A good sign after what he went through yesterday.

Of course, this is SUPER AWESOME NEWS and it's SUPER AWESOME that MANY OF YOU JUMPED RIGHT IN TO HELP MARIA WITH HER SUPER-LOUSY VET BILL! We're still trying to raise another $700.00 or so, so if you can help out, we would VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT!

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©2011 Maria S. Choco. Glad to see his MAMA!

It's tough to put into words just how much Maria does for at-risk cats. She is one of the best-she LOVES all cats and will do anything to help them. It's OUR TURN to help her!

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©2011 Maria S. The ever-too familiar steel cage, but at least this time we KNOW this kitty HAS a loving home. Hs'e not in a kill shelter, thanks to Maria!.

Here's the LINK to the donation info. Remember that the PayPal email address they use does NOT have an EXTRA SPACE IN IT. The email address has the extra space to prevent spammers, so DO READ THE DONATION INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU TRY TO DONATE! THANK YOU ALL!!

URGENT: ONE OF OUR OWN NEEDS HELP ASAP!

Over the past year that I've been rescuing cats from Kill Shelters in Georgia, there have been a few people behind the scenes who make most of my rescues possible. One of my team members is Maria. If you read my blog, even just once in awhile, you know Maria's name.

Maria is my uber-foster Mom---the one I can load up with sick kittens, who never once complains about it, who frets over them and who takes days off work, to give them the best care possible. She will do just about anything and then some, to rescue a cat out of harm's way. Every week she volunteers to clean cages at the local Petsmart to help out another rescue group, even after a long day at work when doing so gets her home late at night.

She also let me know where to get Vet care done for less cost. She knows the value of a dollar, since she doesn't have many to her name. Like so many who do rescue, she cares not about herself, but her animals.

Maria even served our Country! Yep, she was in the Air Force! Maria is a tough cookie and works hard. Nothing seems to phase her, so when she called me today and was crying on the phone, I knew something terrible was going on.

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©2010 Maria S. Choco a few months ago, enjoying his new Catio.

Maria's cat, Choco, was diagnosed with Diabetes just last week. Jennifer, the Treasurer and a Board Members of Kitten Associates, contacted her friend, Venita at Diabetic Cats in Need. They were able to give Maria a lovely donation of tools she'd need to begin the daily blood glucose monitoring her cat would need. It really helped her alot, so way to go, Jennifer and Venita at DCIN!

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©2010 Maria S. Maria adopted Choco, partially because Black cats just don't get adopted in the South. What a loss it would have been if she hadn't rescued him!

Then, this morning, Choco was hunched over and wouldn't eat. Something was terribly wrong. Maria rushed him to her Vet where they diagnosed him as having Ketoacidosis. This is a life-threatening, potentially fatal situation and the Vet couldn't provide 24 hr care, so Maria had to rush him to Southern Cresent Animal Emergency Clinic.

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©2011 Maria S. Choco, today.

You know the kind of place I'm referring to..the type that really wants to care for the inside of your wallet, then they'll look at your pet. The problem, as I know all too well, Maria's wallet isn't very full. She's desperately trying to put together some money to cover Choco's care and I really want to help her make this happen.

The estimate is $1800.00-$2700.00!!!Choco may need to be hospitalized for a few days. Many years ago this happened to our own, Spencer, the mascot of Covered in Cat Hair and he almost died. I was very lucky I had help to get the Vet bill taken care of or I would have lost Spencer.

Maria was able to get Care Credit to cover some of the bill, but not all over it. We need to do a fundraiser for her for, at least another $1500.00. DCIN has begun fundraising for Choco's care.

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©2011 Maria S. Let's Help Choco!

You donation IS tax deductible. Maria is a wonderful person and we need to lend her a helping paw for all she does for cats in need.

Please visit THIS page on DCIN's web page to make a donation. Make sure you mark your donation "FOR CHOCO" so they know where to direct the funds.

