Suddenly, from almost out of nowhere, we heard a loud and repetitive, "Meow, Meow!" Someone was demanding our attention. I looked around just in time to see a skinny red tabby cat placing herself in front of Corinne's feet almost to block her way.
Before I could have a clear picture of the cat, I heard Corinne say, "What has happened to you, oh, you poor thing?"
Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the cat was blind in the left eye. Pus and blood were leaking out of the injured eye, and her right ear sported a large growth the size of a walnut with coagulated blood! It was obvious that this poor cat was in pain, and literally asking for help.
One of us completed the showing, while the other knocked on a neighbour’s door to try to borrow a box that we could use to transport the cat in. We then explained the emergency of the situation to our clients; not being animal lovers, they didn’t see what all the fuss was about! Alas, the cat needed immediate attention. She showed very little resistance when she was scooped up and put into the box we were finally able to find. It was Saturday, and the emergency vet clinic was quite far away. In the car, the cat was very quiet enjoying the warmth of a heated environment, a luxury that she had probably never known before.
The veterinarian confirmed what we already knew, that the cat needed to have the growth removed - and that nothing more could be done that day. We took her home to disinfect and clean her up a bit, being especially carefully around the growth in her ear. She gave us some opposition, which was to be expected, however all was forgiven when we offered her something delicious to eat. In fact, she demonstrated a very healthy appetite! We confined her to a cage at first so as not to expose the other cats to her, since we did not know whether she may have been affected by some kind of transmittable disease or not prior to her rescue. She settled herself into the cage very comfortably, however, sleeping deeply, and waking up only to empty her dish. Obviously, she had not had sufficient food for a long time.
The following Monday, we took the cat to our ordinary vet where she underwent an operation. The growth was benign, but the bad news was that the growth was an inflammatory polyp that would re-occur. She had to undergo a long period of antibiotic treatment to clear the infection to the left eye, as well as a second operation. We then decided to treat her homeopathically. We spent over $1,000 on her and it is not finished. She is considered by outsiders to be one of our "unadoptable cats" since she will need constant care and medical attention for the remainder of her life.
Corinne decided to call her "Princess Diana," because all cats are beautiful.
Today, Princess Diana is a very happy cat. She goes around with her little head held high, happy to belong somewhere, to have a home. She is very playful and particularly fond of ‘cat soccer’ which she can play for hours. She has become our loving mascot, because with her happiness, she rewards us every day for our rescue efforts, and she reminds all ORA volunteers of the value of the work that we do here.
Happy Victoria Day, from everyone here at ORA!
Claudia Vecchio, Founder/Volunteer Chairperson
ORA-Organization for the Rescue of Animals
http://ora-animalsrescue.org
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