Theodore's Journey to Recovery

Theodore was initially TNRd in 2017 as a young adult in a 22-cat Inwood colony. All the kittens and very friendly adult cats got off the street, but Theodore stayed behind to be picked up another time. He had a safe colony with a dedicated feeder who cooked for the cats daily. The cats had shelters, so all in all, it was the best well-maintained colony I wish all outdoor cats had.

About two years ago, the colony feeder had to move. So Dan, a new colony caretaker, took over feeding and caring for the colony.

Last week, Dan noticed Theodore suddenly developed ear hematomas caused by ear mites. We immediately applied Revolution when he was still outdoors, and two days later, Dan got him into a carrier, and off the street.

Regardless of how well-maintained a colony is, outdoor cats age faster than indoor cats. Most outdoor cats don't survive past their fifth winter. They get sick, run over by cars, and are having to endure extreme weather conditions. Theodore is no different; when he arrived, I immediately noticed missing and broken teeth so he will need to visit a dentist as part of his treatment after we deal with the hematomas.

Ear hematomas cause pain and discomfort but it is a treatable medical condition. The hematomas can be either drained or treated surgically, so last Friday we paid the vet a visit.

Theodore got vaccinated, got his nails trimmed, and got snap-tested (he is negative for both leukemia and fiv). The vet estimated that he is about 12 years old but possibly older. Last year, the superintendent of the building adjacent to Theodore's colony, got a large dog who roam in the backyard off-leash. The dog already killed two colony cats, and, one 3-month-old kitten. Theodore is not going back to his colony, he is too old to survive another winter outdoors and we suspect he may be deaf. Given the dog situation, the colony he has known for all his life is no longer a safe place.

Theodore needs your support. He is scheduled to have surgery today. His recent initial vet visit was $164, the estimate for dental work is about $270. I have no quote for today's surgery but I estimate that it would be about $400 (I'll update the post with the exact cost after Theodore's surgery). The total needed for Theodore's recovery is $834. Thank you for your support!