I realized today that Spankys web paged has been closed. Spanky was one of my rescue cats who was horribly burned. His story was read by thousands of people and his photos (before and after) were used in childrens...
Spanky was one of my rescue cats who was horribly burned. His story was read by thousands of people and his photos (before and after) were used in childrens burn hospitals to inspire the young victims of burns.
He lived a long and happy life once he healed.
I am posting his story here in it's original form. It is VERY long so I don't expect most people to read it in its entirety but I wanted to preserve it here on my blog.
When I copied his web site to my files the photos did not transfer...so I have posted some of them below. WARNING!!! The first photos are very graphic.
Also, photos of the American Eskimo dog I rescued at that same time are included.
Spanky was one of the most special cats I have ever rescued. I want his memory kept alive.
Below the photos is his story.
Saturday night January 29, 2000, 11:39 pm
Tonight I got a call from someone saying that there was an injured cat that needed help. They were afraid to touch the cat but said it looked like it had been hit by a car. My husband and I drove down there to see if there was anything I could do. The cat was sitting on the doorstep of the house next door to them. When I saw it I knew immediately what had happened.
Someone had poured gas or something on this cat and set it on fire. It is burned from it's face, down it's back all the way to the tail. This is not a new injury. He has been like that for a few days. ALL the skin on his back and head was cooked and had turned loose from the muscle. It was just one long gnarled slab of cooked skin, standing up free from the cat's back.
I knelt down beside the cat and spoke to it. It immediately started purring and meowing, and came to me wanting to be petted and loved. I brought it home and called a friend over to help me. I removed one of his ears that was just hanging on by a minuscule piece of skin. His other ear is still attached but should turn loose in a couple of days. Both ears were burned completely, down to the skull. I also removed most of the cooked skin that was on his back. I have medicated the exposed muscle with an antibiotic cream with pain reliever in it. I will tend to him the best I can until Monday when I can get him to a vet.
He is eating well and drinking water.
The strange thing is, he does not appear to be in pain. He is very loving and all he wants is to be petted and scratched behind what is left of his ears and on his jaws and neck. He let us work on him and never offered any resistance. He walks around and acts like he does not feel any pain at all.
He is so very loving! How can he possibly still trust humans?
I am so very ashamed right now that I am considered a member of the "human" race.
Sunday, January 30, 2000
Today is Sunday. We knew that there was a vet holding classes on euthanization for the local humane society so we took the cat there this morning. The vet says the cat is amazingly healthy after this ordeal. He is still very loving and seems to want nothing more than to be petted. He allowed us to remove more of the skin and doesn't fight us at all. He just keeps pushing his face into our hands for loving.
He is eating VERY well, drinking lot's of water, pooping and peeing normally.
I have pictures of his injuries if anyone would like to see them. They are very graphic so if you don't have a strong stomach, you don't want to see them. Click the camera to see the pictures.
He will go to the vet hospital tomorrow morning. They will put him under and remove the rest of the burned skin, the other ear and whatever else needs doing.
The friend who helped me last night had nightmares from what she saw, but she was back again this morning to help me. She is a Godsend.
Monday morning, January 31, 2000
Thanks to those of you who have been so kind as to offer assistance for this precious animal. He is so very loving, even with these horrible injuries. He even tries to play. We have nicknamed him Spanky.
He is at the vet hospital right now and will be put under today so that they can remove the rest of the destroyed skin and probably the remaining ear.
Vet says that IF he survives the anesthetic, he may have a chance. The vet also says that this will be a long, hard road for him. His eyes may present a problem. Whatever was poured on him ran down his head to his eyes. The eyeballs do not look like they were burned but the skin above them was. The injuries are old enough that the skin between the ears and the eyes has started "healing and scarring" and it has "drawn" the corners of his eyes back toward his ears.
I am going to talk to the vet when I pick up the cat, about setting up a fund for this. I have never done anything like this (a fund) before. I just spoke with another rescue person who deals with this vet regularly and she says that he will probably want me to open a special bank account (savings maybe?) that he will have access to, for this cat's care. That way he will not have to add the burden of this responsibility to his staff's work. Doing it this way, if there is any excess, it will be available for other rescues coming in to the shelter. (There is one here right now who laid in an animal control shelter for five days with a broken leg.)
Does doing it this way sound fair? Looking for suggestions here. I have been working for years out of my pocket and on the few donations that people are kind enough to send, also on the custom calendars and cards that I design and sell to support the shelter. A case like this could be more than I can handle and could break my pocketbook. I have several other animals in my shelter right now who all have to have vet care. If I break myself on this cat, then their needs cannot be met.
For the time being, I will put the donations into my shelter account. My bank is giving me a hard time about depositing checks made out to my rescue shelter, and not to me personally. They won't allow me to open an account in the name of the shelter unless I have a business license and tax number. On the limited funds that I have for the shelter, I cannot afford the extra service charges, etc. That is why I opened an account in my name -- to keep it separate from our household account. MY account IS the shelter account.
Monday evening, January 31, 2000
I have just spoken with the vet and he says that Spanky is doing fine and is coming out from under the anesthetic. They checked him for feline leukemia and aids before putting him under. Negative on both counts. Thank God!
