Feb. 21, 2018 – Will is Adopted! Here is his incredible rescue story
As you all know, I continue to do everything possible to find our missing kitty in PA, Mama Mia. I may never have peace until I know where she is and that she is ok, but it has been 8 long months since she escaped. I continue to run ads, send fliers to various rescue groups to post and screen dozens of calls about cats that “look like her”………but to no avail.
A girl called me and described herself as an “expert trapper & feral cat” person…………really? well ok…. She went to trap at a farmer’s place who had a couple of feral cats; one that supposedly looked like MIA. The picture that she sent to me was “NOT” Mia, sadly enough, but she captured another cat at the farm. Since I had put her up to this trapping scenario, I told her I would pay for this captured cat to get the needed vet work & I also sent her some gas money for her trouble.
The story goes down hill from here.
This “expert” feral cat person LOST the cat trying to transfer it from the trap into a cage. At least the cat was in her garage. She then told me that she wrestled with this poor feral cat for over half an hour trying to get it into the cage. During this wrestling match, the cat bit her. After she got the cat into the trap (not the cage?), she told me that she would have to put it down………..WHAT??? It seems that in this part of PA, there is no animal control facility? There is no one or no place to quarantine a cat who has bitten someone. What people do in that area is kill them and send the head off to test for rabies! YIKES!
I was mortified! I begged and begged this girl NOT to euthanize this cat! I know how scared feral cats can act, when they are frightened out of their minds, AND this kitty was injured with a bleeding face from the cage & escape. The picture & video she sent to me showed that the cat was sitting out in the open in a trap, with no towel or blanket over it. His eyes looked like he was absolutely frightened to death.
The girl would not listen to me and in fact got angry with me. I begged & pleaded for her not to kill this cat and that I would find somewhere, anywhere, that he could go. The Health Dept, that she reported the bite to, insisted that the cat be killed or go into quarantine bite hold for 10 days.
I could not find ANYONE in PA to help me and I was so frustrated. I had little time to be hunting on the computer and calling, emailing, leaving messages and researching places for this cat to go, but I knew he was going to die…………and die soon. I had to save him from this girl.
Finally, I found a veterinarian that would quarantine the cat. I would have to pay hospitalization on the cat at a very steep rate (with a tiny discount since we were a non-profit) and I decided that I had no choice. This cat did not deserve all that has been handed to him and certainly did not deserve to die at the hands of people that could care less about saving him. How can anybody stop a beating heart of an animal without doing everything possible to save it???
I was truly appalled at the apathy in PA. Taking the life of a stray cat or dog that has bitten someone, instead of quarantine, is absolutely absurd………….
The cat was dropped off at the vet’s office where he stayed in a tiny cage for his sentence. I felt so sorry for him.
Meanwhile, I continued to network, FB, email and ask dozens of people for help! I needed the cat picked up, taken to a vet or S/N clinic to be checked over, neuter, shots, etc., and THEN I needed to get him to NC where I could save & rehabilitate him!
An amazing group called Stray Cat Blues contacted me! Christine and Debbie were absolutely amazing and completely full of passion! They picked up the kitty for me, had him neutered, etc., and held him for a couple of days until transportation could be arranged. I was absolutely not going to let this cat suffer any longer! I just had to get him here, to NC, to my rescue.
Christine & Debbie drove the cat across PA! They were amazing, compassionate & played a huge part in saving this kitty!
A man that saw our FB posting offered to do the next leg of the trip. Bob, a realtor who had NEVER done animal rescue transport before, drove from Washington to southern PA to pick up the cat and then drove the cat all the way to Charlottesville, VA! Bob was the piece that pulled the whole trip together and made it a success!
My dear friend, Julie, who is with Queen Citi Kitties did the Charlottesville to Charlotte run and I picked up the cat from her in Charlotte. I brought him back to my rescue facility. He was so scared! He was in a terribly smelly crate (everyone was instructed NOT to open the crate door for anything!) and he was hungry and shaking like a leaf! He came out of the cage and immediately went to one of the boxes I had set up for him.
I find this whole story almost as amusing as tragic! It is completely ridiculous that this cat had to endure all of this, including an 11-hour drive, just to be saved! He is a dangerous, feral cat, yes, but again, he wasn’t born that way!!! I named him “WILL FERAL“! Seemed appropriate to me!
I have attached some photos and videos of Will’s journey. I have only had him for 2 days at FURR and as of today, I am petting & stroking him gently. I am talking to him and reassuring him that he is finally safe & loved! He is eating well, using his litter box, and he has a huge room all to himself with comfy blankets and cubby holes to hide in. I have his room set up so that no matter where he is, I can get my hands on him to pet him. He has improved an enormous amount IN ONLY TWO DAYS! This kitty will be fine!
WHAT A JOURNEY?
WILL FERAL will find a wonderful, loving, indoor home! FURR will see to it that he not only survives (where so many people wanted to kill him), but he will be beautiful, confident & happy!
I will keep you all posted on his amazing journey…………but for now, HE IS ALIVE & SAFE @ FURR!!!
THANK YOU JULIE, BOB, CHRISTINE & DEBBIE! IT TAKES A VILLAGE!!!