The Ton-Ton Fund
Donation protected
http://www.saveakittyca.org/
TON-TON'S STORY
Save A Kitty, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) non-profit cat rescue dedicated to relieving the suffering and misery of cats and kittens living and being born on the streets of Los Angeles. Our goals are to control over-population of unwanted cats and kittens through education, implementing TNR (trap/neuter/return) to prevent unwanted births in feral colonies, and our foster-to-adoption program. We are a no-kill organization and our rescued foster kitties stay with us, never caged, until they find their forever homes.
Ton-Ton came into our rescue on Christmas Day 2011. He and his four siblings were plucked from the bushes of a backyard in Lancaster, California. It was snowing and freezing cold. Although Ton-Ton was the shy boy of the bunch, he did get adopted. However, because of his shyness (not friendly, per his adoptive family), he was returned to us some weeks later. Sweet little Ton-Ton did not do well at adoption events and climbed underneath anything he could to be out of sight from potential adopters. We thought it best to go the route of an on line adoption (i.e. Adopt-A-Pet). Alas, it was not meant to be for Ton-Ton and he became a forever foster of Save A Kitty.
In early 2014, when Ton-Ton was 3, I noticed a weakness in his hind legs and took him to the vet. After numerous diagnostic studies and with his progress decline (he was now a paraplegia with total loss of bladder control), we ended up in the Neurology Department of one of Los Angeles' best veterinary hospitals, Advanced Critical Care in Culver City. Ton-Ton underwent an MRI which revealed a large mass compressing his spine. The cost for the MRI, spinal tap, surgery, and hospitalization was astronomical. We had already spent over $1,000 and were now faced with another $9,000.
Ton-Ton would always look up at me with gratitude in his eyes, those beautiful luminescent amber eyes. He knew I would lift him into the litter pan and hold him up until he was able to urinate. He knew I would clean him up when he had accidents. He would lie on his soft blankets and bat his little toys around with his front paws. He never failed to plop his little head in my hands to be cradled. He had a good appetite and apart from having a meningioma on his spine, which I was told was incredibly rare in a young cat, he was just fine. My practical side gnawed at me…Does the good of the one outweigh the good of the many? In rescue, funds are always needed, and $9,000 would go a long way in saving lots of lives. But as I laid in bed pondering the actual idea of euthanizing Ton-Ton, which I was being told would become my only option if we were not to do the surgery, I realized that we had to go forward with the surgery. I would never have forgiven myself for not trying and for not taking advantage of what modern medical science had to offer.
The surgery was scheduled and we ended up raising $6,000 towards it. And it was a miracle…within a week, Ton-Ton was up on his feet using those back legs. His progression and recovery were amazing and he has had 2 fabulous years of a normal life. But recently I noticed some weakness in his hind legs and an MRI revealed what appeared to be a cyst and surgery was scheduled. Instead of receiving a call telling me all was well, I was patched into Dr. Robles' headset in the operating room…the cyst had infiltrated his spinal cord and, in her opinion, was inoperable. The prognosis for Ton-Ton is not good, as he probably will become crippled. Because of this, Dr. Robles asked me if I wanted to let him go while she had him under anesthesia. I was not ready to say goodbye to this little boy and we will not know how long it will take for Ton-Ton to lose complete functionality of his back legs. So, I said no, please sew him up, I will take him home, look after him, love him, and we will take things day-by-day.
Ton-Ton came home from the hospital yesterday. He is so very happy to be home and we are just praying for another miracle.
Ton-Ton's complete diagnostic workup, surgery, and hospitalization charges were $4,987. The bill has been paid-in-full, which has left a tremendous deficit in our resources. Our goal is to raise as much as we can but for this "gofundme" campaign, we are setting our goal at $3,000. As a 503(C)(3) your donations are tax-deductible and as we have no paid staff, all donations will go directly towards Ton-Ton's Fund. No donation is too small and we appreciate each and every penny.