If it's not a good time to make a donation, please share this post with your friends and family and help us get the word out on this lovely cat who needs our support.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Love to all, Robin

When the Rescuer Needs Rescue

I've gotten many emails and comments on our Facebook page about Bob. Every single one of them, supportive and loving-offering prayers and help, whatever it takes. It means so much to me, that I can't even write the words to express how I feel. I'm sitting here crying. I'm so touched and grateful. I honestly don't feel like I deserve it. I know everyone out there is having a tough time. Every single one of you has challenges and heartache. I wish I could share all the love and support I get right back with all of you.

Quite a few folks have asked me to put up a ChipIn widget for anyone who wants to kick in a few dollars to help me pay for Bob's Vet Bill, which right now is about $5000.00. I'm not looking for a handout, but I won't turn away these offers of help any more, either. Sam and I have had a Hell of a bad few years and lately we've both been terribly depressed, wondering if we will EVER see things improve.

I feel really awkward putting up this ChipIn, but for those of you who like my work and appreciate all the advice and support I've given back, then if you want to consider it as giving me a "tip" for my good efforts or my writing, or if you want to do it in honor or Bob, then this is the time to do it.

Whatever you do, don't do anything that will put YOU into trouble. If you want to skip one cup of take out coffee and donate that to Bob's bill, then that would be mighty fine by me. I don't expect to raise $5000.00, but heck, if someone is flush with cash and loves my work, heck I would just about faint if we hit a goal like that.

Anyway...here you go. ChipIn to your hearts content.

Thank you to Izzy and Ivy and Maria and so many others for asking me to do this and to all of you for caring about Bob-and me. It is a gift like no other.

Not on My Watch: I Just Can't Do Nothing

I've got five foster kittens headed my way. They'll be here in an hour. My dear cat, Bob is having very serious surgery tomorrow to try to remove a mass from his liver. He may not survive. He may have a belly full of cancer. Christmas is in less than a week and I am nowhere near ready...

...yet...

I can't look away from this poor girl sitting at Henry County. She's been in quarantine for almost ten days without any vet care after being injured when she took refuge inside a car engine to get warm. I just have to help her.

This is Noelle. She'll be staying with our best foster mama in the world until she's ready to come to CT and join us at Kitten Associates. Because she's injured and may have to have part of her tail amputated, we're going to start fundraising for her right now, even though we don't know what she's going to need. If we need less than I'm asking for, I will change the ChipIn widget. I will only ask for just what we need and no more. Hopefully we can get the job done. She'll be seeing a vet, tomorrow. No more waiting, silently in pain.

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Merry Christmas little one. I hope we can help you find your confidence, love, a warm loving home and a pain free life soon. Bobby's coming to get you tomorrow. Hang tight!

Please help spread the word so we can get the funds we need to provide Vet care for this baby! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

They Stole More Than Just Cat Food

It's bad enough that Maria had a lousy day yesterday. A long day at work, followed by being caught in a downpour while waiting for the bus. Tired and wet as she was, she kept her commitment to cleaning out cat cages at Petsmart. It was a long day. She finally made her way home around 9pm.

I told her there was a shipment of cat food waiting for her by the garage. UPS verified the delivery. I was anxious for her to get the food since I knew she was running low and this food was for Polly and her family...who are STILL STRUGGLING to beat their URI!

As she walked down her driveway, she saw the shipment, but the box looked funny. Then she realized, it had been ripped open. Her heart sank.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval.

As she lifted the lid, her worst fears were realized.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval.

It was empty-save for the invoice from Pet Food Direct and the air filled plastic cushions to keep the cases of cat food from being damaged.

What sort of heartless moron would STEAL CAT FOOD...and from a CAT RESCUE GROUP??!!! Donations are tough enough to come by and now this?

