When 6-week-old Moo was captured as part of PDX Cat Trapper’s trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral cats, he was in rough shape. He was only about the size of a three-week-old kitten and wasn’t able to eat. The trapper brought him to veterinarian Jessica Thompson for care.
When 6-week-old Moo was captured as part of PDX Cat Trapper’s trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for feral cats, he was in rough shape. He was only about the size of a three-week-old kitten and wasn’t able to eat. The trapper brought him to veterinarian Jessica Thompson for care.
Seeing his condition, Thompson decided to keep Moo as an in-home foster until he recovered, despite the fact that she already had 22 foster cats, seven of her own pets, and her veterinary business to manage (read more about her story here). She started him on an IV at home, placed him on some fluids, and was trying to do some care at home and just monitoring him.
But in the early hours of the next morning, Moo’s blood sugar dropped, and he started to crash, and Thompson decided to call an emergency vet clinic for higher-level care. However, the vet there, knowing how this type of case of feline sudden onset of diabetes usually goes and knowing that foster care programs usually don’t have a lot of money to spend on very sick animals, recommended euthanasia.
“I understand where they’re coming from, because he has experience seeing them not do well and then seeing them cost a lot of money to spend on very sick animals, simply recommending euthanasia,” says Thompson. “But you’re also having someone say, ‘I’m willing to spend the money to save their life. So can we try?’ And so ultimately, he gave me some good advice on doing an echocardiogram and things like that to get him on the right fluids and support overnight.”
Miraculously, Moo survived the night. The next day, a friend helped Thompson find an ER that would be more willing to work with Moo. They rushed him to the ER where they took him off antibiotics, gave him amoxicillin to help with diarrhea and infection before sending him back home with Thompson.
With the help of support and sponsorship from organizations like Foster Kitten Love and Northwest Animal Companions (NWAC), Thompson worked to get Moo healthy. But the tiny kitten continued to struggle, going downhill again even after completing his medication regimen. However, he eventually bounced back with the care of Thompson, becoming a beautiful, playful 14-week-old boy, although he’s still a bit behind in his growth. He just hit two pounds when he should weigh four pounds, but he’s otherwise very healthy and happy.
“Since day one, he’s just been all about people and wanting love and attention,” says Thompson. “And like I keep saying, instantly, you can just watch them thrive and, with proper medical care, you can really help them improve and get through it.”
Thompson admits she’s going to have a hard time giving up Moo, Milk, and Crow when the time comes, but she knows that they’ll have great lives with their new families, and then she’ll be able to take on more kittens in need. “Once you find the perfect place for him, then it just warms your heart,” she says. “And now he’s this monster that climbs all over me and climbs on my legs and purrs all the time.”
