Meet Jim and Montana

We first met Jim, a white and black cat, last August. He had been a stray in the neighborhood for half a year. He was friendly, so it was obvious to the neighbors that someone had abandoned him and left him to fend for himself. He wasn’t neutered and, therefore, had been in his share of cat fights, winning some and losing some. He was Nobody’s Cat, so Nobody did much except throw out some food when they thought about it.

Jim’s luck ran out when he became very badly injured. When he was brought to us, half of the side of his face was missing, and he had open wounds elsewhere as well as a bad limp from a leg wound. Words are inadequate to describe how we feel when we look at such a poor soul: he is in real trouble and would, to many people, seem unadoptable. After all, he needs medical care, and that costs money - a lot of it usually. And, some may say, there is nothing special about him; he’s not an exotic breed, or a cute kitten, or a rescue from Katrina. He’s just a domestic kitty that is Nobody’s Cat.

So, knowing that Jim’s options were exhausted, and that he would not have a future unless we took him in, we took Jim to the veterinarian, who sutured him up, prescribed antibiotics, and ran basic tests. He came up positive for FIV (referred to in slang as feline AIDS). In addition, the wounded area was so deep and so wide that it did not heal well, so Jim had several trips back to the vet, more medications, more hospitalization. It took until the end of 2007 before Jim could be said to have healed well enough to join the other cats in our FIV Isolation Room.

This friendly fellow seems so grateful for all that was done to save him from a lingering and hideous death. He will be at our sanctuary during this year’s Radiothon. Please stop in to meet him and see how much your help has meant to him, and the other 300+ cats presently living in Purrfect Place, our cat wing.

Montana, a Chow, came to us in horrendous condition. He had almost no hair on his body, and was covered in scabs and sores. He was “found” along a country road, clearly a reflection of neglect that must have gone back many months or years. He had cuts on his feet, scars over his eyes, and was very suspicious of being touched or handled. Later, his owner was discovered but did not want him back. So he was basically left with nowhere to go; he trusted no one and had little reason to believe life would get better.

After months of recuperation and medical care, Montana is looking quite handsome. Remarkably, his fur has grown back in, and he went through our latest canine obedience class. He still has many health challenges and just underwent emergency surgery on June 28 due to a possible intestinal obstruction or cancer. We don’t know what his prognosis will be until the biopsy results come back, but we do know that he will be here - and will be loved - no matter what happens. No one deserves to suffer the neglect and abandonment he and Jim have suffered, and they will know only peace and love for the rest of their days, no matter how many or how few there are.

It always amazes and inspires us when we think about how animals can let go of their past, no matter how bad it was, and just try one more time. They don’t obsess over what happened, or how abused or unloved they are. When treated with kindness and patience, most animals will forgive, will heal, will accept another chance, will try one more time. We all could learn from them.