Many of you have heard us talk about Keith our FIV (AIDS) kitty. Keith holds a very special place in our hearts; we love him dearly.
Keith came to The Ark about five or six years ago. He was found as a stray living on the streets in Pennsylvania and rescued by a very kind man. He took Keith to the vet and got him neutered and tested, only to find out that Keith was FIV-positive. This meant that Keith had to become an indoor kitty so he would not transmit the disease to other cats. This was all well and good until the gentleman decided to get married and his new wife was highly allergic to Keith.
That is when the phone call came to The Ark. She told me about Keith and told me that he was located in Pennsylvania. I was shocked and asked her if she knew that we were located in the northern part of Maine. She said yes. I asked how Keith would get here. Her answer was plain and simple: they would drive him. Clearly they loved the cat and wanted to do the best thing for him. The Ark agreed to take him.
Shortly after that Keith was driven to Maine by the kind gentleman and The Ark took him in. I remember that night clearly. Keith came with his favorite toys, dishes, carrier, catnip — everything a cat needed to be happy. A sizeable donation was left to care for Keith. It was a tearful goodbye. Pictures were taken and some alone time with his owner was spent. Keith’s world was about to change forever and so was ours.
The first few weeks Keith hid and would not come out. As the months went by we gained Keith’s trust and he became our social butterfly. One day we noticed that Keith would cry out in pain when he ate, so it was off to the vet. Keith’s teeth were bad and needed to come out, so he was scheduled for surgery. After the surgery we noticed that there was no change in his pain level so he was scheduled for a second surgery to remove any remaining roots. This second surgery, though not successful, saved Keith’s life.
Keith was in foster care recovering from surgery the night of the terrible fire. Keith had been removed from the sanctuary a few days before the fire because of his medical needs. I am sure now everyone understands just how special Keith is to us.
In the days that followed Keith would see a new vet, where it was determined that his mouth was full of sores and extremely painful. The chances that his mouth would heal were not good because of the AIDS. So we opted to make Keith comfortable with pain meds so that he could eat. He was also given vitamins and omega-3’s every day when he ate. We sat back and prayed for a miracle.
Almost two years ago Keith began his daily pain meds and vitamins. Because of this we decided to have a full set of blood work done a few weeks ago to see if his internal organs were still functioning normally. We were prepared for the worst. Keith was a trouper; he let the vet and her staff do what they needed to do.
The results were unbelievable! Everything came back in the normal range. He was also tested for thyroid, which came back fine. When the vet opened Keith’s mouth so I could see inside, there was only one tiny little sore. Last year this time the inside of his mouth looked like raw hamburger. Because his mouth looked so great. Keith was taken off pain meds for the first time in two years. Keith’s diet has remained consistent for the last two years: four cans of Fancy Feast in gravy every day like clockwork.
Keith has been off pain meds for two weeks and his diet remains the same. The only thing that has changed is that he no longer has to take pain meds and that is a very good thing.
Keith’s battle with his painful mouth has been a long one. I am so glad that we went the extra mile and did everything we could to save his life. Keith is living proof that miracles do happen. We are just happy that we got to be a part of this particular miracle. Keith is 10 years old now and is healthy and happy despite having AIDS, and we cherish every moment that we get to share with him.
Thank you for your continued support, and as always, thank you for reading our column.
