Biggie Needs Surgery to Live Pain-free
Tax deductible
One afternoon in May, Homeward Bound WV received a call from Paw Prints Veterinary Clinic because they needed an immediate placement for two newborn kittens. A man had brought them into the clinic after he saw a mother cat give birth on his patio and then she disappeared. He waited but she never returned.
Andrea, a foster for Homeward Bound WV, arrived at Paw Prints to see two teeny tiny, little grey balls of fur. She rushed them home, fed them, warmed them, and named them Biggie and Smalls. Biggie was twice the size of Smalls. Even though they both were eating well, Smalls wouldn’t grow. They both had constant diarrhea and needed constant attention and feedings. They slowly began to eat less, and developed other problems; fevers, shivering, and more. They were taken to the vet several times and no one could figure out what was wrong. Andrea didn’t give up on them and did everything she could to keep them nourished and happy. Sadly, Smalls didn’t survive. He died purring in her hands. Biggie, however, made it through and started to grow. He developed an amazing personality, and became the cuddliest kitten Andrea had ever seen.
She thought his troubles were over, but his diarrhea never cleared up. He began to have pain when he would have go to the bathroom. This was extremely heart-wrenching to see this sweet little baby screaming and crying in pain. She had never seen a cat in so much pain, and it happened at least ten times per day.
He had several vet visits, each time the vets would work together to try to figure out what was wrong. Biggie tried dozens of medicines, and had to be put in a crate to prevent the possibility of spreading any diseases. Now, not only would he cry in pain, he cried because he didn’t have his humans with him. Andrea couldn’t bear to see him so sad, so she turned her bedroom into a sanctuary just for Biggie. She had to remove all of the furniture because Biggie still had diarrhea and wasn’t able to make it to the litter box in time. When he would have to go, he would be frozen because of the pain and ended up going right where he was when the pain hit.
Andrea was told not to get her hopes up, and that he probably wouldn’t make it to adulthood. At the age of 8 months, the vets were finally able to figure out the source of his pain. Biggie suffered from a condition called megacolon, which is a painful impairment of the colonic smooth muscle. This condition can be brought on in old age or it can be congenital, which is the case for Biggie. In the old days, this condition would be a death sentence but now it can be corrected with surgery. Unlike humans, cats can live WITHOUT a colon! The surgery is complicated and tricky and survival is not 100% guaranteed, but it's extremely likely that Biggie will live a long, healthy life post-surgery.
With all of this to consider, the Homeward Bound WV board members unanimously chose to do whatever it took to help Biggie. His life following surgery may not look like other cats, he may be special needs and worse case have to wear cat diapers, but best case he could live as a perfectly normal, pain-free happy cat. So it wasn't even an option to not try to give Biggie the best life possible!
We are now asking for donations to help with the medical bills and Biggie's surgery. Without the community's support, we wouldn't be able to save animals like Biggie. We are so grateful for any donations we might receive! Even if you don't have a lot to give, there's no amount too small. 100% of your tax-deductible donations go directly to the care of our animals.
Thank you to our amazing donors and supporters! Please help share Biggie's story to help us reach our goal. We couldn't do this without you!
Andrea, a foster for Homeward Bound WV, arrived at Paw Prints to see two teeny tiny, little grey balls of fur. She rushed them home, fed them, warmed them, and named them Biggie and Smalls. Biggie was twice the size of Smalls. Even though they both were eating well, Smalls wouldn’t grow. They both had constant diarrhea and needed constant attention and feedings. They slowly began to eat less, and developed other problems; fevers, shivering, and more. They were taken to the vet several times and no one could figure out what was wrong. Andrea didn’t give up on them and did everything she could to keep them nourished and happy. Sadly, Smalls didn’t survive. He died purring in her hands. Biggie, however, made it through and started to grow. He developed an amazing personality, and became the cuddliest kitten Andrea had ever seen.
She thought his troubles were over, but his diarrhea never cleared up. He began to have pain when he would have go to the bathroom. This was extremely heart-wrenching to see this sweet little baby screaming and crying in pain. She had never seen a cat in so much pain, and it happened at least ten times per day.
He had several vet visits, each time the vets would work together to try to figure out what was wrong. Biggie tried dozens of medicines, and had to be put in a crate to prevent the possibility of spreading any diseases. Now, not only would he cry in pain, he cried because he didn’t have his humans with him. Andrea couldn’t bear to see him so sad, so she turned her bedroom into a sanctuary just for Biggie. She had to remove all of the furniture because Biggie still had diarrhea and wasn’t able to make it to the litter box in time. When he would have to go, he would be frozen because of the pain and ended up going right where he was when the pain hit.
Andrea was told not to get her hopes up, and that he probably wouldn’t make it to adulthood. At the age of 8 months, the vets were finally able to figure out the source of his pain. Biggie suffered from a condition called megacolon, which is a painful impairment of the colonic smooth muscle. This condition can be brought on in old age or it can be congenital, which is the case for Biggie. In the old days, this condition would be a death sentence but now it can be corrected with surgery. Unlike humans, cats can live WITHOUT a colon! The surgery is complicated and tricky and survival is not 100% guaranteed, but it's extremely likely that Biggie will live a long, healthy life post-surgery.
With all of this to consider, the Homeward Bound WV board members unanimously chose to do whatever it took to help Biggie. His life following surgery may not look like other cats, he may be special needs and worse case have to wear cat diapers, but best case he could live as a perfectly normal, pain-free happy cat. So it wasn't even an option to not try to give Biggie the best life possible!
We are now asking for donations to help with the medical bills and Biggie's surgery. Without the community's support, we wouldn't be able to save animals like Biggie. We are so grateful for any donations we might receive! Even if you don't have a lot to give, there's no amount too small. 100% of your tax-deductible donations go directly to the care of our animals.
Thank you to our amazing donors and supporters! Please help share Biggie's story to help us reach our goal. We couldn't do this without you!
Organizer
Michelle Berkshire Eichelberger
Organizer
Morgantown, WV
Homeward Bound WV, Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
