Meow...Look At Me Now!

 

Look at how far our little Zacheriah has come. He's not so little anymore! He's a big boy now, and he wants to thank everyone who donated towards his medical bills and sent their positive thoughts and prayers for his recovery from a sickly stray to a happy and healthy young man. We couldn't do what we do without you, and Zacheriah is living proof that when we all come together, miracles can happen! 😽




Little Zacheriah arrived here at The Little Cats' Rescue after being found outside all alone in a thunderstorm. He was in very bad shape, weighing only 8 ounces at 4 weeks old, and he had an upper respiratory infection. Both eyes were severely infected as well, requiring immediate vet care.


Indiana Jones

This beautiful girl is Indiana Jones - so named because at four weeks old, she was dodging traffic in our neighborhood like she was THE Indiana Jones! We call her Indy for short. She's so sweet. A large, cuddly girl, who turned eight years old in April. She's STILL waiting for her own home. She's happy - but would love to be among less cats. If you would like to open your heart and your home to Indy, please click here for an adoption application


Little Zacheriah

Little Zacheriah on Day 1, weighing only 8 ounces.

Little Zacheriah arrived here at The Little Cats' Rescue after being found outside all alone in a thunderstorm. He was in very bad shape, weighing only 8 ounces at 4 weeks old, and he had an upper respiratory infection. Both eyes were severely infected as well, requiring immediate vet care. Dr. Elliott at Best Care Animal Hospital is such a nice man, and a wonderful vet. After examining and treating poor Little Zacheriah, he concluded that the left eye is too far gone and can't be saved. The right eye seems to be in better condition and is now healing. We are still unsure if he will be partially blind or totally blind. The vet prescribed different antibiotics and will eventually have to do surgery to remove the left eye. If you would like to make a donation for Little Zacheriah's care, you can click here to make a donation through PayPal. Thank you so much for caring about these precious beings!

Little Zacheriah gaining strength at 1 pound 4 ounces!

By the end of May, Little Zacheriah weighed 1.3 lbs. Slow and steady, he's getting there. He should weigh 2-1/2 lbs., but he has overcome a lot. Just a couple weeks later, he weighed in at 1 lb. 10 ounces! This is a fantastic development. His eyes, however, are still not great. We're pretty sure he can see out of the right eye. We thought the left eye was being absorbed and wouldn't need enucleation, but it's taken a turn for the worse. He needs to gain some more weight before we can send him for surgery. 

Little Zacheriah is now up to 1 pound 10 ounces!

Zacheriah and I thank you so much for your donations for his care. We anticipate his next bill to be a large one - as we are taking him to Eye Care For Animals 'cause that's all they do! No donation amount is too small to help. Once again, you can click here to make a donation through PayPal. We'll continue to keep you updated on Little Zacheriah's progress over the coming weeks. 


UPDATE 6/15/20
Good news... Zacheriah definitely CAN see from his right eye! He chased the laser dot all around the room! And, he weighed in at 1.8 pounds last night! Way to go, Zacheriah!!! 

1.8 lbs. and growing!

UPDATE 6/21/20
Zacheriah weighed in at 2.2 lbs. today! He is scheduled for enucleation of his left eye and neuter at The Humane Society of Tampa Bay on July 16th. He's turned into quite a feisty little guy! 
Now 2.2 lbs.


UPDATE 8/7/20
Little Zacheriah had his eye surgery a few weeks ago, and he handled it like a champ! Such a miracle, he is. Together, we saved his life and one eye! Zacheriah weighs just under four pounds today. It's hard to believe the transformation... remember when he was only 8 ounces, and it took SO long to get him up over one pound?


Here's Zacheriah today, relaxing with his friend Blaize a.k.a. Ms. Flame.

Thank you all for caring about this little ragamuffin! 
>^..^<

Ella -- Que Bella!

Ella came >this close< to being adopted yesterday, but Marshmellow was chosen instead. Ella needs a home with no other cats, lots of love, catnip, and her special food.  Ella had been tossed around before arriving at TLC Rescue. She was adopted from Tampa Animal Services, but was returned through no fault of her own. Ella's life was again in danger at Animal Services. She was only two years old. We are so happy we were able to save her.

Ella has learned to tolerate the other cats here at the rescue, but she would prefer to be the only cat on her human's lap. She enjoys the company of her foster mom's 70 lb. dog. Ella loves to have her belly rubbed, and will lay in front of you on her back, talking and rolling around to get you to oblige.

Ella is also learning to STAY INSIDE. She's getting better at it but occasionally lapses into the "I want to go out" mode. Extreme caution must be taken with her and the great outdoors. She will need a vigilant family, who will never let her out the door. It's just not safe out there for kitties.

Ella has the most gorgeous green eyes, encircled with white, the cutest pink nose and a beautiful coat pattern of swirls. She is very sweet. If her story has touched your heart, but you cannot adopt her, perhaps you could sponsor Ella. E-mail us at thelittlecats@gmail.com for more information or click here for an adoption form.


Become a Donor, a Sponsor, or a Tooth Fairy!

In the past two months, we've spent $4,238 in vet bills, not including spay/neuter costs of new admissions or monthly flea prevention. While we are legally allowed to house 50 cats, we've placed a moratorium on new admissions. With a Sanctuary of (currently) 44 cats, many of whom are special needs/senior, the vet bills don't get less; they increase. Giving Tuesday brought in $1,075. Many of you are regular donors, and that's what keeps us going. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 


In June, one of our vets came to the Sanctuary to administer mandatory rabies vaccines to everyone ($1,700). Upon examination, he recommended dental procedures/oral surgery for 20 of our cats. It's hard to know exactly the cost for each cat, as a thorough mouth exam can only be done under sedation. The best case scenario would be an average of $700 per cat, if we are lucky. Dentals are important to help prevent other serious issues as well as eliminating painful mouths.


Some of these cats have had failed adoptions (some multiple failed adoptions), some have simply never been adopted. When we admit a cat, it is with the promise of a forever home FOR LIFE. When we lost our adoption center six years ago, adoptions became harder to come by. (We lost the adoption center because, after ten successful years, a new manager told us we had to either stop doing vet references and home visits and allow their associates to approve adoptions, or lose the center.) 

It's been suggested to euthanize the cats that cannot find homes. That is not an option for The Little Cats' Rescue. It is not an ethical choice. If there is a "lifer" that you would like to sponsor, please contact us at TheLittleCats@gmail.com. If you can make a donation in any amount, we and they would be so grateful. Click here to make a donation by PayPal or debit/credit card.  We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and your donations are tax-deductable.

Here is the list of cats in need of sponsors for dental procedures and other medical issues...


Cleopatra, age 16
Carly, age 9
Bubba, age 11 (stomatitis, chronic URI)
Toby, age 12
Jupiter, age 12
Feather, age 12
Cameron, age 11 (high blood pressure, intestinal issues)
Texas, age 16
Radar, age 6
Scooter, age 2
Bruce, age 2.5
Tommy, age 15
Andy, age 11
Rosie, age 3
Trooper, age 6
Neely, age 12
Miranda, age 15 (hyperthyroid)
Gladys, age 11 (chronic keratonitis, under eye specialist care)



We greatly appreciate any support your can give. We realize there are many worthy causes to which you can give. Thank you for allowing The Little Cats' Rescue to be among them. 

Grace and Rocky

Princess Grace getting loved on by her prince, Rocky. These two five-month old sweethearts met and fell in love at The Little Cats Rescue sanctuary. They are happily awaiting their forever family. Click here for an adoption application.