Friday, November 27, 2009

The Plight of The Tame Stray




Meet our lovely Meggie, a sweet tuxedo girl with beautiful markings and perfect little white mitts. Meggie is another tame, affectionate cat who somehow became homeless and ended up living on the street and depending on a PFA feeding station.

Despite our ongoing lack of foster space, our volunteers decided to take Meggie off the street after noticing that she had suffered some bite wounds. She went to Victoria Vet clinic to be spayed and await a foster spot. While there, we had some testing done to ensure that Meggie hadn't suffered any adverse effects from living outside.

We were heartbroken to learn that this beautiful cat tested positive for Feline Leukemia, a terminal illness that is commonly linked to cancer, blood disorders, and that may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. It can take many months or even years for a cat to exhibit signs of the illness, but once it does become apparent, the cat's health will progressively deteriorate.

Feline Leukemia is communicable so we could not place Meggie in a foster home with other cats. Fortunately, our caring feral team volunteers were able to locate a fantastic foster home for Meggie where she can enjoy life in a safe, warm environment and she can receive the TLC that she needs to help her remain healthy as long as possible.

So far she is a healthy and happy cat grateful to be off the street. We are so pleased that she has this opportunity to live the life of a cherished pet. We just wish we'd gotten to her sooner.

-Alanna

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