Help HAL Save More Sick and Injured Cats

Hello Everyone,

It's been an inordinately busy spring and summer here at Humane Association of the Lowcountry. Along with the dozens and dozens, and DOZENS of kittens we've taken into foster, we've had an unusually high number of sick and injured cats and kittens that have required emergent veterinary care. The cost to take a kitten from homeless to an adoptive home is approximately $300-500 depending on the care required—vaccines, spay/neuter, microchip, sick care which is, of course, very common in kittens. When emergency veterinary services are needed, the cost of these kittens and cats often doubles, triples, or more. Emergency veterinary services this year have been approximately $10,000 with a couple of kitties still not out of the woods, potentially needing more care.

Meet Stanley. Stanley came to us when a very kind woman, who has a cat colony on her property that she cares for, called to let us know that she had witnessed someone releasing a cat onto her horse property and driving off. Stanley arrived, after being abandoned, in terrible shape. He was covered in fleas, lice, wounds in various stages of healing, severely underweight, and barely able to eat and drink. She called us and we said, "of course!" It didn't appear that Stanley would have survived much longer without medical care. She was able to easily coax him into a feral trap, unsure if he was feral or friendly. Stanley required several nights at our vet to have his wounds tended to, his parasites treated, and nearly all of his teeth extracted. Stanley tested positive for FIV, but once his teeth were removed and he was put on antibiotics, his mouth healed and he began to eat and gain weight steadily. When all was said and done, it became apparent that Stanley wasn't remotely feral; his favorite place is on someone’s lap. ❤️ His caregiver fell in love with him and has adopted him. He is now living his absolute best life in an indoor home with kitty friends and a family who adores him.

Meet Kevin. This adorable little peanut was found in someone's yard one night with one of the worst eye infections/abscesses that we have seen. The kind folks that picked him up put out a call for help on Facebook and one of our fosters jumped in and went and got him that night. He went straight to the vet the next morning and had surgery to remove the eye very soon after. Kevin recovered very quickly and is now a permanent resident of his foster's home. She says he came along at the most perfect time and brought so much fun and sunshine to their household, that they needed to make him a permanent part of their family.

Introducing Panther. Panther came to us after one of our fosters found her alone on a road, as the only surviving kitten, .with her littermates who had been hit by a car. She took her in and Panther quickly settled into indoor life as a happy and affectionate kitten. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, Panther developed a prolapsed rectum, which is a medical emergency. She was taken to our vet, who performed a procedure to reduce the prolapse and placed stitches to hold things in place. Unfortunately, once the stitches were removed, the prolapse reoccurred and Panther required surgery to tack the bowel to the abdominal wall to prevent the prolapse from reoccurring. In addition to the procedures and surgeries, Panther required overnights at the veterinary hospital, antibiotics, pain meds, etc. Panther is happily back at her foster's home and continues to be an absolute dream kitten. Word is that when she went into surgery she was making biscuits and just restarted the minute she woke up from anesthesia. FYI Panther is available for adoption.

Last, we introduce you to Josie, a beautiful teenage kitten, who was brought into an emergency veterinary hospital after she was hit by a car. She was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and placed on kennel rest and pain medications. There were initial concerns as it appeared that Josie's rectum and urethra were compressed from either the fractured pelvic bones themselves or swelling from the significant injury. Initially, Josie's bladder had to be expressed, which required she go to an experienced foster who could manage and monitor her. We are happy to report that the swelling has subsided and Josie's systems are all a go. She remains in specialized foster on kennel rest to allow her fractures to heal. While she may need surgery at some point to fully repair her fractures, we are hopeful for a full recovery. Josie will be available for adoption once she's fully healed. We'll be sure to update everyone on her progress.

Stanley, Kevin, Panther, and Josie are just a small fraction of the cats and kittens that have come to HAL this year and as you can imagine, our coffers have been drained significantly. That said, we wouldn't change a thing and feel privileged to be able to care for these sweet, sweet kitties, ensuring that their lives were saved and forever changed for the better. Can you partner with us by donating? We are at a point now that we will have to start saying no to any more sick and injured animals if we aren't able to substantially fundraise. Can you partner with us so we can say YES to the inevitable calls we will get? Remember, we can't do what we do, without you!