Maria gave me a call. I missed picking up the phone. I heard her voicemail and she sounded terrible. I thought Polly was dead!!! When we were finally able to talk, she told me what happened. I was stunned that someone would stoop so low as to steal food. Could we have bought a big bag of dry food for a few dollars, instead of shipping cases of canned food? Well, no, we couldn't. We feed a grain-free, canned food diet, which has kept our foster kittens in much better health and at their fragile age is MUCH easier for them to digest and mix with the milk replacer they also eat. We may spend more on food, but in the long run we'll save more on Vet care since our babies will be in better health if we get them off on the “right paw” to begin with.

Maria actually filed a police report. This is the second time someone stole from her yard. The last time it was a nice cat carrier she had left outside to dry after she washed it out. A few hours later-it was gone. She originally thought it was a fluke, but now she realizes either the local kids are thieves or her neighbor who has many cats (and dogs) and no income, may have done the deed. She spoke to the woman who acted surprised that Maria would make a fuss over stolen cat food. I told Maria to check the woman's trash in a few days!There aren't many people that live in Maria's neighborhood to begin with..this is all so messed up.

The shipment cost $90.00 and I had to send out a second shipment last night to replace the one that was lost and it cost more money..the price went up. So there goes another $110.00. I called my credit card company and the purchase insurance does not cover food. I contact Pet Food Direct and they are talking to UPS, but the feeling is nothing can be done since the package was delivered. This may change, but it will be a week to ten days before I get an update.

In the meantime, our babies need to eat. If you'd like to help us recover our loss, we would dearly appreciate it. It really feels like those creeps stole more than just cat food—they stole our faith in humanity.

Maria got two hours of sleep last night. Cara, Polly's sister, is not doing well. Another kitten from another litter had a 104.6°F fever. Maria looked after them until early this morning. Now she's back at work, trying not to face-plant on her desk. I wish I could do more than just order cat food for her, but there are some things that can't be done from 1000 miles distance.

If you know Maria, do send her a note to tell her you're sending good thoughts, good wishes, support. Is this life or death? Heck no, but Maria is our friend, our super-foster mama. We need to rally around her so she can continue to care for quite a few ailing kittens. Maybe our goal is as simple as being a good neighbor—something that Maria does not seem to have.

The Sniffles & Boo-Boo Fund

It was a long night, filled with gut wrenching dread. I got a call around dinnertime that Polly was NOT doing well at all. Her eye was sealed shut and worse, she was SCREAMING. Maria called me to give me this urgent update and while we talked, I could hear Polly wailing. It was too late to go to a “regular” Vet. Our only option was to go to a 24hr ER Vet-also know as: “open your wallet and empty it out. Thank you. Now we will provide your animal with care.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. Polly cries-where is the cure for me to get better?

There was no hesitation. Even if it was coming right out of my almost -empty pocket. Get all the kittens and Mama Mazie to the Vet NOW! Maria had just gotten home from work and was faced with a white-knuckle drive to the Vet. I was in a daze. What to do? I didn't want Polly to die!

I realized I had NO IDEA where Maria was going, so I called her back. She said she was just about to call me to ask me to look up the number so she could alert them to her arrival. I offered to do that for her, getting online and quickly finding the Vet. Then Maria got quiet. She is a tough-cookie, but I could hear her choking back tears. She said she didn't think Polly was going to make it. She said she heard there is a “death scream” that kittens make and that's what Polly was probably doing!!!

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. If this isn't the most miserable kitten, ever. Poor Polly.

I felt my gut drop to the floor and my legs got wobbly. I got choked up, but I really wanted to help Maria. I told her to stay strong, that we were doing EVERYTHING we could for these babies. That if we could not save them it would not be because we didn't give them every chance we could. Some times Mother Nature makes the choice for us, but I have to say, I hung up the phone and cried.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. No words.

Being 1000 miles away, helpless. All I could do was call the Vet, warn them, then follow their rules by scanning my Driver's License and credit cards and emailing them the info so their bill would be paid. It was the least I could do, but thoughts of Princess FiFi danced around in my head. Her care set us back $2000.00. We were able to raise about half of that in donations and Animals in Distress was abel to pick up the rest of the tab, but this was ONE KITTEN and I had THREE, plus their Mama. Oh boy...I did not want to do THAT sort of math.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. Cara Melle struggles, too.

