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Fighting the Good Fight

by Joan Abbott

Many are not aware that 99% of the cats we rescue are right off the streets. Cats that have no homes to give them shelter or people to care for them. Cats that have been injured, mistreated, or simply abandoned.

Some arrive, are seen by a veterinarian, and quickly find a home. Others, the ones we are known to care for so well, have suffered and struggled and need much more.

Like Misu who was, and is, a 'Labor of Love'.

Tiny Misu had been struggling to survive on the streets. He arrived in skeletal condition weighing less than two pounds with a broken femur, intestinal parasites, ear mites, ringworm, and extreme anemia. He was so weak he could barely stand. He spent three touch-and-go weeks at our vets, then went to foster care to get stronger for the surgeries in his future. He was only back in his foster home for days when he crashed. His temperature had spiked to 106° and another hospitalization was required. Despite all the meds, consults, appointments and treatments, Misu purred through it all, so grateful to be alive.

Everyone who met this special little soul loves him. One of our volunteers, so enchanted with him, adopted him and lovingly cared for him as he got stronger and became able to live the full and happy life he deserves. He has the heart of a lion and we knew he could do it.

Some say that these cats are resilient. No matter how much they suffer, or how much hardship they endure, they never give up their strong will to live. They pull through these horrific situations — they fight for life and we fight for it with them. It's a good fight. Together we get there. But only with your help…

This is our mission.

We thank you on their behalf.

HOW YOU CAN HELP KITTY ANGELS

• Money...to pay for the daily care and medical bills of the cats.



• Donate through Venmo (New!), PayPal or Network for Good (for anonymous and/or recurring donations)...see kittyangels.org/howtohelp.html
• Visit the Kitty Angels Facebook page and click Donate. (If you're on a mobile device, use the Facebook app to see the Donate button.)
• Do you have a Donor Advised Fund through Fidelity, Schwab or BNY Mellon? You can make a charitable grant to Kitty Angels using DAF Direct, at no cost to you or to Kitty Angels. Please check with your Donor Advised Fund on their requirements.
• Shop at online stores through igive.com or Giving Assistant - see kittyangels.org/howtohelp.html
• Use your employer's Matching Gift Program.
• Specify that your United Way payroll donation go to Kitty Angels.
• Consider a Bequest to Kitty Angels in your will or estate plan.
• Donate Gift Cards, Cat Food, Medical Supplies, Cleaning Supplies, Towels.

For these and other ways to help, please visit the How to Help page on our web site at kittyangels.org/howtohelp.html
If you wish to send a donation by check, our address is Kitty Angels, PO Box 638, Tyngsboto, MA 01879.

Rescue Stories

Leopard's Story The elderly woman had gone to the pet supply store several times hoping that a KA volunteer would be there caring for the cats for adoption. Appearing a third time, a store manager approached her. She told him that she had lost the number of the volunteer that had come to her house years ago to help her with a stray cat and now she desperately needed her help again. Finally connected with the volunteer, the cat's sad story began to unfold.

The stray she had been feeding for months was struggling to walk. She agonized as she watched its limp get worse every day. Some days he didn't show up at all and she worried that he might have been hit by a car on the busy street.

We worked hard trying to trap him as he was unapproachable, and each day he looked worse. Finally, he limped into a trap and he was whisked off to our vet.

He was hospitalized for more than three weeks. A large hole in his paw went all the way through from top to bottom. Suffering a severe infection, and on high levels of pain meds, he endured several surgeries on his foot. The tender toes and pads were so damaged it was hard to find good tissue to hold the stitches. Have no fear, we stuck by him, no matter the cost, and got him back on all four feet.

We are so grateful to this woman who persevered in trying to get him the help he needed. It was quite a distance for her to go to that store each time. And she cared so deeply for him, even though he was not her cat. The best part of the story is that this former stray has been adopted into the most wonderful home.

Touchdown This year's Super Bowl was to be the most watched game ever. While people were riveted to their TVs watching the game, another battle was taking place off the field. The battle to survive.

