Think about the worst toothache you’ve ever had. Now, imagine having that pain in every one of your teeth – at the same time. That’s what happened last week to Otis. When the big orange and white cat arrived at the city shelter, he was in agony. His jaw hung open. Blood and drool dripped from his lips. At first, the doctors thought his helpless, dangling jaw might be fractured. They ordered x-rays and swiftly diagnosed the real problem. Otis was suffering from an extreme case of dental disease, one so severe his broken and decaying teeth had shifted in their sockets, forcing his jaw to remain open. On top of that, he had stomatitis, a serious condition that inflames the oral tissues and causes ulcers to form on the gums, tongue and the sensitive back of the throat. Otis couldn’t eat, he couldn’t drink, he couldn’t draw a breath without pain. His future was bleak. Then the shelter called Neighborhood Cats. Otis’ caretaker, they told us, had tried to get treatment for the ailing cat but had no money for veterinary care. He desperately wanted his cat to get well and come home again. Could we help? We didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” we said. “We’ll do our best to save Otis.” One day later, we sent Otis into surgery. Our veterinarian agreed he was too sick to wait any longer. The operation took four hours. Otis needed 17 extractions that day and, after a period of recovery, he’ll have to undergo another operation to remove the rest of his teeth. The first surgery was grueling for our little man. But when he came out of the operating room, his jaw wasn’t dangling anymore. When he was fully awake, he went to his water dish and took a long, cool drink. We knew when we said “yes” that helping Otis would be costly. Now, those costs are mounting rapidly; in addition to the emergency surgery he’s had and the one still to come, there are charges for hospital care, antibiotics, pain medications and weeks of recovery. We said “yes” anyway – because we knew that you, our compassionate friends, would want us to end his suffering. And we knew we could count on your support, as we work to save this innocent life. Your donation, large or small, can help Otis get better! Please, will you make your life-giving contribution today? Otis is seven years old. He is feral but he’s a big softie too, who loves his caretaker and his home on a quiet side street in Queens. He wants to go home and his lifelong friend wants him back. With your help, we can make both their wishes come true. Otis is just one of many special cats being helped by Neighborhood Cats. Any funds received in excess of Otis’ medical expenses will go towards saving other cats in need.

Stella Hamilton

Stephanie Sellars

William Pulcrano

Anonymous

Susan Baguiao

Mary Jane Del Vicario

Fred Wilczewski

Regina Smith

Valerie Bialkowski

Marlene Hennessy

Laura Larson

Amy Johannesen

Barbara Miller

Janis Carmack

Shai-Lee Hoffman

ann moore

Christine Sakarya

Janet Marmo

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