Maria got there in good time. They took the family in the back and Maria sat in the waiting room while I sat with my phone in my hand, trying to face eating dinner, until I got an update. I didn't feel hungry. I was too sick. I was imagining what was going on. Time ticked by...an hour...then I get a text from Maria. A cat who came in just after she did came back out...in a box. That really set me off. I didn't want to have any of our kittens pass away. The waiting was grueling for both Maria and I. There was nothing we could do but just keep waiting and say a prayer for the poor kitty who didn't make it.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. Even Chester is sick, today he is a bit worse.

Another hour passed. Nothing. My imagination was running wild. Didn't they always get the money worked out FIRST before they did treatment? Why didn't Maria get an update?

A third hour passed. I was hoping that other animals were in more serious shape and were being cared for while our family was just waiting in the back room. ANOTHER HOUR LATER we found out, that was the case.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. Mazie and her family waiting for the Vet.

Polly had no fever. Though she was uncomfortable in her breathing, there was no “crackle” sound in her lungs. Her brother and sister were afflicted, but not quite as bad. Polly was crying, I'm guessing, because she was so hungry. If she couldn't breathe through her nose, she wouldn't feed off her Mother-how could she breathe? So the Vet fed each kitten and said they were big enough to get some cat food/baby food/milk replacer. This would make it easier for them to eat. Once fed, Polly quieted down. She must have been exhausted, too.

They made a few other suggestions, like running the shower a few times a day so the humidity would help them breathe. Polly gets some sterile saline and eye ointment many times a day. Syringe feed as needed if they don't lap up the food on their own. Monitor, monitor, monitor.

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©2010 Maria Sandoval. Only Mama can make it better. Polly finds some peace after a very tough day.

The family was already on antibiotics since they'd just been to the Vet the day before. They felt there was nothing more to be done just now, so Maria packed everyone up and went home. She told me she was going to take the next day off-for which I was very grateful. I would not want to leave those babies alone until they get to a point where they are more stable...KNOCK WOOD...

But this story is not over yet. None of the kittens are in the clear. Some may improve, while others get worse. Because it could easily come to pass that we will need more and more Vet care, I felt it was time to start asking for donations to provide Vet care for Polly and her family, as well as for any cat or kitten in our program. I'm not asking for much, just enough so we have some protection in place, in case we need to get Polly back to the Vet or to see an eye specialist, if it comes to that.

The donations needed go to Kitten Associates, Inc., my rescue group. We're about to become non-profit so your donation will be tax deductible, retroactively. We just need to wrap up our paperwork over the next week.

Last night I posted info on our Facebook page about the kitties. Thank you for your help and for your good wishes and prayers for this very sweet family. It really helped last night. I'm happy to add that Polly got through the night all right and is resting comfortably with her siblings, as Mama Mazie watches over them and Maria keeps them all safe.

Foster Cat Journal: The Princess & the Pig

Last night Connie, Sam and I went to visit Princess Fifi. We knew her temperature had started to climb again and we were very worried about her. Her temp was at 104.7°F. The Vet decided to move her to IV antibiotics as they would help her feel better, faster, if she has some sort of bacterial issue. If it was a virus, there wasn't a whole lot we could do except give her supportive care and wait.

VCA Shoreline VREC is a big, fancy building. You can tell by walking in the door that it's going to cost big bucks to bring your animal inside. Before we even took a step, we saw a big pit bull standing in the center of a circle of bloody paw prints across the floor. The dog's left front paw was a bloody mess. The dog seemed to be relaxed and content, even though he was bleeding. He owner was stuck to a cellphone, talking about something. Of course I assumed the dog was used for fighting, but then stupidly realized why would they bring it to a Vet if it got hurt in a dog fight? Then the dog turned around. He had big, dangly balls. Connie and I both got pissed when we saw this. Why this dog is running around intact? We both wanted to yell at him, but realized we'd be outmatched if we spoke up.

