August 31, 2023 Update #8 Watch this video of Terry caring for Gordon and describing his recovery and very sweet demeanor!
Gordon cam through his full mouth extraction dental very well! All of his teeth were removed except one bottom canine, which was in good shape, and the other bottom canine. The 2nd bottom canine is broken, but Dr. Rockwell was worried about removing it. Some of the bone around the tooth might actually be helping to hold what is left of his jaw together!
He is tolerating my nursing care very well considering all he has been through. He surely would be dead by now just from infection alone if FURR had not rescued him!
Thanks AGAIN to CHRIS for alerting me to this poor cat’s condition!
Dental alone was over $1,000. Please spread the word for tax-deductible HELP for Gordon!
August 24, 2023 Update #7 A few days ago, Gordon stopped eating. I also noticed some blood on his front paws and he would become very agitated if I tried to examine him. I called Dr. Rockwell and she graciously agreed to work him in on an already busy day.
After sedating Gordon, he was examined and x-rayed. It appeared that the wire holding his broken lower jaw together had not worked. Unfortunately, the injury must have been much older than we thought and his jaw remained in two pieces despite the great effort of Dr. Rockwell and Dr. Gervais. At this point, Dr. Rockwell could see that the wire was bothering him (he has had it for 2 months) and it needed to be removed.
After removing the wire, Gordon’s teeth were still horrible and infected, so he is scheduled for his dental surgery next Thursday, Aug. 31. I hope and pray that Gordon can survive with TWO bottom jaws. He did eat his dinner of canned food, so that’s hopeful. He still has a long way to go, but he has pain meds and antibiotics on board to help.
I’m sure that between this 3 hour appt and his dental surgery next Tuesday, that FURR will NOT have enough money. Please spread the word, forward this email and help raise support for this poor kitty!
I long for the day that the worn, sad look in his blue eyes turns brighter.
July 29, 2023 Update #6 GORDON went for his 2 month checkup this week. Unfortunately, his poor little face was swollen when he got his broken jaw wired together. Over the last 2 months, the infection improved and swelling went down (which is good), but the wires loosened up. His jaw, therefore, was not held quite as stable as needed.
The wires had to be tightened up again and he was sent back to FURR to wait ANOTHER month! I was so sad for him and so disappointed he could not be freed of his pain. He is still on pain meds, antibiotics and prebiotic.
I love and pet him every chance I get and try to tell him how special he is. His recovery expenses include:
- His latest Vet visit to assess the healing of his jaw was $200.
- His next visit will be another $200.
- Then he will have dental surgery for broken teeth ($800-$1,000)
- Finally, the fractured hip surgery ($800???)
Please continue to help us fundraise for his continued care. Thank you all so much!
June 29, 2023 Update #5 Gordan has his one month checkup at Sound Cat Clinic and all is well! Watch this video to hear more! He is healing nicely, eating all his food (medicines and all) and just being a wonderful patient!
Someone will be very lucky to Adopt this miracle cat because he is living proof that there CAN be life after DEATH! This cat should have been dead with all that had happened to him.
GORDON goes back in another month to have the wires removed from his jaw. Then, shortly after that, he will get his full mouth extraction to remove all of his broken & assessed teeth.
THEN, after that, we will need surgery on his fractured hip.
Pleeeeease remember that each checkup is just under $100 and we really need $$$ for his upcoming dental surgery!!!
Terry
>^,,^<
June 21, 2023 Update #4 Watch this touching video for Terry’s latest update on Gordon – he’s a good patient, eating as well as he can given the wires in his mouth and getting more handsome by the day!
June 10, 2023 Update #3 Terry has a great report for us now that Gordon is back at FURR!
I picked up GORDON late yesterday afternoon. He is doing well after surgery. I set up a large kennel for him at FURR so I could keep a close watch on him. GORDON is on 4 different meds and believe it or not, he is eating on his own with all his meds mixed in! HOORAY! He is getting plenty of clean water, mushy food mixed in with his meds twice a day and is using his litter box like a champ.
I have been talking to him, stroking his head and rubbing his back with no resistance.
The bill (although nothing to sneeze at) was much less than I anticipated at around $900. Any money we get donated over that amount will be used for his next 2 surgeries. In a couple of months, after his jaw has healed, GORDON will need dental surgery to remove damaged/decaying teeth, and “possibly” also surgery on his fractured hip. Thanks so much to all the generous donors who have raised $785 so far on Gordon’s Go Fund Me page, not counting the anonymous donor matching gifts up to $500. Given these additional surgeries ahead, please continue to help us support Gordon and raise awareness of his amazing rescue and rehabilitation story!
THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR CALLING ME ABOUT THIS SUFFERING CAT!
THANK YOU, DR. ROCKWELL & DR. GERVAIS, FOR THEIR HEALING HANDS!!!
This kitty should be dead….but instead, he has been given a chance to live again!
June 10, 2023 Update #2 Good news! Gordon is resting comfortably at the vet’s office this weekend after successful surgery late yesterday, which required 2 wonderful Vets from Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Rockwell and Dr. Gervais, to wire his jaw back together after it was badly broken in 3 places. During this weekend at the Vet’s, Gordon is being watched closely and of course getting plenty of pain medication and antibiotics. Now that we know more about the extent of his jaw injuries, which was broken completely in half from front to back, Terry says today that she does not know how this kitty survived because of how painful it must of been to eat, even soft wet food.
The Vets also reported to Terry that his entire mouth was badly infected due to abscessed teeth and the jaw injury. The Vets also shaved his tail (while sedated) because it was completely matted and very dirty since poor Gordon has been unable to clean himself due to his jaw injuries. Terry says his fur-less tail makes him look a bit like a rat (LoL!), but even just that grooming treatment probably feels like a huge relief to Gordon!
Going forward, the Vets explain that Gordon’s recovery is a multi-step process. This kitty needs 8 weeks with the wires in his jaw, then 8 more weeks for the jaw to completely heal. After that, he’ll require dental surgery to remove bad teeth, which cannot be done now due to the fragility of his jaw. Eventually he’ll also need hip surgery.
We continue to be very grateful to Chris, who found Gordon and reached out to FURR, to Terry getting him trapped and to the vet, to everyone at Sound Cat for their wonderful, emergency care and of course to everyone who has generously donated $555 so far on Gordon’s Go Fund Me page, including an anonymous donor matching gifts up to $500! Terry says Gordon has gone along with all this care pretty well, considering he’s still feral. He’s certainly come a long way in just a few days. It truly takes a village! Please continue to help spread the word and encourage others to donate as well!
June 9, 2023 Update #1 Here are 2 photos after his first bath (while sedated!) and lo and behold he is a “flame point” – see the darker fur on his ears? Terry reports that the vet said that his bath water was black from all the fleas and red from the blood from the fleas biting him! Poor baby, but better already! Awaiting another update from Terry after his surgery soon, if the Vet cannot do it today.
Original Story
June 8, 2023 Meet Gordon, FURR’s new “poster child”. This poor kitty is a perfect example of why Terry founded FURR many years ago and why she fights so hard day (and night!) for all the kitties who suffer so much when they’re left on their own!
Gordon’s Story … So far
A kind, animal loving man named Chris recently noticed a feral cat near his home who appeared to be in really rough shape. Chris called FURR and Terry advised him to begin giving the kitty food and water and soon the kitty came around regularly. A good start, but you can see in the photo above that Chris had good reason to be concerned this kitty had many more needs besides food and water. Even now, though, we can see this kitty is a “diamond in the rough” with buff furr and blue eyes!
Terry worked with Chris to trap the kitty and Terry took him to our Vet, Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital in Wilmington, NC who diagnosed Gordon these medical issues – imagine Gordon’s pain and suffering for who knows how long!:
Medical Issues:
Completely inundated with fleas and very anemic as a result
Jaw broken in 3 places in addition to rotten and abscessed teeth
Severe ear infection
Bloodwork: FIV Positive (still adoptable!) and No Feline Leukemia (yeah!)
Fractured hip – old injury – approach/treatment TBDTreatments given to date while sedated:
De-flea-ed, deworm-ed and neutered
Treated for Anemia
Surgery very soon to wire his jaw together
Pain and antibiotic injections that last a few days
Microchipped
Bathed, as he was unable to clean himself due to his broken jaw and severe dental issuesWhat we need:
Beyond Chris’s generous donation, we need $1,500 more for these treatments and planned jaw surgery.
Please donate via the Donate button on the right, or from Gordon’s Go Fund Me page
Posting to FURR’s Facebook page to help raise awareness of the need for funds for Gordon’s treatments
Chris has already has volunteered to foster Gordon during his recoveryFor adoption information or to schedule a visit to the Feline Urgent Rescue & Rehab rescue facility to meet this kitty, please email FURR’s President and Founder, Terry Schultz, at adoptafurrcat@gmail.com.
Learn how to adopt this kitty! FURR adopts to the Wilmington/Hampstead, NC and surrounding area only to approved homes.
If you are not ready to adopt a kitty, please consider fostering or sponsoring. All donations are tax deductible.