Two stray male cats being fed in a backyard were constantly fighting over whose turf it was. Eventually they both were wounded, one more so than the other. The big black cat began to look poorly & would be gone for days. His tail seemed to hang oddly and as time went on it dragged on the ground. The woman tried to get the cat to come to her, but he had been on the streets for so long he didn't trust people. Hearing of his plight we loaned her a trap. Time went by without success but on Super Bowl Sunday he was caught. Our volunteer, with plans in place to watch the game, instead went to get him. He was in bad shape. The poor cat was so scared and pitiful. The volunteer took him home and set him up in a cage trying to comfort him as best she could. The next morning, he was off to our vets.

The infection smelled so bad that the veterinary staff had a hard time being in the same room with him. The vets were hopeful that they could debride the necrotic tissue and save the tail with antibiotics, soaking and bandaging. Things went well for a while, but the injured area became infected again and it was decided to amputate his tail. Touchdown needed an amputation close to the base of his tail, which can sometimes cause serious nerve damage. We are happy to report, however, that Touchdown's surgery was successful and he is now in his forever home...minus most of his tail!

Gotcha A Kitty Angels volunteer heard a rumor that a cat was living in a tenement basement for the sole purpose of killing rats. Could this really be true? She began to investigate and located the house in question where she spoke to a tenant who confirmed that it was indeed true. The building owner had intentionally locked the cat down there. The volunteer was determined to get this cat out of the hell he was living in and eventually gained access to the basement. The basement was totally dark. No lights had been left on and the basement windows had all been boarded up. The floor was dirt and the conditions were inhumane. The cat lived with no human contact and was only fed intermittently as he had to be kept hungry in order to kill the rats. The volunteer refused to leave without the cat. She persisted and argued and at long last, walked out with the cat in her arms.

We aptly named him Gotcha. He was hospitalized for weeks while they worked on stabilizing him. He was severely dehydrated, terribly underweight, and his eyes were sunken in. He had liver damage, a high white blood cell count, and many other issues. Lack of nutrition created muscle damage and his fur was thin and flaking. Imagine his relief, to be out of there, to see daylight again, to have ample food provided for him and to feel the warmth and love of caring human beings.

He was shy at first, reluctant to trust, but he blossomed and developed quite the personality. He has been adopted into a wonderful home where he can look out the windows, bask in the sunshine and enjoy the life he deserves.

Please help break the cycle of overpopulation...

We are so proud that Kitty Angels has been offering a Low Cost Spay/ Neuter Clinic for 15 years. We spay and neuter approximately 450 cats each year. Clinics are held twice a month at Animal Rescue Veterinary Services in Londonderry, NH. Cats are spayed or neutered, receive distemper and rabies vaccinations, a physical exam, and are microchipped. Kittens must weigh a minimum of 2 pounds. Although a $120 donation is suggested, the generosity of our supporters enables us to adjust or eliminate the fee, on a person-by-person basis, based upon need.

The BEST WAY to make an appointment is to email lindab@kittyangels.org. She is the only one who can book appointments for our clinics. If you don't have internet access, call us at 978-649-4681 and someone will get back to you. Cats are dropped off in the morning and picked up later the same day.

Requests for assistance grow every year. The cats we deal with at the low-cost clinic would not otherwise be neutered or spayed. Your donation, in any amount, will help us continue to run this much needed clinic.

Donate Your Small Antiques and Collectibles

Gail Mosher, a longtime Kitty Angels supporter and volunteer, and an expert in antiques and collectibles, has created an eBay store devoted entirely to selling items that have been generously donated by our supporters. You can see it at:

https://www.ebay.com/usr/kittyangelsma/

If you have small antiques, collectibles, or other items to donate please contact Gail at gailmosher@gmail.com or leave a message with us. 100% of the proceeds of every sale goes directly to Kitty Angels.

They Rely on Your Generosity

Each year brings greater numbers of cats into our shelter, requiring that we supply more veterinary ser-vices, food, litter and shelter space — and care for an increasing number of feral cats and colonies. We're so grateful for your donations — without them so many of the cats that we have been able to save would have simply been added to the grim statistics of animal suffering. Thank you so very much for your help — but please understand that our task never ends and that we need your continued support to continue our work!! There are so many ways to help — you can find more information on our. web site.