The vet wants to keep him in the hospital for two or three days for observation and to keep him quiet. Then, Vet says that he wants the exposed muscle to develop a "granular" covering? After this develops, the skin from his sides will have to be pulled up and over the exposed muscle.
Folks, this cat is not ready to die. He has the soul of a LION! He has survived what some human beast did to him. He survived the shock that should have killed him. He made his way to a strange house looking for help. He survived the anesthetic. Please say prayers for him. God wants him here for a reason. Maybe his purpose is to help educate the public as to what happens when they don't teach their children to be kind. Maybe it is to teach us humility. Maybe it is just to be a loving wonderful member of my family or someone else's.
Whatever his purpose, I want to help him achieve it.
UPDATE - Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Here are the pictures I took of him this morning. I have placed arrows on the one that show the vertabrae sticking out of his back.
Spanky, aka "Mr. Personality," sends his love!!!! (and he's got plenty to go around!!)
Well folks, by the time we get to bring Spanky home he will be so spoiled by the vet hospital staff that I will not be able to stand him. They are all totally under his spell!
The vet says Sparky is in absolutely no pain and that if he starts to show any signs of pain they will make sure that he is kept on enough pain medication to stop it.
The vet also says that there is a slight possibility that this burn could have been caused by him being trapped under something extremely hot.
When Karen and I got there this morning, he greeted us with his usual "PET ME!" meow...purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
We were allowed to inspect him fully today. The area is beginning to form granulation tissue. (thanks David for the correct term) 'This is what the vet was hoping to see, as that is the first sign of the healing process. If things go well, and there is no infection, they should be able to start trying to pull the healthy skin from his sides up and over the exposed back muscles and vertebrae.
He is still being dosed heavily with a special combination of antibiotics and the burned area is being scrubbed clean multiple times per day. There are two vertebrae exposed a the top of his back. They are watching these closely for any signs of a secondary infection.
They still have a towel over his back in order to keep in some of the body heat that is lost due to the lack of skin. He is also on a special heating pad for burn patients. He drinks LOTS of water due to the loss of body fluids through the burned area where there is no skin. He had hookworm and was treated for that. He also has coccidia, but they are delaying treatment of that because it would conflict with the special combination of antibiotics he is now on to fight off infection.
Thanks so much to all who have offered to make donations for his mounting vet bills. I went to another bank today to try to open an account for this and was told, again, I would have to have a business account to be able to deposit checks made out to my rescue shelters name and I would have to have a business license to open a business account. So, for the time being I am still asking that checks be made out to me to be deposited in the separate account that I have for shelter funds. I am trying to make arrangements to have donations sent directly to the vet, but still have not gotten an answer from them as to whether they have the time to deal with the extra paperwork. I Will let you all know as soon as they tell me.
Thanks to all who have posted and telephoned. If I have not answered your e-mail personally it is because I have been snowed under. Please know that every post, phone call, and prayer is GREATLY appreciated by everyone here, especially Spanky!
UPDATE - Thursday, February 3, 2000
I visited with our little LION this morning and he is still the same sweet little man. Vet says things are coming along nicely. No sign of secondary infection as of this morning.
We discussed what would be done next. Vet says he is not sure when the next surgery will take place. They are waiting to see how much healing the edges of the healthy skin will do. They already have about a quarter inch of "healed" skin edge on each side of the injury. The more skin edge they can get, the better the chances of making it stretch far enough to cover his burn completely. We discussed skin grafts, but they want to wait and try the "stretch" procedure first. They say that is a better bet.
Spanky is still the BIG favorite at the clinic and is being TOTALLY spoiled by the staff. They are all amazed at his determination. They keep a towel draped over his back to keep in the body heat. They tell me he is unbelievably cooperative about keeping the towel on. Even when he gets up to get a drink or to eat, he does not try to rid himself of the towel as most cats would. It is as if he understands that this is for his own good.
They also say now that Spanky may have been trapped under something very hot and that is what caused the burns. The only thing that keeps me from thinking that might be true is the way his head was burned. It is not burned at all right on the front top. But his ears were cooked completely. Also, the way it looks like the flammable liquid ran down over his eyes. But there is no sign of it having run down his sides, so maybe the vet is right. I TRULY hope that the vet is correct and that this was NOT done by a human being. I would really love to believe that.
I recieved e-mail from a group in Orlando who are coming to visit him at the hospital on Saturday. He will really love that. More hands to pet him!
Thanks to everyone who is contributing and everyone who is offering prayers and good wishes. This little guy is worth all of that and more. If his life had no real meaning before this horrible incident, it certainly does now. He will be a testimony to the love and kindness still flickering in the human race. To think I had lost all faith in there being any decent "humans" left!
You are all guardian angels over this little guy! WOW! Is he blessed, or WHAT? This little guy must have the biggest fan club in the world! If I were to print out ALL the e-mail I have received about him, it would overflow his cage!
And to all of you who have offered to adopt him -- I hate to disappoint you, but he has absolutely captured me and he will probably be staying here at Lighthouse. He can belong to ALL of us and I will just have custody. How does that sound?
That way, if any of you are ever in Florida around Daytona, you can come by and see him. My shelter is in Edgewater Florida just south of Daytona. Any and all of you are welcome to meet this little guy and all of the other "broken" babies I have here.
