Give Mouse the gift of sight for Christmas!
Donation protected
The short version:
Mouse is a street rescue kitten from North Philadelphia in need of an expensive surgery for a rare eye disorder called Entropion. I know local rescues have their hands full in the winter months, so I’m hoping my friends, family, and acquaintances will find it in their hearts and wallets this holiday season to help Mouse get the surgery she needs so she can find her forever home!
Back story:
A few weeks ago, I started noticing a white and gray cat hanging around my office building and scavenging from the trash. She was skittish and standoffish, but appeared to be a healthy weight so I didn’t feel the need to intervene assuming someone nearby may be caring for her. However, on Thursday, 11/8/18, when leaving the office for the day, I discovered her with a tiny, sickly looking kitten in tow. I talked with the front desk security guard at the building, who stated he was familiar with the mama cat and believed she had at least one other kitten. After observing the mama and baby for awhile from a distance, I was confident that the second kitten was no longer around, and knew I needed to do something before the weekend, when temperatures were forecasted to drop below freezing for the first time this year.
I talked with a local friend involved in cat rescue and borrowed three humane traps and supplies. I set them up the next morning, near where the mama and baby cat had been seen, leaving lots of wet food, sardines, and treats around to lure them in. Mama cat must’ve been pretty hungry, because I had her within two hours! Baby cat on the other hand, was somewhat elusive, and it took some trickery and patience to catch her as well.
As I have a dog and three cats at home myself (all rescues!), both mama and baby spent the night in my garage together with a space heater and lots of blankets. The next morning, mama went to ACCT Philly, where she was spayed, vaccinated, and treated for fleas. Three days later, when she was all healed up, I released her to the same spot where I found her and have been feeding and checking on her ever since. Her name is now Henrietta and she’s doing great! Despite my best efforts, Henrietta is still very feral and not interested in being friends with me. Can’t win them all over, I guess!
Baby cat, on the other hand, was not going to make it on the mean streets of North Philadelphia. She weighed a mere 1 pound (hence the name, Mouse), was covered in fleas, and appeared to have an upper respiratory infection. She was also completely unsocialized and it took some time to convince her that she could trust me. After several flea baths, I set her up in a crate in my room, quarantined from our other pets, and began caring for her. Estimated at about four weeks old, she took to the litter box and wet kitten food immediately. She now has dedicated playtime on a daily basis and is 100% confident around humans.
This just got expensive:
Four days after rescuing Mouse off the street, I brought her to Emancipet, a low cost veterinary clinic, for a check up. What I thought was an upper respiratory infection (sneezing, discharge from the nose and eyes) turned out to be a super rare disorder called Entropion. Entropion causes Mouse’s eyelashes to painfully scrape against her eyeballs all day long every day. This has caused her corneas to ulcerate and has significantly impaired her vision. The vet stated that, had I not pulled Mouse from the street when I did, she never would’ve made it due to her visual impairment.
I was informed that Mouse will need to receive medicated eye drops and eye lubricant several times per day until she is about six months old, at which point, she can have surgery to correct her malformed eyelids. Without this surgery, Mouse’s corneas will continue to be damaged and she will likely lose her sight. The good news is, with upkeep of the drops and some good aftercare, she will likely regain most of her vision! I’ve called around to many local vets and veterinary clinics to price out the surgery and have gotten various estimates. We are attempting to raise $2,500, as this will cover the full cost surgery, including needed bloodwork and aftercare medications, as well as Mouse’s spay procedure.
What’s happening now:
It’s been about 2.5 weeks and we’re now well into our routine of multiple daily feedings and eye care, and Mouse is growing like a weed. She is spunky, playful, and full of life. Our three senior cats regularly express their disdain for her presence in the home, but our 65lb pit bull Ranger, is madly in love with her.
Mouse continues to receive age-appropriate routine care at Emancipet, which I’ve been happy to pay for out of my own pocket. But as frequent fosters and supporters of local rescue organizations, my wife and I know how expensive rescue can be.
Aside from our own pets, Mouse will be the tenth cat we’ve rescued, cared for, and rehomed in the last four years, in addition to four rescue pit bulls. Unfortunately, this surgery is not within our budget and it is unlikely we will find Mouse’s forever home until her condition is resolved (or at least funded). Please help us access this vital procedure for Mouse so she can go on to live the happy and independent life she deserves to live and we can continue to help other animals in need!
Any amount, no matter how small, will help! If you can’t donate, please share! Anything raised in excess of our goal will be donated to local animal rescue organizations. Mouse says, “Thanks for considering!”
