This horror story details how badly things can go wrong when young kittens don’t receive timely care for an upper respiratory infection. It comes from Kellie Wester, a feral cat rescuer from the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Not only does Kellie practice TNR, she also rehomes many cats who are friendly and has a Facebook community page titled My Friendly Ferals.
Kellie posted the heartbreaking story that began last Sunday when she was contacted by a friend with three very sick kittens who were found under a house. Thanks to an untreated upper respiratory infection, they’re fighting for their lives this week.
“Sunday I was contacted about helping these three kittens. I called and messaged several rescues, but they were unable to help due to lack of foster homes. After several hours of trying, it seemed the only place at these kittens would be able to go to would be the animal shelter that was already filled to the max. I posted on Facebook for help with rescue, people suggested that I do a fundraiser, and I thought long and hard about it. I really did not want to tell the people to take the kittens to the animal shelter, but they needed medical attention. I called and told them that if I could raise the funds that they could drop them off at my vet the next day.”
It truly took an entire animal loving community to get these kittens the surgery they needed. They were dropped off at the vet on Monday, had surgery Tuesday, and Kellie picked them up on Wednesday. It’s unsure how old they are. They aren’t even two pounds yet! One of the kittens lost both eyes and also had an umbilical hernia which was repaired. Another kitten lost one eye, and the third has kept both eyes (as of June 24).
The third kitten will see the veterinarian again on Monday. Unfortunately, the other two kittens started doing poorly on Thursday. Kellie took them to a vet on Friday because they all were running high fevers and had a lot of infection oozing out of the eye socket. They also all have ear infections and are being treated for that. Another antibiotic was added and they are also on pain medication. Kellie is giving the one that kept both eyes several medications in an effort to save the eyes.
Kellie will be dropping them off Monday morning around 10 a.m. for surgery again and will have a vet bill for them spending the night. A YouCaring fundraiser has been set up here. You may also donate via PayPal or contact Kellie on her community page if you’d like to call in a payment directly to the veterinarian.
The bill right now has hit close to $2,000. Add in additional surgery, treatment and spay and neuter once they’re healthy enough and we’re still looking at a “village effort” to raise the funds.
I hope this article is a wake-up call as to what can happen should a cat owner decide not to see a veterinarian for a condition that’s easily treated if caught in time.
Please help Kellie if you can. She’s responsible not only for the care of feral cats but also in getting many of them who are deemed adoptable off the streets and into forever homes.
Elisa
Note: Photos provided by Kellie Wester. Updates will be posted on the Facebook: My Friendly Ferals community page listed above as well as the YouCaring webpage.
Yes, they do hate feral cats. It is one of their ‘traits’. They love birds though and marsupials… ๐
The cat trolls hate feral cats. Kellie works to get feral cats fixed and many times off the street entirely. You’d think the trolls would be happy that because of Kellie there are many many fewer homeless cats.
Mr. Collins if you take some ginger root you’ll feel better.
Many thanks for your comment but I think you are being a bit harsh in criticising the good and kindhearted people who felt compelled to restore these kittens to good health.
The money was raised to help these kittens. But for the kittens the money would not have been raised. Therefore I think it is incorrect to say that the money could have been used elsewhere.
It is a natural human instinct to help the vulnerable and sick. I think it is also wrong to criticise people for doing that. It is a good instinct. Without this natural instinct to help the vulnerable the world would be even worse than it already is.
Imagine how many hundreds of cats you could have sterilized with the same amount of money to prevent this from happening thousands and thousands of times more.
You’ll never learn.
Those kittens should have been humanely euthanized instead of lining the pockets of veterinarians by parading another suffering animal story for donation for them. Not to mention the suffering they have to additionally go through to heal up from their wounds while condemning them a world where they need their vision to protect themselves. You’re not making a dent in anything nor helping anything. You’re just guaranteeing that more animals suffer under the guise that it makes you feel better for doing what you do.
You make me sick.
Thank you for writing this article. I don’t believe the general public, regardless of how much they may love the animals, realize how quick situations can turn in to horror stories without proper care and medical treatment.
Bless you Kellie for stepping up!
Thank you for writing this article to make people aware of what happens when people don’t spay and neuter and abandon their pets or don’t practice TNR. There’s absolutely no reason that this should have happened. If those cats had been spayed and neutered this litter of kittens never would have been here. It is very unfortunate that they had to lose sight and suffer for as long as they did. I am grateful that the people reached out for help and were able to catch them. Unfortunately, it was just too late.
On Monday, they’ll return to the hospital where the vet will flush and clean their eyes and possibly pack them with something, debride, and re-stitch. I assume that they will be spending one night in the vet hospital, possibly two.