Updates On 7th Jan 2014

THE STORY OF MIDNIGHT… ARE YOU IN IT?

Massachusetts Adopter Needed

My name is Danee and I am an Emergency Clinic Veterinarian in Massachusetts. Late in the evening on December 29th, two young men brought their young (approximately 1 year old) cat in to our ER. They had become concerned because it seemed that their cat, named Midnight, had developed a swollen abdomen, and seemed to be in pain. These young men obviously cared about Midnight, but they really had no idea how to care for a pet. In the year that Midnight had been living with them, they had never taken him to see a veterinarian.

Midnight never received vaccines, and he was not neutered. When I examined Midnight, I discovered that the swelling in his abdomen was a gigantic urinary bladder. Midnight had a blockage in his urethra and he was completely unable to urinate. This condition is extremely painful. In addition, when a patient is unable to urinate, the toxins that are usually eliminated from the body through the urine build up and start to spill over into the blood stream. Potassium levels in the blood rise, and when they rise high enough, they will cause a fatal heart arrhythmia. So, Midnight needed help, and soon! The young men who brought Midnight to see me were unaware of exactly how ill Midnight was, and they were completely unprepared financially to provide emergency care for Midnight. One of the two young men had recently lost his job and was moving back in with his parents. Since he could not afford to provide appropriate care for Midnight, he made the difficult decision to put him to sleep, rather than allow him to suffer. The terrible responsibility of putting this young, otherwise healthy, gorgeous little boy to sleep fell to me.

Ultimately, I could not end this young life, therefore I offered the young men the option of relinquishing ownership of Midnight to me. I would assume full financial responsibility for Midnight’s care. Since the men did not have the ability to provide continued care for Midnight, they would not be allowed to adopt him again after his treatment. The young men gladly agreed. The primary owner expressed extreme gratitude, crying silently as he said goodbye to Midnight.

That night, I placed Midnight under anesthesia, relieved his blockage, and neutered him. Midnight’s life was saved! He is still in our hospital, receiving fluid therapy, pain medication, and lots of loving care.

I have gotten to know Midnight well during his stay in the hospital. He is quiet loving. He leans in happily when I pet him, and his long fur is so soft! He is a social eater, and devours his food as long as he has someone to pet him. He came from a household with other cats, so I suspect he will fit in just fine in a home with other kitties. I am unsure how he feels about dogs in a household setting, but while in the hospital he does not seem to be afraid of the dogs, in fact he seems to ignore them altogether.

Now, Midnight needs a loving forever home! I would love to make this sweet, long-haired tuxedo man a part of my family, but unfortunately, my house is full! You see, Midnight is not the first cat I have rescued, not by far. At this point I have 4 permanent feline residents and one foster kitty that I nursed back to health earlier this year after he was hit by a car. In addition, my husband and I have twin baby girls who are about to celebrate their first birthdays next month, therefore the chaos level in our home is at the maximum allowable level! So, I am urgently searching for a nice family to give this sweet boy a loving home!

I am not comfortable discussing the total cost of his care other than to say it has been significant. This unexpected expense has come at a challenging time for our family, but ultimately my husband and I feel that the sacrifice is worthwhile when we have been able to save a young life!

Please email jenny@harmonyfund.org if interested!

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=676681032355212&set=p..

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