Annette Fernandez

Someone Threw Her Away. We Refuse To. This is Tin Can. She isn’t a feral cat that was born on the streets. She had a home. She had a family. Then one day, they moved away and left her behind. Tin Can lived next door to our uncle in Miami. When her owners moved, they didn’t take her with them. They simply left her to fend for herself. We don’t know how long she waited for them to come back. We don’t know how many days she spent searching for food, water, shelter, or comfort. We don’t know how many nights she spent alone. What we do know is that by the time my husband found her, she was heartbreakingly thin, weak, and struggling to survive. You could see every bone in her tiny body. She was exhausted. Malnourished. Fragile. Yet somehow, despite everything she had been through, she still trusted us enough to let us help her. We brought her home. We named her Tin Can. And we promised her that she would never be abandoned again. On Sunday, we took Tin Can to the veterinarian to be examined, provide a stool sample, and receive medication. We hoped we were finally on the road to helping her heal. Then today we received a call from the veterinary office informing us that her fecal results showed parasites and that she needed medication for worms. We immediately brought her in to receive the medication. On the drive home, something didn’t seem right. Tin Can was already heartbreakingly weak, thin, and frail when we found her. But suddenly she looked even worse. Her little body became even more limp and exhausted than it already was, and watching her decline before our eyes was terrifying. Our hearts sank. We immediately turned the car around and rushed her back to the veterinarian. That’s when the doctor performed X-rays and discovered that Tin Can was severely impacted with stool. She required an emergency enema, and even after treatment there is still a significant amount remaining. The veterinarian explained that she will need additional testing, including bloodwork and diagnostics, to determine what other health issues may be contributing to her condition. Depending on those results, she may also need additional medications and treatment. As I write this, Tin Can is resting in a crate in our laundry room. She has a warm bed. She has food and water beside her. She has a safe place to sleep. Most importantly, she has people who love her. For the first time in a very long time, she is not alone. I won’t pretend this has been easy. I’ve cried all day. Watching such a sweet and innocent little soul fight so hard just to survive is heartbreaking. We are taking things one hour at a time and praying she finds the strength to keep fighting. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know what the additional testing will reveal. We don’t know how much treatment she will ultimately need. What we do know is that she deserves every chance we can give her. We have already stretched our finances to provide her emergency veterinary care because leaving her to suffer was never an option. But the costs are growing quickly, and we are asking for help to continue giving Tin Can the care she needs. Every donation will go directly toward: Bloodwork and diagnostic testing Veterinary visits and follow-up care Medications and treatments Nutritional support and recovery food Any additional medical care needed to help her heal If you cannot donate, please consider sharing her story and keeping her in your prayers. Someone threw Tin Can away. We refuse to. Thank you for helping us give this sweet little girl a chance to know what it feels like to be safe, loved, wanted, and cared for. With gratitude, Robin & David Fernandez #TeamTinCan ❤️