Cleo's Rescue: From Abandoned to Loved

Hello! We’re Annie and Julie, two neighbors in Crown Heights who came together to rescue a senior cat who was abandoned in a park.

We met Cleo in late February, when another neighbor posted on a local facebook group about an abandoned kitty. We met the neighbor in the park and found this precious soul in a carrier, under a bench, terrified, and we brought her inside.

From Cleo’s bony frame and her obvious relief to be inside and safe, we could tell she had been neglected for some time. In spite of experiencing malnourishment, stress, and abandonment, she is incredibly affectionate and trusting. She purrs when you pet her and loves to keep you company. When we brought her to a vet two days later, we learned more about Cleo’s health: she is about eight years old, indeed very underweight at only 5lbs, and she’s suffering from advanced dental disease. The vet told us her mouth looks simply awful and it must be causing her a lot of pain.

But there was more. Later the same day, Cleo’s heart was beating very fast and we noticed her panting, so we rushed her back to the vet. We are so glad we did, because she experienced a seizure while under the veterinarians’ supervision, confirming there was something else going on. We are so grateful to Dr. Szacki, who was able to diagnose the issue by end of day: she has hyperthyroidism, which can be treated with daily medication. Cleo is receiving the meds she needs and has stabilized.

We don’t know what led her human to abandon her, but she’s safe now, and she will only experience love and comfort from now on. With your help, we are determined to get her the full-mouth dental extraction she requires. The estimate we received shows that the procedure will cost $1200-1300. We have already spent $600 on the diagnostics and medication, which is why our initial goal is $2000.

Once we get Cleo her surgery and ensure that she’s in good shape physically, we will list her for adoption and see that she goes to a home where she will be loved and cared for unconditionally. Thank you for supporting this community effort to ensure our sweet Cleo has the future she deserves!