By the way, while all this has been going on with Spanky and the little broken leg dog, I have been appointed "Animal Cruelty Investigator" for this county. Pray that I can make a difference. Also pray that I will be able to keep my head when I have to investigate something like this. If I let my heart lead me, the (expletive deleted who commits the crime can walk away free and I'll be the one doing time.
If the person who sent a contribution through X.com reads this update, I would appreciate an e-mail from him/her. I cannot get into X.com for some unknown reason.
The local newspaper is going to be doing a story on Spanky. They have already spoken with the vet about it and he has given the okay for them to come in to take pictures.
I have been trying to find out if anyone has been "bragging" about doing this to a cat. If I hear about anyone who has, then maybe we can hang them with their own words. There will be an investigation into this. Let's all pray that it was an accident and not deliberate.
May God bless all of you.
UPDATE - Saturday, February 5, 2000
Here are today's pictures of this brave little guy.
I want to thank all of those who have sent donations to Spanky. I received several today in the mail and I sat here and cried like a baby. This will help so much toward Spankys bill. You folks just have no idea what this means to me. I can't thank you enough.
Not much new for the update today. Spanky is still doing fine. That was all the vet tech had time to tell me. They are usually snowed under on Saturdays, so it was a short conversation.
I can't tell you folks how much it means to have so many people to share Spanky's story with. I have done this for so long by myself that it is like being set free. Most of the abuse I have seen, I have had to keep buried inside me because I had no one to share it with. My husband is an animal lover too, so I hate to dump on him all the time. He is a wonderful listener and always has a shoulder for me to cry on, but I see how badly it hurts him to have to carry a full half of the heartbreak. So lots of times I just don't tell him the things I have heard or witnessed in the course of the day. Your support through this has been such a relief. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
If I do get to talk to the vet tomorrow, I will post an update. Otherwise it will be Monday before I post another.
Are there any cat rescue groups in the Chattanooga Tennessee area? I have been contacted about a group of "semi tame" cats that are going to be trapped and taken to "wherever" because they are getting on boats in a marina. I have talked the owners of the marina into allowing a rescue group to come in and trap the cats if I can find a group in that area. This, too, is a "hurry up" thing -- (aren't they all?) or the people are going to just trap and dump, from what I have heard.
If you know of anyone in the Chattanooga area PLEASE have them contact me by e-mail or by phone and I will give them a name and number to contact these people.
Keep praying for Spanky.
UPDATE - Monday, February 7, 2000
Spanky is doing GREAT! I talked to the vet this morning and he says Spanky is still eating TONS, seems to be feeling fine, and is still as loving as ever. He says that they will "probably" start trying to close the skin on his injury this afternoon. He tells me the skin will be tight for a couple of days but is very elastic and will stretch to accommodate.
Someone had suggested a bladder under the skin to stretch it but the vet says that he feels that there is enough skin there to take care of it. : Someone else had suggested plastic surgery and skin grafting. The vet does not think there will be any need for skin "grafting" from another part of the body. He also says that he does not think there will be a need for plastic surgery. (I don't care WHAT he looks like as long as he is not in any pain!)
I will update you all again as soon as I hear something. Possibly tonight.
PLEASE say a prayer that he does well during the surgery. We all know how risky anesthetic can be.
Bless all of you who care so very much. You have been such great support through this. I don't know what I would have done without all of you to share with.
UPDATE - Monday evening, February 7, 2000
The vet says that Spanky improved DRASTICALLY over the weekend! He was yowling "FEEEEEEEED MEEEEEEEEE!" when they got there today. He was also giving them "what for" because he had not had all the petting he had become accustomed to over the past week. He got a quick meal this morning and then it was NO FOOD for the rest of the day. They tell me that he lodged several complaints, but room service was closed. (but from what I heard, they made up for the NO FOOD by carrying him around in their arms all day)
Karen, my friend who has been my rock through this whole thing and has stood right beside me through it all, came by the vet hospital this evening and talked at length to the vet. He told her that he thinks Spanky is about five or six months old. He said he was going to do the surgery tonight after hours, so he could concentrate completely on Spanky and take all the time he needed. He feels confident that there is enough loose skin so that there should be no problem. He says Spanky will be "tight" for a while, but that the skin will stretch to accomodate. The only thing that he is concerned about is behind the ears. He says he may find it necessary to do skin grafts there.
He is also going to neuter Spanky while he is under the anesthetic. He says that it is safer than having to put Spanky under anesthetic again just for that. As I said before, we all know the risk factor with that stuff. He feels that Spanky is plenty strong enough to handle it and will get the required rest after the surgery by being in the hospital for a while longer. They will be able to watch over him and have access to him right away if he has a problem. Better than me having to guess at it and wonder if he actually needs to go to the vet.
I didn't get a chance to see Spanky today because I had to take another of my broken babies to another vet. She is a small elderly American Eskimo dog who was picked up by animal control. She had lain in the shelter for five days with a broken leg. She has been in a cast for two weeks and it was time to check the cast to make sure it had not slipped. Now, she is doing GREAT and has finally lost that "look" that says, "I just don't care anymore. Do whatever you will. It doesn't matter anyway".
Her eyes are sparkling and she wags her tail. And she smiles at me. I think that is the best part. She will be in a cast for another four to six weeks. As soon as the leg heals she will be spayed and we will start looking for a great forever home where she will be loved and pampered for her remaining years.