We sidestepped the blood, told the receptionist who we were visiting, than sat down and waited. An exam room door was open and we saw a small, white bichon or poodle sitting on the exam table. Her right leg was bent oddly. Connie gasped and said; "oh no, neurological problem!" Then I started to worry they were going to put the dog down. We both agreed we hated sitting in this waiting room. I whispered under my breath; “close the door.” A Vet Tech walked over and shut the door. Neither of us wanted to see what was going to happen next.

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After a few minutes, we were escorted through some doors, into the heart of the building. Princess was being held in isolation.

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The room was small and filled with a huge bin of used sharps, a garbage can, a table with yellow dressing gowns all over it and a small bank of four steel cages. Three were empty. Each one had a card that read: CLEAN. The fourth, held our Princess Fifi.

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When we approached the cage, Princess was sleeping. They set her up on a pretty pink bed. Her food was next to her. There were some signs that she ate a bit of it. We all called out to her, but she did not respond. My heart sank. We were told we could hold her, but just to be careful of the IV line into her front leg. Sam reached into the cage and gently took her out. She was limp.

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As he began to pet her, she started to wake up. I looked at her face. It was a filthy mess. I grabbed a cotton pad from a dispenser on the table, wetted it and began to try to clean the gunk out of her eyes. At first, she didn't protest, but as she felt the cool water, she began to stir. There was a fan blowing on us and she began to shiver.

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I kept trying to get her cleaned up, but the food and discharge was crusted on her pretty well. I was glad to see her react to us holding and cleaning her. I tried to mimic how her mother might have licked her face as I wiped at it with the pad.

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A Vet came in to talk to us. She was about 15 years old. We asked her question after question. She was thinking Princess has a URi. That she is not at death's door, but she is not in great shape, either. That she would eat, but only if someone stayed with her while she ate. That her chest and heart sound fairly normal and her blood work was basically fine. She turned the fan off, realizing it was making Princess feel worse. Princess stopped shaking and just enjoying being held by Sam.

I asked if we could try to feed her, so the Vet got some fresh food and I offered it to her. She turned her head away, refusing my offer. I asked the Vet to warm it up, which she did. It didn't help. I rubbed a small bit on Princess's face. She licked at it, but still refused to eat. I put the food bowl down and focused on petting her. I didn't want to think that this might be the last time I see her alive. If she didn't eat...well...she was already too thin to begin with. I tried to be positive and not “go there.”

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Connie and I continued to pet Princess and talk to her. She began to react a little bit more and more, then longer we were with her. I held her for a few minutes, but I was scared I'd hurt her. She was hot in my arms and her coat was not in the best shape. I wanted to just find a comfy chair and hold her for the rest of the night. None of us wanted to leave. We could see our being there was helping her feel better.

A Vet Tech came in to take Princess's temp. Sam helped hold her while Princess fussed. Her temp was down a tiny bit..down to 104.3°F. Her weight was up by 2 ounces in 4 days! We were all cautiously optimistic that maybe Princess would continue to improve.

Then, Connie took a turn holding Princess. By that time, we'd been with her for about 45 minutes. Princess perked up and gave us a “meh.” She began to fuss so I grabbed her food. Connie put her down and showed her the bowl and she started to eat! It always comforts me to see my cats eating, especially the foster kittens. It was even more meaningful to watch Princess lick carefully at her food. Connie put out her hand so Princess wouldn't fall out of the open cage. Every mouthful Princess took, would help her gain the strength she'd need to survive whatever was making her so sick. I wanted to cry. We all urged her to keep eating!

