Last week we went to a couple of the animal sheleters to see about adopting a new kitty. We found one we really liked in marshall at the humane society. Her name was baby. She was a domestic long hair around 7 monthes old. She had beautiful green eyes and was black/white/grey. She had been spayed on the 9th but managed to rip her stitches out and had to be restitched prior to us adopting her. They had put an elizabethian coller on her to keep her from messing with her stitches. We were told she would need to keep the coller on for a couple more days.
We brought her home and she was just so sweet. She slept in bed with us and adjusted well to the dogs. Saturday night I picked her up to realize she had managed to dig at her stitches again. I put some neosporin all over her belly and then applied a bandage and then put an ace bandage around her to keep her from having access to the area. Sunday the skin looked better so we just left it wrapped. Monday when I checked her belly again, she had gotten the ace bandage off and had open an area up. I immediatly called the shelter we got her from and was instructed to take her to our vet.
I took her to the animal clinic in Jefferson. They told me they would have to put her under, clean her up and then sew her back up, but this time sew her on the inside. I took all the paperwork the shelter gave me so they knew what shots she had done and anything else they may need to know. I was asked if she was tested for feline leukemia, which I didn't know for sure, but knew she had had a shot for it. They wanted to test her for it b/c that could be what was keeping her body from healing. They told me they would keep her over night but would call if anything came up.
I went home and about an hour-2 hours later I get a call and the vet tells me she's positive for Feline Leukemia. She explains my options, which there really aren't any b/c it can't be cured and it will be fatal. I, of course, break down on the phone and she tells me to talk/think it over and let her know what I'd like to do. She can stitch her up, give her some really strong meds and hope she's able to heal, but that it's like aids in people. It compromises the immune system and eventually will kill her. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but rarely do they live to be 3 or 4 and in her case she could go down hill soon.
I called the shelter we bought her from to tell them she was positive since it is contagious and she was in a room with other cats, and they told me they would call my vets office and take care of it. I made the decision to have her put down. I didn't feel like it was fair to her to have to be bandaged up and on strong meds to try and heal her. If she managed to dig the stitches out, she may not heal at all. I just think it was fair to her to have to live like that.
So after only 5 days with the new kitty that we named Bella, I had her put down. She DID get to live 5 nights in a house. She was able to sleep in a real bed and be loved by a real family. I suppose in the end she got the best of both worlds. She was rescued and then lived with a family just like any animal wants.
I'm still sad and a bit disappointed that she wasn't tested at the shelter. That could of saved us all a bit of heartache, but in the end the shelter has taken care of the vet bill and is mailing me a check back. Personally, I'd rather have my cat back and of paid the vet bill myself.
~danielle~