I will see Spanky in the morning and give him everyone's love.
Thanks to all of you who are sending donations, words of encouragement, and prayers. I will post again tomorrow as soon as I talk to the vet.
Please forgive me if I have failed to post a response to you personally. Some of your replies are going to other wonderful people who are forwarding my updates to mailing lists and newsgroups. If you post to me at kitten3912@ucnsb.net, I will do my best to answer your post personally. I am trying very hard to keep up with all the e-mail.
And thanks to all of you who have sent links and names for me concerning the marina cats who are in jeopardy. I have contacted several of them and, hopefully, one of them will be able to help.
UPDATE - Tuesday, February 8, 2000
I just spoke with Spanky's vet and he says the surgery went beautifully. They were able to close over everything except right behind the ears. He says he may have to do a small skin graft there. The skin is the tightest around the chest area, but it will stretch to accommodate Spanky, especially since he is still growing.
I am going up there in a little while to visit him and will try to get some pictures. We'll have them on this page as soon as possible.
I thank God for this little guy's LION heart and spirit. He is a wonder boy!
I want you to know that what I have to say below is not directed at any of you wonderful people who have been so supportive through this ordeal. I thank all of you who have helped spread Spanky's story to so many people. God knows, I appreciate everyone who has so graciously offered prayers, donations, kind words, and advice. Thank you all so very much for being there for me and for little Spanky.
I received a call from a very nice man this morning. He told me one of the newsgroups is saying that I am not giving any specifics and that I am giving false information, such as my phone number, etc. He was not one of the people who do not believe me. He was merely trying to verify that the phone number was, in fact, correct.
He promised to post to the newsgroup and tell them he had talked with me personally and that I am not trying to cheat anyone. I also gave him the number of the vet who is caring for Spanky and the number of the Humane Society where I volunteer.
I have tried my best to give as much information as possible so that people would know WHO I am, WHERE I am, and how they could reach me. I have tried to keep everyone updated on everything as much as I could. I explained in last night's update about the newspaper article not being available yet. I don't have any control over that. All I know is that I was told there was going to be a story and that is what I told you.
This man tells me that people are saying I have given a wrong phone number. He called me at the number I have posted at the bottom of all my e-mails, so I know that the number there is correct. I do not want anyone to ever think I would try to cheat anyone. This morning I deposited the checks I have received. I have every name and address written down in order to send thank you cards. If any of you who have donated feel that any of this might be a sham or a lie, PLEASE post me and I will send your money back. I will not harbor any hard feelings against you. I understand completely.
I don't want to sound hard. Please don't feel like I am not appreciative; but I just do not have the time or the stamina to deal with something like rumors and lies that can ruin my reputation as a rescuer. My babies are more important to me than the donations. God knows, I appreciate every penny I have received; but I will send it back to you if you do not feel like it will go for Spanky (or other babies if there is any left over).
I am 53 years old. I will be 54 on the 19th of this month. I have been doing rescue since I was four years old. I have NEVER asked for a monetary assistance from anyone. I probably never will if this is what it causes. I will continue to do rescue out of my pocket and save what babies I can. Actually, I did not ask for donations this time. You wonderful people asked where you could send donations.
Please forward this to ALL the newsgroups and mailing lists you are on.
If this message was forwarded to you, your news group, or mailing list, please respond to kitten3912@ucnsb.net. I cannot respond to you if I do not get your message. I am having a VERY hard time keeping up with all the e-mail. I do not have anyone here to help me with this so please be patient.
I have also received a few posts about the two cats at the marina who are my rescue babies. The posters of these messages are saying that they don't understand why I would adopt to a family who was going to allow the cats to run loose. The marina is out in the country. It is 13 acres on a back road. The only access to the main road is across water. These two cats were raised there and have always had full run of the marina. They are the marina pets. They have always visited from boat to boat and all of the residents there adored them. They were both altered and have never caused a problem. They were never in any danger until now. The new owner of the marina has brought in a new clientele. The adoptive parents of these cats live on their boats at the marina. The cats stay mainly to their own dock but their owners are afraid that the cats will wander up to the trap area if they are enticed by food. That is all I can tell you about the cats. They are much loved and very happy where they are, but they are now in danger. So, I would like to bring them here so I can look after them in my own home. They will be indoor cats here because there is more room in my house than there is on a boat. They should be happy here.
I don't know what else I can give you at this point. I will not make the vet's number public. I have given it to seven or eight people to verify Spanky's story, or to donate by credit card; but the clinic is not equipped to handle lots of calls from people just wanting to know if this is true.
I hope I have not offended anyone. My prayers are with all of you and especially with those who say I have given wrong information. If you have tried to call and feel that I have given a wrong number, please try again. If I am not here, my answering machine states "If this message is for Lighthouse Animal Rescue, please press one."
I don't know what else I can offer. I will continue to send updates on Spanky's progress. Thank you, to all who have been so kind.
UPDATE - Tuesday evening, February 8, 2000
I visited Spanky twice today. He is still as loving as ever and sends his love and PURRRRRRS! He was feeling a little groggy all day today. He had his surgery after hours last night and the anesthetic has not completely worn off yet. He is still eating everything he can get and drinking good. He was coughing and they tell me that that is from the trache (sp?) tube.
