Kimmy’s Plea
Kimmy and her siblings were born to a starved former house cat who was abandoned, intact and unvaccinated. Mom tried her best to care for her babies but she was too weak to catch much food. Many people think that since cats are predators, they will be able to fend for themselves when forced to live outside on their own. House cats, however, are accustomed to having their food set before them in a dish. They never learn or lose their ability to hunt. It takes experience, determination and getting very hungry before they succeed as hunters, and some never do.
Neighborhood kids tormenting Mom with sticks and rocks brought her to the attention of a good Samaritan. Thank goodness the children didn’t discover the kittens! Understandably skittish, Mom needed a little coaxing to allow the good Samaritan to take her little family home. There, despite efforts at bottle feeding, the sickly kittens died one by one. Kimmy alone was strong and feisty enough to survive.
But there was a price for the poor beginning. Both mother and daughter suffered recurring upper respiratory infections (URIs). In normal cats, a small hole called a puncta is present in both the upper and lower eyelids very close to the where the lids meet near the nose. Tears normally flow down these drainage holes into a central collecting sac that sits just under the skin below the eye. From this sac, a small tube or duct carries the tears into the nose, helping to keep the nose and nostrils moist. Baby Kimmy’s multiple URIs caused severe scar tissue in her nasal passages, so although her tear ducts continued to produce tears normally, Kimmy’s tears overflowed onto her cheeks, causing a perpetually wet little face.
A number of attempts – some requiring anesthesia – have failed to solve Kimmy’s problem. The specialist recommends a trip to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for a solution that will allow her to live normally and eventually find a forever home. For now, she is unadoptable with her sickly-looking face, uncomfortably damp facial fur, and flying moisture whenever she shakes her head.
The operation will cost $1,200 - $2,000, depending on the extent of the blockage. That may sound like a lot of money for one little cat. But isn’t that what rescue is all about – finding a way to help a pretty, playful, otherwise-healthy young animal recover from a poor beginning and have a chance at a normal life and a loving home?
Can you help us pay for Kimmy’s surgery?
Make your tax-deductible donation in any amount via
PayPal to: [email protected],
or mail a to: Silver Rescue, P.O. Box 111888, Nashville, TN 37222
Please reference “Kimmy”.
Neighborhood kids tormenting Mom with sticks and rocks brought her to the attention of a good Samaritan. Thank goodness the children didn’t discover the kittens! Understandably skittish, Mom needed a little coaxing to allow the good Samaritan to take her little family home. There, despite efforts at bottle feeding, the sickly kittens died one by one. Kimmy alone was strong and feisty enough to survive.
But there was a price for the poor beginning. Both mother and daughter suffered recurring upper respiratory infections (URIs). In normal cats, a small hole called a puncta is present in both the upper and lower eyelids very close to the where the lids meet near the nose. Tears normally flow down these drainage holes into a central collecting sac that sits just under the skin below the eye. From this sac, a small tube or duct carries the tears into the nose, helping to keep the nose and nostrils moist. Baby Kimmy’s multiple URIs caused severe scar tissue in her nasal passages, so although her tear ducts continued to produce tears normally, Kimmy’s tears overflowed onto her cheeks, causing a perpetually wet little face.
A number of attempts – some requiring anesthesia – have failed to solve Kimmy’s problem. The specialist recommends a trip to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for a solution that will allow her to live normally and eventually find a forever home. For now, she is unadoptable with her sickly-looking face, uncomfortably damp facial fur, and flying moisture whenever she shakes her head.
The operation will cost $1,200 - $2,000, depending on the extent of the blockage. That may sound like a lot of money for one little cat. But isn’t that what rescue is all about – finding a way to help a pretty, playful, otherwise-healthy young animal recover from a poor beginning and have a chance at a normal life and a loving home?
Can you help us pay for Kimmy’s surgery?
Make your tax-deductible donation in any amount via
PayPal to: [email protected],
or mail a to: Silver Rescue, P.O. Box 111888, Nashville, TN 37222
Please reference “Kimmy”.