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On the way to the hospital, we stopped at Walgreens to buy Princess a little toy. They had a lousy selection, but they did have these big, squeaky toys for dogs. One of them was appropriately pink and Sam and I both thought it might keep her company. She'd have to really squeeze the toy hard, to get it to squeak, so we thought she wouldn't easily be able to set it off. I also found these really cute pet beds. It looks like a grey cat, turned into a cat bed. Very soft and plush. Very cute. I promised myself that Princess would be sleeping in it when she comes back home to us and in the mean time the weird pink pig toy might be a stand in for a playmate.

Sam placed the pig next to Princess. She just stared at it. I thought that maybe she was frightened of it, but then she did the most wonderful thing. The pig has a black cable coming out of the top of it's head that's used to hang it on a display in the store. Princess reached out for the cable and started to PLAY!!!! She tapped at the cable and bit it, then wanted to eat more food. Wow! We were all bowled over when we saw her reach out that paw. It was such a significant sign that she's still fighting and she's still a kitten who wants to play! I wish I'd bought her a box full of toys!

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Princess was clearly getting tired again, so we decided to leave. She snuggled down next to her toy pig. We each told Princess we loved her and that she should fight to get better and that we would see her soon-we promised.

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We were all reluctant to leave. I made some jokes so we wouldn't start to cry. Just as I turned to leave, I noticed something in Princess's cage. Her blanket had her name on it! I had to ask myself, is this a sign she's in the right place? Was this destiny or just a coincidence? I can't help but wonder if all this was meant to be? But if so, what is next? What is to become of Princess? Will her temperature come down and STAY down? Will she begin to perk up, eat better and get back to the business of being a kitten again? I just don't know. I don't know if this WAS our last visit with Princess.

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The night passed without any calls from the Vet. This morning Connie called me and said that Carole had called and found out Princess's temp was “down.” What that meant, I don't know. Was it down a few tenths? Was it down to normal? I have to wait until after 10am to call to get an update. I have a stomach ache. I want to know, but I don't want to know. This has been a rough road and Big O, Little Maria and Pauly have to be picked up in New Jersey today! I need to get ready, but not sure for what. I need to get those new foster cats, but I need to stay home. It will be sorted out. Thankfully, Sam and Connie are going to pitch in and help. I couldn't function without them, but really, I just want to go to sleep, wake up and have everyone be here, happy and healthy.

If you've gotten this far, there's one last thing. I'm going to post a fundraiser here, to help recover some of the money we've spent to get Princess the care she needs. Her Vet bill is over $1000.00 and it won't surprise me if it goes up from there. I've set up at ChipIn widget (above) that will go STRAIGHT to Animals in Distress. If you can help out with a few dollars-whatever you donate is tax deductible. We all know money is tight and I've had to ask more than a few times for help from everyone, so I understand if asking again, so soon, is a problem for many of you. No worries. We're going to try and those that can comfortably help us-even if it's $5, it does make a difference. If you can't donate, maybe you can forward this to your friends and they can't pitch in a dollar or two? Thank you all your prayers and support during this difficult time. It means a lot to all of us-espeically little Princess.

Not on my Watch: A Little Kitten's Struggle to Survive

WARNING: Graphic photo of belly wound, below. Please be forewarned and use your good judgement as to if you wish to look at it.

Hope sits quietly on a soft blanket in a cage at Sweetwater Creek Animal Hospital in Lithia Springs, Georgia. Once a city named after it's historic Mineral Water, now so small its' residents voted to dissolve the city charter in 2001 and essentially de-incorporate it. There weren't enough services to qualify Lithia Springs as being a city any longer. That this tiny town even has a good Vet is a very lucky thing for this four month old kitten.

Sometime about twelve days ago, something terrible happened to Hope. Only she and the people who harmed her, know what really happened. Anyone who sees her now, don't have to be psychics to know she was injured by an unspeakably cruel hand.

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©2010 Cathy P. Used with Permission. Hope, today, August 24th.

Hope's underweight body is curled tightly. Her front paws drawn inward, perhaps a way to protect the deep, ragged gashes on either side of her belly. Wounds so painful it's difficult for her to sit otherwise. The wounds, shocking and large are from a fish hook that gouged her from one side of her abdomen to the other—as if she were hung on the hook like a piece of bait. It was not enough to stop there, the hook also travelled into her left leg causing a serious infection.