I took some pictures today. Only two of them really showed anything.
The vet has pulled skin from his sides up and over his back to cover the exposed back muscles and vertebrae. He also pulled skin from his neck up and over to cover the exposed neck muscles. The only thing that is still bare is the back of what is left of his ears. Vet says he may have to do skin grafts to cover these areas because there just wasn't enough skin to pull. I asked about his eyes. I had been worried that he could not close them completely because the scarring had pulled the corners back into a very severe "stretched" look, like if you put your fingers beside your eyes and pull back toward your hairline. The vet said they had been concerned about the same thing and had snuck up on Spanky while he slept to see if his eyes were closed. GOOD NEWS! They close just fine! Spanky seems very unimpressed with it all. He just wants to be petted and fed!
He is going to look strange for a while. His back is completely shaved, of course, and I am sure it will look like he has a zipper running down his back. And he has only stubs for ears.
He is still in bandages, so all I could see was his neck and a small section of his rump. It tears my heart out to think that he has had to go through all of this for any reason. He is 100% love. At first, Vet had said he would probably have to have drain tubes, but he decided that was not necessary. He seems to feel that Spanky is in fairly good health, considering he was apparently a stray.
You are welcome to call me at 904-345-3909 to talk about Spanky if you wish, or to ask questions, should you have any. If I am not here, my answering machine (el cheapo) will record, but it is garbled. If you speak somewhat louder than normal it will pick up better.
I shall let you know again tomorrow how "Mr. Personality" is coming along. Many thanks to all of you who have been so kind and have posted me with encouraging thoughts, prayers, and donations. God bless you all. Your support has helped so very much.
UPDATE - Thursday morning, February 10, 2000
Spanky is still doing GREAT! He may be coming home tomorrow!
The vet seems to think that Spanky will be able to live a relatively normal life after he heals. It is going to be a long healing process, though.
The stains on the bandages that you see on the pictures I took yesterday is partly seepage from the surgery and partly the salve they are using on his stitches. Spanky does not seem all that impressed with all the hoopla. He is enjoying all the attention he is getting but feels like it is his "due". He still demands petting anytime someone comes into the room and if they don't keep food in his cage AT ALL TIMES he lodges LOUD complaints with the staff.
I will be seeing him tomorrow morning and will give him plenty of kisses and under the chin scratches for all of you. Keep praying. It's working!
God bless all of you.
UPDATE - Friday morning, February 11, 2000
Well, Mr. Spanky did not get to come home today. The vet wanted to keep him another day to watch him. He is having a little trouble. The skin around his chest is pretty tight right now and he is having a problem inhaling enough air to produce a good strong cough. He needs to cough to help clear the mucus from the anesthetic and the trache tube.
Vet says the trache tube makes the throat sore and that the cough is a good way to clear the throat. He also says that, although Spankys eyes are closing well right now, the scarring may pull them tighter and cause them to be irritated. He says that, in the near future, he may have to make a couple of incisions over Spankys eyes to alllow them to close better if this happens. He also says that, after a period of time, he may have to do a "release", whatever that is.
From what he tells me, (I think I've got this right) he will go back and remove the stitches, allow the skin to rest and then restitch. It is sort of like stretching a balloon before you blow it up. It "loosens" it up. (Any vets reading this that can tell me if that is right please?)
He says that instead of doing skin grafts on the backs of the ears, he may just let it form a granular "tissue". That would keep Spanky from having to be anesthetized so many times.
He also tells me that Spanky may get to come home tomorrow. He insists that Spanky be kept caged and quiet. He says he does not want Spanky trying to jump or climb until the skin stretches enough to allow it without tearing out stitches. In addition, he said that if the stitches do tear, he will have to go do a "release" and then restitch in order to go back in to skin that is not torn.
Spanky still wants loving all the time. He has not eaten as well for the past couple of days, but the vet says that is because he probably has a really sore throat as explained above. I would think, too, that maybe being stretched as tight as he is, it might not take as much to make him feel full. Just guessing. I could be wrong.
Spanky is getting well wishes from all over the world! He is a very popular and very prayed for little guy! I truly feel that Spanky has a purpose for being here. Maybe he is going to be an example for burn victims. You can't help but love him, no matter what he looks like. Maybe he will be a teacher and reach people concerning abuse and/or neglect. Whatever his purpose is, please pray that I can help him to achieve it.
I will post tomorrow and let you know if Spanky comes home. The vet says he would like to have him home for the weekend.
Please say a prayer for me and for Spanky. I am really frightened about bringing him home. I keep thinking, "what if something happens and I don't know what to do?"
Thanks to all of you who have been so very sweet and supportive. It has made this ordeal much easier to handle. I guess we all need someone to share things with.
Friday evening, February 11, 2000
SPANKY IS HOME!
Yes! Spanky got to come home today. He is resting comfortably in a large crate in my bedroom. This is where my computer is and is where I spend the majority of my time at home. This way I can keep an eye on him all the time. If I need to leave, he can be closed off from the rest of the house and the other animals.
