Help Save Tiger

Yesterday, July 1, this sweet little guy appeared on our screened-in back porch. He bypassed all our neighbors who don't have fences and screens to come to us.  We knew immediately that something was wrong, so as soon as Bailyn got him to trust her enough to pick him up, she headed off to the vet. I met her at the office, and the vet tech immediately noticed how swollen his back end was. The doctor found puncture wounds, so the theory is that he was attacked by another animal. They thought he had an abscess, so they attempted to drain it.  The doctor made an incision near each hip, but nothing drained. I asked them to do X-rays to make sure he didn't have any broken bones. It was clear, so the only injuries appeared to be soft tissue. They sent us home with pain meds and antibiotics. We spent the evening getting to know this sweet little man. Even though he very clearly doesn't feel the greatest, he leans into it when you pet him, purrs frequently, and is almost constantly making biscuits. His voice is loud and strong. We agree: We have never seen an animal with this much fight in him. 

After a rough night of obvious discomfort, Bailyn took him back to the vet. The prognosis isn't good. He has a massive infection with necrotic tissue, and it is affecting his ability to eliminate waste. We were given 3 options. Bring him home and continue oral antibiotics, admit him for IV fluids and antibiotics, or put him to sleep. That's an agonizing choice to have to make at any point, but what do you do when the doctor is painting a grim picture and those tiny eyes are still looking at you with so much fight? Where is the line between fighting for him and subjecting him to pointless torture? Ultimately, we decided that we will fight with him as long as he wants to fight. Please help us fight for this special little guy. We want to give him his absolute best chance. He deserves it.

Note: As we have no idea how high his vet bills will climb, we intend to donate anything left over from this campaign to Smitten With Kittens, a nonprofit kitten rescue in Tallahassee, FL.