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©2010 Cathy P. Used with Permission. Tiny Hope's belly shows two gapping holes from where the fish hook entered and exited her body.

While I don't know the details of how Hope came to Sweetwater, I know many people involved in her care were so moved by her good nature and her serious injury, that they had to find a way to help-instead of humanely euthanizing her. I was alerted to her situation a few days ago and I, too, could not look away from this humble creature and just assume someone else would help her out.

I don't want to torture myself or others, with the thoughts of how this cat must have suffered such pain. How the person or people who did this to her aren't human. They are pond scum. They are worse than that. For what sort of person could take a young animal, just learning about the world, just learning to trust and do that...jam a big hook into her belly, as if she had no feelings, as if she were garbage.

I emailed Cathy, my sole contact about Hope. She said no one was raising funds for her and thanks to a little push from our friend at CiCH, Izzy, I decided to just raise money for her myself, even though I don't know this Vet. I don't even know Cathy's last name. I had to look up Lithia Springs on the map. It didn't matter. A kitten needed help. I could do my little bit to make a difference.

Thanks to the generosity of MANY people from all over the country, so far I've raised $490 of my $600 goal. Hope may need much more than this, but it's a very good start.

You see, Hope may lose her left rear leg. As of today, though the swelling on it has gone down and she's responding to the antibiotics, she cannot stand on her own. Partly due to being weak, underweight, with serious belly wounds-how could she stand with even that? We simply don't know how she will do. We don't know if she will walk and maybe someday play again, but what we do know is the awful people who did this to her are far outshined by the good people who rescued her, who care for her and love her as she recovers.

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©2010 Cathy P. An uncomfortable Hope, sits before us. We all send her our love and good wishes for a speedy recovery.

The good news for Hope is that we will not need to find foster care for her. Her foster mama, who I hear is excellent in every way, can't wait for her to arrive-when she is well enough to do so. Should her leg have to go, Hope will still be as loved and still have a wonderful life ahead of her.

For now, we wait. We hope the antibiotics will continue to do their thing...that this little girl will pull through her ordeal and one day be able to stretch out and relax, no longer in pain, with those bad memories long behind her and only good ones to come.

Covered in Cash! WOWIE!!!!

I am amazed, humbled, stunned, thrilled, delighted, excited, grateful, so very appreciative, to all the people who dug deep into their pocket and offered to help me cover the Vet costs for rescuing the kittens!

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I had hoped to be able to pay for the Spay/Neuter of the cats, and just pay the rest of the Vet bills out of my ever more empty bank account. I only asked for $400, but with help from Sparkle, the Designer Cat, who wrote a GLOWING article about Kitten Associates (okay, and about me, too) and her urging to her readers to keep helping me even if I met my goal, I extended the goal by $100 so I could buy some de-worming supplies and cover a tiny bit of the Vet bill I've already paid.

I looked at the totals on ChipIn last night and saw that not only did I reach the goal of $400, but the goal of $500 and then went far beyond that to $715 (and counting! I haven't been to my P.O. Box yet!)!!!

I realize that every fundraiser won't go this well and I can't always be asking for donations (even if more cats will have a need), but for right now, this moment, you have allowed me to cover just about ALL the Vet expenses for these kitties (I already paid over $400 for the first round of Vetting on all 6 kittens. The S/N will be another $400), which will give me the opportunity to focus on their care and not worry about anything else. (Okay, maybe getting on Petfinder would be a worry).

Because of your generosity, you have directly effected the future of these kittens lives. You stuck your neck out and believed in me. I am deeply grateful for your help and I will do everything I can to make sure each kitten has the best home possible.

And now, let's see how this story unfolds...Kittens are due here the end of the first week of August. I better get my ass in gear! Got to be ready for them!

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