He is eating well and is not complaining except when I happen to touch his rump. He had shots this morning and is sore there. The vet says he is almost out of the woods. Spanky gets to spend the weekend with me and then back to the vet's office on Monday. Vet wants to make sure no stitches have pulled loose and maybe do a stitch or two more on his ears. He also says Spanky absolutely must be kept crated and must not be allowed to climb or jump. Doing those things could cause stress on the stitches and might cause them to pull out. He says that Spanky's stitches have a couple of places that have formed "pockets". The natural healing process fills these pockets with fluids. Therefore, I may see some drainage from these sites in the form of stains on Spanky's bandages. He says it is not a cause for concern. Believe me......I am being SUPER - careful NOT to let him do anything that might hurt his chances. I am taking very good care of "OUR" baby boy!
The vet said that, although Spankys eyes close all right now, the scarring and healing process may cause them to become hard to close. He wants to keep a close watch on it so that, if need be, he can make an incision in the skin above each eye and relieve some of the "stretching" effect, making it easier for the eyes to close. Also, he may have to do what he called a "release". This means he will undo the stitches he has put in and release the skin. Then he will stretch it back up and over and re-stitch it. As I explained last night, this is like stretching a balloon before you blow it up. It "loosens" it up. Spanky may have to have more surgeries, depending on how his healing progresses. The fact that the burn was so bad may have been a blessing in disguise due to the fact that it deadened the nerve endings and, therefore, Spanky felt no pain from it. That is probably the reason Spanky did not go into shock and die.
Spanky seems to understand that he is suppose to stay put and take it easy. He has been very cooperative with everything they have done to him until today. They told me he is beginning to get a little "scrappy" about having the bandages removed and the stitches messed with. The vet considers this to be a sign that Spanky is beginning to feel more like himself. As for Spanky, he has decided that all of this attention is the way it is supposed to be. "I'm special...pet me." "I'm special.....feed me." "I'm special....kiss me." "I'm special....give me treats."
He appears to be very comfortable here. He has met all the other babies (through his cage door, of course) and seems not to be afraid of anything. He just gives them a sniff and then looks at them as if to say, "OK, guys..there's a new kid in town and I'm taking over this place."
I must tell you, I was absolutely FLOORED when I was handed the bill for his treatment so far. Many of you have sent donations for his care. Thank GOD for all of you!
I knew, when I walked into the vet clinic with him, that his injuries would be VERY costly to care for. I know you all realized that too when you saw his pictures. I was so afraid that it might put an end to my rescue efforts until I could manage to pay his fees.
Well, when they handed me the bill this afternoon I could have cried! The TOTAL the vet charged, for Spankys care so far, was $755.00.
He has been tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV.
He has had surgery to remove all the skin that was destroyed.
He has had a SECOND surgery to stitch the skin up and close the wound.
His wound had to be debrided (scrubbed) and bandaged every day under anesthesia.
He has been tested for worms and wormed.
After they closed the skin they had to clean and bandage the incision every day.
He has been neutered.
He has had his rabies vaccine.
He has had his FVRCP booster.
He has had massive amounts of antibiotics.
He has been living in the vet hospital for 12 days.
I learned from the vet tech today, that this vet was making two trips back to the hospital every night to check on Spanky.
Now, I know that his fees should have been twice that. That was what I expected when I took him in. This vet is a cat lover and he cut his service fees almost in half, out of his love for these precious animals.
Thanks to you folks who sent donations, I was able to pay the bill for everything that has been done so far.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I even have some left over for his next visit. I am still pinching myself!
You cannot know how much this means to me. This precious baby is so very special. I have mentioned before that I am sure he has a purpose here. Already he has taught me a very important lesson: that there ARE decent human beings left on this earth. All of you who have been praying for Spanky and for me. All of you who have sent such sweet letters and cards. All of you who have donated to his vet care. All of you who have so lovingly offered advice and information. All of you who have been reading these updates and just keeping a little bit of hope alive in your own hearts for this baby.
God bless every one of you.
As I have told you before, I have been doing rescue since I was four years old. I know that my disgust with the human race started when I was three years old. I remember it as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I was in the yard with my mother and my cat. A car load of squealing, laughing teenagers deliberately ran off the road, into our yard, in order to run over and kill my cat. They never even slowed down! I was standing about six feet away and saw the whole thing. To this day, I still get cold chills when I hear teenagers squealing and laughing.
Doing what I do (animal rescue for ALL types of animals), every day I witness what "humans" do to these wonderful creatures. I resent it every time someone cuts down a tree and kills or injures a nest of squirrels or birds. I resent it every time I see the body of an animal lying beside the road. I resent it every time I see a car with a deer strapped across it's hood. I resent it every time I see an ad for "free puppies" or "free kittens." I resent it every time an animal comes into my care, who flinches when I reach to pet it.
I take it all VERY personally.
Now I can look back at this and KNOW that I am not alone; that there are others out there who care, and that not ALL humans are so wrapped around self and possessions. I know I cannot save them all. I know I cannot even make a dent. But I have to try TO SAVE JUST ONE MORE! I truly believe that I was put here for that purpose.
The donations you have made have not only helped Spanky, but have helped make it possible for me to possibly save another dog or cat tomorrow because I am not in debt up to my eyebrows for Spanky's care. So, your donations have done much more than save this special little guy.
I just heard a sound from Spanky's cage and peeped over there. He is up, cleaning his little stubs of ears. When I pet him, he reaches out with is paw and "holds my hand" while he raises his chin to be scratched "here"...now "there." If he is lying down when I pet him, he will "hold my hand" with both of his paws. It is almost as if he is petting me.
