Whitey has been a community staple of Yosemite Valley Stables for well over 10 years now. He has provided support to everyone who has lived here in so many ways. Either through the capture and control of the mice population, to teaching generations of raccoons that this is his home, not theirs. To keeping people company since pets are not permitted in housing. 


Being a mostly wild cat for so many years (this cat is ageless) has taken its toll on him though and in his twilight years he needs a little bit more care than usual. Since he has been such a fundamental part of so many of our Yosemite experience, we are going to make sure that he gets it no matter what.


That being said, this past year has been hard, most of us have been out of work the whole time, and while we are never going to skimp on the care he needs, we recently found out that Whitey has kidney disease, the most common cause of death in cats. This is a lifetime diagnosis, which causes cats to lose weight rapidly, and have difficulty keeping weight on. It affects their appetite so they may not crave food. It also requires that we supplement his food with kidney support medications, and that his system is flushed with subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids once a week.

Though Whitey enjoys being fed whenever he requests (the goal he has been working towards his whole life) we have to be careful with the food we give him to make sure the nutrients are well-balanced and will not put excess strain on his system. This has gotten very expensive considering there are fewer people in Yosemite Valley to provide him care in his housing area. 


Vet visits have become more frequent and more involved. Whitezilla has also developed dental disease from the years of having so many parents, none of whom were able to convince him to brush. He has a visit coming up in January where his teeth will be operated on in hopes that he can continue happily chomping mice and treats for as long as possible after his teeth are taken care of. 


These changes have been gradual, like the aging process, but over time it has gotten to be a lot. Beginning with joint support needs of an active and aging cat, the need for weight loss for a cat that is thinking about being diabetic, to the need to support his kidneys and get him to gain weight healthily after the onset of kidney disease. He is an adaptive and resilient little fella, which we have known since we heard the stories about him fighting bobcats, broke up a fight between him and a coyote, and from the time he was a kitten when he survived a rattlesnake bite and a bear attack. He has earned his place as Yosemite’s foremost badass and deserves the royal treatment for all his contributions.


We will take care of Whitey in every way possible no matter the outcome of this project, but our hope is that all of us who have had the opportunity to get to know and love on this magical little badass over the years get the chance to support him in his old age. All money raised here will go towards the best and most healthy food available for him (as much as he wants), treats to support his joints (CBD tinctures, and Glycoflex, which make him able to walk without limping or clicking), Veterinarian bills, pet insurance, and litter (yeah, he has to use the facilities indoors now). 


If you have questions about specific costs, send them to: @stablesgato on Instagram messenger. 


Thank you for supporting Whitezilla, aka Whitey and helping him to stay happy and healthy as he gets older.