Mouse is a street rescue kitten from North Philadelphia in need of an expensive surgery for a rare eye disorder called Entropion. I know local rescues have their hands full in the winter months, so I’m hoping my friends, family, and acquaintances will find it in their hearts and wallets this holiday season to help Mouse get the surgery she needs so she can find her forever home!
Back story:
A few weeks ago, I started noticing a white and gray cat hanging around my office building and scavenging from the trash. She was skittish and standoffish, but appeared to be a healthy weight so I didn’t feel the need to intervene assuming someone nearby may be caring for her. However, on Thursday, 11/8/18, when leaving the office for the day, I discovered her with a tiny, sickly looking kitten in tow. I talked with the front desk security guard at the building, who stated he was familiar with the mama cat and believed she had at least one other kitten. After observing the mama and baby for awhile from a distance, I was confident that the second kitten was no longer around, and knew I needed to do something before the weekend, when temperatures were forecasted to drop below freezing for the first time this year.
I talked with a local friend involved in cat rescue and borrowed three humane traps and supplies. I set them up the next morning, near where the mama and baby cat had been seen, leaving lots of wet food, sardines, and treats around to lure them in. Mama cat must’ve been pretty hungry, because I had her within two hours! Baby cat on the other hand, was somewhat elusive, and it took some trickery and patience to catch her as well.
As I have a dog and three cats at home myself (all rescues!), both mama and baby spent the night in my garage together with a space heater and lots of blankets. The next morning, mama went to ACCT Philly, where she was spayed, vaccinated, and treated for fleas. Three days later, when she was all healed up, I released her to the same spot where I found her and have been feeding and checking on her ever since. Her name is now Henrietta and she’s doing great! Despite my best efforts, Henrietta is still very feral and not interested in being friends with me. Can’t win them all over, I guess!
Baby cat, on the other hand, was not going to make it on the mean streets of North Philadelphia. She weighed a mere 1 pound (hence the name, Mouse), was covered in fleas, and appeared to have an upper respiratory infection. She was also completely unsocialized and it took some time to convince her that she could trust me. After several flea baths, I set her up in a crate in my room, quarantined from our other pets, and began caring for her. Estimated at about four weeks old, she took to the litter box and wet kitten food immediately. She now has dedicated playtime on a daily basis and is 100% confident around humans.
This just got expensive:
Four days after rescuing Mouse off the street, I brought her to Emancipet, a low cost veterinary clinic, for a check up. What I thought was an upper respiratory infection (sneezing, discharge from the nose and eyes) turned out to be a super rare disorder called Entropion. Entropion causes Mouse’s eyelashes to painfully scrape against her eyeballs all day long every day. This has caused her corneas to ulcerate and has significantly impaired her vision. The vet stated that, had I not pulled Mouse from the street when I did, she never would’ve made it due to her visual impairment.
I was informed that Mouse will need to receive medicated eye drops and eye lubricant several times per day until she is about six months old, at which point, she can have surgery to correct her malformed eyelids. Without this surgery, Mouse’s corneas will continue to be damaged and she will likely lose her sight. The good news is, with upkeep of the drops and some good aftercare, she will likely regain most of her vision! I’ve called around to many local vets and veterinary clinics to price out the surgery and have gotten various estimates. We are attempting to raise $2,500, as this will cover the full cost surgery, including needed bloodwork and aftercare medications, as well as Mouse’s spay procedure.
What’s happening now:
It’s been about 2.5 weeks and we’re now well into our routine of multiple daily feedings and eye care, and Mouse is growing like a weed. She is spunky, playful, and full of life. Our three senior cats regularly express their disdain for her presence in the home, but our 65lb pit bull Ranger, is madly in love with her.
Mouse continues to receive age-appropriate routine care at Emancipet, which I’ve been happy to pay for out of my own pocket. But as frequent fosters and supporters of local rescue organizations, my wife and I know how expensive rescue can be.
Aside from our own pets, Mouse will be the tenth cat we’ve rescued, cared for, and rehomed in the last four years, in addition to four rescue pit bulls. Unfortunately, this surgery is not within our budget and it is unlikely we will find Mouse’s forever home until her condition is resolved (or at least funded). Please help us access this vital procedure for Mouse so she can go on to live the happy and independent life she deserves to live and we can continue to help other animals in need!
Any amount, no matter how small, will help! If you can’t donate, please share! Anything raised in excess of our goal will be donated to local animal rescue organizations. Mouse says, “Thanks for considering!”
Organizer
Andrew Spiers
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