Again, thank you all so very much from Spanky, Karen, me, the vet, the vet techs, and everyone else who has been so touched by this little guy. The vet techs were crying when we left with him today.
By the way, the newspaper reporter went yesterday, at 5:00 PM, took pictures and talked to the vet. She called me today and said the story will run tomorrow in The Observer, "The daily voice of Southeast Volusia". She says that no matter what happened to this little boy, whether it was done by humans or whether he crawled under something, the story is that this little guy survived.
Please know that you are my heroes. There will be another update tomorrow.
Saturday night, February 12, 2000
Spanky sends his love! He is standing in his cage right now, watching me type. He is still eating well and drinking plenty of water.
I give him 62.5 mg of Clavamox twice a day and put silver sulfadiazine on his ear stubs. He likes Purina ONE kitten food but does NOT care for Tender Vittles. He showed his displeasure by pooping in the food dish when I offered them to him. Or maybe he was mad at me for giving him only one bite of tuna (to get his pill down). He still wants to be petted constantly and is very anxious to be out and exploring. When I open his cage to pet him, he immediately climbs out onto my shoulder, then tries to get down so he can have some freedom. I am sure he is bored to tears. Poor baby. He is only a child. It is not fair for him to have to go through this. Imagine your own cats when they were kittens. They are such playful and busy little guys. It is so sad to have to keep him confined.
There is a slightly larger stain from the drainage on his bandage today, but the vet said that it is normal so not to worry......yeah....right! It is for his own good, so rest assured I am NOT letting him get loose.
We showed him the newspaper story about him tonight. He perused it and decided they did NOT take the picture from his best side. Here he is, reading all about himself.....and you can read the article, too, if you click on the camera.
The newspaper article is fair, as I said earlier. I do wish they had mentioned some of the things that I tried to drive home during my interview, but I have no control over what they say; so I guess we just have to hope that people will at least think when they read it. It is a small-town newspaper, so I am sure they try to "shield" their readers from the ugly world you and I live in.
I am taking VERY good care of "our" baby and will update again tomorrow night.
Sunday night, February 13, 2000
Spanky is really doing well and seems to be getting stronger every day. Every time we open his cage he wants to come out. He will stretch one paw out and reach for your shoulder, then he proceeds to attach himself to you. I am being extremely careful about holding him. He only gets to stay out for a few minutes at a time. When there is no one in front of Spankys cage he sleeps most of the time. I am sure he is bored out of his little kitten mind.
Spanky goes back to the vet tomorrow. Y'all pray that everything checks out ok and that he keeps gaining strength.
Monday night, February 14, 2000
Spanky is back home again tonight!!!! He is resting quietly in his LARGE dog crate. He had surgery again today. The vet says I did a good job of taking care of him over the weekend. No busted stitches, or anything. I am relieved!
The vet explained that Spanky is like a size nine cat in a size five skin. If any of you are like me, you have gone to the closet and put on an old pair of jeans and wondered how they shrunk so much. That is what it is like for Spanky. His skin is extremely tight and what the vet is doing, is sort of tailoring the skin to fit him. The surgery was to do a "release" around his chest area. Dr. explained to me today that what they do is make an incision on each of his sides where the skin is too tight. In Spankys case today, they made the incisions horizontally, just behind the elbow. Then they pull the "ends" of the incision together and stitch them vertically. There is usually a little bit of skin pinched up at the top and bottom of the stitch job. This is cut away. There is more "stretchability" on his skin lengthwise than there is "around" him now. So the incision being made horizontally and stitched vertically gives him more room inside his skin. (Does any of that make sense?)
Tonight he is just sleeping. I am sure he is tired of being fooled with. I know I would be. He was still pretty groggy and drunk when I picked him up from the vet.
I have a BIG favor to ask. I know that there are a lot of cat people who read this and I know that many of you are dog people who have opened your heart to this wonderful little guy, just because he is so special. From both groups I ask this favor:
Please pray for Sandy.
Sandy, the little dog I have mentioned who had lain in the animal control shelter for five days with a broken leg, is extremely ill. She is at the vet hospital tonight so that they can observe her, do blood work, etc.
She seemed to be doing so very well. When I brought her home from the animal control shelter she had the look I have seen in so many of the babies who come through the lighthouse -- the look of an animal who has never known love or a friendly hand. She was never the least bit aggressive. She was just so "resigned" to the fact that she was going to be hit or kicked, she didn't even have the spirit to resist. She has been here and in a cast for three weeks and had lost that look. 7nbsp; She had begun to "smile" at me and had even started wagging her tail. In the past three days she had been gaining strength and was actually "dancing" a little bit when we would play with her.
Last night she threw up a couple of times and then seemed to become weak. By this morning,she was staggering when she tried to walk. Her eyes had a "drunk" look to them. &nbssp; I phoned Karen to come over and get Spanky to the vet for me so that I could rush Sandy to her vet. She has been there all day and they have not found out what is wrong.
I want so much for her to know MORE love and kindness before she leaves this earth. She is such a sweet baby. She is an elderly dog. &nbssp; It is obvious that her life has been hell.
PLEASE, PLEASE say a prayer for this special little girl. She deserves so much better than what she has had so far.
