Imagine a cat living in a pet carrier for all but 10 minutes a day, seven days a week. Now, imagine two or even three cats living in that same carrier together. Hard to imagine? Well that is exactly how Heidi and Jonah lived prior to coming to our shelter. Eight cats were kept in four pet carriers for all but 10 minutes a day at which time they were allowed out to eat. The woman who owned these cats believed that her home was “possessed” and if she let the cats out, they would be taken over by evil spirits. She placed collars with St. Francis medals attached on each of the cats to protect them from the spirits in her home.

Jonah and Heidi were not "possessed", though they were flea infested, not spayed or vaccinated, and undernourished. They wanted nothing more than attention and after two weeks of extensive medical care and plenty of food, the time came for them to be released into our shelter. There, they could run, climb the cat trees, and look out the windows. The sight of these two cats enjoying their newfound freedom brought tears to all eyes that looked on. They had been denied such simple things in life! Jonah and Heidi each now weigh about 8 pounds, have fur as smooth as silk, and await adoption into a loving home where they will never be mistreated again.

Mercies' Song

It started as any typical Memorial Day would. We had plans for a cookout, relaxation, and fun with family. But for Pet Connection and me, the day would have a very different series of events. We received a call from a woman in Vandergrift who said that she had found an injured cat. She described the cat as being one of the most "pathetic" creatures she had ever seen. She was right. In my nine years of doing cat rescue I have never seen a cat look this bad.  The cat’s fur was missing from its fronts legs and the end of its tail and her tongue was so swollen she could not close her mouth.  Nothing but skin and bones, she was extremely dehydrated and had saliva flowing down her body.

As I looked at her, I didn’t know where to begin helping her. Hydrating her became the first priority, followed by a bath, and finally, I had to feed her. She could only lap up liquid nourishment so I began offering a special liquid diet to her. She lapped it up like she had not had a meal in days. However, most of it ran down the front of her that had just been bathed. A trip to our veterinarian revealed that she had most likely come in contact with a corrosive material that burned her tongue. It was swollen and infected and she weighed just a little over 4 pounds. Antibiotics were started and a feeding tube was placed from her neck directly to her stomach so that her injured mouth was bypassed. 

The name Mercie was chosen for her and I continued to feed her through the tube several times a day throughout the next 3 weeks. Mercie began gaining weight and continued purring every time she was approached. After a tube feeding, she purred with content. She gained 3 pounds in less than 3 weeks, but weekly oral exams revealed that her tongue was not responding well to the antibiotics. She could not live with a feeding tube in place for the rest of her life. Since after being in place for so long, the tube had to be removed. We therefore had to see if she could now eat on her own.

Eventually, when half of her tongue was lost, she was no longer able to lap even water on her own. Now, without the feeding tube and the remaining tongue continuing to deteriorate, she was getting hungry and I couldn't stand it. During the time we had helped her, she never knew what hunger was and I refused to let her experience that again. There was nothing else medically that could be done to make what was left of her tongue healthy again. All we could offer her was an end to her suffering. On June 22, 2002, Mercie was euthanized. With all the people that tried so hard to save her by her side, this innocent creature passed on. Her death was a terrible disappointment. Not entirely due to the fact that we felt bad, nor to the fact that we could not save her, but due to the fact that there was no need for this to have happened to her in the first place.

     Was she searching for food and became a nuisance to someone? Did she rip apart someone's garbage in the quest for food? Can anyone blame her? How would we react in her position if we were hungry, searching for shelter, and someone to love us? Where were the people who, at one time, had taken responsibility for her? Had she been discarded, like trash? This is but one terrible example of what may happen to an abandoned pet.

     I do not regret the time or energy I put into this beautiful and loving cat and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I felt that she deserved a chance and I am glad that I could provide it.  I will always remember the way she enjoyed being petted and purred each time I fed her. Her last weeks were filled with nothing but love. After all, one of Pet Connection’s policies is to provide care for and ease the suffering of injured local cats and kittens.