Our cats to sponsor
Gamine
Gamine is a tiny, very endearing cat. She is about two years old. Her little body bears the scars of a very difficult start in life. When she arrived at our shelter, her ears were infected and frostbitten. The tip of one of her hind legs was bleeding, and she couldn’t put one of her front legs on the ground.
She saw veterinarians many times during the first few months. She underwent aggressive antibiotic treatment to save her injured hind leg. As for her front leg, which is clearly not well, it was fractured a long time ago. The bones healed as best they could. According to the vet, someone shot her with a pellet gun because she has metal debris in her leg. We consulted a surgeon to find out if it was possible to remove the lead fragments. According to the surgeon, attempting surgery to remove the pieces of metal could do more harm than good because the area where the largest piece is lodged is very small, leaving little room for the surgeon to maneuver, and the end result would not help Gamine’s mobility issues. The three veterinarians consulted about her legs are unanimous. Her hind legs have joint abnormalities that are well established and therefore untreatable. Her hind leg problems are a consequence of the deformity of her front leg. There is compensation in the hind legs to help her front leg. The only thing we can do is give Gamine Flexadin to prevent osteoarthritis in her legs.
As problems never come alone, our little Gamine has now developed allergies. We don’t yet know if they are food-related or environmental. We are currently trying to confirm whether it is a food allergy. She is therefore on a very strict diet with hypoallergenic food containing hydrolyzed proteins.
We have enrolled Gamine in a sponsorship program because she needs frequent visits to the vet to make sure everything continues to go well for her. She also needs to be monitored by a dermatologist for her allergy problems.
Help us by sponsoring a cat
Byba
Byba is a black and white cat that arrived at the shelter as a kitten at only 8 months old. He was already suffering from dental pain. In an effort to address his stomatitis, he underwent a complete dental extraction before he turned one. The stomatitis improved for a while after the procedure, but it has intensified again in the last 18 months. We’ve taken him to the vet multiple times, and although he received therapeutic laser treatment to alleviate inflammation, nothing provides long-term relief. It’s now necessary to put him on permanent medication so he can finally enjoy life pain-free. However, this treatment is expensive.
So, what is stomatitis? It’s an autoimmune disease that affects a cat’s gums and oral mucosa, causing them to become bright red and severely inflamed. In the most severe cases, the pain can be so overwhelming that the cat cannot eat. For Byba, during the worst phases of his condition, his gums become so inflamed that they bleed upon contact.
Byba is a lovely, shy cat. It’s easy to see how living with constant pain hinders his ability to socialize. Fortunately, he has some feline friends who are always eager to cuddle with him.
Anatole
Anatole came to the shelter due to a case of mistaken identity. Volunteers were searching for a ginger cat named Antchuk in Anjou. Someone called in to report that she had found the cat and brought him into her home. However, upon seeing the ginger cat, we realized it wasn’t the one we were looking for, but Anatole still needed help. So, we brought him back to the shelter. Anatole had a minor limp, prompting a visit to the vet for X-rays and additional tests. The veterinarian discovered multiple micro-fractures in his pelvis that had healed incorrectly. It was suspected that he’d been hit by a car.
Unfortunately, there was no treatment possible since the injury was old, and the pelvis wasn’t perfectly aligned; we could only hope it wouldn’t cause him significant issues down the line. Some time later, Anatole began to move from litter box to litter box without using them. Concerned about a potential urinary blockage, we swiftly took him to the vet. While there was no blockage, he was severely constipated and required a three-day hospital stay with multiple enemas. Once back at the shelter, he seemed fine, but two weeks later, he experienced another bout of constipation.
Each significant episode heightens his risk of developing megacolon. To avert this, Anatole is now on two different laxatives and a medication to enhance intestinal motility. He will need to continue these medications for life and have regular vet visits to keep his condition managed.
Anatole is a fairly solitary cat. While he isn’t particularly fond of people, he does have a few favorites among them. Some of the volunteers pet and even groom him, which he doesn’t mind too much. He isn’t the most sociable cat; he puts up with other cats, but none have truly captured his heart. Sometimes, he can be seen napping alongside Cadbury or Biscotte. Despite his somewhat tough demeanor, he has a loyal following of shelter volunteers who dream of the day they can pet the majestic Anatole.
Ozzy
Ozzy is a beautiful 4-year-old gray and white cat who was found wandering around Rivière-Des-Prairies. When he arrived at our shelter, Ozzy had persistent diarrhea. We consulted with veterinarians repeatedly to resolve this issue. We had no idea that this problem was not actually a problem after all, because his diarrhea had kept him alive…
Let us explain… After much effort, we finally stopped Ozzy’s diarrhea, but then he became constipated. No laxative could relieve his constipation. We consulted the vet again, who gave him an enema, but the constipation persisted. Two days later, we took him to the emergency room, where he remained hospitalized for five days without the vets being able to relieve the intestinal obstruction. Ozzy was transferred to our regular veterinary clinic, where, as a last resort, he underwent surgery to relieve the intestinal obstruction. This operation was really Ozzy’s last chance. If it didn’t work, he would have had to be euthanized. That would have been heartbreaking because Ozzy is absolutely adorable!
What caused this? During his numerous examinations, veterinarians discovered that Ozzy has a narrowing of the pelvic canal, which means that the opening for passing stool is narrower than in other cats. In all likelihood, the narrowing is due to an old fracture that caused misalignment when the bones healed. Unfortunately for him, his problem is mechanical and cannot be corrected with surgery. We don’t really like cats to have diarrhea or loose stools, but in Ozzy’s case, it’s a matter of life and death: his stools must remain loose or diarrhea-like to prevent another blockage. Ozzy must take medication to increase his intestinal motility three times a day for the rest of his life, in addition to a laxative. He is on a special fiber-free gastrointestinal diet for life. In his case, fiber is not recommended because it increases stool volume.
We have enrolled Ozzy in our sponsorship program because he needs frequent veterinary visits to ensure that everything continues to go well for him. Ozzy is an adorable cat who particularly enjoys the company of humans. He lives in a condo at the shelter, but he is allowed to roam the hallway among the volunteers. When he goes out, he takes the opportunity to bask in the sun on the kitchen windowsill. This also allows him to supervise the volunteers’ work.
Help us by sponsoring a cat
Mystery cat
The sponsorship program was established to support the veterinary expenses of cats with chronic illnesses and lower chances of adoption. For those of you who cannot choose from our adorable residents, the Mystery Cat is here for you.
If you decide to sponsor the mystery cat, you will receive updates and photos of a cat rescued from the shelter whose health condition requires significant veterinary care. You can follow its progress until complete recovery. Once healed, a new cat will take over as the mystery cat.