Tuesday evening, February 15, 2000
Spanky is doing GREAT! He goes back to the vet Thursday. I am certain now, they will have to do the "release" over his eyes. They are beginning to not close easily. That means more surgery, so please keep him in your thoughts. Meanwhile he is stretched out in his crate, mad at me because I won't let him come out and play. He has been petted and loved all day and he got to come out to be held for a short time earlier today. Then, it was back into his crate to rest and recuperate.
When I came in from having dinner tonight, he wanted to come out. I opened his crate to pet him, but would not allow him to climb on my shoulder as he likes to do. When I kissed him and closed the crate door, he walked over to his litter box and politely turned it over! (Little devil)!
Mona brought him Pounce Tarter contol treats the other day. He really likes them. He also loves tuna fish. That is what I use to get him to take his antibiotics. He is eating like a PIG! I cannot keep his dish filled up. By the time he is allowed to come out and play he will be so fat, he won't be able to move!
Please keep him in your thoughts and hearts. Say a prayer that he continues to gain strength and heal.
Little Sandy, the dog with the broken leg, is still in the vet hospital. I went to visit her today and she is about the same. She still is staggering, drooling, and her eyes exhibit dizziness. (You know how your eyes move back and forth when you spin around til you become dizzy, like they are trying to catch up with a spinning room.)
Her vet says she is exhibiting all the signs of having been poisoned; but there is nothing in the areas where she stays that could have poisoned her. She is in the house constantly, except when I take her out to potty. The only thing I can figure out, is that she might have a spider or insect bite. I have told the vet to shave her if need be, to look for any signs of a bite. There is nothing accessible for her to have gotten into in the house. He also said there is a chance that she has a deep-set inner ear infection. He is doing a lot of tests to try to discover exactly what the problem is.
I am so very worried about her. Please say a prayer, send healing thoughts, send strength her way.
Wednesday night, February 16, 2000
Spanky is still doing great! He has been out of his crate and in my arms about three times today. He also gets chin scratches every time I pass by his crate.
He goes back to the vet tomorrow and will probably have to have surgery above his eyes to allow them to close easier. The scarring is causing the lids to draw up even more. It does not seem to bother him, but I am sure it must be uncomfortable and, in time, could cause problems with infection, etc.
He sends his love and his thanks to all who have posted me about him. Of course he is sure he deserves all this attention. He is still eating like a little pig and fusses at me if I walk past his crate without giving him a chin scratch. I am afraid he is somewhat spoiled!
I visited Sandy today and she seems to have improved a little. Her eyes seemed to be focused on me instead of looking so dizzy. She is a little steadier on her legs, but still staggers some and appears weak.
Friday evening, February 18, 2000
Spanky is doing GREAT! He looks so good! He went back to the vet Thursday. They say he is doing wonderful. I was allowed to bring him back home until Tuesday amd they even left his bandages off. He is just as rambunctious as ever, wanting to be petted and kissed and held.
There are more pictures behind the camera. One is of one of the incisions they made on his sides. These are the "releases" I mentioned earlier. They cut across, then pull the ends of the incision together and stitch vertically. This takes the "lengthwise" skin and makes more "around" skin.
So far so good with this little lion hearted boy All good wishes and prayers have obviously been heard and are greatly appreciated by Spanky, Karen, Hubby, and me.
Hubby, (Bruce), came in to see Spanky today and said it was hard to believe that this was the same cat. He would not have given Spanky any odds at all of making it when he saw him that first night. I must admit, I also had my doubts until I held him for the first time. I could actually feel the "will" in him. Keep him in your hearts and minds. He is still along way from complete recovery.
Little Sandy is not doing well at all. Her condition is breaking my heart. She is still pretty unsteady on her feet. Her "dizzy" look is still gone, but she seems to be getting weaker. She has a head tilt. Looking back at pictures I had taken before this happened, I realize she always had the tilt, but not this pronounced. Please pray it is an inner ear infection and that the antibiotics will clear it up.
I took her to a friend's house tonight so we could trim all of her long hair off. I wanted to look her over thoroughly for any sign of a tick (Tick fever). She looks terrible, but at least I am sure now that there are no ticks.
God bless each one of you who are sending good, healing thoughts and who are praying for these babies.
Saturday night, February 19, 2000
Well, the news on Spanky is still GREAT! He is continuing to eat like a pig and wants to be petted constantly. He does not have to go back to the vet until Tuesday. He is now without his bandages and really enjoys being able to groom himself. At least he won't get a hairball. I have to watch him closely to make sure he does not try to chew his stitches out. So far so good.
He is the most amazingly cooperative little guy I have ever met! Most cats would have done everything they should not have done, but not Spanky. Even the first night he kept the loose bandage on that we put on him. He didn't even try to remove it. Then, in the vet hospital, he would keep the towel on that they had draped over his back. He has not even attempted to mess with his stitches. And, believe me, he has plenty! It is as if he knows exactly what is going on and knows that he must do what is good for him. He is really unbelievable!
Sandy appears to be just a tiny bit stronger today. I am praying that it is not wishful thinking on my part. She has been up a few times. She ate two grilled hamburger patties that I fed her by hand late last night. She also ate two cooked cubed steaks tonight, fed to her by hand, of course.
She gets up to go from her