TON-TON'S STORY
Save A Kitty, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) non-profit cat rescue dedicated to relieving the suffering and misery of cats and kittens living and being born on the streets of Los Angeles. Our goals are to control over-population of unwanted cats and kittens through education, implementing TNR (trap/neuter/return) to prevent unwanted births in feral colonies, and our foster-to-adoption program. We are a no-kill organization and our rescued foster kitties stay with us, never caged, until they find their forever homes.
Ton-Ton came into our rescue on Christmas Day 2011. He and his four siblings were plucked from the bushes of a backyard in Lancaster, California. It was snowing and freezing cold. Although Ton-Ton was the shy boy of the bunch, he did get adopted. However, because of his shyness (not friendly, per his adoptive family), he was returned to us some weeks later. Sweet little Ton-Ton did not do well at adoption events and climbed underneath anything he could to be out of sight from potential adopters. We thought it best to go the route of an on line adoption (i.e. Adopt-A-Pet). Alas, it was not meant to be for Ton-Ton and he became a forever foster of Save A Kitty.
In early 2014, when Ton-Ton was 3, I noticed a weakness in his hind legs and took him to the vet. After numerous diagnostic studies and with his progress decline (he was now a paraplegia with total loss of bladder control), we ended up in the Neurology Department of one of Los Angeles' best veterinary hospitals, Advanced Critical Care in Culver City. Ton-Ton underwent an MRI which revealed a large mass compressing his spine. The cost for the MRI, spinal tap, surgery, and hospitalization was astronomical. We had already spent over $1,000 and were now faced with another $9,000.
Ton-Ton would always look up at me with gratitude in his eyes, those beautiful luminescent amber eyes. He knew I would lift him into the litter pan and hold him up until he was able to urinate. He knew I would clean him up when he had accidents. He would lie on his soft blankets and bat his little toys around with his front paws. He never failed to plop his little head in my hands to be cradled. He had a good appetite and apart from having a meningioma on his spine, which I was told was incredibly rare in a young cat, he was just fine. My practical side gnawed at me…Does the good of the one outweigh the good of the many? In rescue, funds are always needed, and $9,000 would go a long way in saving lots of lives. But as I laid in bed pondering the actual idea of euthanizing Ton-Ton, which I was being told would become my only option if we were not to do the surgery, I realized that we had to go forward with the surgery. I would never have forgiven myself for not trying and for not taking advantage of what modern medical science had to offer.
The surgery was scheduled and we ended up raising $6,000 towards it. And it was a miracle…within a week, Ton-Ton was up on his feet using those back legs. His progression and recovery were amazing and he has had 2 fabulous years of a normal life. But recently I noticed some weakness in his hind legs and an MRI revealed what appeared to be a cyst and surgery was scheduled. Instead of receiving a call telling me all was well, I was patched into Dr. Robles' headset in the operating room…the cyst had infiltrated his spinal cord and, in her opinion, was inoperable. The prognosis for Ton-Ton is not good, as he probably will become crippled. Because of this, Dr. Robles asked me if I wanted to let him go while she had him under anesthesia. I was not ready to say goodbye to this little boy and we will not know how long it will take for Ton-Ton to lose complete functionality of his back legs. So, I said no, please sew him up, I will take him home, look after him, love him, and we will take things day-by-day.
Ton-Ton came home from the hospital yesterday. He is so very happy to be home and we are just praying for another miracle.
Ton-Ton's complete diagnostic workup, surgery, and hospitalization charges were $4,987. The bill has been paid-in-full, which has left a tremendous deficit in our resources. Our goal is to raise as much as we can but for this "gofundme" campaign, we are setting our goal at $3,000. As a 503(C)(3) your donations are tax-deductible and as we have no paid staff, all donations will go directly towards Ton-Ton's Fund. No donation is too small and we appreciate each and every penny.
Organiser
Deborah Eskow
Organiser
Lancaster, CA