TRILLIUM

Disturbing pictures of a critically injured cat were posted on social media. The cat was in deplorable condition, hiding under the trunk of a fallen tree and crouched on a piece of wood jutting out into a pond. One eye was grossly damaged. A badly broken hind leg, which she was unable to bend, stuck out from her side. There were no houses in sight to give her shelter or people to protect her from the cold nights and wildlife. We knew we had to get her the special medical care she needed.

Her immobile broken leg made it impossible for her to enter a regular trap, so we had to get creative. We set up a large dog trap and baited it with lots of temping food. The trap door was propped open with a piece of cardboard tied to a string. Because the area is pitch black at night, a night vision camera was set up and volunteers waited. The hours passed and the cat eventually showed up on camera, heading right into the trap. When she started eating we pulled the string and hoped she was still inside the trap. Thankfully, she was.

Her first night in safety, she climbed up onto her new foster mom's lap, happy to be rescued, purring away. She ate ravenously and slept soundly on a soft comfy bed.

An x-ray the next day showed a severe break in her back leg, which would need to be amputated. She also has a bulging, blind, injured eye, which needed to be removed. Her canine teeth were broken at the root, causing painful mouth inflammation. She wasn't spayed. We agonized over what this tiny little cat had endured. It is quite remarkable that a cat that had suffered so much was so affectionate.

We named her Trillium, after the beautiful wildflower, because she's so tiny and precious, Our vet told us that, given Trillium's poor condition, her surgeries would need to be staggered. Her spay and dental have been done. After a recovery period, we will address the next two surgeries - to have her eye removed and her leg amputated. We truly wonder how she survived. Trillium comes to us in the midst of many other critical rescues. Her continued care will be costly, but her will to survive is inspirational. We will forge ahead and find a way. We are reaching out to you, our compassionate friends, to ask for help. We can't do what we do, and what we hope to do, without your support. So we humbly ask you to consider donating, and sharing her story, to help with Trillium's care and the care for others like her.

Thank you for your support! Your donations saved TRILLIUM and can save so many others! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in ANY amount to help us carry on with our mission to help the neediest at-risk cats. For many other ways to give, please see the How to Help page on our website, www.kittyangels.org

ABOUT KITTY ANGELS

Kitty Angels is a no-kill shelter dedicated to rescuing stray and abandoned cats, furnishing them with treatment for injuries or other health problems, and placing them into life-long, loving, indoor homes with compatible owners. We take all necessary steps to ensure the well being of our cats, including emergency and routine medical care, screening for infectious diseases, spaying and neutering, microchipping and providing rabies, distemper and other necessary medical care. We take in, and place or foster, hundreds of cats each year and deal with many feral cat populations. Kitty Angels is an all-volunteer organization. We have no paid staff — every cent of every donation goes to caring for needy cats! Because the cost of caring for our cats greatly exceeds our adoption fees, we depend on the generosity of individuals and businesses to make up the difference. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today...and, please be sure to send us a Matching Gifts Form if your employer offers one...we, and especially the cats, would very much appreciate it!!

ENDURING SUPPORT In the 43 years since our founding, Kitty Angels has been fortunate to have many long-term supporters. In recent years, an increasing amount of our funding has come from bequests from the estates of these committed benefactors. The enduring impact of these bequests, both large and small, has helped Kitty Angels expand its life saving programs and find loving homes for the neediest of animals. By naming Kitty Angels as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan, you can support Kitty Angels' future efforts as well as gain financial and tax benefits for you and your family. Your estate planner can explain the different ways you can make a bequest to Kitty Angels or you can contact us. We thank all our supporters for their wonderful generosity!!

A very special thanks to all of you who have opened your hearts and homes to animals; to those who have donated in some way to help us or others who act in concert with our cause; and to our team of dedicated volunteers and foster home caregivers. You are the ones whose compassion, kindness and generosity makes the difference. We couldn't do what we do without your continued support.

Thanks to PETsMART for providing us with first class space in their store in the Royal Ridge Mall in Nashua, NH. You can see some of our adoptable cats in the cages at the front of the store.

Kitty Angels, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation. All donations to Kitty Angels are both federal and state tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Every penny of every donation is used in caring for cats. Federal ID 04-3270369; Massachusetts ID 034406

Kitty Angels, Inc. P.O. Box 638 Tyngsboro, MA 01879 978-649-4681 - kittyangels.org © 2024 Kitty Angels